Oh, yes mum, the sea is wonderful, but the swimming pool is more comfortable. With no sand, a café nearby and sun beds to relax, our mum answered in a persuading voice.
I dont understandwhats the use of spending the days on the edge of a swimming pool?
We go there to have rest, mum, we really need that!, she put an end to the conversation that way.
And then autumn came, Nature changed its colours, the garden at the cottage lost its leaves day by day, days get shorter and cold came back. Mabon, thats how granny called the autumn equinox. She decorated the table with ivy and she put into some pots the herbs she had been drying in the hot months.
What do you need all these herbs for, granny?, Sarah asked her once, passing her hand through the well tied lavender, hanging by its long stalks.
I can do lots of things with them: my oils, my tinctures, good luck little bags, and I keep them for my herbal teas. You shouldnt throw away anything, remember that!
How is that possible? You taught us that, before spring comes, its important to clean the house: to throw away what is useless for us and give our old clothes to the poor!, I underlined obstinately.
Thats right, Anne. We mustnt accumulate, otherwise our house will not breathe and energy gets too heavy that way. Throwing away the unnecessary, thats right, its foolish to keep too many things. Im telling you not to waste: if I picked up so many lavender flowers, for instance, never too many or more than necessary, Ill use them all, Im not going to throw anything away.
When are you going to teach us to make oils and tinctures, granny?
Give things time, Sarah
Why cant mum do anything you do? Why didnt you pass on your knowledge to her?, I asked her.
You see, your mother is a woman who can be called hasty; she wants everything and at once. She was born in fifteen minutes, she got married and she was pregnant with you when she was twenty! Whenever she needs an essential oil, she goes to Holland & Barrett and she buys it, if she needs basil she goes to Tesco and gets it. She cant wait for the plant to grow, to pick it up, dry it and then wait as long as it is needed to macerate and give an herbal oil. Im her mother, I know my Rebecca! I would have wasted my time showing all these things to her. But I really think she can do that all, since she saw me do it.
I wasnt as sure as her about that.
I wished I could know what she thought about me, if she really believed I would be able to work with herbs and stones. Maybe in the bottom of her heart she had already understood she could hand on her knowledge just to Sarah. I preferred on my part to avoid certain subjects, fearing I wouldnt match up, I preferred hiding myself and not believing in those things.
IV. Christmas with Major Arcana
It was a cold Wednesday at the end of November, we were going to the volley club after school, as usual. We didnt expect to meet our parents when we went out.
What are you doing here?, we asked them at the same time.
Has anything happened?
No volleyball tonight girls, we are going home, dad and I have to talk to you.
That was something absolutely new. It could just mean something bad, but they looked relaxed and smiling instead.
Are our grandparents well?
Of course, Sarah. Whos better than them?!, our dad stated. All day long in the sun and on the edge of the swimming pool.
There are still twenty degrees down there in November, can you fancy that? Thats wonderful.
And what about granny?, I asked agitated.
She is ok as well, my dear, dont worry. Nothing serious has happened.
So why did you come and see us to talk?
Lets go home now, Anne, well have a good tea all together and then well tell you the news.
Are you pregnant?
No, Sarah, Im not pregnant. You two are enough for me!
Mum might have been pregnant actually, there would have been nothing wrong, but she had always been emphatic about the fact that her supply of energy and patience had come to an end after two twins.
When we got home and we were sitting all together around the table, as we had hardly ever done, we discovered what the news was: we were going to move to Sonning Common.
Where the hell is Sonning Common? And above all, why are we moving there? Were at our last year at school. How can you think of taking us away?, I burst out. I flew into a rage, I didnt want to go anywhere. I liked Newbury, we were born there and we had all our school mates there. Moving away was something absurd!
Sonning Common is north of Reading, near Henley-on-Thames, well be just thirty minutes far from your grannys house!
Yes, but why? Were so well here in Newbury, I went on astounded.
Your mother and I are going to open a bio-veg café. Its a great opportunity. Dont worry about school, you are ending the year here and you re starting college there.
So everything is already fixed
Yes, Anne, everything is fixed. Mum has got two more good news to give you.
Ok, fire awayit cant be worse than that!
The good news is I spoke with Stella about our move, you see, I didnt know how to face up to the question with you, so I asked her for advice tooWell, you see, she decided they are coming too! Isnt that wonderful? She is still under medical supervision and she needs to be looked after at a good hospital, the one in Reading is surely one of the best in the whole Berkshire. Whats more, its just twenty minutes far from London by train and her parents live thereSo, were going there all together. Are you excited, girls?
