The Blue Witch

By Lillie Leonardi

On a moonlit night in Katherine's thirteenth year, she first came to understand the power within.

 

It would take her another twenty years to learn of the divine legacy that ordained her female ancestors with unique, intuitive gifts. 

 

When Katherine joins the noble ranks of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, she begins to experience the mystical forces within. These encounters take her on a journey of awakening and a deep awareness of her familial connection to the Divine.

 

When the ordinary becomes the extraordinary, Katherine seeks answers from her paternal grandmother. The wise sage shares that the women of her lineage are blessed to sense angels, hear their whispers, witness their presence and channel their healing energy. 

 

Katherine's story reflects the dichotomy of two worlds where she struggles to balance her earthly duties in law enforcement with her soul's heavenly purpose. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lillie Leonardi
• Release date: Mar 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393121978

Book preview

Prelude

On a moonlit night in Katherine’s thirteenth year, she first came to understand the power within.  The gifts bestowed from heaven above — majestic in brilliant light and reigned by pure love.  As Katherine hid behind the tall trees surrounding the backyard of her paternal grandmother’s home, she watched as Mariam lifted her hands toward the sky and uttered the following words, Dear God, please surround me with your white light of grace.  May it flow to me and through me.  May it permeate every aspect of my being, in your name I pray.  Adonai Elohim.  

When Mariam finished, she bowed her head.  Within a stroke of the next moonbeam, her hands, still raised against the darkened sky, were illuminated with the purest of white light.  The luminosity seemed to descend from heaven in a soft, flowing stream.  As brilliant as a sunburst and so pristine in hue, it was indescribable in its radiance.  Mariam’s hands appeared to be a beacon of light unto themselves.

She then lowered her hands ever so slightly and walked toward another figure.  At first, the darkness prevented Katherine from recognizing the individual.  But as her silhouette turned toward the moon, the familiar outline became known.  It was that of dear Auntie Elizabeth, Mariam’s only daughter.  

Astounded by what she was witnessing, Katherine momentarily turned away.  She was unable to fathom the scene.  Huddled in darkness, each breath synchronized with the beats of her heart now resounding in her ear.  The echoed rhythm played loudly against the stillness of the night.  Turning back, now hypnotized by the scene, Mariam again raised her hands toward the heavens above.  However, this time, they were not at full mast.  In turn, Auntie did the same.  The two women pressed their hands together.  Each hand, moving in unison, ignited like a dazzling torch.  The light emitted was similar to the brilliance of a high sun on a midsummer’s day.  They stood there smiling and chanting in an unfamiliar language.  Yet somehow, Katherine knew the utterances to be sacred in some primal way.  For a moment, she crouched there breathless and unable to move.  Ironically, Katherine felt no fear, only an inexplicable stirring within of which she had no prior knowledge. The origin of it, however, felt so authentic.  Katherine was left feeling as if the light of her loved one’s hands had found its way to ignite an unknown source.  Years later, she would come to understand it was the night she was introduced to her soul.  

Chapter 1

Anna

(Name Meaning: Gracious One)

4BC

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On a cold winter’s night in the town of Bethlehem, a boy child was born.  Despite the lowly surroundings of the stable with its nesting animals, the babe arrived into the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger.  His name was Jesus.  In that inceptive moment of new life, a brilliant star appeared in the heavens above.  It not only symbolized an illumination of the night, but announced the birth as well.  Shepherds flocked and angels sang.  All present rejoiced.  His Mother, Mary and Joseph, his father, kept vigil as visitants arrived from near and far.  On the twelfth night after the child’s birth, three wise men reached their destination.  They had traveled from the east in search of a newborn king.  All the while using the star as their compass, a means to navigate through treacherous lands amongst dangerous creatures.  There in the overcrowded stable, the wise men gifted the child with gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Gold to honor the child’s nobility, frankincense to represent His religious path and myrrh to foretell of His impending death and burial at the hands of those He chose to save.  It was a night like no other night before.  

