BirchTree Circle describes itself as a “family tradition”. Our family has a proud history of strong women with eccentric ideas, and as the generations have passed, our eccentricities have evolved into their current form and practice. Here is the story of one such woman, and my experiences with her.
My Auntie Ethel was a very cool lady, and I only knew her as a child. I'd love to have known her as an adult. She was a Spiritualist, and interested in the occult, although she kept her interests very private.
She was my grandmother Edith’s sister. Ethel was childless, but loved children, so the sisters shared the only child my grandmother had. (My mom.) When my mother had two daughters of her own, Auntie Ethel was eager to be an extra grandmother, and spoiled my sister and I with unfailing kindness and warm hugs. I remember her as being an awesome grandmother, and I loved her dearly.
The last few years of her life she suffered from Alzheimer’s (or something similar... it wasn't a common diagnosis back then.) The last time I visited her, she didn't recognize me, and I grieved.
Several months after her death, I found myself at a slumber party with a group of giggly girls. By then, even though we were barely pubescent, I was already known among the local kids as being someone who could do a genuine seance, where real things would happen. (I was also known for other slumber party games, like "hypnosis" where I would do past-life regressions on my childhood friends, and “Fortune Telling” with cards similar to tarot.) So at this slumber party, they ganged up on me and insisted that I lead a seance.
I had had a few scary seance experiences by then, and didn't feel like doing one, but I agreed under pressure. When it came to choosing who should be the spirit called upon in seance, it's was an easy choice to call upon my recently departed, much adored, completely safe, great Aunt Ethel.
So there we were, sitting in a circle on the floor in our pajamas, holding hands. We lit a candle in the center, and I pretended to call upon the spirit of Auntie Ethel. I was planning on shamming it a bit, give the crowd a few chills, and bring the seance to a close as swiftly as possible. Y'know, party game stuff.
Of course, I'm sure you can all take a wild guess what happened. While attempting to fake a light trance, I got completely sucked into a deep trance, and crossed the veil. I found myself in a featureless place, sitting on a chair staring blindly into a gray mist. I heard footsteps behind me, chunky old lady shoes like my Aunt used to wear, and then there was someone standing behind me with her hand resting upon my shoulder. It was my Auntie Ethel.
She spoke with me for a long time. She first had me memorize a message for her husband, my Uncle Charlie, telling him that she was okay and everything was fine. She then spoke with me about who I was, and gave me some tips on what this whole crazy world is about. She told me that my spirit was beautiful and strong, and it would grow as I continued to explore and experience. She also told me that she would be looking out for me personally, and told me to seek her out whenever I needed someone to listen.
When she finally released me, I snapped out of trance to see a circle of nearly hysterical girls. Apparently, they had been frantically trying to wake me up, but I just sat on the floor with my eyes rolled up, shaking. (Yeah, I guess seeing that would freak me out a bit too.) Apparently, I was out for close to 15 minutes. (Felt like hours to me.) As I tried to explain to them what I had experienced, I felt my shoulder tingling. I pulled at my pajamas to look, to see a bright red handprint on my shoulder just where her hand had been. I burst into tears, the rest of the girls squealed, and my "oooky-spooky" stock went through the roof with that pack of giggling gals.
Auntie Ethel remained my spirit guide throughout the turbulent adolescent years. Whenever I felt uncertain, I just closed my eyes and I could feel her touch on my shoulder. She was like a breath of encouragement whispering in my ear. I lost touch with her sometime shortly after my epiphany experience with the Goddess at 19. I suspect that she felt I no longer needed her direct guidance, once I had found the door that opens to my Lady.
But every Samhain I set a place for my Auntie Ethel... a generous and loving spirit, may she rest in peace.
~Flame RavenHawk