The Goddess Within

May It Be

Mikey’s face showed his worry. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was biting his lip. I reached out and took his hand, he smiled back, relieved. “We’re okay...” he whispered. I smiled and nodded in response.

            The room shook again, and a blinding violet light filled the room. We looked up towards the ceiling, in awe and in fear, I had begun to shake and Mikey pulled me to him. We cowered there like children who had just seen something explode, both beautiful and terrifying. Once the light wasn’t as blinding, I noticed the figure of a woman. She had long white curly hair, and glowing violet eyes, and transparent skin. She was obviously not human. Her clothes were Victorian in style, a flowing skirt, tight bodice laced up the front like a corset. She was stunning, glowing actually, and it appeared as if she were standing in front of wind because her hair and skirt blew without reason.

            As if sensing our worry, she reached out a transparent hand toward us, “Do not be afraid, my children,” she angelically whispered.

            I gulped and clung to Mikey, who was staring wordlessly at her. His expression was blank, but he didn’t seem to be afraid. He seemed more curious towards her than afraid. I started chewing my lip again. She smiled again, beckoning me to stand. Wordlessly, I stood, my arms tight at my sides. I could feel myself almost shiver as she put a hand on my shoulder. It was as if she had become solid in order to comfort me. She pulled me into her arms, and smoothed out my hair. I felt tears running down my cheeks but my soul was filled with love. I realized that I was in the arms of Gaia, Mother Earth, the blessed Goddess.

            “Gaia...” I muttered, trying to not cry openly. She smiled again, pulling me out to arms length as if to look me over as a true mother would upon getting her child back into her arms after years apart. As my mother would if she were alive... “Blessed Mother, why have you come? Is something wrong?”

            She drew me back into her arms, “Yes child. You’re in serious danger. As are you, my dear boy,” she held out a hand to Mikey, and pulled him into her embrace as well. “Your father is here to do you harm. Your premonitions were true, daughter. He wishes to kill Mikey, and you too. There is something I must tell you, my daughter. You may want to be relaxed though, for it is bad news. Maybe we should go discuss this over tea, how does that sound?” Mikey and I nodded in unison.

****************

            Mikey made tea, and Gaia and I sat on the floor on two of my beady “massage” pillows. She took my hands and began to read my palms. Her hands were over mine, about an inch apart, and Gaia gasped, pulling my hands to her face. “It’s just as I feared,” she sighed as Mikey brought over the tea, rose with mint leaves. It smelled amazing.

            He sat on the couch beside us, “What’s wrong?” he asked, studying Gaia’s face. Her violet eyes glistened with ice blue tears. It was painful for the Goddess to see any of her children suffering, and she pulled me tightly into her arms.

            “My child, I need to warn you of something rather important. He is not your father, and they are not your brothers. They are spirits sent by my ex-husband, Tartarus, sent to destroy my strongest followers, especially you, Ariane. You have been spared with my grace, blessed by your mother and grandmother. I have been with you since you were a child. Your mother took you into the woods to keep you from the danger of your brothers, and to bring you closer to me. So I could show you the wonders of nature, and the wonders of who you really are...” Gaia trailed off, and she buried her face in my hair.

            “What do you mean, ‘who you really are’? I’m only Ariane Elizabeth Winters, a basic teen Wiccan. What’s so special that Tartarus would want to hurt me? And what do you mean they aren’t my brothers, and he’s not my father? I’m sorry, I don’t understand, Gaia.” Mikey put a hand on my shoulder to calm me down.

            Gaia sighed, pulling away to face me, running a hand through my black and violet hair. She was crying. I searched her sorrowful eyes for an answer. I just held her to me as she cried. Even though she was a Goddess, the highest Goddess, she still had feelings, and for some reason, they were directed to me.

            Gaia stopped crying and smiled at me, “She wasn’t your mother, Ariane. I am. You are my daughter. I gifted you to your earthly mother, so she could raise you. Prepare you for this time, and I had to come back to you now. I had to help you face this. Face my brother. Don’t you ever wonder what your name means...?” she held her breath and gazed into my eyes. “Ever wonder why you’re able to do magic? Or why Mikey has all of these gifts?” she smiled at me, “You haven’t told her, have you Mikey?” He looked at me and shook his head.

            “Ariane, I’m not human... I’m a spirit. A guardian. Gaia sent me to you when you were born. Sent me to protect you until she could return. I’m sorry I lied to you...” I jerked away from him.

            “No, you can’t be. Wait, if he’s not human” I pointed at Mikey, “then what am I?” I stood up and stared at both of them, this didn’t make any sense at all. Mikey was the most human person I knew... Or was he?

            Gaia stood up and hugged me, “You are my daughter, and, like Diana’s daughter Aradia, you are a Goddess as well. You need to tap into your true abilities to go against Tartarus, Jonathan, and your brothers. If you do not train, you will be in danger, and I cannot see you vulnerable any longer. It pains me to see you weakened. Your sister, Lilith, and I will train you.”

            I shook my head, “Now your saying Lilith, Satan’s wife, Adam’s ex-wife, is my sister? I thought she was just a Christian myth.”

            Gaia took my hand, “She is not, in any way, how Christianity depicts her. She didn’t believe in dominance, but in equality. She is very brave, very strong, and a very good fighter, if anyone can teach you, it would be her. Lilith can teach you to fight, I can teach you magic, but that’s only if you will accept yourself for the truth, my beautiful daughter.”

            I stood there silently; I knew what I had to do. I couldn’t let Mikey get killed, and as a Goddess, there was much I needed to learn. I smiled at them, and nodded, “When do we begin?”