Chapter 7

• Birthday Wishes
• [Slone]
• Rosie called me. Her voice sounded light and carefree. So very different from the day before. I didn’t want to tell her my news when I was speaking with her on her trip up north, because I knew how much stress she was experiencing.
• Which might be why she was standing in front of me, her face tight with shock.
• “So…” Rosalynd's face barely moves as she grits out the rest of her sentence “You’re telling me now, right now, after I traveled almost 700 miles, risking rain and wolves and serial killers on my way to live with you, after several phone calls where you could have explained your situation, that there is no place for us to stay…at all.”
• “Sorry….” I squeak out. “I….
• “How long have you known?” she demands. She’s trying so hard to remain kind, but I can see the anger simmering.
• “Since…” I hesitate, “...the beginning of the month.”
• “Slone!” Her anger boils over. “Are you kidding me?!”
• How do I explain this to her? I was trying to spare her feelings, only to make her even more upset. But you know, the best intentions are often not...well received. I was expecting more gratitude for considering her feelings. “I didn’t want you to worry. I heard you were in pain and…”
• “Your dishonesty has NOTHING to do with me. You should have been honest.”
• I blink at her. I can't believe she's taking such a harsh tone with me. "Now Rosalynd, I wasn't dishonest."
• "You know what," she fumes at me as she drops her bags and begins helping me pack all of my belongings into boxes. "It doesn't even really matter, it's not like I have anywhere else to go." She shrugs, a bit of her anger seeping out of her muscles as she rolls her shoulders a few times before twisting her neck to the left, and then right, releasing the pressure with an audible pop.
• I feel a little guilty. She's been my best friend since we were seven. "I'm so sorry, Rosie. I was hoping to have this all sorted before you came, but the rental market here is really intense. There isn't enough housing for everyone, and it is a very small college town. At this point in the year, it's really not easy to find anything still available that isn't...less than desirable."
• "Well at this point we are going to be living in our cars, so I don't think we get to be picky."
• "We could always go back to LA, live with my parents for a..."
• "No." Rosalynd's voice is flat, final. "I am never going back to LA."
• "Don't worry," I place an optimistic hand on her shoulder. I give it a little squeeze as I press my quartz crystal pendant into my chest. "The universe will provide. We just need to send our intentions out in the void and our wishes will be manifest."
• Staring up at the ceiling, Rosie takes a deep breath before asking "Are you actually serious right now? How come you are not stressed out?"
• "Well, I read my cards this morning and..."
• "Whatever," she interrupts me. She has never been much of a supporter of my beliefs. Maybe I can change her mind somehow, show her the true magic of this place she has come to. I begin to devise a plan as she continues. "How long do we have before we need to be gone?"
• "Until the end of the month, although school starts next week so..."
• "Aghhhh!" she screams. "Can you take me to the registrar's office? I need to see if I can sign up for classes.
• "Of course," I agree. "We still have a couple of weeks left until the lease expires," I assure her. "Maybe when classes start the right opportunity will present itself." My smile broadens. "As I was saying, I did a reading and I pulled the Ace of Wands, The Magician, and The Fool." I pause to see if she understands. Rosie stares, not even blinking, waiting for me to explain. "These are all strong cards of manifestation! We are going through a tough time, but we will persevere in the end!" I wait for her to see the magic in my words, she still looks skeptical. "With cards that powerful, I know we will be OK. You'll see, everything will be fine!"
• This time the eye roll was a bit more obvious.
• "Fine," Rosalynd moans. "Please tell me we at least have something for me to eat for lunch...Cold pizza, half a sandwich...I really don't care."
• Now it is my turn to laugh. "Oh you silly goose, we have plenty to eat. We have a big organic garden in the backyard. Plenty of kale! I also have some bananas and yogurt and..."
• "So no bread."
• I shake my head.
• "Protein?"
• "We have homemade goat milk kefir...."
• Her expression is completely flat. I do not think she is impressed.
• "So we can make goat milk kale smoothies."
• I can see she’s disappointed by her sour expression and downturned lip so I add, "To make it extra special I have some chocolate powder. We can take the smoothies with us on our adventure for your birthday."
• "My birthday?"
