Preface

Invocation of the Veiled Flame

"Let no hand open these cards without trembling;
let no question be asked without breath."

In Huetown, the witches begin each consultation at the Hour of Stillness - when the first candle is lit and the last bell has ceased. The Unsigned High Witch left only this rite to awaken the deck:

1. Prepare the Space: Burn a thread of myrrh or cedar; trace a circle with ash or salt. Within that circle, place one black candle and one white.
2. Anoint the Cards: Touch the corners with a drop of clean water or wine. Whisper: “By bone and flame, I ask for sight. By silence, I ask for truth.”
3. Summon the Veil: Hold the deck to your chest until it warms. Listen – if the air changes, the Veil has turned toward you.
4. The First Draw: Shuffle once only, slowly. Draw one card; read its whisper aloud. This card becomes your Guardian Relic – the unseen hand that guides all readings hereafter.
5. Return it to the bottom of the deck with reverence.
6. Close with the Breath. Extinguish both candles at once; let the smoke mingle. Breathe it in and say: “The light has learned my name.”

When these steps are complete, the Celestial Veil awakens.

The cards are no longer parchment; they are memory, awaiting your questions.