The Sequel. The Little Rose.

Chapter Thirty-eight. Salt Ritual.

This one is dedicated to Katydid, who mentioned she was looking forward to the details of a salt ritual. I shook my head, and starting writing. This the result. I hope you all enjoy it.

Sang parked the car at the side of the old cemetery.  Stepping out of the car and looking around it occurred to her just how peaceful it really was.  She entered the side of the cemetery through the wrought iron gate set in the old red brick fence.  Flowers bloomed over the archway and climbed the fence vigorously.  The huge old trees scattered throughout the cemetery rustled occasionally with the intermittent breeze and the full moon shone brightly, helping create a peaceful ambience as it bounced off old headstones and new alike.  Funny how it didn't seem spooky at all, she thought to herself as she collected the bags of salt from where Mrs D had stashed them earlier in the day.  It was one of the most peaceful places she knew, with its soft grass freshly mown and the only sound the click of her sandals echoing softly off the cobblestones.

Sang walked slowly towards her grandparents' headstones.  Finally reaching them in a secluded spot she looked down thoughtfully and sighed deeply to herself.  Sang dropped the bags of salt with relief and carefully put down the flowers, before she removed her crystals and the candle she had carved so carefully and placed them gently on the ground between the graves. 

Whispering quietly to herself Sang told her Grammy and Grampa how much she loved them and how she missed them so much. 

"I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back here to do this for you two.  I know you're already on your adventures elsewhere now, but I needed to show you both how much I loved and respected you.  I will always miss you, but please know that you will forever be in my heart," Sang spoke before rising from between the headstones and starting the ritual.

She looked up carefully at the stars before picking the salt bags back up, and moving in a clockwise direction placed them precisely at the four points of the compass.  Moving back to the southern point Sang reached around her neck and untied the leather band entwined around a large white crystal before carefully tying it back up around her head.  She removed her sandals, and taking roses and lilies from her flower basket carefully placed them on her grandparents' graves. 

Sang moved to the salt bag sitting north of the graves.  She reached under her top and removed a large ceremonial knife, the moon sparkling small shards of light off it.  Holding it firmly in her left hand Sang raised it in front of her face with the blade facing the night sky, before thrusting it quickly into the side of the salt bag.  She quickly slid it back under her shirt and began pouring the salt anti-clockwise in a large circle around the graves, being careful to always present the knife to the sky at each compass point and new bag of salt. 

When she had finished Sang moved back west and picking up the two roses she had left there with the salt knelt and pulled the petals from the buds and held her hands up, offering the petals to the first of the Elements.  She smiled softly as the intermittent breeze gently picked up some petals and she watched as they slowly fluttered to the ground.  Sang moved to the east of the circle of salt, knelt once again before she took a small crystal bottle and removing the stopper held out her hand and poured the contents into her palm until small droplets dripped slowly onto the ground.  Two elements done, two to go, she thought to herself before moving south and kneeling again took the knife and clasping it in both hands above her head thrust it down through a layer of salt and into the ground.

Sang was so focussed on acknowledging the four elements she didn't hear the faint gasps from across the cemetery.  Instead she finally rose, and moving to her starting point in the circle, and proceeded to give the boys one more shock for the night when she dropped two matches onto the salt and watched as the flames burned and joined each other at the knife, before walking directly through the flames to her grandparents' graves. Acknowledging the four elements with respect was supposed to guard her grandparents' souls on their journeys.  Sang sat down between the headstones and lit the Solstice candle.  She picked up her crystals and counted her many blessings as the final part of the ritual. "Godspeed Grammy and Grampa.  Until we meet again," she whispered before closing her eyes and beginning to meditate.