Page 120 of Bound By Fury

And yet I remember begging the stars for any amount of help saving my grandmother, and nothing happened.

I relay all this to Maureen.

“That’s interesting,” she mutters, her eyes distant with thought. “You know, as a Cancer you’re ruled so heavily by your emotions. I imagine it’s possible your fear and stress were so great that there was no room for your magic to bud. But when that boiled over into anger, you broke wide open, and that sliver of space allowed your power to reveal itself.”

I guess that makes sense. At least in a world where nothing makes sense anymore. While I’ve always been emotional, and I’ve also known that—according to Gigi, at least—this was in part due to my astrological placement, since her stroke and my birthday, my emotions have been so uncontrollable, I’ve been drowning in them.

“If my heightened emotions are part of my magic because I’m a Cancer… what about the lightning? The rain? Why do I constantly feel like I’m on the verge of combustion?”

“I’m sorry,” she says, “I’ve been getting ahead of myself…” She takes a sip of her drink. “Like many things that were once great and powerful, over time our magic has been reduced to a fairytale. A fantasy. Astrology is divination from the stars, and while there are plenty of us with this gift, the gift of knowing, there are also plenty of people who have twisted it into something that it’s not. Weekly horoscopes in the newspaper, apps run by charlatans claiming they can predict the future based on star placements,” she huffs.

My cheeks heat with embarrassment. I rest my elbows against the table and cup my face in my palms.

“The stars are the most ancient and divine, but their stories are not exclusive to us. Many cultures have their versions, their myths, their history with the twelve signs and their meanings. But no one has what we have. No one but the descendants of the Twelve can wield our magic without repercussion. Without bloodshed.”

Maureen’s eyes shine with passion as she speaks. Maybe it’s just me and my anxiety, but it feels like she’s not alone in telling me this. Like the room is full of energy, of spirit. I wonder if Gigi is here, too. Sitting between us, guiding us through this conversation.

“The gift bestowed upon us by the stars was splintered into four streams of power derived from the elements that dominate the signs: earth, fire, air, and water.

“Those were further divided into the twelve subsects of power, each taking on a unique property depending on which sign the witch was born under. In the beginning we used the old names, but when our mother tongue was stolen, we evolved with what culture we had left. Ultimately though, it doesn’t matter what you call it, the power works just the same.”

“Elemental magic,” I murmur. “That’s so cool. I guess that explains the rain and the storms, the electricity like lightning in my veins—because I’m a water sign?”

“Yes, you’re exactly right,” she says. “As you might expect, powers rooted in the four elements have significant differences in abilities, and each division also has a range of strengths, which is why we tend to be led by cardinal signs, followed by our fixed signs, and then our mutable.”

Maureen stands and retrieves a piece of paper with flowers along the border and a pen to write with. Sitting down, she begins, “First we have those born of the earth, who are gifted with enhanced strength and have the ability to manipulate things like dirt, stone, metal, even plants.”

She draws symbols on the paper as she speaks. “Like the rest of the signs, the Sea-goat, the Bull, and the Virgin are also strong of mind, their manipulations going far beyond the physical.”

Beside each, she writes their unique abilities.

Capricorn: telepathy

Taurus: telekinesis

Virgo: psychometry

“Next we have air signs: They can rob the oxygen from another’s lungs, move with enhanced speed, and cast blades of compressed air.”

The Scales, the Water Carrier, the Twins.

Libra: projection

Aquarius: emotional influence

Gemini: splitting

“Then there are our fire signs, able to wield the flame, calling it to themselves at a moment’s notice. They can alter the way their opponents think and control their moves steps in advance. They are our warriors.” She continues her diagram. Ram, Lion, Archer.

Aries: mind-control

Leo: charisma

Sagittarius: divination

My mind is a jumble of symbols and strengths and powers. No amount of horoscope apps or stargazing on the observation deck or pages-long natal chart explanations could have prepared me for this.

“Though they are our best in battle, those with fire in their heart often find their passion getting the best of them. But the universe requires balance, so those who are powered by water were created.”