Once upon a time there was a little girl named Meagan. She lived with her mother
Elizabeth, her father Michael and her brother Corwin. One day, Meagan was
playing with her cat Starweaver. She was excited. Soon it would be Midsummer
Day, the longest day of the year. Meagan knew that it was also called Litha. She
and her family would celebrate all day with a picnic and a ritual at the farm
that one of the coven members owned. Meagan had to be careful not to mention the
word coven around her Gramma Lee and Granpa Scott because they were Christian
and might get upset about Meagan and her family being pagan. Meagan wished that
her grandparents understood how nice all the pagans that she knew were.
It was hot and Meagan was getting thirsty. She started back home to get a drink.
On the way home she saw a woman in a nurse's uniform coming out of her friend
Mrs. Hanson's house. Meagan slowed down. She had become friends with Mrs. Hanson
after leaving a May basket on her porch. She wondered who the woman could be.
Meagan sped up and ran the rest of the way home. She raced up the stairs and
into the kitchen. "Meagan!" said her father, "you know the rule about running.
We only run outside where we aren't likely to get hurt if we fall down." Meagan
stopped by the refrigerator. "I'm sorry Daddy. I saw a lady in a nurse's uniform
down at Mrs. Hanson's house and I was going to call her and see who it was. I
was coming home to get a drink anyway." Michael nodded, "It was thoughtful of
you not to stop at Mrs. Hanson's house. If she's sick, she might not want
company. I tell you what...I'll call Mrs. Hanson while you get a drink." Meagan
poured herself a big glass of herbal tea while her father went into his office
to make the call. She looked for some cookies but didn’t see any.
Just then, Meagan's mother came in the door carrying several net bags full of
groceries. Meagan's family always used cloth or net bags at the grocery store to
help save the earth's resources. "I'll help!" exclaimed Meagan running up to her
mother. "I'd rather you went to the car and helped your brother bring in the
rest of the bags please," said her mother. Meagan went outside and found Corwin
testing bags to see which were heaviest. "Here," he said, "these are the perfect
weight for you." Meagan took the bags and took them inside. She helped put up
the groceries. Meagan wondered why her father had not come back and told her
about Mrs. Hanson. She asked her mother if she could take Mrs. Hanson some
cookies when they made a new batch. "Sure honey," said her mother, "that reminds
me, we should probably make three batches tonight so that we'll have enough for
the picnic on Saturday. In fact, you might ask Mrs. Hanson if she'd like to go
on a picnic sometime with us. She isn't pagan and I don't she'd enjoy going to
Litha"
"I'm afraid Mrs. Hanson isn't going anywhere for awhile," said Michael from the
doorway, "I just talked to her on the phone. It seems that she's broken her leg.
That's why she wasn't home last week, the doctor had her stay in the hospital so
that it would heal better. She's home now, but he still wants her to take it
easy. There's a nurse's aide who's going to come bathe her several days a week
but she was wondering how she was going to get her meals. You know that she
doesn't believe in convenience foods so I offered to bring over a helping of
what ever we're having until she's back on her feet. I hope you don't mind."
Elizabeth walked over and hugged him hard. She smiled up at him, "Why should I
mind? You do most of the cooking! Besides, it was very kind of you to think of
it."
So that night after dinner had been made Meagan and her brother ran down the
road with some reusable containers. Corwin rang the doorbell twice and unlocked
the door with the key that their mother had given him. "Hello! Mrs. Hanson?" he
called into the house as they brought in their packages. "I'm back in the family
room," they heard her call from the other end of the house. Corwin carefully
locked the door behind them and put the key into his pocket. They carefully took
their packages into the family room. There was Mrs. Hanson sitting in a
recliner. She had a table on either side of her, a wheelchair near her and a TV
remote in her hand. She smiled when she saw them. "I didn't know how serious
your father was about his offer," she said, "I really a appreciate you bringing
me something to eat." Mrs. Hanson was surprised when she saw what they had
brought her. They had a drink, some casserole, some vegetables and some cookies
for dessert.
"We made lots of cookies today because we're going on a picnic on Saturday,"
said Meagan, "I wish that you could come but it's a family thing and mommy says
that not just everyone can come." Mrs. Hanson smiled and patted Meagan's hand.
"It's very sweet of you to offer but I don't think I'd feel like it right now
anyway. I tell you what, after I'm feeling a little better, perhaps you and I
and your friend Cindy could have a picnic on my patio." Meagan nodded. Mrs.
Hanson said that she would call Elizabeth and Cindy's mother Anna when she felt
up to fixing a picnic. Corwin smiled, "I'll do you one better, why not just let
us know when you feel like eating out on the patio and we'll have a potluck
picnic!" Mrs. Hanson frowned, "What is a potluck picnic?" "Oh!" said Meagan,
"that's when everyone brings one thing that they are good at making. I like to
bring ice tea but I have to make sun tea because I'm still not old enough to
pour hot water over tea bags. I don't want to get burned." Mrs. Hanson thought
that was a good idea.
Meagan and Cindy planned for their picnic so that they would be ready when Mrs.
Hanson felt better. Soon she called their parents and made arrangements. They
decided to have their picnic the Sunday after the Litha celebration. Soon it was
Midsummer's Day y. Meagan and her family packed up a picnic basket filled with
good things to eat. They had brought yarn to make God's Eyes. Meagan and Corwin
decided to look for sticks at the farm to make the God's Eyes. Meagan knew that
they made God's Eyes to celebrate ate the sun at the height of its power. They
spent the day playing, eating, singing and dancing. It didn't seem like very
long before it was time for ritual. It seemed strange to have ritual while the
sun was still up but Meagan's parents said that they would not be done until the
sun went down. First the grownups all got dressed in their robes and went from
field to field to bless the crops. Meagan and most of the other children stayed
behind to set up the altar. They put candles in containers around t he altar and
helped put the smaller stones around the fire pit while one of the grownups put
bigger stones.
One of the children had found a dead ash tree earlier in the day. Everyone was
excited because they could make things from the wood without harming a living
tree. Meagan and Corwin both had pieces of the tree to make a wand with. They
brought them into the circle with them. Soon the other coven members began
gathering. They were excited. Tonight they would also have a handfasting! Jeremy
and Sybil had been handfasted for a year and a day at the last Litha
celebration. Tonight they would be handfasted 'for as long as love lasts'. It
was time for the ritual to begin.
Meagan was still very excited when it was time to go home. She had had a good
time and she still had a picnic with Corwin, Cindy and Mrs. Hanson tomorrow! But
it was very late and she fell asleep in the car on the way home. Her father
carried her into the house and put her to bed. Starweaver curled up beside her
and purred. It had been a good day.
