Charm Bags

As I grow older and wiser, my witch has been gradually allowing me to assume some of the more serious responsibilities of a full-fledged Familiar.  I naturally assumed that this stage of my training would be filled with excitement and thrilling magical adventures.   Imagine my disappointment then  upon finding that certain of the tasks assigned to me are, well quite frankly, rather tedious.

For instance, tonight my mistress permitted me to accompany her to the Herb Room where she conducts most of her magic. 

As I perched on the big round altar table, she informed me that we’d be making charm bags.  My role, she said, was to concentrate my powers on the bags as she filled them, thus adding my magic to hers.  No problem!

So I focused very hard on thoughts of Friendship as she took a bag and added a  pink rock, a rose bud, a silver doodad of some sort and… I began to yawn and my eyes closed for a moment.

The next thing I knew, she’d finished that bag and started on another.  This one, she said, was for money.  I stared so hard at the bag she was filling that my eyeballs started exchanging places.   To aid myself in focusing, I recited in my head:  Money, money, money….What IS money, anyway?  My witch says money puts food in my bowl.  Does that mean you can eat it?  Oh, Look!  There’s a spider spinning a web in the corner of the room… I wonder if spiders catch money?  I bet I could catch that spider and …

“Grimalkin!” my witch said sharply.  “You’re not concentrating.”

She was right.  I was bored.  I sighed and tried again.  “Money, money, money, money, money… What a strange sounding word!...money, money, money;  I think I’m getting a headache; money, money… I forget:  What IS money ?”

Suddenly she was tying the bag up with a green ribbon and it was done.  Thank the stars!

But then she started on another!  “This one’s for Protection,” she told me. 

Right!  By this time, I needed to protect my sanity!

The little Friendship Bag next to me caught my eye.  I glanced at my mistress who was muttering an incantation as she concentrated on the bag for Protection. 

All by itself and before I could stop it, my paw twitched.  The Friendship Bag flew off the altar and landed under a chair. 

My mistress was still focused on the bag she was working on, so, in the spirit of furthering my education, I leaped after the Friendship Bag and proceeded to investigate it.  Indeed, the little bag was VERY friendly!  We played together happily for a few minutes until……  There was my witch standing over me with her hands on her hips.  

Uh oh, I thought.  Now I’m in Trouble!

But to my astonishment, she smiled as she crouched down and rescued the Friendship Bag. 

“Silly Grimalkin,” she said, lifting me back onto the table.  “I guess you need a charm bag of your own.”

A charm bag for ME? 

I watched with genuine interest this time as she slipped a Tiger’s Eye stone into one of the bags.  From the herb bundles hanging from the ceiling, she plucked a small handful of soft, grayish green leaves and stuffed those in the bag too.  What was that smell?

She tied the bag shut with a tight knot of red satin ribbon and placed in front of me.  At first I was confused.  What was I supposed to do with it?  I looked up at my witch for instruction, but she just smiled at me and waited.   So, I investigated the bag with my nose… and then sniffed again.  What WAS that smell?

My mouth opened and my eyes crossed as a dizzying wave of euphoria crashed over my head and washed through my body in the most delicious manner!  Suddenly, I was floating.  No, I was melting.

The bag wanted me to love it so I rubbed my cheeks against the fabric, releasing yet more of that intoxicating fragrance!   I flopped on my side and hugged it against my face with both paws.

Suddenly, the bag flew into the air and demanded that I play with it, so we engaged in a mock battle that sent us both rolling off the table. 

Even though her mortar and pestle, jars and grimoire all came crashing to the ground in our wake, amazingly, I heard my witch laughing!

I lay on the floor, my Charm Bag clutched in my paws, and gazed up at her.  I think I was drooling slightly.

My witch is Wonderful!  I realize that now.  She is the kindest, wisest, most powerfullest witch on earth!  I love my Charm Bag!  I love my witch!  Hello, Chair… I love you too!  And I love the rug and I love my Charm Bag and my witch and I love…. My food bowl!    Great Goddess, I’m starving!   Let me think… Which way is the kitchen again?   And after that, I think just a wee nap…   I must be exhausted from all that concentrating.

My witch isn’t tired though.  And, for some reason, she’s still laughing.