We wound our way out of the small village, past the stares of the other women, until we stood on the edge of a nearby forest. The grasses were tall, almost up to our knees, and we stood quietly for a moment before entering.
“This is a sacred place,” Branwyn told us. “We come here to worship, to sacrifice, to pray. You must be respectful of it while you are here.”
“Of course,” Brennan agreed. “We would never be anything else.”
Branwyn nodded, satisfied. “We channel the spirit of the earth here. The water, the trees, the sky and the earth meet in our meadow here. They pull from the four corners and meet as one. We draw strength from that. You are fortunate. You will be here for Samhain. The barrier between our world and the Otherworld will be at its thinnest. This will assist you in your purpose.”
Without explaining, she stopped speaking and began walking into the darkened trees, her feet peeking out of her long shift with every step she took. Brennan and I glanced at each other and then quickly followed.
Enormous oak trees closed around us, creating an atmosphere of mystery and solitude. The massive trunks of the trees were cloaked in green velvet moss which also grew across the worn paths beneath our feet. It smelled earthy here, damp and rich, and I inhaled deeply as we walked. The air here did actually feel sacred. It had a certain reverent feel that made me want to fall silent so that I didn’t disturb anything around me with noise.
We made our way to a circular clearing and the feeling of reverence intensified. It was clear that the circular meadow in front of us had been developed by the priestesses. It was encircled with trees, then a ring of stones. In the center of the circle, a glossy black stone shimmered in the light.
I sucked in my breath as I stared at it. Round, heavy and flat, it sat in the exact center of the meadow. Shadows from the rustling tree branches overhead swayed against the stone. Dried flowers were scattered upon it, their petals fluttering in the wind. This was an altar. That much as apparent.
As we approached, it almost seemed as though the grasses beneath our feet stopped moving and the breeze itself died.
“What is this place?” I whispered, running my fingers along the cool length of the stone.
“I told you,” Branwyn said, turning to me with a puzzled expression. “It is sacred ground. ”
“But why?” I asked. “What makes it sacred?”
Branwyn shrugged. “You do. Or we do. Or combined, we both do. I know not. You and your kind have powers that I do not, but I know enough to channel them. That majestic presence is felt here, in this place where everything comes together, the earth, the water, the sky and the sun. It is sacred here. That is all I know.”
“My kind?” I raised an eyebrow.
She smiled pleasantly back at me.
“I know you are different from me. I know you are even different from our father. Yours is a power truly to behold and revere, a power born from the goddess herself.”
The goddess herself.
My mind started spinning backward, sifting through memories of mortal history. The ancient Celtic Druids were known to have believed in an earth goddess, although mortals didn’t document which gods and goddesses Druid priestesses truly worshipped. They were known to worship natural elements, such as the earth, the sun, the moon… but other than that, their religion was not a written one. So, modern mortals truly didn’t know what had gone on here.
My mother was the goddess of witchcraft. So any magic that was channeled here must be from my mother.
My mother was who they referred to as the goddess herself.
Suddenly, I felt closer to my mother than I had in awhile, as though her very presence was here. The wind picked up and lifted the hair from my face and it felt as though my mother was actually speaking to me, letting me know of her unseen presence. I knew it was silly, if she was here she would simply materialize and show herself to me. But it still felt true.
“It’s not silly,” Branwyn murmured as she stretched her arms out wide and lifted her face to the muted evening sunlight that filtered through the trees. “Your mother is here. You can feel her.”
A thought occurred to me and I turned to her. “Have you ever actually seen my mother? In person?”
Her eyes popped open and she stared at me in surprise.
“Of course not. I have not acquired that much value to the goddess yet. But she speaks to me here. I channel her strength. It is through her that I am able to sift through the thoughts of others.”
“My mother grants you the power to read minds?” I raised an eyebrow.
“I do not do it alone,” she answered in wry amusement. “I am but a mere mortal.”
“Somehow, I doubt you are a mere mortal,” I told her. “Especially since I know that you have seen my future somehow. Can you tell me now? What is my purpose? What have you seen?”
“Come,” she nodded and gestured toward stone altar. “Both of you are part of this, both of you are more important than you know. Lie down here.”
I glanced up at her sharply and she smiled. “You’ll have to trust me, Empusa. I mean you no harm.”
“You’ll have to excuse me,” I answered slowly. “It is hard for me to trust.”
“I know,” she answered solemnly. “Please, lie down. I give you my word that I will not harm you. Join hands.”
“You couldn’t harm me,” I shook my head as I did what she asked. Climbing onto the stone, it was cool and smooth beneath my hands. Brennan leaped up next to me and we both settled onto our backs, staring up at the sky above us as our fingers joined together.
Tingling electricity fingers caressed my arm as our palms drew together. Brennan turned to me and smiled.
“I doubt I’ll ever get used to that,” he admitted softly, leaning in quickly to brush his lips against mine. The electricity spread to my lips.
“Me either,” I told him.
“Focus,” Branwayn admonished us as she stood on the edge of the stone. “I need you to clear your thoughts. The images that come into your mind here today will be your answers. You will trust what you see far more than you would trust what I say.”