Mistress of Magic!

"Sooo, you are a Mediator?" Riddhima asked her, the middle aged woman, who looked 20 and was wearing grey yoga pants and a long purple jacket.

She gave me a sidelong look and said to her in a non-indulgent tone, "Depends on what you understand by that word. For terms and purposes, I am a Healer, Yog guru or Spiritual Guru to you."

"Okay, but I thought your profile said you were a Wiccan?" Riddhima said, as I felt the annoyance creep on to Tara, the Guru's face, but she kept her calm. I thought I should tell Riddhima about Tara and also may be something about Wicca, which is a benign religion that concerns worshiping of Mother Nature and her elements.

"Yes. You must read up on it. Now concentrate  on your limb movements or you might get a pull". She chided Riddhima slightly and looked at me again. I felt uncomfortable. Riddhima kept quiet after that and muttered, "Yogic Spiritual Guru bullshit. With a temper like that, she should be going to Anger Management Classes!"

I sniggered but noticed Tara's stern gaze on me once again. I had a feeling she would snap at me too! I "shushed" Riddhima and resumed my meditation. The session was over in another thirty minutes and while we were gathering things, Riddhima made a motion to leave. I realized that Tara was looking at me and had asked me to wait. I nodded and looked at Riddhima for help but she had already ran off on her toes.

"You wanted to speak to me, Tara?" I speak, without trying to amplify the shiver in my voice. This woman gave me goosebumps and not in a nice way. "Is it about Riddhima? I am sorry about her. She is really nice, I mean, not that intrusive!" I try defending my friend while Tara motioned me to sit across her on a high chair, the wide white table spangled with Crystals, a flower vase with white lilies and a simple pen and a diary. Nothing else. I liked the cleanliness. I waited for her to answer as she poured two glasses of water and offered one to me.

"I usually don't do this Mudita, but I can make an exception for you, so you can stop pretending." Tara speaks in a hushed whisper.

"I don't understand what you are talking about." I stammer, because of the sudden chill that has settled in the room.

"Hahaha! Don't mess with me! Do you think I am a fool?! I mean, look at you! You are practically glowing Golden! Right? You are a witch yourself!" Tara mocked me, but I still could not understand the madness that had suddenly taken her over. But she was trying to court her fate and it is not a joke to assume you are all knowing and all powerful.

"Such things are not funny Tara and no human can read Auras. Especially not someone as closed minded as you are." I say. I was well read, even though I wouldn't venture into an unknown territory unprepared.

"Oh, so you are telling me that I can't read you? Well, let's see what your cards say!" She picks up a Celtic deck of 11 cards and shuffles them, looking at me and smiling slyly to herself. I breathe in and calm myself down. She was a wonderful psychic, but she was doing it all wrong. She had swelled in power and seemed to have forgotten the nobility of the powers that were bestowed upon her.  She stared at the cards and then looked up at me in horror.

"This is not possible! How can this be?!" She stammered as I looked into her eyes and smiled. Yes, the knowledge must be revealed. 

"You have left me with no choice, Tara." I get up from the chair and go across the table and put my hands on her shoulder. Her smugness disappears as I look into her eyes. I knew she would sense a shift in the air.

"You are a vessel for knowledge and you should tell them when they ask you, But I think it's too late now!" I bend my forehead to touch hers as tears spill from her eyes and she starts stammering, "You are a ghost! You are a spirit! You are not human! You are a demon! You are not human!" She tries to scream. I keep looking into her eyes till she leaves her shell and dissolves into me.

I stretch and turn to leave the room, chuckling. Tara had got something right! The four Death cards spread on the table, lying untouched.

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PS: Contrary, to popular belief, A death card does not literally represent death. It means the end of decaying and stagnant things - which in Tarot means a mark of beginning of a new life as well.