42. Amanda
While the discussion around the table continued to revolve around modern witchcraft, fields of energy, and how quantum physics could explain paranormal phenomena, Amanda pushed aside thoughts of her mother becoming the ruler of the galaxy because, frankly, it was just crazy.
Instead, she thought back to the fun times she”d had with leading her mostly made-up witchy rituals.
She had always been fascinated by alternative spirituality and connecting with the divine feminine, but she had only superficial knowledge of Wiccan practices and had never delved too deeply into the specifics of modern witchcraft. It had always been about fun for her—a way to bond with her female friends over something different and naughty. She”d had a blast scandalizing Syssi by coercing her shy sister-in-law into dancing in the woods in her birthday suit.
Amanda stifled a smile at the memory.
Across the table, Syssi let out a long-suffering sigh. ”I will never forget how you roped me into the ritual you did for Vivian.”
”I was just thinking about the same thing,” Amanda admitted. ”It was so much fun.”
”For you,” Syssi grumbled.
Amanda chuckled. ”After you got over your excessive modesty, you enjoyed it too. Besides, it worked beautifully, so it was worth a few minutes of embarrassment. Vivian stopped thinking that she was cursed and embraced her relationship with Magnus.”
Sari cast Amanda an amused look. ”Since the curse only existed in Vivian”s head, the ritual probably had a placebo effect. She believed that it worked, so it did.”
Amanda pursed her lips. ”Maybe you are right, or maybe the combined positive energy of fourteen females did the trick.”
Syssi laughed. ”It was an impressive theatrical production, so it looked convincing. Although I doubt that Vivian was impressed with the wizard robes we wore. They came from a costume shop.”
”Why fourteen?” David asked. ”I”ve heard of a circle of seven or thirteen but never fourteen. Is there more power in doubling up on seven?”
”Humm.” Amanda tapped her finger on her lower lip. ”I should have thought of that explanation when we ended up with fourteen instead of thirteen witches in our circle, but that wasn”t it. It”s actually a fun story.” She looked at Syssi. ”Do you want to tell it, or should I?”
Syssi waved a hand. ”Go ahead. I”m sure that your version will be much more entertaining than mine.”
”Fine. So the plan was to assemble thirteen females, but since I knew that not everyone would be on board with nudity,” she cast Syssi a pointed look, ”I got fifteen. Syssi said that there was no way she was getting naked and that she would offer her support from the sidelines. Kri, who was there in a Guardian capacity, was armed to the teeth, so she couldn”t join in either because of her weapons. That left me with thirteen, which was what I needed.”
”We looked so ridiculous,” Syssi said. ”I had my clothes on under the wizard robe, but Amanda, Carol, and many of the others were naked underneath.”
Amanda shrugged. ”We looked fabulous, but after we each shared our life force energy with Vivian, it was time to disrobe, and before you all think that I was being eccentric or silly or just wanted to torment poor Syssi, I will have you know that nudity is a legit requirement of the Wiccan ritual. You can look it up if you don”t believe me.”
Syssi let out a sigh. ”You made a very convincing argument back then, and I”m often reminded of it. It was about how we clothe ourselves in customs, ideology, and comforting illusions in our everyday lives. The naked body represents the truth, and by shedding our material and spiritual garments, we proclaim our loyalty to the truth.”
”Nicely said.” Sari nodded.
”That”s how Amanda convinced me to participate,” Syssi said. ”That and the speech about how we are all perfect in our own way and have nothing to be ashamed of. When I agreed to shed my clothes, I became the fourteenth female in the circle that had been supposed to have only thirteen.”
Kian shook his head. ”You are a bad influence, Amanda.”
He”d heard the story before, probably more than once, so he was saying that to tease her. Fine, she could play his game.
She gave him a haughty look. ”I beg to differ. I think that I”m a wonderful influence. All the women who participated in that ritual felt energized and empowered by it, and Vivian no longer thought that she was cursed. It was a win-win for everyone involved.”
Not only that, but they had created a memory they would carry with them forever. How many of those did people have? Most of life was mundane, with one day resembling the next and nothing to distinguish it from all the others. People remembered the highs and lows. Since lows were usually unplanned and just hit them over the head at random, it was important to build an arsenal of highs, and that didn”t happen without planning.
Syssi leaned toward Amanda. ”Do you remember the incantation?”
”More or less.” Amanda cleared her throat. ”We are gathered here in a circle of fourteen powerful women to beseech the Goddess”s help for our sister Vivian. With her divine light, the Goddess will destroy the malignant energy within Vivian”s soul and free her from her curse. Let us all join our voices in the chant. Please repeat after me. Great mother, the supreme mistress who lives in our hearts and guides our way toward love and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and pleasure, bestow upon us your power tonight, chase away the darkness and replace it with your light, so our sister Vivian can worship and honor you by freely accepting love and pleasure without fear.”
Leaning back, Syssi crossed her arms over her chest. ”You totally made that up.”
”I did,” Amanda admitted. ”But you can”t deny the energy we all felt that night. That wasn”t made up.”
”It”s true.” Syssi looked at Kian. ”We talked afterward, wondering if a group of males could have produced the same energy.”
He chuckled. ”Don”t expect me to try it, and if you somehow convince thirteen males to do a witchy or wizardry ritual in the nude, there is no way I”m letting you watch it in the name of science or anything else.”
”Don”t worry, my love.” She cupped his cheek. ”The only male I want to see in the nude is you.”
”Oh, wow.” Amanda fanned herself. ”Who are you, and what have you done with my shy sister-in-law? The Syssi I know and love would have never said that in public.”
As Syssi”s cheeks got red, Annani came to her rescue. ”So, if I understand correctly, modern Wiccans worship the feminine.”
”Not exclusively,” Sari said. ”Wiccans believe in a dual deity system, with a goddess and a god representing the feminine and masculine aspects of divinity, but because Wicca is about honoring the natural world and the cycles of life, it has a more feminine slant than the traditional religions, and it appeals more to females.”
”What about the magical aspect of it?” Gabi asked.
Amanda lifted her hand. ”I can answer that. The Wiccan magic is not the fantasy version of turning misbehaving princes into beasts or growing giant trees from magical beans. It”s about focusing intention and energy to bring about positive change on the individual and global levels.”
”Those are lofty statements,” Aru said. ”But how does that work in practice? How can a ritual or a spell influence reality?”
Sari leaned over so she could face him. ”In the same way that meditation and prayers do in other spiritual traditions. Wiccans believe that by aligning their intentions with the natural energies of the world, they can tap into a deeper power and create change in accordance with their will. Given your connection with your sister, you shouldn”t be so skeptical. There are forces and energies in the universe that are impossible to explain based on what we know.”
Aru dipped his head. ”Well said.”
David, who so far had been satisfied with just listening, put his hand on Sari”s shoulder to get her attention. ”You don”t have to work hard to convince me that this is all real, but with harnessing such power comes great responsibility. How do those who practice the Wicca religion ensure that it is used ethically?”
Sari let out a breath. ”The Wiccan guiding principle is the Rule of Three: Whatever you release into the world will return to you trifold, so be sure that you do no harm.”
Amanda nodded. ”What it”s basically saying is that everything a witch does comes back at her, so cursing someone or wishing them ill will cost the witch dearly. It”s a good incentive to only cast good spells.”
Kian looked like he”d had enough of the discussion. ”As fascinating as I find all this talk about witchcraft, what we should focus on is what Jasmine believes in and if she can actually do what she claims she can.”
”Very true.” Amanda smiled at her brother, who had been very patient up until now. ”I should talk to her about it.”