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Lina looked around the counter and nodded in satisfaction, she had asseredients and kitchenwares she would need to ave off a vaguely piney scent It was a relic froh two boxes of ornaments before she discovered it Lina opened the cookbook and set it on the counter next to her favorite stainless steel reen candle and focus your thoughts on Demeter, Mother of the Harvest
Ever the consummate chef, Lina fol owed the directions precisely She lit the candle and let her thoughts drift to the long-forgotten Harvest Goddess She wondered briefly what lovely, eccentric cooking rituals had been forgotten along with the Goddess
Lina continued reading:
Stir the yeast into the ater in a smal bowl; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes Lina felt relaxed and happy as her experienced hands stirred and , center your thoughts and take three deep cleansing breaths I up the center of your body and traveling along the path of your spine al the way through your head and then pouring out in a waterfal around you to be reabsorbed into your core again When you feel invigorated, you in Demeter&039;s Invocation
The directions ree relaxation class she had taken once With a selfamused sinning the steps of the centering exercise
She had to adorated, at least very awake and self-aware Lina went back to the recipe
When you feel ready, please read the fol owing aloud
"O nificent Derown, I ask that some portion of Your presence be here with me now I summon You to enrich the bounty You have already so plentiful y provided I ask also that You breathe a breath of ic and wonder into this kitchen"
The timer chimed and Lina jumped, surprised that ten minutes had passed so quickly
Mix the flour and salt in a large wide-, "Come, Demeter, I summon you with this salt and flour, which are the riches of Your Earth"
The rhythm of the invocation melded harer to read the next lines
Make a wel in the center of the flour; then pour the dissolved yeast, PA cups plus 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon oil, and the lard into the welSpeak to the Goddess as you gradual y stir the flour into the liquid and work to a soft dough that can be gathered into a bal"I cal upon You, O
Goddess of the Harvest, and bid You welcome here in the midst of that which You created" Then knead on a floured surface until soft, s with additional flour as needed As the dough takes for to Demeter: "Power be drawn, and power come, and reater, rant me power
Lina&039;s hands fel into a rhythainst the floured countertop Her eyes were locked on the words that see uardian and sister, I give You thanks May htly on Your ears, andever finer, as grains ripe for the harvest"
Lina kneaded the dough while her ht - to couple the oddess with the perfection of a recipe that had been passed down froenerations It was such a wonderful, natural idea To cal upon the strength of a goddess through baking! Whether it actual y worked, whether or not a goddess real y listened, was beside the point It was a lovely, e else, could serve to focus her thoughts on the positive and remind her that she should take a moment to enjoy the rich femininity of her chosen career
The sweet scent of the pine candle mixed with the more earthy smel s of yeast and flour The aroma was delicious and heady Unexpectedly, Lina felt a wave of sensation, fueled by scent, rush through her body For a moment she was dizzy and disoriented, as if she had been suddenly displaced froh and al , to the middle of a pine-fil ed forest She rubbed the back of a flour-crusted hand across her forehead Her head felt unnatural y warrounded her and the dizziness dissipated It had been a tough day She shouldn&039;t be surprised that it earing on her She rol ed her shoulders and let her head fal forward and backward, causing tired, overstressed muscles to stretch and relax She would certainly sleep wel tonight
Lina glanced down at the conclusion of the dough recipe It contained the usualit rise for at least eight hours Impatiently, she scanned past the recipe to the completion of the invocation ritual
" Pinch out a sh Choose a special place - out of doors - where you can leave your offering Sprinkle it ine and offer it to Deth and power and wisdo, and honor, and thanks Blessed Be! "
"Note: You ht choose to add your own personal request or praise before concluding the ritual May blessings rain upon you and ry!
Lina&039;s smile tilted sardonic The ful ness of her hips said that she ry once in a while Not that she was fat, she amended quickly, she was just voluptuous And voluptuous wasn&039;t particularly "in" today She huffed under her breath She would never understand the current generation&039;s obsession aif-like wo feminine from their bodies She was al softness and curves, and she preferred herself that way
"I&039;oddess-like," she said firmly
With no more hesitation, she pinched off a sh and set it aside while she reshaped and then covered the rest of the large balShe&039;d already perforht that she should fol ow through to its conclusion After al , no good cook ever left a recipe inco to tidy up her already i her hands, Lina poured a fresh glass of wine and wrapped the s froh in one hand, she opened the door to the closet in the halBefore she had her jacket pulled on she heard the tel -tale slap of Edith&039;s paws on the tiled hal way S&039;s leash from its hook
"It doesn&039;t matter how soundly asleep you are, when this door opens, here you are" Lina laughed as she snapped the leash onto Edith&039;s col ar
The bul dog yawned then snorted at her
"I know it&039;s late, but I have so I need to finish, and I know the perfect spot" Far fro, Edith was the first one to the door of the condo, and Lina had to juggle to balance the ithout spil ing it