Chapter #2

“…Becoming the keeper of the petal crystal.”

Shamira approached the stone path that leads to the sacred pool. The path was different from all the others that appeared around town. The stones were identical, perfectly round and flat, exactly twelve inches in diameter, bleached an ivory white, and placed with precision in an easterly direction. Their surface appeared to have been swept clean if not polished for they glowed, sparkled, and shimmered in the moonlight.

She slipped off her tan backless sandals and placed them under a nearby shrub. Nervously, she nibbled on her lower lip wishing her grandmother stood beside her or her parents, but she knew that couldn’t be. Her grandmother had explained to her that she had her own role to play, and as to her parents, they had forbidden this to take place. She understood her mother’s attitude since she had grown up in the outside world, but her father was a different story. He had grown up under the same beliefs that she was embracing, and yet, he rejected her right to decide her fate. She was clueless to his attitude, knowing only that he embraced and promoted modernization. Shaking her head she returned to the task placed before her.

Unexpectedly, she heard a strange noise behind her. The first thought that came to her mind was that her parents had discovered her missing and that they were approaching her to stop her. She glanced over her shoulders as she heard the rustling again. Shamira watched, holding her breath as the bush behind her stirred. She jumped, screeching as a black object flew from the bush. The air rushed from her lungs in ragged grasp as she giggled at herself. She gazed at the small black cat as it disappeared into the darkness. Once again, she returned to the task placed before her.

Timidly, she placed both bare feet upon the first stone. The stone was smooth and cold to her touch. A shiver raced through her body and automatically, she wrapped her arms about herself. In confusion she peered at the next stone.

The stone should be only a step away and yet to her it seemed more then a simple step. Could she jump and reach it? She didn’t know, but she heard her grandmother’s warning. “Upon the stones of the moon you shall venture, shredding the threads of your life by placing upon each stone your bare feet never missing a beat.” She assumed that her grandmother meant that she should touch nothing but the stones. However, she feared that she would fail.

Apprehensively, she stretched her right foot toward the stone. Her big toe barely touched it. She wobbled on one foot as she brought her foot back to the first stone. Again, she peered at the line of stones and she wondered if they were all like this, and if so, how was she going to reach the end? Pointing herself in the direction of the stone, she jumped. She landed shakily on the stone. Both feet firmly planted as her body rocked back forth. She remained still, fighting to regain her balance before she attempted the next. Onward she ventured becoming surer of herself with each and every successful jump unto she finally felt her self upon packed earth again. Smiling, she scanned the area.

Shamira spied a woman walking slowly toward her. The woman was dressed in a soft yellow cotton robe tied closed by a golden cord. She barely stood to Shamira shoulder with long flowing mane of white hair, and a face that radiated with wisdom and power. She greeted Shamira. “Child, do you come to the lady of air by your own free will?”

Shamira paused, frightened and wondering what course she was setting her life upon. She felt questions welling up inside, but it was too late to ask them now. She was already here, and had already successfully undergone the first part. Stiffening her body, she looked the woman squarely in the eye and replied. “From the east I freely offer myself to the lady of air.” Her voice sounded strange to her own ears and an odd sensation seemed to stir in her body. She felt a tingling all over as if something was being awakened deep inside herself. She feared it, and grasped for air, but slowly she began to feel warm and safe.

“The lady of air accepts your offering.” The woman answered, motioning with her right hand for Shamira to proceed to the south.

She did as she was instructed to do and found herself being meeting another woman. This woman was dressed in a brilliant red velvet robe tied closed by red ribbon. The robe hung about her form in loose layers as if she was a skeleton underneath her clothes, but her hair was like the wild flames of the hearth. Shamira bite down on her lower lip, resisting the urge to flee. The woman greeted her with a scowl. “Child, do you come to the lady of fire by your own free will?”

