The Lunar Witch

My heart raced as I looked out into the clearing. Moonlight shined on an altar in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by moonbean vines. It had four pillars on a large base with steps that led up to it. The moonbean plants had grown up the columns and the green vines blossomed. The moonlight made the altar appear to glow, inviting me to inspect it. I looked for anyone nearby. Gran said she sensed magic in the air. Is this what she meant? Why would an altar appear here? Who is it for? My stomach did flips as I walked to the altar, trying to avoid stepping on the precious vines. Once I reached it, I stopped to inspect it closer. I racked my brain for what Gran had said about altars all those years ago. All I was sure of was that disrespecting God’s and Goddesses would have nasty consequences. I stood on my tippy toes and looked for an inscription on the altar floor. But the foundation was too high for me to see. I should collect the blossoms and head home. I fiddled with my amulet while I debated. Gran would want me to wait until she had checked it first. It could be dangerous. But what if it’s not here later? Besides, maybe the altar was placed here for me to find it? Curiosity won, so I kicked off my shoes and laid my bag on the ground in front of the altar’s stairs, kneeled, and prayed to whomever the altar belonged to. “Hello. Please forgive me, for I do not know who this altar belongs to. I wish to inspect your altar, so I can see how to worship here. I mean no ill will and ask nothing from you, expect allowance to look at your altar.” I stayed still, waiting for any kind of disturbance. But nothing happened, so I stood. The stone sucked the heat from my bare feet as I walked up the stairs. Wiggling my toes, I urged them not to go numb from the cold. There was a circle in the center of the floor, about 6 feet wide. Around the circle were inscriptions in an ancient language I had seen before but couldn’t read. I let out a sigh of relief when I recognized that it was the circle of the Moon Goddess Selene. A Lunar Altar for Selene? Why has it shown up now? It can’t be because of the moonbean blossoms. I’ve come here every year since I was 12, and it’s never shown up before. Walking around the altar, I found different runes etched at the base of each pillar. Silver blossoms looked up at the moon as vines climbed up the columns. I gazed up at the moon with them and found it was perfectly centered above the altar. A breeze picked up, making the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I looked to see if anyone was watching me. Be careful out there. Magic is in the air. Moonbeans weren’t the only ones that liked the full moon. Wolves would be out tonight, and although this area wasn’t part of their territory, I didn’t want to risk anything. I patted the column that was next to me and went down the stairs. “Thank you, Goddess Selene, for allowing me to visit and inspect your altar.” I put my shoes back on and grabbed my foraging bag. The cold of the night hit me again and I could see my breath. I tugged on my jacket and buttoned up, preparing for the labor-intensive task before me. Moonbeans were like saffron. It wasn’t the petals, seeds, or beans that I needed. The flowers violet stamens were full of potent healing pollen. Each flower had five stamens, and a single potion required fifteen. Since this was the only night of the year I could gather the stamens, I had to hurry. Once daylight broke, the pollen would lose its potency. I have to get enough for Gran. If I don’t, she might not let me go alone next year. The thought made me shudder, so I got to work. I had worked too hard to gain her trust for me to throw it away in one night. I set to plucking flowers and carefully removed their stamens, storing them in a dark bottle to prevent light filtering through. I kept the petals too. They had many uses, such as silver ink or a lovely tea. I was careful not to damage the vines sprawled across the forest floor. Keeping the vines healthy was imperative so they could blossom again next year. Throughout the year, I cared for the vines, nurturing them so they would grow the blossoms. I had to be careful about how many flowers I plucked. Too little flowers plucked, I wouldn’t have enough. Too many plucked and the vines wouldn’t be able to repopulate. Should I take blossoms from the columns? There’s a lot growing on them. I eyed the altar again as the moonlight basked down on it. No. They’re not mine to take. “Your altar looks lovely with all these moonbean blossoms growing, Selene.” A compliment to Selene never hurt. She was known for being a gentle and forgiving goddess. Selene was a mother figure, a goddess of love and fertility. Witches often saw her as soft and a pushover. But during my lessons, Gran had ensured I knew about Selene’s other qualities. She was a dual-edged sword, and like a mother, she was a force to reckon with if you messed with her children. There was a reason witches didn’t mess with werewolves. The sky turned to navy blue; the sun would rise within a few moments. After plucking a few more blossoms, I packed everything away. A wolf howled in the distance. Brawn’s pack must be heading home. I walked to the edge of the clearing, beginning the trek home.