Mabon & the Swan: A Yarn from the Moonweaver Memoirs

By Adam Lee D’Amato-Neff

Two lovers explore their interest in a witchs coven. They learn of magic and their own innate powers, and come in contact with a tortured ghost. Two of the coven members covet the young lovers and try to bind them with spells, forcing them apart. In time their own pasts may be all that can put the soul to rest and keep their love from being destroyed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 14, 2002
• ISBN: 9781469708416

Adam Lee D’Amato-Neff

Adam first became interested in other cultures and religions in 1976 when he saw an Egyptian sarcophagus. He enjoys teaching martial arts, writing lyrics and poetry, and playing guitar for his daughter Elizabeth.

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All Rights Reserved © 2002 by Adam Lee D’Amato-Neff

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

Writers Club Press

an imprint of iUniverse, Inc.

For information address:

iUniverse, Inc.

5220 S. 16th St., Suite 200

Lincoln, NE 68512

www.iuniverse.com

All characters in this book are fictitious.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Cover art by L.L Krebbs

ISBN: 978-1-469-70841-6 (ebook)

ISBN: 0-595-21525-4

Contents

DEDICATION

EPIGRAPH

MABON & THE SWAN

1

FRIENDLY ADVICE

2

FIRST MET

3

MOONWEAVERS

4

THE HILL AND BEYOND

5

DREAMS AT MIDNIGHT

6

UNCOVERING MORE TRUTHS

7

HEXES

8

UNCOVERING THE TRUTH

9

THE HAND OF GOD

10

THE BOOK OF MIRRORS

EPILOGUE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NOTES

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the tens of millions of witches, druids, shamans and their followers who have been murdered over the past 2000 years for their beliefs.

Epigraph

There is no greater disagreement than one about religion.

MONTANUS, in Micah

Mabon & The Swan

Across the worlds on still waters As proud and regal as a queen Floats the swan I sing to her through the darkness Standing on a shore with trees Of thorn at twilight Like a lost love With captivating beauty she draws near

There are tears in both our eyes It has been so long since we last embraced Her downy softness gives me chills The depth of her soul draws me down so deep Beyond the realms of sleep Realization dawns on me Like the rising of the sun when time began I made a contented loving sigh For she was me

1

Friendly Advice

The class on Witchcraft was held at the Northern Virginia Community College or as everyone simply called it, NOVA. Work had been trying as usual for the young couple, but they had debated about taking this class for months before coming to the adventurous conclusion of at least checking it out. Their final decision still didn’t lessen the trepidation that they both felt, and they seemed to be losing the battle with inertia in getting out of the car.

What do you think? Trisha asked. She lazily tucked her long blond hair behind her ears to both sides and beamed forth her brilliant sapphire eyes. She was lithe in form, but solid and moved with feline grace. Her smile was playful and genuine.

Jim was a large man. Though he was over six feet and 210 pounds, Trisha could always disarm him with her playful smile. Even fifteen years of martial arts couldn’t defend him against her charm and the growing love the two were gaining for each other. I must confess, I’ve always been interested in the occult. Reading books on astrology, tarot, even Wicca, but I just feel a little weird going into a classroom with a bunch of people talking about this stuff. It’s like an AA meeting for people who believe in the supernatural.

Trisha was equally taken aback by his charm and good looks and couldn’t suppress a chuckle. She made her voice deep and scrunched her features in a frightened pose, my name is Jim, and I’m an occult fanatic.

Then they both laughed in earnest. After several minutes of uncontrolled hysterical guffawing from the pair, Jim wiped a tear from the corner of his hazel eye from laughing too hard and gave Trish a big hug. She hugged back strongly and nestled her nose into his neck smelling his wonderful cologne. She didn’t know the name of it, but it was some European brand in a cobalt bottle. It was sweet and grassy and she loved the way it could make her feel as though she were standing at twilight on a savanna when she closed her eyes.

They drew back slightly and were only inches from each other’s face. Dusk had fallen and the parking lot lights cast eerie shadows as if to confirm this magical conspiracy. They kissed warmly and she couldn’t wait until after class when they could be home in private and continue this further.

Well we’re gonna be late if we don’t get going. One class and we’ll go from there. Deal? He offered, stealing another kiss before she had a chance to respond.

Deal, Trisha said and grabbed a notebook and pen. She saw Jim eyeing her curiously. Well it is a class isn’t it, she said defensively, besides if its boring I can pass you notes in class. She opened the Camry’s door and jumped out.

