“Well, good thing neither you nor I need their help with our tasks. Are you good to lay the lost tribe to rest? Also, can you first speak with the earth? I want to let it know what we plan to do with lifting the curse. If you don’t know if you have the energy for both, the Oh-do-was have agreed to speak to the earth on our behalf. However, we think the earth may be more alert to your strange power and be quicker to respond. It has been long enough that the earth often ignores to the Jo-gä-oh.
“Like it’s easy to ignore when your sisters call your name versus a stranger calling your name? Yes, I can speak to the earth first. What do you want me to say?”
“Good analogy. Can you tell the earth that the lost tribe is moving on from this world and no longer wishes for the curse to continue? That we’re here to lift the curse and the Jo-ga-oh will remain and continue to be companions to the earth and guardians of the land and water. And ask the earth to listen to the lost tribe’s wish to dissolve the curse as well as it listened to implementing the curse in the first place.
“Unfortunately, once a curse is cast you can’t take it back. Like once words are spoken, they can’t be recalled. We’re lucky that the tribe paid in blood and the earth holds their curse. Fire wants to burn, winds to rage, and water to flow everywhere and they would not care about the request to stop. But the earth carries us all and enjoys life as well as death, so it is easier to beseech. We just don’t want the earth to retaliate for us altering the curse and we want the tribe free to move on. I’ve written it down in case the earth asks you for particulars.”
Wendy remains in the clearing while Sully, Tiko, and Hogun return to the cave at the base of the tree, closer to the earth for Tiko to bury bones to communicate with. As she waits, Wendy prepares for the upcoming ritual. She walks in a circle, sprinkling various dried herbs that she pulled from her mischief bag. As she’s walking, she can sense Tiko’s energy and knows he walked the same circle scattering bone shards for protection. The herbs and bone shards will reinforce each other’s intentions. Wendy traditionally uses blackberry roots, rue, lemon peels, ginger, bay leaves, and umckaoabo in her recipe.
After walking the circle, she locates the north and drives the wooden base of a bocio filled with salt into the ground after scraping away the light dusting of snow. Wendy then moves to the east with a bocio filled with sage, laurel, rue, and other herbs and clutching incense sticks with wind charms adorning its neck. She lights the sticks after packing snow around the bocio to keep it upright. In the south, a fire blackened bocio filled with igneous rocks and coal is driven into the uncovered ground. She adds several small twigs and kindling to the coal, then starts a low fire. In the west, Wendy places a hollow bocio and packs snow around it. She also fills the shallow bowl cupped in its hands with snow melted from her hands.
As her grandmother before her, Wendy combines the traditions of Vodun with traditional European craft. Bocio are dolls infused with herbs, medicine, incense, adornments, or decorations used in the culture of her ancestors. The directions and the corresponding elements are adapted from European witchcraft. Wendy and her grandmother’s attitudes are if it works, who cares where it comes from?
Tewow and Sepulveda take the respite offered by the preparation to fall asleep beside Vito, the three of them a low blip on her radar. After finishing the circle’s set up, Wendy sits on a woven mat in the center of the circle, anchoring herself to the earth and lifting her arms and face to the sky. She clears her mind and sinks into her senses, meditating until Tiko and Sully return.
Several minutes pass before Wendy senses the presence of her twin. He comes to sit behind her with his back to hers. Tiko walks to stand in front of her and she keeps her eyes closed as he speaks.
“The earth has heard our explanation and spoken with the lost tribe. It is content not to do anything against us as we lift the curse, but it will not stop anything that may come out of breaking the curse. The earth is also content with the Jo-gä-oh remaining as guardians. I’ll lay the tribe to rest first, then you’re up.”
Wendy nods acknowledgement and Tiko begins his ritual. Through her light connection to the curse, she feels Tiko hammering bones into the earth. He does something to draw spirits to the area and tightens their anchor to the bones, making the spirits gain substance. He then lays various salts on the bones, sets them on fire, and douses them with water. With each element, she feels the spirits grow heavier and heavier. With tremendous will, Tiko then shatters all the bones, using the force to slingshot the spirits into the beyond.
Wendy seizes the bonds of the curse cut loose when Tiko laid the spirits to rest. With the spirits no longer there to anchor the curse, it is free to run amuck otherwise. The original curse had two broad faces, one of retribution for the deaths of the tribe members. The other face is protection of the lands, waters, and animals in the area. Wendy’s hope is to foster the protection and mitigate the malice.
“I’m done, Wendy.”
Wendy carefully plucks the malice interwoven in the curse, sending small sections into the cleansing circle she created. She trusts the bocio, herbs, and directions she laid to neutralize the punishment components of the curse. Hogun and the Ga-hon-ga also reinforce the circle, they will be the main defense if
