Before Eve
By Olivia Rya Kaged
She used to be a normal girl, then she was kidnapped by dragons and thrown into Purgatory for Eve to possess. Ever wondered who the young girl was that Eve possessed? Read, review, favourite, follow.
Chapter One: Wiccaning
Susan cradled her newly born daughter in her arms and stepped outside in her white nightgown with her husband Richard. Susan gently raised her few hours old daughter up towards the stars outside.
"Oh Lady of the Starry Heavens, Wise All-Father, behold this lively child Skye Lovett, conceived and brought forth in love, bless and protect her, and grant the gifts of wisdom, inspiration and wonder." Susan said. Susan gently placed her infant onto the ground and stroked her cheek lightly with her fingers.
"Hail Earth, Mother of All, this is my infant, my love, and my jewel. Bless and protect her, granting your enduring and eternal strength and steadfastness. May she ever have a spirit that seeks the the stars, and roots deep within thy loving breast." Susan said and picked up Skye and held her close to her as she glanced around for a few moments.
"Mommy! Mommy!" a three year old Skye said and handed her mother a picture she had drawn.
"Here you go." a very shy nine year old Skye said as she handed an homeless man her sandwich.
Skye at twelve was dancing at a ballet recital.
Skye was grooming a horse and laughing with her friend.
A crying Skye was being dragged to a cliff edge and then pushed down a fiery hole. Skye screamed as she fell.
"My dear...it is done now. Let us get you both inside." Richard said.
"Richard...Richard...I saw...I saw." Susan said.
"What did you see Susan?" Richard asked.
"Skye...Skye." Susan said.
"Come Susan, you've just given birth a few hours ago. You're not well. Lets get you inside." Richard said and lead his wife still holding their baby daughter in her arms back inside the hospital unknown to him that Susan had just foreseen their daughter's death.
Susan had not been herself since the night of Skye's birth, but her sister thought today would be different. Skye was just over a month old and it was the first full moon since she was born and a naming ceremony was all planned for her little niece.
"Susan...Susan we're all ready now." Dawn said and picked up her niece.
"Okay Dawn." Susan said her eyes glanced over and dull. She had told no one of what she had seen. Susan had her white robe on and her hair was still damp from her purification bath.
"Skye looks beautiful." Dawn said commenting on Skye's white dress with rosebuds embroidered onto it before leading her sister outside to a large oak tree outside the hotel they had booked purposely for the tree. Around the tree, stood Susan's mother Wendy, her two cousins Abigail and Lucy and Susan's best friend Louise, Skye's Guardian Mother.
"Let us begin." Wendy said. Dawn placed Skye down at the bottom of the tree, next to three bowls. One full of corn, another full of water, and the third full of salt. Next to these bowls was a fresh bulb of garlic.
"Aphrodite, Arionhod, Lover of the Horned God, Might Queen of Witchery and night; Morgan, Etoine, Nisene, Diana, Brigit, Melusine, am I named of Old by men; Artemis and Cerridwen, Hell's Dark Mistress, Heaven's Queen. Ye who would ask of me a rune, or who would ask of me a boon, meet me in some secret glade, dance my round in greenwood shade, by the light of the full moon. In a place wild and lone, dance around mine altar stone; work my Holy Mystery, ye who are feign to sorcery, I bring ye secrets yet unknown. No more shall ye know slavery, who give true worship unto me. Ye who tread round on Sabbat night, come ye all naked to the rite in token that ye be really free. I teach ye the mystery of rebirth, work ye my Mysteries in mirth. Heart joined to heart and lip to lip, five the points of fellowship that bring ye ecstasy on earth. For I am the circle of Rebirth. I ask no sacrifice, but do bow, no other law but Love I know, by naught but Love may I be known. All things living are mine own, from me they come, to me they go." Louise said. Wendy then moved carefully to the center of the circle of woman and faced the large oak tree. Wendy picked up Skye and held her in her arms.
"Queen Brigit, we have brought you here, the fruit of my womb, for joy, fay. Bless this child with golden luck. May her heart have your silver touch. Health and wealth shall be her lot, by sickness nor evil shall ever be caught. Blessed Be." Wendy said and placed Skye back onto the ground gently and retook her place in the circle. Dawn stepped forward and picked up the bowl of corn.
