Wish Club by Kim Strickland Page A

Lindsay frowned at her. “You have to use your energy, focus your energy onto your wish, into the herbs. I think that’s the hardest part, the concentrating. When I used to meditate at home, I always felt so scattered when I tried to focus my mind. Most of the time, I found myself thinking about everything else except what I wanted to be thinking about. I think that’s why this works in a group; we help each other focus and concentrate.”
    Lindsay meditated? I never knew that. Huh.
Claudia marveled at Lindsay, always so fearless in her willingness to try everything, the way she dove into her causes and trends with voracious abandon. It was admirable—even if she did end up abandoning most of her new things before too long. In fact, it was too bad Lindsay had quit meditating, because if anyone could use some focus, it was Lindsay. Then again, who was she to talk. If anyone could use more Zen moments, it was Claudia.
    “I’ve always been curious about stuff like meditation,” Claudia said. “The supernatural, the metaphysical, all that New Age thought. The thing I never realized until I started reading this book we got is that all the things I thought were cool, that held some truth in them—ESP, numerology…astrology, herbology. What I didn’t know is that all these things, these
’ologies,
are actually part of one ancient religion. I mean, I think it’s really neat that they are, but on the other hand I think the fact that witchcraft
is
a religion makes me…I don’t know, uncomfortable, I guess. I mean, I don’t think I could ever publicly call myself a witch, or even a Wiccan. It’s just too, I don’t know,” she waved her hand in circles at the end of her outstretched arm, “too, out there.”
    There were nods of agreement around the room.
    “Everyone just thinks witchcraft is satanic,” Mara said, “but they have no idea. It’s so totally
not
that. There’s no devil in Wicca at all. And if you were to call yourself a witch, people would either think you were nuts or a devil-worshipper—and they’d lock up their pets and small children.” She sank back into the couch and crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head.
    “Maybe…” Lindsay paused and looked up for a long moment, then made her
getting an idea
face. She brought her eyes back down to the group. “Maybe we could just call what we’re doing ‘wishing.’ It’s obvious we don’t want to be a witch club, but I don’t think we’re just a book club anymore, either. Maybe we could be a ‘wish club.’ Then we wouldn’t have to get all caught up in the religion thing
or
the witchcraft thing.” Lindsay nodded her head in agreement with herself.
    “We
should
just call it ‘wishing.’” Even though Lindsay was still sitting on the couch, she started doing her little hopping thing, bouncing up and down in the cushions. “That
is
what it is. And we’ve had such huge success I certainly don’t want to have to stop—and this way we won’t have to worry about what we tell other people, or about reading all these witchcraft books or consecrating circles and all that other stuff. If we could, like…say, after we’re done with our book discussions…make
wishes
for people. If we happen to use some herbs or a candle or some scented oil, well then, that’s just our New Age way of focusing our energy. It’ll just be our way of pulling it together.”
    Lindsay was bouncing so hard on the couch now, that Claudia thought it a wonder she hadn’t catapulted Mara to the other side of the room.
    “Oh come on, this is perfect.” Lindsay was in her groove now. “This is it. It may sound a little weird, maybe, but it certainly isn’t terribly ‘out there,’ and it isn’t going to get us run out of town or hung by a rope in the town square.”
    “I think it’s a great idea!” Mara was nodding her head in agreement, or maybe it was just an aftershock from the vibrating couch.
    Gail was nodding her head too, although more