Just so’s you know, that title, in my head, is being screamed out by Kermit the Frog introduction style… I’m so happy to be able to say it, and at times, I absolutely was NOT sure I was going to be.
So I’m keeping my promises- the new book is done, and I will be ready to sign, seal, and deliver it by December 20th.
This one was a long time coming, and it took some core realizations about how women define themselves to get to. I always thought it would be cool to do a whole cycle, Maiden, Mother, Crone, but I never felt tuned in enough to the state of motherhood to be able to clearly speak to it as Nessa.
Well, life’s a funny, funny thing. Sometimes there’s a thousand little pieces laying around that don’t snap into focus until it’s time for them to… and this year, with all of the chaos and crazy- they did.
If I’ve committed to a Mother cycle, does that mean there will be a Crone cycle? Yeah, probably. The time jump will be extreme, that’s for sure, but I can’t see why it’s undoable.
Here’s the other good news- I give a pretty decent recap of books 1 through 3, so if you want to dive in here, it was written for that. As always, if this isn’t quite your kind of read, but you know someone who would enjoy it, please pass it on.
And hey, if you’re not sure if it’s your thing, let’s go ahead and give you the first chapter and see what you think.
“Who Am I?”
There’s things that I wish I had been told about the once mystical, unimaginable state of being a grown up.
Some of them are fairly prosaic, about always reading all the fine print. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Vampires are charming, but that’s because, like everyone else, they need to eat. Never make a significant purchase at a county fair. If the service is free, then you’re the product. If someone is telling you everything you want to hear, they want something. If there’s a week in April that feels like June, you’ll be back to February in no time. There’s no such thing as a free lunch (though, come to think of it, that’s kind of going back to the vampires again.)
And if an extremely powerful entity makes a deal with you, they ain’t doing it for the warm fuzzies.
Now, at the time, I desperately needed the assistance and protection of someone much more powerful than the adversaries I was up against, and they needed me. But you see, I missed that fine print part of things- my cooperation extended far beyond the crisis.
How far beyond?
It’s been more than ten years since I agreed to serve as the manifestation of the Maiden, Goddess of Spring, Youth, et cetera et cetera on this plane of existence. To be fair, ninety nine days out of a hundred, I go about my own business, living my own life in my own little corner of the world. The youngest aspect of the goddess, to give her full credit. definitely pulls her weight around here. As I’ve run into my counterparts, as one does from time to time while out on business, they have expressed a certain wistfulness for life before (or after) their duties have run their course. Or maybe the world we live in already does a solid enough job of worshipping youth, so that the Mother and Crone aspects need a little extra oomph to be appreciated.
And let me be super clear about this- I’m no more or less pretty to look at than the next hundred girls you’ll see passing you on the street. If I have learned anything through my years of service, it’s that all of the glamours of the Maiden- the exuberance, tenderness, innocence, passion, hope, and joy- every woman I’ve ever met and will never meet can embody each face of them at will. As easily as she remembers a first love, or just how it feels to be young and alive on a spring day, the Maiden’s blessing is upon them all.
In case you missed it- that was literally me saying that every woman is beautiful, it’s all in how she uses her power to see herself. And then to project it.
That’s been a piece of who I am.
Another piece, a far larger one, is harder to understand from a standing start. But that’s very much where I find myself. I had two sets of running journals, as most of my kind does. One’s a book of shadows, all about magickal theory, things I’ve learned and accepted as true. The other is a personal recollection of my thoughts, for myself. It helps me see patterns in events from my impressions. And, frankly, bring a little bit of order to my extremely chaotic thoughts and vivid imagination.
Did you happen to take note of the use of the word ‘had’?
It seems that someone planned themselves a little heist and helped themselves to ten years worth of my work.
I’m sitting back down staring at a blank sheet of paper all over again, and for the first time in quite a while. It’s strange how simple it is to keep a daily running narration of life, and yet, so difficult to start over and try to rethink all the thoughts. How am I supposed to know which of those events I recorded so carefully are important versus just plain trivia?
And yet, here I am, playing retrospective.
I am Nessa Ysbelle, daughter of Robert, goddaughter of Cliche, Aspect of the Maiden, empath, partnered to a fallen angel, teacher to any that ask that I think will play by the rules. My hair and eyes are still dark, and I can just barely ride the really good roller coasters. I brought down a centuries old order intent on stamping out magic in the world and made more of an impression on supernatural society than I think I deserve. I’m 29, and have been given to understand that in terms of longevity, I’ve just started walking. I am a member in good standing of the Coven, friend of both Winter and Summer Fae Courts, and if I lack popularity among werewolves, they at least don’t try to start any shit.
I have no idea who would want to steal my journals or why, and the idea of all my thoughts being a literal open book makes me feel both violated and deeply afraid.
Let’s face it, I haven’t been over here thinking up new ways to cure warts.
Curiouser and Curiouser 