"Demeter, accept this offering to you, may this child never know hunger of Body, nor heart nor soul." Dawn said as she placed the corn in a circle around Skye. Abigail then stepped forwards and picked up the bowl of water. She placed her finger in the bowl and placed that finger on Skye's forehead.
"Marianne, accept this water as an offering to you. May this child have the life-force sap always strong within her. May fertility of the Moon infuse her with love for all living. May she know Sisterhood." Abigail said as she poured the water in a careful circle around Skye. Lucy then stepped forward from the circle and picked up the bowl of salt.
"Blessed Be Sophia, Wisest of the Wise, in the earth and beyond the heavens. Protect and bless the child with wisdom." Lucy said making a salt circle around the infant. The three woman once again joined the circle leaving Skye on the floor under the Oak tree and holds hands completely the circle.
"We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return, like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean, we all from the Goddess, and to her we shall return, like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean, Isis, Astrate, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Innana, Isis, Astrate, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Innana, Isis, we all come from the Horned God, and to him we shall return, like a spark of flame raising to the heavens. We all come from the Horned God, and to him we shall return, like a spark of flame raising to the heavens. Hoof and horn, hoof and horn, all that dies shall be reborn, corn and grain corn and grain, all that falls shall rise again! Hoof and horn, hoof and horn, all that dies shall be reborn, corn and grain corn and grain, all that falls shall rise again! The Goddess is alive and magick is afoot! The Goddess is alive and magick is afoot! We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return." The woman sang out. Once they had finished their song Susan made a small hole in the ground and placed the garlic bulb inside it, on top of the bulb she placed the afterbirth and the umbilical cord in the ground and buried them. She covered this with remaining corn, water and salt.
"Her name be Skye Elizabeth Lovett. Her name be Robin Snow." Wendy said before picking up Skye in her arms. The woman then began to dance in the moonlight and feast on the bread they had provided.
"Hey Skye, shall we get you all dressed up for your Wiccaning?" Susan asked her two and half month old daughter and gently dressed her in her a light pink dress with blue and yellow flowers printed to it before carrying her into the garden where Richard, family and friends were waiting. Susan went a stood by Richard who gently kissed her cheek.
"Shall we begin?" Wendy asked.
"Yes." Susan said.
"Spring is come, the lambing begun, out of the Earth, out of the Air, our of the Water, out of the Fire, a child is born. Welcome we now Skye Elizabeth Lovett!" Wendy said and gently took her granddaughter and gently dipped her in a large cauldron of warm water. Wendy then gently wrapped her in a men's shirt and held her carefully in her arms.
"Do not forget, what seems the most different from you is not different, but a part of yourself, a mirror to your deepest nature. Let the air come, that bears the hawk, that brings the clouds, and the life-giving rain. Let the air come now, to be a friend and guardian, to Skye Elizabeth Lovett. Let the fire come, that shines in the sun, that shines in the heart, and opens the womb. Let the fire come now, to be a friend and guardian, to Skye Elizabeth Lovett. Let the water come, that freshens the pool, that move with the moon, and boils in the cauldron, let the water come now, to be a friend and guardian to Sky Elizabeth Lovett. Let the earth come, that gives the grain, that is flower and fruit, and the deep hidden caves. Let the Earth come now, to be a friend and guardian, to Skye Elizabeth Lovett." Wendy said before placing Skye inside a willow basket and tucked a white linen blanket under her chin before handing the basket towards Susan. Susan took the basket and held it towards her mother.
"Lord of Grain." Wendy said and placed a loaf of bread on the blanket.
"Mother of Milk." Wendy said and placed cheese down next to the bread on the blanket.
"Fire of Immortality." Wendy said and carefully whirled a taper of fire three times over the basket. Susan kept hold of the basket while Wendy placed her hands on the soil below the basket and John, Susan's father placed his hands in the air above the basket. Very slowly Wendy and John move their hands closer and closer to the basket. Once the hands meet at opposite sides of the basket Wendy and John move their hands away and make sounds of excitement and wave their arms around.