Her Many Hexes

The old woman don’t think she’s superstitious.

Careful is what she calls it.

I know what I know, she usually adds.

The winding vine around the left post of the front gate is five-leaf akebia, planted in summer ashes to ward off disease.

The wreath on the door entwined with sweetleaf and wolfbane, a combination she says pleases the house-spirits who guard against evil mists.

In the kitchen, she hangs strings of garlic woven together with wrenfetch and chalmsy, sprigs of rosemary and dried bishop’s hat.

Scoff if you like, but she has never been sick in all these years.

 

Friday Fictioneers

7 thoughts on “Her Many Hexes

  1. Had no idea there was something called Bishop’s Hat until I looked it up, apparently also known as barrenwort. The cataloguing of herbs is a wonderful entrance into the old woman’s world of charms. Engaging story 🙂

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