A few miles away, a lone woman walked out into the night.  Through the window of her abode, she observed a star.  It was a star like no other, original in design and immaculate in hue.  The celestial body was so large in size that it overwhelmed the darkness of the evening sky.  It seemed as if she could reach up and touch its very points.  Gazing into the luminous abyss, she heard words whispered, Anna, the child of prophecy has been born in Bethlehem this nigh.  He arrived to save the world.  To free His brethren from sin.  Embrace your spirit.  Open your heart.  Go forth and spread the good tidings.  Christ the Savior is born. 

With the words of the great Divinity spoken, Anna bowed her head and dropped to her knees.  She raised her hands toward the illuminated sky.  Her fingertips felt hot as if somehow connected to the star.  As she gave thanks for the gifts bestowed, her hands became enshrouded with white light.  And there on the ground so sparse of vegetation, her soul received the abundance of universal energy, and the Holy Spirit brought forth light.  In that moment of rapture, her body, humbled by age, felt renewed.  

On that silent night, the holiest of nights, while shepherds watched, while angels sang, while trumpets announced the birth of a newborn king, a little known prophetess named Anna entered the stable and observed the birthplace of the carpenter’s son.  In seeing the child, she rejoiced.  Anna had lived long enough to witness the fingerprint of God.  A gift unlike any other — a miracle of humanity forged of spirit.

Chapter 2

Mariam

(Name Meaning: Star of the Sea)

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Mariam Tajir was born a daughter of Lebanon; her family was of Maronite religion and Christian by ancestry.  She journeyed as an immigrant to the United States.  At the age of nineteen, she traveled as a young wife across the vast sea.  Pregnant with her first child, she left her homeland seeking a new life across the boundless waves of the ocean.  In search of a place to thrive and freely practice her faith.  A brave young woman proud of her heritage and eager to arrive at her new home in America.  

Traveling upon the ship, Mariam looked out at the vastness of the ocean and felt a sense of freedom.  A feeling she had not sensed before.  Although her family possessed moderate wealth, she had been limited in her knowledge of the world outside the village.  During her initial years of life, Mariam lived sheltered by her father and brothers, as most women of the village had been by their male relatives.  Her naiveté sometimes left her unprepared for the harsh realities in life.  She, however, had more education than many other young women from the settlement.  She had attended classes at a convent where the nuns had taught her to read and write in her native Arabic tongue, English and French, as well.  Although she could understand better than she could speak, Mariam enjoyed reading books and eagerly awaited opportunities to converse.  Since her village had many visitors from diverse cities, she was given the chance to chat with travelers who lived in provinces from both near and far.  

Mariam and her husband’s families had lived in the mountainous region about seventy miles above Beirut, in the place known as the Village of Apples upon the Mount of Lebanon.  The land was fertile and the fruits were plentiful.  There among the cedar trees life flourished and the farmers bore the wealth of the land.  The stately and sparsely populated terraces were a picturesque place to dwell.  One could look up into the mountain ranges and see the snow covered peaks, or gaze downward upon the Mediterranean Sea.  The deep blue hued waters set against the brilliant sunlit skies looked as if they merged into one.  The cascading waves echoed upon the valleys reaching toward the Mount.   

Her father was patriarch of the family.  His heritage dated back to the tribes known as Canaanites — inhabitants who dwelled by the Mediterranean Sea.  Many centuries before, his descendants had traveled to the mountain region in search of new life and freedom to practice their newfound Christian religion.  Among the valleys, grandiose mountains and cedar trees, they settled in. It was said that these ancient settlers were members of the early Christian movement sent to the distant territories to spread the word of Christ post His crucifixion and teach His religious dogma.  These primitive descendants developed the village that existed to the present day.  In some ways, life was unchanged.  Remnants of stone homes and historical events still scattered among the long-surviving coniferous trees.  

