YuleTide Charm

Author: Arachne

Disclaimer:The Characters and the story line belong to the Warner brothers 
network and the creation of many talented people who created at the show 
'Charmed'. I am making no prohit off writing this stories, it is just for 
fun! 

Rating: PG


                    )O(  Yuletide Charm  )O(
                   ---------- )O( -----------


"I've been looking through the Book of Shadows and I have to admit
that I'm a little surprised by what I found."  Piper had the BoS
open on the kitchen counter as she sifted flour into the bowl to
measure it for making cookies.  "Phoebe, since you're here, would
you mind reading this recipe for me again, I want to make sure I'm
not missing anything."

"One cup finely ground almonds... What is this?"

"I think it's Gram's recipe for Almond Crescents.  What's the next
ingredient."

"1 1/4 cups flour... Really?  I always loved those.  It just never
seemed like Christmas without them.  Are you telling me that the
recipe was in the Book of Shadows?"

"There's a section called Cakes and Ale, it's filled with recipes,
and I remember some of them but that's just the beginning of what
I found.  Ok, I've got the flour, what's next, Phoebe?"

"1/3 cup confectioner's sugar... So what else was in the Book?"

"Well, really, I should probably start at the beginning... Pastor
Williams and I have been planning a special holiday dinner for the
people at the shelter.  I've been trying to get Quake decorated for
the holiday season, and I thought that if we decorated the house it
would really help me focus on the season.  I went into the attic to
try to find some of Gram's old decorations and when I got up there
the Book opened to the Cakes and Ale section.  How much of the
Almond extract?"

"Two drops... Do you have the butter out to soften?  Half a cup is
one stick, right?"

"Yeah... Anyway, I started looking at the recipes and remembered
how the house always smelled like baking and how special the
holidays always seemed.  The almond crescents were always my
favorite, so I thought I'd start my holiday baking with those."
Piper glanced at the recipe in the book of shadows and expertly
separated an egg, putting the egg white aside for something else
and placing the yolk in a small dish.  "Ok, all the ingredients are
measured and ready to go, really, it's a lot like a shortbread
recipe.  So, read me the instructions while I work."

Phoebe read instructions while Piper combined ground almonds,
flour, sugar and extract until thoroughly mixed.  With her hands
she mixed in the butter and egg yolk until they were well blended
and put the dough into a bowl to chill in the refrigerator.

"Well, that should chill for probably half an hour at least, you
want to come upstairs and help me bring down a couple of these
boxes?"  Piper washed her hands and dried them on a large white
cotton dish towel before heading upstairs to the attic.  

Phoebe followed along behind, unsure what was really going on, but
pleased that Piper had been looking through the Book of Shadows and
seemed to have found something in it to make her happy.  When they
got upstairs Phoebe saw that several of the boxes of decoration had
been opened and there were things spread around on the floor beside
the boxes.  Piper was already sitting down on the floor gently
wrapping ornaments and placing them lovingly back into the box.

"Did you know that these silver balls were supposed to represent
the Sun?  The Book of Shadows says that in Ancient times they would
play a game at mid-winter, a silver ball would be tossed from one
person to the next starting at sunrise on the morning of the Winter
Solstice and from then until sunset the ball was not allowed to
touch the ground.  These silvered glass balls are a carry over from
those times.  There's a lot of stuff like that in the Book."  

Piper and Phoebe wrapped the last of the balls and as Phoebe place
the last of them into the box, Piper picked up an antique blown
glass Sun. 

"In early times, sun-worship was very common.  The Book of Shadows
says that the Winter Solstice, Yule, is a solar festival.  Many of
the traditions we grew up with have their roots in our ancestor's
fear that the Sun would abandon us and the days would continue to
get shorter and colder until the Sun was gone forever."

Phoebe sat quietly, wrapping the different Sun ornaments for the
tree and placing them gently in the box.  She had read all of this
in the Book of Shadows herself, but it seemed important to let
Piper talk.  There was something more going on here than was
immediately obvious, she knew that if she just gave her some time,
Piper would get to what she really wanted to talk about.  Somehow
it seemed important to just let Piper talk.

"Many of the Christian customs for celebrating Christmas come from
Paganism.  The Christmas Tree, the Yule log, wreaths, lights,
fires, they're all Pagan Midwinter customs.  They didn't teach us
any of that in Sunday school, Phoebe, but it's true.  When I found
the stuff in the Book of Shadows I started looking in other places. 
They're all Pagan customs, older than Christianity, older than
Christmas."

Piper put the lid on the last box of ornaments and stacked two of
them together to carry downstairs.  Phoebe did the same and
followed her.  They left the boxes in the hall near the front door
and went back to the kitchen.