It was late summer and the humidity was still atrocious, but thankfully the night held a cool breeze which seemed to lessen the effects. Jim had picked her up after work and they had changed quickly in the car. Neither of them could wear comfortable clothing to work and the need to relax necessitated the event. Besides it was a little exciting and somehow made their early thirties feel a little more like their teens.

Jim ever the navigator, and arguably an inherent male trait, had a school map out and methodically planned their best route to the classroom. By day the campus was crammed with younger kids just out of high school, but the night classes attracted older working students and somehow put them both a little more at ease. But not everyone is going to a class on the finer intricacies of spell casting Jim thought to himself wryly.

541, this is it, Jim said stopping to let Trisha go first. He glanced at his watch. Right on time.

She loved the way he could be both strong and even overbearing sometimes, but then at others he was so gentle and reserved. Like the tides, this man could lull you to sleep in his arms and at others keep the dangers of the world at bay. The years had slipped by, and Trish had never found a lasting love, or what she would call true love for that matter. Then one day out of nowhere came Jim like the proverbial knight in shining armor. More and more now he would stay at her house in Fairfax and now she couldn’t help but let her mind wander from time to time about them getting married. He gave her a big grin as if suddenly he could read her mind and they went into the classroom.

The room was square and flooded with fluorescent lighting. Many of the students checked the two out as they walked in and took a seat in a couple of desks. There were several men, but at least twice as many women in the room. The instructor stood up front by an overhead projector and flicked it on. It read Magick 101.

Hello everyone, welcome to the class. I am Kate Zucker. I would like everyone to get to know each other so please take a moment to introduce yourselves for we will be spending a lot of time together over the next couple of months. Kate reached over to a stereo that was also sitting on the front desk and hit play. The music that came forth was very soothing and almost haunting in nature. The woman’s voice was so melodic and beautiful that Trisha was sure she had never heard its like.

Kate was a bit too tall and thin, which otherwise she would have been considered very attractive. She cracked a warm toothy smile and waited for the class to begin their introductions. Her head bobbed slightly in time to the music and she ruffled through some papers and overheads as if to review or confirm her first lecture.

Jim was looking around the room at its occupants. The singer mesmerized Trisha even beyond the melodic violin, cello, and various percussion instruments.

That’s Loreena McKennitt’s new CD, a lady next to her offered. It’s a real pleasure to meet you, I’m Sandy. The woman was slightly plump and had a twang that sounded perhaps like she might be from West Virginia. I have all her stuff. Isn’t she wonderful?

She’s so.. .captivating, I think I could just sit here for hours and listen to her. Its like she can just send you to another place. Trisha smiled warmly to the lady, I’m Trisha, and this is Jim.

Jim leaned over and shook the lady’s hand. Very nice to meet you, he said in his baritone voice. Now that the ice was broken, Jim left the two to chat and he began circulating around the room cheerfully meeting everyone. He was amiable by nature, and seeing how this was more of a social event than a class for now, he felt right at home as if he were at some cocktail party. Hey there, Jim, and what’s yours. Pleasure to meet you, really.. .I love your dress, he said going from one person to the next.

Trisha smiled after him fondly, thankful that he was feeling a little more comfortable being here. Jim was interested in this kind of magical stuff; she was part of it. She couldn’t explain exactly, but ever since she was a child she had had visions and premonitions. Sometimes her dreams would come true, or she would have a feeling about something. This was her outlet in exploring it further now among other people whom she expected were not entirely all that different than herself. She scanned among the faces in the room looking for oddities or anything unusual. No, everyone looked normal enough. No pointed hats and wart-infested noses. She never could figure out why witches were portrayed as ugly and mean. More propaganda she thought.

Alright now, everyone take their seats. We won’t go very far tonight, but we will go over the syllabus fairly quickly, and I will answer any questions any of you may have and that’ll just about do it for tonight. Kate passed out the course outline and reading list. She had transparencies and utilized them as she went over the material.

Now many of you may be coming into this class with different backgrounds and expectations. I must warn you that on completion of this class I will not be handing out broomsticks and flying licenses. Much of the class laughed in response. "Some of what we will cover however, is some of the history that will explain and dispel many of the inaccuracies and stereotypes associated with magick or the craft as it is often called. She popped up an overhead with the word magick on it. We spell magick with a k to differentiate it from parlor tricks and slight of hand that