They were twelve.
Just as much how necessary was to hold the ritual.
Everyone was there!
Conny, the young student, with her black hair who fitts well to her red Ritual gown, and which even was going to get the red and white candles out from the jute bag.She wasn't in a hurry and this disturbed the other women.
Particularly Nadine, the oldest of the women, the "Crone", the wise old woman of the group.
Her cropped white gray hair lay narrowly at her oval face, and concealed her many folds only insufficiently, which makes her weathered face to seem so interesting and erotic.
She wore a red ankle-length ritual gown like all women whose far sleeves her bony fingers made seem even thinner.
She streched the drum, lashed and tied into a knot so tightly, that the tones of the drum rang like a thunder or a thunderstorm.
"Can't you check the drum a little more more quietly", she heard Doris?
She disliked it to be criticized so but she didn't dare to tell Doris frankly what she thought. She looked at her.
Doris was a beautiful woman, no question!
Her big slim figure, her brightly red hair matched each other well. No make-up took advantage and no-one also needed of her! There was a time, she had seriously fallen in love with Doris.
But since she noticed, how very much heavy it was for Doris to make compromises, and since she saw how she avoided with her lovers, this love cooled down fast.
Her eyes walked to Gaby, this silent woman, who never spoke about herself.
Gaby was never allowed to know that she loved her, that she longed after her kisses, after the touches of her hands.
Gaby was anything but slim but this didn't seem to disturb her.
Without saying a word she put differrent stones with Louise to a circle, to which all women for this ritual will go.
Nadine's eyes watched Gabys and Luises movements and jealousy increased in her.
She hate it to see, how well this two women understand each other!
"Is everything prepared for the ritual", asked Doris?
All women answered in the affirmative, and Nadine saw, that all ritual objects of the cakes of the goddess and the wine for the ritual were for everyone available.
Sisters, then led us have started, ", said Doris in her defining way of a high priestress.
She saw how Doris stood at the northern edge of the stone circle, the Althalme, the sacred ritual knife in her right hand; and each of the women who wanted to enter the circle, sacred with the five holy kisses, welcomed the sisterhood, and blessed them with the Althalme.
Also Nadine stepped into the circle.
She felt a little uncomfortably, she already felt the whole day anyway, that something would happen.
"A full moon is today, sisters of the goddess, and we will start with the appeal to the goddess now. I would like to ask all students to start with the invocation ".
Doris voice sounded steady and certain.
Four young women broke loose from the group of the women, took hold of each other at their hands, formed a circle and raised her voices.
"All of us come from the goddess, return to her. Like a small raindrop who falls into the ocean". They repeated the words again and again, her voices got pure and the other women invaded the song.
Nadine felt more strongly how the energy became charged slowly in the air and got stronger, till they had achieved the point where enough energy was for the ritual there.
Doris raised her hand and the song stopped.
She took a bowl away with aromatic smoking stuff, and went to the four sky directions, to call the protection spirits of the elements water, fire, air and earth. With slow, rhythmical steps she went to the altar, which was built up on a big stone and adorned with candles and flowers, she added the bowl and said: "The goddess blesses her children. The circle is closed now".
"The circle is closed now", repeated all women.
Nadine's eyes followed the movements of Gaby who approached the altar with slow steps, and take artistically a Rose to the altar, as a sign of the presence of the goddess in this circle. Nadine's eyes walked along of Gaby's orpulent body, She loved Gaby's luxuriant busts, her smile and the way she handled other women in the Coven.
Gaby looked to her over and as thereyes met each other, both smiled, what didn't remain secret to Doris.
"She likes me", a thought flashed across Nadine, when she noticed, that Gaby still gave her a smile, even, as she had returned to her place.
"Sisters" started Doris to speak. "We have come together here today to celebrate a ritual to honor the goddess. But unfortunately is a woman here, which should not be here!"
Everyone looked at her!
"Because one among us isn't a woman. She has been once a man!"
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