“From the south I freely offer myself to the lady of fire.” Shamira chanted, again feeling a strange sensation run through her body. The feeling felt as if something was stirring deep inside of herself, as if it had been sleeping and was only now beginning to escape the shackles of her earthly body. The woman nodded her head in acceptance and with her right hand motioned for Shamira to move to the west.

Once more she stepped away from the woman, and did has she was told, stepping in a westerly direction. She found herself staring into the familiar green eyes of her aunt, who chanted. “Child, do you come to the lady of water of your own free will?” Her aunt was wearing a soft blue robe tied closed by a navy ribbon. Her blonde locks seemed to float about her face like a halo, and Shamira had to resist the urge to hug her, to hide her face into the folds of her Aunt’s robe. She didn’t understand the sensations running through her body and the closest she could describe them was that she had been under water and was now coming to the surface. She heard own breathing, heavy and panting as if she had been running. Her breath could be seen in front of her as if the air around her was frozen, though she felt no chill. Huskily she replied “from the west I freely offer myself to the lady of water.”

“The lady of water accepts.” Her aunt answered and her right hand she pointed to the north. She bid has she was told.

Swiftly, an odd odor assaulted her senses. The scent was musky and earth-like as if it came from the very soil. She felt light-headed as the scent got heavier and everything spun for a second. Her nostrils flared, sucking in more of the odor. Her stomach lurched and she feared that she was going to spill her cookies. Closing her mouth tightly, she convulsively swallowed as another woman stepped toward her. The woman reminded her of the earth itself for the rich green silk robe she worn was pulled taut around her bugling form and the black leather tie holding the robe closed was pulled stretched tight. With each motion the woman made the rolls of her flesh bounced and wiggled. Her hair was a deep brown and hung about her face like tangled roots. Her face was puffy, but her brown eyes were filled with mirth. For a split second, Shamira expected the woman to smile uttering a hilarious joke; instead she greeted Shamira in a deep husky voice “Child, do you come to the lady of earth of your own free will?”

Out of the blue she felt herself falling, but she wasn’t moving at all. She gasped as a thick darkness embraced her. Everything smelled musky and damp reminding her of the earth, but how could that be? Nevertheless the sensations vanished before she was able to fully comprehend them and she found herself staring into a pair of brown eyes waiting expectedly for her reply. Hurriedly she responded “from the north, I freely offer myself to the lady of the earth.”

“The lady of the earth accepts.” She huskily answered, motioning for Shamira to return to where she had begun. Shamira once again found herself standing before the lady of air.

Shamira raised her hands over her head and stared into the dark sky “from the east to the south, from the south to the west, from the west to the north, from the north to the east, completing the circle of life I freely offer myself to the goddess.” She was then stripped of her earthy clothing and her body trembled as the cold air caressed her. She nibbled on her lower lips tasting blood as she resisted the urge to reach for her clothing and hide herself from prying eyes. She felt the goose bumps on her arms and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

However, once striped and the clothing removed she was directed toward the pool where she stopped just inches from its surface. She glanced shyly downward, uncomfortable with her nudity as she spied the pool. The pool sparkled like blue diamonds. On the bottom of the pool she saw numerous blue quartz pebbles and around it in sat blue candles arranged in a circular. Slowly, she turned her back to the pool and faced the lady of the air. In silence she watched, frightened and uncomfortable.

The lady of the air stood to the east and rang a simple bra** bell, announcing “Purification now has begun in the name of the goddess and god, may any who speak against this, speak now or forever hold one’s peace.” Shamira’s breath caught in her throat and a heavy silence fell over her. She felt waves of doubt and fear wash over her. Closing her eyes, she saw her mother standing before her. Her mother was frowning and pointing her index finger at her. “What foolishness is this?” She thought she heard her mother demand, but she shook her head and opened her eyes. Her mother wasn’t here, and the lady of air was gazing intently at her, but what? What was she suppose to say or do as she racked her mind for the answer?

