Free Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan Page A

intellect. Communication.”
    In the south he stood a cream-colored pillar candle about eighteen inches high. “This candle represents fire, the third element,” Cal explained, looking at me. “Fire is for transformation, success, and passion. It’s a very strong element.”
    I felt uncomfortable under his gaze and looked down at the candle instead. Firelight, my soul is bright, I thought.
    Finally, at the western side, Cal put a brass bowl filled with water. “Water is the last of the four elements,” he said. “Water is for emotions. For love, beauty, and healing. Each of the four elements corresponds to astrological signs,” Cal explained. “Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are the air signs. The water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are fire signs.” Cal looked at me again.
    Could he tell I was a fire sign—a Sagittarius?
    “Now, let’s join hands,” he said.
    I was closest to Robbie and Matt, so I took their hands. Robbie’s hand was warm and comforting. It felt strange to be holding Matt’s hand, smooth and cool. I remembered how Cal’s had felt and wished I was standing next to him again. Instead he was sandwiched between Bree and Raven. I sighed.
    “Let’s close our eyes and focus our thoughts,” said Cal, bowing his head. “Breathe in and out slowly, to the count of four. Let every thought still, every worry fade. There is no past, no future, only the here and now and we ten standing together.” His voice was even and calm. I bowed my head and closed my eyes. I breathed in and out, thinking about candlelight and incense. It was very relaxing. Part of me was aware of everyone else in the room, their quiet breathing and the occasional shifting of their feet, and part of me felt very pure and removed, as if I were floating over this circle, watching it from above.
    “Tonight we’re going to do a purifying and focusing ritual,” Cal explained. “Samhain, our new year, is coming up, and most witches do a lot of spiritual work to get ready.”
    Once again we moved in a circle together, holding hands, but this time we moved slowly in a clockwise direction—deasil, Cal called it, as opposed to widdershins, which is counterclockwise.
    For a moment I felt nervous about the end of the ritual. The last time I had done this, I had felt like someone had buried an ax in my chest, then felt like crap for two days afterward. Would that happen again? I decided it didn’t matter, that I wanted to try this.Then Cal began the chant.
    “Water, cleanse us,
    Air, purify us.
    Fire, make us whole and pure.
    Earth, center us.”
    We began to repeat his words. For several minutes or maybe longer we moved in a circle, chanting. Glancing around the circle, I saw people starting to relax, as if they felt lighthearted and happy. Even Ethan and Raven seemed lighter, younger, and less dark. Bree was watching Cal. Robbie had his eyes closed.
    We began moving faster and chanting louder. It was right after this that I became aware of palpable energy building up around me, within the circle. I looked around quickly, startled. Cal, across the circle, met my eyes and smiled. Raven’s eyes were closed now as she chanted and moved unerringly in our line.The others looked intense but not alarmed.
    I felt pressed in upon somehow. As if a big, soft bubble were pressing in on me, all around me. My hair felt alive and crackling with energy, and when I next looked up at Cal, I gasped because I could see Cal’s aura, glowing faintly around his head.
    I was awestruck. A fuzzy band of pale red light was glowing around him, shimmering in the candlelight. When I glanced around the circle, I saw that everyone had one. Jenna’s was silver. Matt’s was green. Raven’s was orange, and Robbie was surrounded by white. Bree had a pale orange light, Beth had a black one, Ethan’s was brown, and Sharon’s was pink, like her flushed cheeks. Did I have an aura? What