• "Yes, silly. Did you think I would have forgotten?" I walk into the kitchen and pull out a small wrapped present. "Here you go. I made this for you."
• Rosie opens the box.
• Inside is a simple crystal necklace of Rose Quartz. "Rose Quartz for my friend Rosie," I explain. "Rose Quartz will bring you love and healing."
• A single tear rolls down her cheek. "Thank you, Slone. I cannot say I have anything like this."
• I smile. "The stones next to it are carnelian, jade, and clear quartz. Carnelian awakens power and creativity, jade brings self-love, and quartz is a natural focus for power and manifestation. I know," I pause, "I know you don't believe in this stuff, but I believe in it and I think my belief will be strong enough for us both. I love you, Rosie."
• She smiles at me as she places the necklace around her neck. "I love you too, Slone. You really are my best friend."
• I pull her along by the arm, dragging her back outside. "And as your best friend, I say forget the smoothies! I think we need to have a slice of cake and maybe a long walk in the woods." I grab my kit, a handmade canvas bag with all of my intention-setting materials, and drape it across my shoulders. "Let's hit the bakery on our way to the forest!"
• We head uphill to the upscale grocery store where they have a fancy coffee shop bakery installed right at the front door, to tempt you with caffeine and goodies every time you come in. We each grab a couple of hot coffees and the smallest chocolate cake in the case, perfect for two. I also grab us a bottle of celebratory red wine along with some rice crackers and brie. We may not have a place to live in two weeks, but I still have enough money to treat my friend on her birthday.
• From there it is a short march to the entrance of the Arcata Community Forest. We take a small trail and follow the sound of the fast-moving creek, full of fresh rainfall. Even in summer, it is always moist in Arcata, the redwood forest cool and welcoming. After we cross over a small bridge, I guide her to a spot I found a few weeks ago, a cathedral of tightly knit redwood trees that grew so close together that they are almost one. There is a small gap that from above you can enter, the space below is cavelike and very private, dark except for a bit of sunlight creeping in from the canopy above.
• It is absolutely perfect for our birthday manifestation ceremony.
• "Are you sure this is the right place?"
• I nod, but then I realize she cannot see me in the dark. "Yes! I found this place a few days ago. Isn't it grand?!"
• "Actually it's a bit scary," she admits. "There could be creatures in here waiting to eat us."
• "Nah, bears wouldn't bother and mountain lions would rather not be so enclosed" I assure her. "This is the perfect place for a couple of witches."
• "Speak for yourself. I don't actually believe in any of this."
• "Ah, but maybe it believes in you!" I don't need to see the eye roll to know it is there.
• Setting our food down I light the first candle and place it in the center.
• "Let's eat. This candle can be your birthday candle."
• "I think your candle might be bigger than the cake."
• We take a seat next to the candle and I pop open the red wine with my teeth. We each take a long swig before tearing into the cake with the bamboo spoons we got free from the bakery. We sing happy birthday to one another, even though my birthday was 5 months ago. It doesn't matter, though, because after half a bottle of wine each, it feels like everyone's birthday.
• "OK, now stay there in the center, Rosie," I point a finger at her as I stumble back to standing. "DO. NOT. MOVE. I need you there as I cast the spell. You're going to be the focus."
• "Focus?"
• "The place where all the magic flows."
• That seems to satisfy her drunken mind so she just nods her head. "Ok."
• I then begin to walk the circumference of the cathedral. Walking clockwise, I place a candle for each of the four directions. As I make the circuit a second time, I place my most powerful crystals, stones that have been recharging under the full-blood moon, in the spaces between the glowing candles. I then approach Rosie, seated in the center, and hand her the final crystal, a large piece of uncut rose quartz.
• "Sooo....." Rosalynd looks around, not sure what to think, holding the stone carefully. "What do we do next?"
• "We close our eyes and send our intentions out into the universe."
• "Is that it?"
• "Yup."
• "Any special words."
• "Well sure, but none of that really matters. All that matters is that you do this with an open mind and a heart ready to receive blessings."
• She quiets at this. "Do I need to say what I'm thinking out loud?"
• I shake my head. "No."
• She calms at this and closes her eyes.
• I'm about to sit next to her when something unexpected happens.
• All of the crystals in the room begin to glow.