body and ran over my skin. It felt like someone was patting my hand.
Closing my eyes and slowly breathing, I began to focus on everything
around me. The gentle swirl of my herbs softly sang to me, and I felt the need to
twirl around. Embracing the feeling, I danced as I added more purple petals to the mortar. As if in response to my energy, the bowl began to emit long waves of
iridescent tendrils. They lifted the crushed herbs and spun them.
I looked over at Gram. She was watching me with an approving smile. Then,
my grandmother handed me a clear bottle that contained cinnamon sticks
soaking in oil.
“Two sticks for this spell,” Gram said. “That is, unless you feel different.”
I took the cork off the bottle and the strong smell of vanilla and cinnamon engulfed me. I pulled one stick out, and something instinctively told me to break
it in half. As it snapped, I heard YES crackle on the wind. Recorking the bottle, I gave it back to Gram, who smiled proudly.
Simultaneously, we crushed the cinnamon and lavender together until red
tendrils formed. I picked up the blue bottle, labeled Rainwater. I let three drops slowly fall from it. The red puffs rose to meet them. As they connected, they turned into a long, beaded chain of water droplets.
“As the sun begins to rise, center your heart on this potion. Let your heart speak of the good that will be done with it. Don't dwell on what will be taken away. Instead, rejoice in what will be protected. Does it feel finished to you?”
Gram asked.
I stared into the swirling bowl and felt the magic of Blaze, Breeze, and Bay. I
listened longer and instantly knew what it lacked. “We are missing Earth. The magic of Daisy isn't here.”
Gram laughed, and then handed me a brown bottle, labeled Sea Salt. “We will add a pinch as the sun rises to complete our potion.”
I poured a small amount into my palm and rubbed the coarse salt between
my fingers. Sparks of power shot through my hands. The magic inside and
around me was intoxicating. Sharing this moment with my grandmother made it
even more important.
The dark sky was lightening, and the soft orange and pink hues of the
morning sky were peaking. When the sun began to rise, we added the salt,
making our bowls erupt with silver, red, blue, and green vapors. A song of joy
came out of them as the smoke changed into a bright, violet light.
"The Goddess?" I asked under my breath.
"Yes, isn't she wonderful," Gram said, her eyes brimming with tears of joy.
We hugged and danced around the table, soaking in the magic around us.
Squeezing me tightly, she whispered in my ear, “The power inside you is
strong and pure. Just trust yourself.”
As the smoke of the potion stilled and disappeared into the morning sky, we
filled four small vials with the purple liquid.
“This is enough to be used on two people. After a vial is consumed, you
must fill it again, but add a pinch of crushed rosemary. This is, then, put away in
a safe place for when, or if, the memory should be returned.”
Pausing, Gram looked as if she were deciding whether to continue or not.
Then, she spoke softer, “If the memories should never be returned, the second
vial shouldn't have rosemary. Instead, two pinches of dried devil's claw ought to be used. This will not harm the person who drinks it, but it will completely erase
their memory and magic.”
