is her sacred space where her altar is set up. It’s a small room towards the back of the house that she keeps under lock and key and spiritually cleansed. She keeps the windows covered by linen curtains. In the center of the room is her circle surrounded by candles, and in the center of that is her altar, a small table with items of magical power. It feels immensely old and powerful, and at the same time, so uniquely Aunt Tessa. My aunt kneels on the pillow at the base of the altar. “Edie, come sit in my circle right here. Carl,” she says, “can you get the lights?” The lights flick off, throwing us into darkness. Aunt Tessa strikes a match to light up the candles around us and on the altar. I wonder for a moment if I should offer to do it with my pyrokinesis, and quickly strike that thought from my mind. If we’re really testing my powers, I should probably conserve my energy, despite how insignificant it may seem.
