CHAPTER NINE
Awakening Magical Powers
That evening Sin addressed the gathering of all of the druid apprentices at the compound, “Before any of you go out into this world to lead by example and to share your knowledge, we must awaken your magical powers. You will find that you can only execute true augury from the place of the Self. When your true deific self-reigns within your Being the facets, the faculties, and the provinces of the nature that surrounds us will become manageable by you. When your eternal Self is awake you will be able to command vision, perception, and discernment. This will allow you to perform magic.”
“There are a multitude of manners that can awaken the magical powers within you. We will individually discover what works for us. And when you do, remember total commitment on your part is required to achieve magic. Any self-doubt will result in failure. Not all of you will be successful with this. It will mean that you were not meant to be chosen. If that occurs do not despair. It will simply mean that your talents lie elsewhere.”
“We will not be performing ‘Mallachti’ or some call it Black Magic or curses. The word Mallaig is defined as damning someone or something. If we wish perhaps our tribes to overcome a wicked foe, we might endow our troops with powers to overcome the adversary but not put a curse on that adversary. We do not intend to venture to the black side. We will use charms, spells, and incantations, for such things as bringing a blight onto a crop. The magic of the Dark Side is much more sinister and will cost you your soul.”
Geta Fix interjected “Oh surely Sin the Dark Side can’t be that formidable. Why not use it as another druid tool?”
Sin fixed a stare at Geta. Their eyes locked together. Without words Geta realized he was to get no response and had tread on shaky ground.
“Each apprentice is skilled in a different way, and to accomplish ‘draiocht’ the intention must come from personal truth. “‘Draiocht’ is the secret lore and arts of the druids. Magic is not about accomplishing the impossible or expecting miracles. Magic is the alignment of the Self with the harmony of the cosmos. This is a fundamental principle of ‘draiocht.’
“Druid magic involves protecting people, places, and things, locating lost items, practicing illusion, and shifting shape in wonderful ways. Druidic magic is defined as actions, thoughts, intentions, and energies that cause transformation or change through a knowledge of all aspects of nature.”
“For you will find that the deepest change that comes from will be in your own perceptions in your development as a fully knowledgeable person. A complete person aware of primal order and willing to connect with it.”
“We will begin by building the three elements of earth, sky and sea together by incorporating this braiding together of these three elements into your magical practice. You are to visualize them as a ‘triskele’ or a triple spiral. So go and braid your hair or acquire some other material to visualize the triskele with this awareness in mind.”
But before you disperse, we’ll have a bit of a demonstration of where you will be heading specifically with your shapeshifter skills.
Sin looked over towards Geta Fix and nodded towards him and requested “would you do the honors Geta.”
Everyone in the group which totaled thirty people looked over towards Geta.
Geta instantly changed his appearance as he leapt into the air. He rose and rose floating in easy circles in the form of a hawk. His squawks were piercing but everyone was so stimulated by the sight and sounds that they smiled and laughed and jostled each other.
The sun was just setting over the horizon, so the hawk’s features were silhouetted against a purple haze cast by the falling sun. The hawk continued encircling and then further excited the onlookers by performing a couple of swooping dives over their heads of and they then cheered. The mood of the cluster had become decidedly festive. Even Sin was sporting a substantial smile as she watched the hawk and the reactions of the acolytes.
Then the hawk rose sharply into the sky and commenced a steep and quick dive. It was diving so rapidly that you could hear the swishing of the air. He didn’t slow as he approached the earth but simply landed and immediately turned into a great grey wolf.
It was now darker as the sun had just gone down on the hillsides, but the great wolf was highlighted by the flickering flames of a fire that was burning in the center of the grove. The features of the great animal were intensified by the flickering firelight, and it took on a rather sinister appearance. The crowd immediately reacted by quitting their cheerfulness and now gasped as if in horror and fear. The great beast bared its teeth and let loose a low snarl. Spittle was oozing from the razor-sharp teeth and dripping on the ground. The animal started to walk slowly around the fire in circles always starring at the onlookers. Each time he circled he moved closer to the crowd and his snarls became more vicious. Finally, everybody had enough of this display lost their courage and they all broke running for the safety of their abodes.
The great wolf took several steps forward as if to pursue but stopped and immediately returned to the personage of Geta Fix.
He stood smiling watching the crowd disperse and then turned to look at Sin. She was standing firm not showing any emotion. She simply turned and walked away.