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The beauty of that meadow reminded Hannah of the reasons to live in the world, and the reasons to mistrust those who saw wickedness in others, but never in themselves. The natural world was at the heart of her craft; what grew in the woods could harm or heal, and it was her obligation to know the difference. It was part of old Norse tradition, Seidhr, that had been brought to England in the ancient times. This was green magic, visionary in nature, blending the soul of the individual with the soul of the earth.
setting bowls of precious salt on their windowsills to protect those inside. Men nailed upside-down horseshoes above barn doors to ensure that their luck wouldn’t run out,
“Remember one thing,” Hannah told Maria. “Always love someone who will love you back.”
This was true magic, the making and unmaking of the world with paper and ink.
taking on the form of a square, which signified the mystical shape of the heart, combining the human and the divine, and representing the four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. It was an omen of power and heartbreak and love.
Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold.
There are secrets that must be held close, and most of these have to do with the wounding of the human heart, for sorrow spoken aloud is sorrow lived through twice.
for what you gave to the world would come back to you threefold,
Life was worth living, no matter what fate might bring.
want can be a hundred times stronger than need, and a thousand times stronger than common sense.
a spoon had fallen, a sign that meant company was coming,
There were other spells, not medicinal treatments, but spiritual, ancient enchantments that began with the Hebrew word Abracadabra, I create as I speak, taken from the even earlier Aramaic chant, Avra kadavra,
It will be created in my words.
Love could ruin your life or set you free; it could happen by chance or be a well-planned decision.
What gifts you had, you were meant to share. What you set out into the world came back to you threefold.
what you give up you can learn to live without, even if it causes you heartbreak at the start.
“What is broken can also be mended.
It was dangerous for a woman to give up her power.
Love begins in curious ways, in daylight or in darkness, when you are in search of it or when you least expect to find it. You may think it is one thing, when in fact it is something else entirely: infatuation, loneliness, seduction.
Be cautious, be sure of yourself, be careful of outsiders, beware of women who have the nerve to meet your eyes, who think they’re your equals, who do as they please, who please you as well, who will never do as they’re told.
What burns is best left to turn to cinders. Be wise and stay away.
This is your heart that you hold in your hands, be careful with it, don’t lose it, and don’t forget that I loved you the same way even though you weren’t born to me.
Fate is what you make of it. You can make the best of it, or you can let it make the best of you.
Life is not what you think it is. Remember that. Remember me.
Believe what the world shows you, and make no excuses. See what is right before you.
Turn it over once for love, twice for betrayal, three times for heartbreak.
Pay attention, pay heed, listen to the voice inside.
You make love what you want it to be, Hannah had told her. You decide. You walk toward it, or you walk away.
Know who you are, Hannah had told her. Know what you are, Rebecca had said.
Trust no one but yourself.
Every woman is a fool at least once in her life, Hannah had told her.
When you look into your own future, you may see only what you want to see, and even the wisest woman can make a mistake, especially in matters of love.
Own your own life, Hannah had told her. Never depend on others. Protect those closest to you.
She recognized a familiar when she saw one. Such a creature must always come to you on its own. You cannot choose it, it must choose you. Once it does, it will be loyal for the rest of its life, as Cadin had been.
A Simple Witch’s Garden Sage, for headache. Summer savory, for colic. Green wormwood for wounds, mix with vinegar or rum, then apply. Hyssop, for the lungs. Colt’s foot and flaxseed, for coughing. Motherwort, to quiet the nerves. Sweet balm tea, for fever. Horseradish, mixed with warm vinegar for aches in the feet. Mallows, steeped in milk for dysentery. Savory, to give good fortune. Parsley, to see the future and make wise choices.
Fate is what you make it, or you will be what it makes of you.
They always want to burn a woman who defies the rules. They want to turn lies into the truth.
Do what you must until we are together again, but never believe a word she tells you. Believe only in yourself. You are my daughter and mine alone, whether we are together or apart.
In Martha’s opinion, a woman who spent her time reading was no better than a witch.
I am with the All and the All is within me.
What belonged to you once, will always belong to you. Be grateful if you have walked through the world with another’s heart in your hand.
It looked like a dove, he said, but appearances could fool you. Some people mistakenly believed it was peaceful and calm, but that wasn’t what love was. It was a wolf. If you open the door and call it inside, you must sink to your knees and say its name, you must do so whether you are cursed or not. That was the mystery Abraham had come to understand. Always and everywhere, love was the answer.
Never hide who you are. Do what you think you cannot.
A death wish can be a powerful spell, by witch or mortal alike, and Faith shook with the bitterness she felt and her willingness to ignore the rules of magic.
For love to last one must wear an amulet with apple seeds. Rosemary and lavender oil would give a person willpower, and to break a simple hex one must use salt, coconut oil, lavender, lemon juice, and lemon verbena.
A person might be changed by ill fortune or circumstance, as Faith had been, but every individual carried a soul within him, unchanging and eternal, a light, a heart, a breath.
According to the rules of magic, she would have to pay a price for the actions she had taken that had been born of vengeance.
Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold. Fall in love whenever you can.
There are none who can fight as fiercely as a mother and a daughter, and none who can forgive more completely.
These are the lessons to be learned. Drink chamomile tea to calm the spirit. Feed a cold and starve a fever. Read as many books as you can. Always choose courage. Never watch another woman burn. Know that love is the only answer.
