The moon had cast its glow across the garden, and Jack Frost had left his presence known. As the temperature plummeted, the gardens pets had all taken cover in their various homes. Fox’s went back to their dens, rabbit’s into their burrows and squirrels settled into their tree holes.
To a stranger the garden looked like any other garden at night. All still and empty. But to the resident of the cottage, there were many things most people didn’t see.
Fae had lived in the cottage for almost ten years. It had been left to her when her mother had passed away. Her mother Lily had lived in it all her life and before her, her grandmother had lived here. There were no neighbours for miles and all around were fields and a small forest that led over to the village. The cottage wasn’t huge, but had plenty of room, and that’s what Fae liked about it.
As I walked through the rickety old wooden garden gate, the first thing you see is a pole stuck in the ground and written on the white flag the words:
Nepenthe, Nepenthe
Distine, Defende
The garden was full of flowers, many colours and varieties. Purple tulips, daffodils, blue and white tulips, poppies, hyacinth, and many more. It wasn’t the neatest of gardens that you have seen, flowers were not arranged into borders, the path was covered in places by weeds, and it looked like there were many different herbs growing in random places. And sometimes out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something twinkle, but when I turn to look, there is obviously nothing there. Just a breeze blowing the plants……..
I walked up to the front door, there was a bessom leaning against the wall. And hanging on the door was a plaque with a pentagram and the words Merry Meet under it. The door was made of old wood and had seen better days, but it went well with the whole feel of the cottage and garden.
Inside, the kitchen was a large space filled with many things. One wall was covered in shelves, which were full of jars, bottles, and boxes full of herbs, spices and other unknown ingredients. Above the stove was a quartz crystal hanging from a piece of string. There were pots of basil growing on the kitchen window sill, which I could smell the minute I walked in. On the wall by the small dinning table hung a calendar which had pictures of the moon in different phases. It was a little cluttered but had a comfortable feel to it. There’s an assortment of cookbooks and other books that looked so old, I couldn’t make out the names on the spines. On the table lay the usual things you’d find, letters from the morning post, a mug, and the morning’s breakfast dishes, and a few women’s magazines. A little cluttered, but mostly normal looking.
The living room was decorated nicely, cream coloured walls, a new looking corner sofa, a large television, and one whole wall of bookcases loaded from top to bottom with books. On closer inspection I could see romance novels, biography’s, fiction and many old books, again with aging spines that couldn’t be read. The room smelled a mixture of old books, and furniture polish. In one corner there was a small but high raised table that was covered in many coloured candles, a large wooden box, incense sticks, lots of stones of different colours and what looked like a small sword. And painted on the surface was a pentagram. In the middle of the room there was a small coffee table, with usual things you’d find, remote controls, magazines, papers, and bits of makeup that had been left.
I hadn’t expected to feel comfortable here, or to even see normal things. I mean with all the rumours about the place, there was a lot of hesitation in coming here. No one had seen the old lady that lived here, never. I had been come here with just the intention of looking around the garden to try to peek. But when I saw no one was in I tried the door and it was unlocked. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to see what was inside. I mean, when you hear rumours about witches, and the devil, you get curious and want to see. I wasn’t expecting a normal looking home. Maybe it was a bit cluttered with things she didn’t understand, but there was certainly no big cauldron and upside-down crucifixes anywhere.
I was just getting ready to come outside the front door when I heard the garden gate close. I peered through the window and saw a young woman, dressed in jeans and vest top. I quickly went through the kitchen to escape out the back door, but found it to be locked. I searched for a key, but couldn’t hear the front door open, and no key was in sight. I stood frozen to the spot. I wasn’t scared, as this woman was obviously not the witch, but I was in someone else’s house without their permission.
Fae walked into the kitchen and just as she was about to put her handbag on the table looked straight at this strange woman in her house. She was stunned for a moment.