The fact that Alison was coming too, was surely the best side of the situation. The three of us had been always very close; she was able to counterbalance my relationship with Sarah: she was balanced, methodical but at the same time sweet and sensitive.
Even if she had grown up according to hippie/new age ideals, she looked absolutely ordinary.
However, I wasnt quite persuaded about moving house.
And what is the other news, mum?
Theyre coming to spend Christmas Eve with us at grannys! Stella wants to meet her. Dont you think thats a great idea?
Luckily old Mal will be there, otherwise I would be the only man among wonderful, but absolutely crazy, women, our dad claimed.
He wasnt wrong at all, actually.
That was certainly one of the funniest Christmas in our life.
In the afternoon we helped Granny to make Christmas pudding, stirring and making wishes, according to our familys tradition, while she told me how much fun she had had with Mal at the gym opening. She had even danced latin-american music and played bingo till midnight. Mum had laid the table with traditional red and golden colours, putting creakers on every dish. Dad and Mal were instead trying to make the fire brighter in the fireplace, using Yules log.
At exactly 6 pm Alison and Stella arrived with a Christmas poinsettia and a bottle of rosé.
Im very pleased to meet you, Susan. Ive heard so much about you, Stella told her with a hug.
The pleasure is mine, dear.
Sarah has told Alison about the candlesI was really moved, thanks a lot! Youre a wiccan, arent you?
Im very pleased to meet you, Susan. Ive heard so much about you, Stella told her with a hug.
The pleasure is mine, dear.
Sarah has told Alison about the candlesI was really moved, thanks a lot! Youre a wiccan, arent you?
She had the bad habit of making people lots of questions. Alison said her mother had no philtre between her mouth and her brain. She was pleasant, always smiling and whats more she could listen to people, just like granny.
No, darling, Im not. I know the Wicca religion very well, Ive spent my first years in Glastonbury
Thats where your strange accent comes from! Thats great. But can I ask you, why do you live here now?
My husband inherited this cottage and I agreed to leave the Apples island, I havent been there for so many years
This house has got a certain energy in fact, it looks as if we are in a different reality Stella was looking around herself, like little girls before dolls houses.
Thats strange, Anne said the same things some years ago!
Ive been to Glastonbury too, soon after they had diagnosed my breast cancerI needed to rediscover myself. A spent a whole afternoon sitting at Chalice Well, I stared at the well, the Tor, the water flowing: I was shuttered. I would never have expected such a difficult trial in my life. I do yoga, Im master Reiki and crystal- therapist, I followed meditation courses in India when I was youngerI blame London air, its so polluted. I dont knowOh, Im sorry, Im talking freely about my problemsThats because you make me feel really at ease, Susan.
Im really pleased about that and you dont have to apologize at all, my granny comforted her. You must be happy youre here now. Everything has come to an end; enjoy every moment of your life with your wonderful daughter and with your friends fondness. Dont blame London air, thats true, its polluted, but unfortunately some illnesses happen also if you live on top of a mountain! One of my cousins was vegetarian, she didnt smoke, she walked a lot and she lived in the South, near the sea; she fell ill all the same.
Ive learnt a lot from this experience, Stella went on. It made me understand how frail we are. My stay in hospital was terrible! I hate places like that, the heavy energy, the deep pain, you lose your sense of time. At the start I didnt want to undergo chemotherapy, I didnt want to poison my body. I did all that for Alison. Keeping my mind focused on my target was so difficult.
But you managed at last. Your holistic training has surely helped you a lot!, granny had always had this power, she could encourage people and help them see the positive side in everything.
Yes, Im sure of that. I devoted my time to the study of Tarots in hospital and during my period of convalescence, when I could read. One night I dreamt I was holding in my hands a small tin box with cards inside: they were Maria Celias tarots, those cards really exist!. She took out of her huge bag a small tin box with cards inside. I bought them online together with a book and I started this new course. I think you can read them
Im sorry to deceive you once more, but no, I dont know any kind of divination. Im just used to consulting an oracle when the seasons change. If you wish, you could explain us the meaning of Arcana after dinner. I havent heard about them for ages. My aunt Ruby, my mothers sister, could read them; she made a lot of money with them, she was famous in Glastonbury. Unfortunately, I havent inherited her gift.
Oh, I dont want to bore you.
Just relax, the ones who dont want to listen to are free to leave the room. Lets have dinner now. Children, wash your hands! Its ready.
