Mother closes the curtains and shades, leaving just a shaft of sunlight entering the room. She held a large red case, almost like a toolbox of some sort. She opened the case and took out some items, including candles, a bell, incense, goblet, matches, and a book. The book was entitled The Satanic Bible. She placed the black and red candles around in a pattern that she refers to as a pentagram with a circle around it. She ordered me into the imaginary circle and told me to remain silent and not leave the center of the circle for any reason,” or else.”
She and Alice joined me in the circle while they lit a burner and then some incense. The snaking trail of smoke climbed towards the ceiling. The ritual was both exciting and frightening. She picked up the book and looked over at me, smiling. She told me that she would pray to Satan and summon demons, but the demons were not allowed to enter the circle. As long as I remained calm, I would be protected.
She began the mass by ringing the bells; she used the book to speak words I’d never heard before. The ringing echoed faintly in the room, combining with the sweet smell of the incense. I felt almost dizzy, overcome by a giddy feeling of excitement.
She proceeded to cut herself with a silver knife with an ornate looking pearl handle, just enough to draw a steady trickle of blood from her finger, allowing it to flow into a tarnished bronze colored chalice. Alice took the knife and sliced her own finger, allowing drops of blood to fall into the chalice. My mother held the chalice upwards as an offering and mumbled a few words. After placing it back on the ground, she took a long slender writing instrument and dipped it into the blood. The blood served as the ink, allowing her to write on a small blank piece of white paper. I couldn’t see the writing, but she told me it was an offering for our luck and fortune. She ripped the paper into small pieces and set it ablaze. The mass finished with a final ringing of the bells, driving away the demons.
I couldn’t see these creatures, but the air was laden with smoke and darkness. I was sure the demons were there.
That afternoon was my first introduction to the “Lucifer,” originally the chosen angel. The year was 1976 but on this otherwise bright summer afternoon, it might have been 1692. Witchcraft was alive and well in the suburbs of Massachusetts.
Mother and Alice repeated this scene several times during the summer, always when my grandparents were out of the house. Since these rituals were never performed in their presence, I always wondered what the ramifications would be if they found out. As strange as it sounds, these were the few times I felt emotionally close and accepted by my mother, so I was grateful for them.
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