She wanted to stomp her feet and scream in frustration. What did they want from her? She again saw her mother standing before her and mother demanded, “Choose.” But choose what? Little by little an odd warmth settled around her and she knew that if she choose this path, this direction she might lose what ties she had with her own mother for her mother was not of this belief, this world and thus, she must choose this or her. A tear rolled down her cheek and inside herself she found herself whispering “goodbye” to her mother and embracing the goddess. A new strength and resolved swelled inside of her. She felt honored and at peace as if this was she true path, her true direction, her destiny.

As if the lady of air understood the battle inside of her and knew its outcome without any words being spoken the lady of air reached for a dagger. The dagger was black-handled, double bladed and the blade was at least ten inches long. Shamira grasped upon seeing it and feared the worse, holding her breath expecting to feel its blade against her flesh, but it didn’t happen as the lady held the blade in her right hand. Immersed she followed the blade as it rose in the air. All four ladies in sync chanted, “Blessed mother honor this blade and with this blade we consecrate this circle to purify the child within this circle. Then the lady lowered the blade and walked in a circular pattern in counter-clockwise direction. The blade was against the soil and it traced a line as the lady walked. The next who followed was the lady of fire who carried an incense burner leaving a travel of heavy smoke behind her, then came the lady of water who sprinkled water in the same pattern, and last came the lady of earth who dashed salt onto the traced line. Once they completed their circular walk they returned to the positions they had held before.

In sync all four chanted “we consecrate this circle in the name of the goddess, and may you manifest yourself within the child.” Each one turned to face Shamira, raising their hands out in front of them and recited “Of a time that is not a time, of a place that is not a place, on a day that is not day, of a night that is not a night, as the moon above smiles down upon us, we stand before the beginning of new beginnings offering a child to the goddess and the god in hopes that our future will be for eternity. We offer the goddess our chosen one, the one to be the keeper, the savior of all to come. We call upon the goddess to embrace her, to accept her, and command the mother to accept our humble offerings.” With a wave of their hand they motion for her to step into the pool she does as she was told.

Timidly, she stepped into the pool its cold water spiraling around her toes. Goose bumps danced upon her flesh as she refused to acknowledge its frigid temperature as she sat in its center. The ladies seemed to dance around her as each one lighted a blue candle and whispered. “Blessed mother purify the child, removing all earthly stains upon her soul.”

The threads of reality seemed to vanish as she watched the lady in blue approach her. She felt the woman’s hands touch the top of her head. The woman said something, but Shamria couldn’t make it out. Suddenly, she felt herself pushed under the water. The water lapped all around her and she struggled, fearing the water and the rush of air from her lungs. She couldn’t breath and fought against the woman’s hold. “Were they trying to kill her?” rushed through the corridors of her mind.

Unexpectedly she saw a soft glowing light approach her. The light developed into a loosely form of a woman, and whispered in a soft luring husky voice “I accept thee.” Then the light was gone and she found was once again staring into the eyes of the four women circled around her. She felt herself smile for she had been accepted and purified. They yanked her from the pool, dousing the lighted blue candles in the process. One of them hymned a soft melody as another said, “Thus, purification is complete and may the powers that venture here leave in peace and comfort.”

Shamira eyes grew wide as she watched the circle they had drawn earlier vanish. Upon the disappearing circle a woman stepped out of the shadows carrying a long oblong-like stone in her hands. Her hands stretched out before her as she stepped closer to her. She found herself staring into at her grandmother. Her grandmother was dressed in a white robe tied closed by a golden cord. Her grandmother chanted “Blessed mother I hand the petal crystal to the keeper of stone and may you grant her the wisdom, the purity and the strength to keep all within its reach protected.”

She reached for the stone, feeling its warmth and glow brighten as she held it. She softly responded “Blessed mother with all that I am, with all that I will be, with all that ever was I accept the gift and honor bestowed to me.” She felt united, tied to her grandmother and the other women around her, as she had never been before as the crystal feed upon her strength. A soft yellow mist eloped them, and she felt strong, virile and at peace.