‘Sorry, do I know you?’ Fae stepped a little closer to the table and placed her bag on it. ‘Erm……no. Actually, I, er…..’ Fae could see the woman looked somewhat embarrassed at having been caught, caught at what she didn’t know. She could see the woman had none of her possessions, and she didn’t look like your average burglar.
‘I’m Ann, I live in the village. I was just passing and I…..’ Ann was struggling to come up with an excuse as to why she was in this cottage. Fae just stood there waiting. She thought she already knew the answer, so she said ‘Was you coming to see if the rumours were true? See how a witch really lives, warts and all?’ Fae gave a little giggle at this. ‘Well, as you can see I have no warts, and my nose isn’t too large and crooked. Ann smiled slightly. ‘I’m so sorry. It’s just that we, I and some of the village have said how we haven’t seen the elderly lady who lives here. And... .’ Fae cut her short. ‘Elderly lady? What elderly lady? I am only 30. Do I look that bad?’ Fae motioned for Ann to sit at the table with her. ‘I’m sorry; I assumed that it was elderly lady who lived here.’ Fae looked a little hurt. ‘And why would that be?’ Ann didn’t know what to say. ‘Are all witches old?’ ‘No, I. It’s just we had never seen you and you have lived here quite a while now.’ Fae got up and put the kettle on. ‘All my friends live where I came from before I moved here, not far, so I visit them there often and I prefer to shop in the town, than at the village shop.’ Ann nodded to Fae’s suggestion of tea. ‘I’m sorry that I came here, and came into the cottage. Curiosity got the better of me. But I will set the rumours right in the village that there is no witch living here.’ Fae turned suddenly. ‘But there is. Why lie.’ Ann visible paled. Fae carried on. ‘Yes, I am a witch. And if I ever see you here again I will work my magic on you.’ Fae gave a friendly laugh. And Ann’s cheeked coloured slightly. ‘I’m nothing to be afraid of. I’m not a devil worshipper. I don’t turn people into frogs. We have rules and we stick to them.’ Fae walked over to a draw and took out a piece of parchment paper and handed it to Ann. Ann read the writing:
The Threefold Law
Whatever you do in life, be it good or bad, will come back to you three times
Infact, it can often come back to you up to seven times. Put simply this means that if you do something that you know in your heart is not right, at some point in your life you will be paid back for it
The Wiccan Reed
The wiccan reed is one that all witches live by and is that: You can do whatever you want in your life, so long as you don't hurt anyone or anything
Think about the consequences of your actions prior to carrying them out. If your going to be a true witch and true to yourself , think about other people's feelings before you fly off the handle and do or say something that will hurt them, however much they deserve it. Remember the threefold law, whoever hurts you will be paid back three times, so don’t take matters into your own hands.
‘Does that sound like the rules for a devil worshipper?’ Fae sat down with two mugs of tea and Ann placed the parchment onto the table. ‘Ok, so you’re not scary, and my opinion on the fact that you’re a witch has changed.’ They both smiled at each other.
They sat for an hour or so chatting about everyday things, just as other woman do over tea. Ann left the cottage with an invitation to dinner the following day and the promise that no dragons blood, or toe nails were to be in the ingredients.
Ann had made a new friend. No different really from her others. Everyone has their own beliefs and religions. Ann even went to the local library and read about witchcraft and found it to be a natural and non-evil belief, and she informed the villagers about her new friend.
Over the following months Fae made many friends in the village, and was often seen about and had them over for dinner and coffee mornings.
Fae was going through her box on the alter writing out her shopping list.
A blank postcard
A gold pen
A bay leaf
Cellotape
Thin gold ribbon
Since did that friendship spell, she would have to get the items again. You never know when you need them. As she walked out through the garden she could see the fairies dancing in the grass, their wings twinkling in the sunlight, just like they do under the moonlight. There were some things she wouldn’t tell her new friends. Fairies were no harm to humans, but some humans……well, what would you do if you saw a small fairy?
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