amulets
Night before last, I helped the big kids with a spell. They needed a grown up to help and I am that grown up.
Night before last, I helped the big kids with a spell. They needed a grown up to help and I am that grown up.
Maewyn found a website where she could look up magic spells, spells, spells, and she’s been wanting ice powers for weeks now.
Using a pink crayon, I translated the materials and instructions onto a scrap piece of paper. Later, the paper disappeared.
The kids kept beg beg begging me to help do the spell so they could get their ice power, so told them we don’t need the instructions, I can remember how to do it.
No no no, they said, we need the instructions! where did they go?! I had no answer. I told you they disappeared.
I used my mind to make up the spell. I found three charms in a Goodwill giveaway bag I’d set aside. Two glass snowflakes and one stone.
I pulled three same size ramekins out of a low drawer in the kitchen. I filled a fancy glass bottle full of tap water. I chose three herbs, one for each kid.
Mint, oregano, lavender. I snapped some fallen tree branches into three equal pieces, using my bare foot. Everything set as if for a fancy dinner outside.
I had them tear up their herbs, put them in each pot. I told them to hold each amulet in their hands and think of how they could use their powers for good.
I gave them the glass bottle to pour water into each container and they did, very carefully. Then we put them into the freezer, into the drawer where the ice is made.
What followed was a euphoric ecstatic ecclesiastical celebration of all the things they would be making and doing with their coming ice powers. This continued through dinner.
The next day, we pulled the pots from the freezer, brought them outside again to begin thawing. There was the requisite morning bickering between the cousins, and an impatience took hold as the ice melted. I made the amulets into necklaces using colored embroidery thread while they questioned me.
When are we going to get our powers??!! they kept asking me all morning. I soothed them with thoughts like, you might not know when they arrive, or some things take a while to actually appear, or some powers are very subtle and the real real real magic is within you.
One by one, and unbeknownst to one another, each child came to where I was pulling my tarot cards, the place just behind the pool table where I can usually hide, took off their necklaces and dropped them in front of me onto the carpet, cold as ice.