V: In Which We Meet Ron

Ronaldo Whispertongue laid the black velvet cloth over the table and straightened the corners.  Directly in the center he placed a glass dish with a tealight candle to heat the small iron cauldron  of purified water he set over it.  On the south side of the table, he placed a polished marble slab, he’d purchased recently from a kitchen supply shop, along with a matching mortar and pestle.  On the slab, he placed his silver dagger and hand-carved wand of ash.  On the four walls of the room, in holders placed on small shelves he’d specially purchased, he set his candles.  Green, yellow, red and blue; one for each of the ancient elements, arranged so each was at its corresponding Cardinal direction.

After lighting a cone of incense (Dragon’s Blood was his favourite) he called the corners and lit the candles.  A simple invocation to friendly spirits and he set down to business.  The water in the cauldron was hot enough, so he added a pinch of mugwort and a little dried sage, let it steep for a moment, then drew his ceremonial needle, pierced his finger and added a single drop of his blood.

When it was ready, he poured the water into the porcelain cup next to him, added tea leaves and set it aside to steep and cool.  From the pocket of his cloak, he drew the flyer he’d printed on parchment from the photo he’d taken of the original at the coffee shop.

“Great and Mighty Friendly Spirits who have answered my invitation, I beseech thee to place thy blessings upon this meet.”  With those words, he put the corner of the parchment into the flame and set it in the cauldron, letting it burn.

After drinking his tea down to the dregs as the flames consumed the flyer, he examined the leaves.  Good omens all around, Blessed Be!  He pulled out the vial of ink from another pocket of his cloak, dipped his raven feather quill and scribed the omens onto the vellum pages of his leather-bound Book of Shadows.

After waiting for any visions they might grant, he dismissed the spirits and closed the circle, cleaned up his altar and went to bed.