"The dough should be chilled by now.  Would you like to help me
make the crescents now, Phoebe, or should we wait for Prue?"

"I don't know, Piper, have you talked to Prue about any of this?"
"There's so much more in the Book of Shadows than just spells and
instructions for battling Warlocks.  Do you know where the word
Warlock came from?  I know you've read the Book, and you know all
about the Burning Times, the Inquisition and the Witch Hunts.  It's
hard to believe that in a time when so many people were suffering,
people would see that suffering and make it worse by breaking the
oaths they had sworn to their Gods and to each other.  That's what
it means, oath breaker.  The Warlocks turned Witches over to the
Witch hunters, it's a small step to go from turning the Witches
over to die to simply killing them yourself to get their powers."

Phoebe notice that Piper was pacing around the kitchen, she seemed
agitated and didn't seem to know what to do with her hands. 
 
"Why don't we have some coffee.  Prue should be home before too
long and we can make the cookies then."

Piper measured beans into the grinder and Phoebe poured water into
the coffee maker and placed a filter into the coffee maker.  While
they waited for the coffee to brew Piper got mugs out of the
cabinet and poured milk into a ceramic creamer.  She arranged
everything on a tea tray, even though they were just going to take
their mugs to the table and wiped down the counters to keep busy.

"What's this all about, Piper?"

"You wouldn't remember, Phoebe, but Dad always insisted that we go
to church during the holidays.  Mom didn't really care, and Gram's
never went, but Dad would bundle Prue and I up and take us to
church.  After Dad left we didn't go for a while, but when Prue got
older she always wanted us to go.  I think that she'd deny it, but
I think that Prue always wanted to go because of Dad."

"Do you think we'll see Dad this Christmas, Piper?  Is that what's
got you in this weird mood?  We don't even know where he is.  And,
really, would it be that bad if he did visit us?"

"Yes!"  Piper and Phoebe both jumped as Prue set her briefcase on
the kitchen table.

"Prue, we didn't hear you come in.  Want some coffee?  Phoebe and
I are about to start baking almond crescents."

"What's going on?  Did Dad call?  I don't think I want him here,
even if it is Christmas."  Prue poured herself a cup of coffee.
"I'm not even going to ask if this is leaded, you'd just lie to me
anyway.  So, tell me, Phoebe, when did you tell Dad he could come?"

"Don't look at me!  I didn't talk to him.  I was just asking Piper
what was on her mind."

Piper pulled cookie sheets out of the cupboard and buttered them
for the cookies.  Consulting the Book of Shadows, she set the oven
to 325 degrees.  She poured herself a cup of coffee and went to sit
quietly at the kitchen Table.

"Damn it Piper, talk to me, you know I don't like surprises.  Will
you look at me and tell me what's wrong?"

"Pastor Williams and I have been getting ready for a special
holiday dinner at the shelter.  He keeps asking me if I will be
coming to church for any of the holiday services."

"Of course we're going, Piper, we always go to church for
Christmas."

Piper left her mug on the table and went to the refrigerator to get
the dough out.  She began taking tablespoonfuls of dough and
shaping them into moon shapes.  Without a word, Phoebe joined her
at the counter and began to help.

"Prue, it's not that simple anymore.  I mean, I know that God won't
strike me down if I go into the church, but I still feel somewhat
out of place.  I think Pastor Williams was joking when he quoted
that thing about suffering a Witch to live, but how can I be sure? 
What would he do if he found out I was a Witch?  Would he really
think that I should be put to death?  It just seems like since we
got our powers we're out of place in the rest of the world."

"Oh, so that's what this has all been about!  If he wants to burn
you at the stake I'll see it and we can use our powers."

"Don't be ridiculous, Phoebe, they don't burn Witches at the stake
anymore.  We'll go to Church like we've always done and everything
will be fine.  I'm going upstairs to change out of my work clothes,
can we finish this conversation when I get back?"  

Piper and Phoebe worked quietly for a while, shaping the cookies. 
When the first batch went into the oven Piper set a kitchen timer
for 20 minutes and they finished shaping the dough for the second
batch. 

When Prue came back downstairs, Piper answered her as though she'd
never left the room.  "I'm not so sure we can do anything 'like
we've always done,' Prue.  I'm not sure I want to go to the
Christmas service.  The Book of Shadows is full of stuff for
celebrating the holiday season.  Maybe there's more to being a
Witch than spells and fighting Warlocks.  There are festivals, and
celebrations, and special holidays called Sabbats.  Maybe we should
try to celebrate Yule the way it's described in the Book.  Maybe we
can learn more about what it means to be a Witch."