The dinner was delicious, granny was a perfect cook. She made traditional dishes: turkey filled with blueberries sauce and pigs in blankets (which were absolutely my favourite). Of course, vegetarian dishes for Stella werent missing. Besides our pudding as a dessert, Mal brought a wonderful Yule log.
According to tradition, when dinner ended we exchanged presents. Sarah got a Griffindor hoodie and I got a Ravencrow one. After we had cleared the table, mum, dad and Mal started playing Scrubble, Alison and I sat on the sofa watching TV, with lazy Kiki next to us, while Sarah and granny were listening to Stella explaining Tarots.
She mixed the cards making her bracelets tinkle, she had a mysterious look, she moved them with skill and precision, as if they were an extension of her fingers.
These cards can help us to understand the Divine project, I heard her say. They dont foretell the future with certainty, but they tell us what could happen. Its up to us to understand them and to live what life gives us as a continuous teaching somehow. Cards are a means of divination, they keep us in touch with the real source of All and they must be handled respectfully. Lets start from Major Arcana, they are twenty-two. The first card is The Madman-0: it represents the start of a new journey. We sometimes throw ourselves into an adventure without thinking about it before, led by too much enthusiasm. Being able to take a risk using our hidden gifts is very important.
She turned to Sarah and my granny that small card representing a young man on journey with a stick, held back by a little dog.
Then we have The Magician-I: the wizard, the one who focuses on something and turns it into reality. He knows he is the means the Divine Spirit appears through. We are the makers of our fortunes, just like the man in the card who works with his tools to get what he wants and to evolve.
We then find The High Priestess-II: she is the symbol of intuition and wisdom. We must be able to keep detached from the material world and listen to the voice of our guide spirits; only by knowing ourselves we will be able to understand the world surrounding us. Can you see the eyes of the woman in the drawing, lost in her thoughts and far away? It looks as if she could see beyond everything. I think she reminds me of an oak, strong and still.
The Empress- III: this card brings romanticism, love and sensuality. Its the symbol of a happy moment, full of creativity and emotional fertility. She could be compared to spring, to rebirth. Soon after there is The Emperor- IV: it represents stability, respect of the rules and the ability to listen to our fellow men. It reminds us of a family father and tells us never to use other people. After the Emperor we have The Pope- V: its a sign connecting the material to the spiritual word, a Pontifex, thats it. This card warns us to follow our heart and never to give up to temptation. Thats why its in opposition with the Arcane number XV, The Devil. But lets follow the order; after The Pope there are The Lovers- VI: we are all made of two opposite sides, male and female, positive and negative. We must accept also our shadowy sides and confide in other people, its the symbol of new relationships coming.
Moving further theres The Cart-VII: it obviously refers to travelling. You see, the image is that of a coach drawn by two horses. The journey represented could be our souls journey on the Earth, so the Cart will represent our body, the means which we need to live. The card can also foretell the choices we are going to take in a short time, we might afford some extremely uncertain moments. Its no accident that two horses are represented, the number two reminds us that we always have different choices. The next Major Arcana is Justice-VIII: this one always urges us to uphold our ideas and to act having a full faith in ourselves. We have to find peace and harmony. If we go on we find The Hermit-IX: it underlines how we sometimes need to be alone to find a light, which means wisdom. The card is usually represented by an elderly person holding a lantern in his hand, the symbol of intuition and knowledge, and in the other a stick, the means to overcome the troubles of life. It could be considered as the young man in the first card, The Crazy, having grown up and with a wider knowledge. If we move further we get to the Wheel of fortune-X: its the symbol of fate, of the wheel of our life turning in spite of our will. The condition of mankind is not unalterable, its continually changing. Our true lightness is often to have the ability to let ourselves be dragged by events. We find soon after The Force-XI: our adult side, the one which has to guide us. We must never hide our emotions, but follow them instead. We dont have to tame the lion by cruelty, but by our will and wisdom; the lion represents our instincts. We can often find Force and Justice in the opposite order, thats Force at number VIII and Justice at number XI. In the following position theres The Hangman-XII: someone who looks at the world from a different point of view. It could be considered as the moment of reflection break leading us to Illumination. Its roots, the feet, point upwards, to the sky, reminding us that we come from the Divine, from something above us. Going on we run into the card we fear the most, Death-XIII: it means the end of a period and the beginning of a new one. Thats part of our life, its not always something negative. We must be able to throw away what has become useless in our spiritual growth. In the next place there is Temperance-XIV: it foretells a period of quietness, full of harmony. Moderation leads to peace of mind. This means that the phases of peace and rest are necessary to recharge ourselves.