James was taken aback and took a moment to control his reaction, “Yes, you have a real gift. We all saw the beautiful energy you brought to the ritual. You are a welcome addition to this coven.”
“Thank you. It is wonderful to be welcomed and appreciated.” James patted her on the shoulder in a fatherly gesture and went on to speak to the other members gathered around the room.
Sitting next to Madeline on the couch, Lilly was introduced to the tall woman who had swung the censor during the ritual. Her name was Gemma. “Hi, Lyla, nice to meet you. I live on the ground floor, across the courtyard in apartment 11.”
“I’m happy to meet you, Gemma,” Lilly said, suddenly shy. A beautiful smile played across Gemma’s full lips as she tossed her dark hair over her shoulders. Lilly noticed the heavy silver earrings set with glowing fire opals dangling from Gemma’s ears.
“Your earrings are beautiful.”
“Thanks, Lyla. These are from my collection of Gemma’s Gems.”
Realization dawned on Lilly’s face, “Oh, you make the jewelry for the store!”
“Yes, I make most of it. I have my studio set up in my spare bedroom. Come over and visit anytime.”
Sabine came into the room and announced the food was on the table and it was time to eat. The door to the shop was open and a long table filled the center of the store. The group formed a circle, this time surrounding the feast laden table. They joined hands as James spoke the blessing, “Shining Sun, Holy Moon, Sacred Mother, Father, we thank you for this feast, for the blessing of good friends, companions and spiritual teachers. We thank the rooted ones, the winged ones and the four footed of this earth for their sacrifice which nourishes and strengthens our bodies and our spirits. Blessed be.”
The circle responded with a resounding, “Blessed Be!”
Walking around the table, filling her plate, Lilly got a good look at the rest of the members of the coven. They all lived in Panthea’s apartments. These were her neighbors and would be her friends. Smiling brightly, she took her plate and headed back to Jolene’s apartment.
Jolene was sitting at the oak table in the kitchen and signaled Lilly to join her. They discussed the ritual for a few minutes, Jolene listened intently as Lilly told her about the experience of oneness she had during the ritual.
They finished their meal and Jolene leaned close to Lilly and spoke quietly, “I have tried to scry for Pearl. I am sorry to say, I get nothing. The mirror remains dark.”
“Oh, no! She is dead,” Lilly exclaimed.
“No, that is not necessarily true. Don’t jump to conclusions, ma chere. Remember, she has a strong Fay bloodline, strong enough to block me from finding her. The faeries are hard to find on the physical plane and much harder to locate on the astral. I’m not giving up.”
Tears stood in Lilly’s eyes, “Thank you, Jolene. It was kind of you to try.”
“I am happy to help,” Jolene said as she shooed her out of the kitchen. “Go, go back into the parlor and have some fun. Get to know the other members of the coven. Enjoy yourself!”
Lilly blinked away tears of joy and joined the group as they began to sing a bawdy song. She took a seat between Gemma and Madeline and joined in on the chorus.
After hours of conversation, hugs, musical offerings and group songs, the members of Panthea’s coven said their goodbyes for the evening. It was after midnight when Lilly returned to her apartment, softly humming a tune.
In the days following the ritual, Lilly was more determined than ever to learn all she could from Jolene, James and Sabine. She took advantage of quiet time in the store to read and listen closely to the teachings of her mentors.
“The power of intention is the core of magic,” Jolene stated as they sat at the round table in her kitchen.
Sabine, sitting across from her, chimed in, “There are many ways to hone intention and develop a vibration in alignment with one’s desire.”
“This is the purpose of meditation and ritual. Through meditation you learn to know your true self. Through ritual you focus your intention,” Jolene explained.
“As you progress in your studies of magic, as you increase your spiritual knowledge and strength, you will create a bridge of language between your conscious and subconscious mind. The language of the subconscious mind is symbols. Over time, you will learn to intentionally open and close your subconscious. Rituals will have deeper meaning and your world view will expand.” Jolene explained.
Sabine’s voice filled her mind for a moment, “It’s imperative you remain grounded. You have a body to care for and an earthly life to enjoy. Don’t get so enamored of the higher dimensions, you lose your footing in the third dimension. You have chosen to incarnate. Be present. Enjoy it.”
Lilly’s head turned from one to the other as the two priestesses seemed to bombard her with information. “Wait, wait a minute. You two are speaking too fast. Please give me time to take notes.”
Sabine and Jolene nodded and repeated the lesson more slowly, giving Lilly time to take notes and absorb the information.
Chapter 11
The Jewel of Innana
Lilly was stocking the incense display when Jolene locked the front door and flipped the CLOSED sign over. “We are closing early, Lilly. I would like to have a meeting with you when you finish with the incense.”
Lilly looked up from the display, “I’ll be finished in a minute,” she said.
Fifteen minutes later she was seated across from Jolene on a large cushion in the meditation temple. Jolene sat quietly, eyes closed, breathing deeply. Lilly followed her lead.
After a few minutes, Jolene opened her eyes, took Lilly’s hand and spoke from her heart, “Lilly, I have been guided