"Are you kidding, Piper?  We're Witches and we have powers, and it
means that we're special and wonderful things can happen to us."

"What do you want to do, Piper?  It sounds like you've given this
a lot of thought.  How can Phoebe and I help?  What do you need us
to do?"
"Yeah, Piper, how can I help?  What are we going to do to celebrate
Yule?"

Prue and Phoebe turned to look at Piper just as the buzzer went off
on the timer.  She jumped up to take the cookies out of the oven
and slide the next batch in.  

"I thought we could all go out and pick a tree.  Maybe put a wreath
on the door, and get some mistletoe.  The Book of Shadows says that
Mistletoe is protective.  I'd like to have things around the house
that are protective.  Grams had a whole box full of decorative
candle holders.  I thought we could put candles all around the
house, the Book says that the light of the candles symbolize the
light of the Sun.  By having a lot of candles burning at Yule we
call the Sun back to warm and nourish the Earth."

"Great, we'll get the tree now, since you don't have to work this
evening, Piper.  Tomorrow I'll go to the florist and see if I can
get some mistletoe.  Phoebe, do you think you could make or find a
wreath?"

Setting up a wire rack for the cookies to cool on, Piper began
transferring the cookies as she tried to ignore her sisters
expectant silence.  Once the cookies were transfered she rinsed the
cookie sheet and buttered it for the next batch.

"Piper, you're doing busy work again, is there something else?  Let
Phoebe and I help with the cookies and you can tell us what's on
your mind."

Prue pushed her sleeves up and began shaping crescents with Phoebe
as Piper poured powedered sugar into a sifter.  She opened the
china cabinet next to the kitchen table and chose a platter for the
cookies.  She picked up her coffee from the table before setting
the platter on the kitchen island next to the rack.

"Well, Prue," Piper said, looking into her cup rather than at
either of her sisters, "the Book of Shadows has rituals for the
Sabbats.  I'd like to do one of those."

"You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?  Aren't you
worried that by doing rituals we will attract the attention of
another Warlock?"

"We can't ignore our powers and the responsibility that goes with
them forever, right Phoebe?  Eventually we have to learn how to use
them."

"She's right, Prue.  The rituals are there for a reason.  We have
these gifts, we should be using them.  We can't hide from them and
we can't give them back.  Even if we wanted to, which I don't."

Prue shaped the last of the dough into a crescent as the buzzer
went off on the timer.  Phoebe switched the cookie sheets as Piper
began transfering the cookies to the wire rack to cool.  She moved
the cooled cookies to the platter and dusted them with powdered
sugar.

"When were you thinking we could do this, Piper? "  

"Thank you, Prue, I thought maybe a week from Monday.  I looked at
the calendar, and that's when the Winter Solstice is.  I've already
written out the Schedule for Quake, I gave myself the day off.  I
thought maybe we could start at sunset, you should be able to get
home from work in time without having to take any time off."

Piper checked the timer for the cookies and washed the empty cookie
sheet.  She collected the empty coffee mugs and washed them as
well.

"The more I think about this, Piper, the more I think it sounds
like a good idea.  It's time we started really working our way
through the Book of Shadows.  The more we learn about being Witches
the better prepared we will be and the more control we'll have over
our powers.  What do you think Phoebe?"

"Cool!  This is gonna be great!  We're Witches, we should act like
it."

The timer went off for the last batch of cookies.  Piper transfered
them to cool and finished cleaning up, wiping down the counters as
Prue and Phoebe each grabbed one of the finished crescents off the
platter.

"These are great, Piper, they're just like Gram's.  The recipe was
in the Book of Shadows?"

Phoebe grabbed a second cookie and smiled at Prue.  "It sure was. 
There was also a lot of stuff about the holiday decorations and
traditions.  Looking through it brought back a lot of memories.  I
wish we could talk to Grams about all this stuff.  The traditions
we grew up with take on a whole new meaning now that we know about
the Book of Shadows."  

Piper put the tray of cookies in the microwave to keep the cat from
playing with them and put the cookie sheets away.  "All done! 
Let's go look for a tree.  We can decorate it tonight."

Grabbing her coat, Piper linked arms with her sisters and led the
way to the door humming carols and really smiling for the first
time in a long time.

                         )O( * )O( * )O(

Notes:

Almond Crescent recipe from _WICCA: A Guide for the Solitary
Practitioner_ by Scott Cunningham, Llewellyn Publications.

Yule lore sources include _Folkways_ By Patricia Telesco, Llewellyn
Publications.   And, _THE PAGAN FAMILY: Handing the Old Ways Down_
by Ceisiwr Serith, Llewellyn Publications.

Useful Pagan Websites:
http://www.witchvox.com/
http://craft101.neonknights.com/