Like most immigrants of Mariam’s generation, she and her husband John landed at Ellis Island.  Before docking, they had watched as the large ship passed by the Statue of Liberty, a gift of the French to symbolize liberty, freedom and protection under the Constitution. The broken chain at the foot of the statue drew Mariam’s attention.  Even though she was unfamiliar with its meaning, she felt connected to it somehow.  In her mind, she understood how the chain binds one to a life not always of their making.  The broken link reminded her that she had split ties with the land of her birth.  Forever connected to loved ones, she may never see again.  Lady Liberty struck a chord with the young woman who had sought freedom to practice her religious beliefs.  The towering statue was symbolic of her Maronite faith, yet equally a bit mystical in design.  As the omnipresence cast its shadow across the bow of the ship, Mariam curtsied in gratitude for the opportunities and all the possibilities that this new world might bring.  

On the docks, Mariam and John waited for hours in long lines.  Feeling more like cattle than human beings, they stood in the sun thirsty for water, a sense of civility and a fresh start at life.  There among all newcomers, they were screened for illnesses and asked countless questions before obtaining permission to enter into the country.  Setting off to their initial destination, they found the City of New York unwelcoming.  With its tall structures and crowded streets, the unfamiliar territory felt overwhelming.  It was quite a contrast to the environment Mariam was accustomed to.  Although she had made trips to Beirut with her family for their annual holiday by the sea, nothing had prepared her for the enormity of an American city or the stark welcome the young couple received.  

Their first few nights in the distant land did not provide much comfort.  On the contrary, they were made to feel like the immigrants they were.  In every place they turned, they were pushed along with the countless others seeking refuge.  They, however, found temporary shelter at a boarding house filled with fellow immigrant travelers.  Water and food were scarce and the bedding was filthy from the many bodies that had slept upon it.  Although conditions were harsh, Mariam felt grateful for an opportunity for her and her unborn child to build a new life and flourish in a land of plenty. 

Within a week’s time, the young couple decided upon a permanent destination, Western Pennsylvania.  They traveled to an area known as Mount Lebanon where a cousin had immigrated and cedar trees grew.  Like many of his family members, John was a merchant by trade.  A son of many sons who had served as middlemen responsible for trading and bartering goods.  John would work at his cousin’s business until he learned the ways of the new world.  In time, he and Mariam would save money and venture out into a life of their own making.  For now, they sought solace from family members who had traveled before them and paved the path for their arrival.

Chapter 3

Samuel & Lila

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Samuel Tajir was a physically strong man and handsome with olive skin, black hair, and hazel eyes that twinkled on sunlit days.  He believed in God, country and family.  Son of immigrant parents of Lebanese heritage, he strived to become all he was meant to be. After serving in the military, he returned home to Pittsburgh, attended college and then law school.  From the date he passed the Bar exam and was certified to practice law in Pennsylvania, he worked as an attorney.  In the initial years, he was employed with a large legal firm specializing in finance. He ultimately left to open his own practice.  He was the first member of his family to attend and graduate college.  This fact was a matter of pride for his kin.  After all, his parents had left the comfort of their Lebanese homeland to raise their children in America and provide opportunities for the next generation, education for their son being a priority. 

Samuel possessed a keen wit and was intellectual, kind, analytical and responsible, and possessed a keen wit.  He was quick to smile and had a hearty laugh.  He was a devout Catholic who was a secret dabbler in the metaphysical world.  He had come to believe that religion was his communal practice and one he shared with those he most loved.  His spirituality, however, was his personal relationship with God.  Of this, he was convinced that there was more to the world than the mere earthly plain.  He believed that humans were connected to the heavenly realm in more ways than birth or death.  

His office housed a small library that included books about angels, saints and stories of mystical encounters.  Although he never spoke openly of his spiritual beliefs, he was known to prompt an occasional argument on religious dogma and would always reference a book or two.  His favorite readings came from a book penned by the Lebanese prophet, Kahlil Gibran and entitled Jesus the Son of Man.  In the evening hours, he would often fall asleep on the lounge chair with a book lying on his chest.

