Chapter 9

After supper, I headed to the basement to read the guitar books until the changing sounds coming from upstairs led me to conclude that the kitchen was free of people. When I went upstairs and saw that my conclusion was correct, I got a cup of water, some toothpicks, put some table salt in a small bowl, and took an old sleigh bell and a small box of wooden matches from the junk drawer. I then carried the assorted paraphernalia down to the basement table. There were already a few candles in the basement, and I fetched one as well. Finally, I put my pocketknife, a small lock-blade with a mostly black handle, beside the rest of the stuff.

The Ursus part of my brain commented that spells are more efficient the more of himself a magician puts into creating his tools and materials. The ideal situation would be to start by gathering by oneself the raw materials directly from nature. The magician would then create simple tools and use them to create more complex tools. He would slowly work his way up until he had entirely gathered and created everything that he used in the execution of a spell. Of course, I didn't have time for such a process, which would take many years, and for the simple work we were doing, maximum efficiency wasn't necessary.

I pulled the table away from the wall and put one of the chairs about three feet to the table's north, one chair to the east, one to the south, and one to the west. I put another chair against the south of the table for me to sit in while I worked. The final chair I put out of the way.

I placed the bell on the north chair, the bowl of salt on the east, the candle on the south, and the cup of water on the west. Arthur thought, what if someone comes downstairs?

We'll simply tell them we are working a magic spell and ask them to avoid our work area, replied Ursus. Everyone expects kids to do weird stuff.

I put the matches in my pocket for later use and then sat in the chair near the table and began the meditation process. When I had achieved trance, I called the manna to me. "Come to me. Let us work together. Come to me, old friend. Come to me, most faithful of companions. Come to me." It came easier than it had the night before. I drew it in until I was full.

I opened my eyes and stood. As my attention wavered, I lost some of the manna, but I still held enough to serve. The first order of business was to cast the circle. I walked to the north. My athame was not yet consecrated, so I used the extended index and middle fingers on my right had. I drew the pentagram for air in the air, parallel to the walls. As I did so, I fed my inscription a trickle of manna and envisioned the lines being made of air. Air itself is hard to visualize, so I pictured in my mind's eye a vortex of leaves, colorful smoke, and streamers. I said aloud, softly, "May the elemental power of air bless and protect this circle."

Once the pentagram was inscribed, I began drawing the first arc of the circle while continuing to give it manna. Because I was creating rather than removing, I walked deiseal, that is, with the path of the sun. At first, I continued to visualize air, but as I approached the east I began picturing a mixture of air and earth, and then, finally, a line completely of earth. At the eastern point, above the bowl of salt, I scribed the pentacle for earth. "May the elemental power of earth bless and protect this circle."

Continuing on to the south, I pictured the line of the circle slowly change from earth to fire. I drew the pentacle for fire above the candle. "May the elemental power of fire bless and protect this circle." Going to the west, I visualized the line change from fire to water. As I drew the pentagram for water, I intoned, "May the elemental power of water bless and protect this circle." Finally, I pictured the line change from water back to air as I moved north and closed the circle.

I picked up the bell. Because I was now banishing rather than casting, I walked widdershins, that is, contrary to the path of the sun. I began shaking the bell and intoned, "May the elemental power of air purify this circle." As I walked the circle, I pictured air blowing away all evil spirits, malignant influences, and old magic. When I circled back to the north, I replaced the bell and then continued walking to the west.

I picked up the cup of water. Walking the circle, I used my finger to spread drops of water. "May the elemental power of water purify this circle." I pictured water washing away all badness. After that, I lit the candle in the south and then walked the circle picturing fire burning up all evil. Finally, in the east, I took the bowl of salt and sprinkled crystals while I walked, picturing them burying and desiccating all malevolent things and entities.

Upon replacing the salt upon its chair, I walked the circle back to the north and then went around the table and sat back down. The circle had been cast and purified. I meditated for a while to renew my concentration. When I was satisfied, I called more manna to me to replace that which I had used.

I reached for my pocketknife and opened it. I studied it for a while, looking at the scratches on the handle and the blade, the faint pattern that could be noticed in the steel, the way the light reflected from the edge. It felt like I was truly seeing it for the first time. When I felt ready, I lifted my shirt and carefully pricked the skin over my heart.

On my right index finger, I colleted the drop of blood that oozed out and wiped it down both sides of the blade and hilt. As I did so, I imagined the blood binding with the knife. I imagined my emotions, my intellect, and the most fundamental part of myself binding with the knife. Into it I fed almost all of the manna that I was holding as I said, "I consecrate this knife as my athame. May it serve me well. May it never turn in my hand. May no one ever take it from me."

I was starting to feel somewhat tired, but I again restored my concentration and gathered more manna. I arose and recast the circle, this time using my athame to inscribe the pentagrams and arcs. Sitting back down, I removed a piece of paper and a roll of cellophane tape from my school supplies.

I pricked my left index finger with the athame and, using a toothpick and my blood, drew a crude self-portrait. As I worked, I trickled manna into the picture. For good measure, I taped a few of my hairs to the portrait's head, wiped the moisture from my eyes onto its eyes, some spit on its mouth, and--what the hell--some snot on its nose.

I was now definitely feeling weary. Ursus thought, we don't have much endurance yet, but it will grow. I arose with my athame and approached the spot where I had scribed the pentacle for air. I drew a slash through it with the blade and intoned, "I thank and dismiss the elemental power of air." Walking widdershins, I did the same for the pentacles for water, fire, and earth.

I felt kinda buzzed. I was slowly releasing my remaining manna when I finally noticed Mary sitting on the end of the couch. Her arrival had never registered upon my consciousness, and she had kept silent so far as I had detected. I walked over to her and pressed her nose with my pinkie finger, one that had neither been cut nor up my own nose. As I did so, I passed her some manna. She smiled at me.

I walked over to the bar sink and washed my hands, Mary followed me. "That was freaky. Do you really believe that stuff will work?"

We had gone over this before going in for supper earlier, but Mary apparently wanted reassurance. "I hope so, and I think it will."

"It will get you some money?"

"This was just the preparation for tomorrow's spell. That one should make us some money."

"Oh. How did you learn how to cast spells?"

"Reading, studying, experimenting."

"This is a side of you I've never seen before."

"What can I say? I would appreciate it if you don't talk to the parents about this. I think it would be best if they figure I'm just playing around and don't take it seriously."

"All right. Will you teach me how to do magic?"