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Lila Shea was a true beauty on the outside and within.  She was of Irish descent and first generation to be born in the United States.  Similar to Samuel’s parents, her family had traveled from a small town on the Western coast of Ireland in Inch (An Inse) along the Dingle Peninsula.  The hamlet was best known for its picturesque beach and dunes that stretched across a panoramic bay

For generations, her ancestors had made their livelihood as fishermen and hunters about the Slieve Mish mountain range.  There among the forty shades of green and fields of Eire, Lila’s family had found it tough to survive.  With a little parcel of land that was owned by a wealthy aristocrat, the family struggled just to put food on the table, pay taxes, and care for their offspring.

Childhood photos reflected a small girl dressed in blue trousers, poke-a-dot jacket and brown leather shoes.  Her hair was dark auburn.  She had skin as pale as alabaster and eyes of green that sparkled with her smile.  Her life in Pittsburgh was similar to most in her era.  Her family had crossed the Atlantic in search of gainful employment and a better life.  Her father was employed at a local glass house and Mother was a homemaker.  She was the third of ten children and grew up understanding that she had a responsibility to serve on behalf of not only herself, but her younger siblings and parents as well.  Strong in her convictions, she worked as a secretary during the day at the same glass factory as her Dad.  By night, she attended college where she aspired to receive her accounting degree.

One windy summer’s eve as Lila hurriedly walked from the University of Pittsburgh campus toward her car, she bumped into a man.  After the embarrassment of a few awkward moments and words of apology, she looked up into the handsomest face and hazel eyes she had ever seen.  When the man smiled, she felt her heart stir and her spirit connect with him on a deeper level than she then understood.  He introduced himself as Samuel.  As if it was routine in nature, he asked if she would join him for a cup of coffee.  Without hesitation, she agreed.  They strolled to a small café across the street and talked until almost midnight.  

On that first night, Samuel shared about his life, his work as an attorney, and that he was teaching one law class per week at the college which he did to keep himself informed and current.  He spoke in great length about how he enjoyed helping to develop another generation of lawyers.  He did so with such ease, as if Lila was already a trusted friend.  Lila spoke about her aspirations to become an accountant and working full time while attending classes several evenings a week.  During their conversation, they learned that they were about a decade apart in age and had similarities in family stories.  

Samuel walked Lila to her car.  He wanted so desperately to kiss her, but hesitated out of fear.  Contemplating what to do next, Lila made her move.  She planted a quick kiss on his lips.  He smiled and said, When may I see you again.

Lila replied quickly, I am available this Saturday evening.

Samuel merely shook his head and opened her car door.  She entered the vehicle and smiled.  As Lila drove away, he looked up at the sky.  He noticed a brilliant, luminary moon.  He smiled in reflection of his mother’s famous words. Mariam often said, The new moon brings about beginnings and many blessings.

On this night of nights, Samuel was hopeful that his mystical mother was right.

Chapter 4

Unions

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After a year-long courtship, Samuel and Lila married at a local Catholic Church in a lovely ceremony that included both of their families.  Photos reflect a handsome couple that seemed blissful in each other’s arms.  Lila was adorned in a gown of lace and a veil that began upon the crown of her head and trained behind her for a few feet.  Her hair was brushed from her face and hints of her auburn hair peeked through the laced pattern of the veil.  She wore soft tones of color next to her face and a smile that seemed to radiate from within.  Samuel was dressed in a white tuxedo jacket, shirt and tie with black trousers and leather shoes.  He also wore a smile that seemed to shine from within.  The duo was surrounded by a host of bridesmaids attired in soft, rosy pink hued gowns and groomsmen dressed in white tuxedos and black bow ties similar to Samuel’s. 

During the nuptial vows, Samuel hesitated when it was time to pronounce his, I do.  

Instead he smiled at the priest and turned to face Lila.  A moment passed before he spoke.  "The first moment I saw you I knew instinctively that I was going to ask you to be my wife.  As our eyes made contact, I felt my heart, mind and soul connect to you.  When I looked into your eyes, I