The Sauna Part 303

Spring made way for Summer and Jon had found he had an actual passion for gardening. What I had begun as a simple herb garden had blossomed into an enormous medieval knot garden that Jon had patterned after the one we’d seen in Scotland. He’d rented a backhoe and dug up a huge plot of earth in back of the house and completely transformed it through meticulous landscaping. I stood there smiling as I watched him maneuver the heavy machinery and I just had to laugh. It was true what they say: the only difference between men and boys is the size of their toys.

“So, whaddya think, babe?” Jon yelled, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“I think it’s part of your secret plan to keep me chained to the kitchen in order to use all the herbs we’ll be planting” I laughed.

“Hhhmmnnn, I hadn’t even thought of that angle” he grinned, rubbing his chin as he sidled up alongside me and I gave him a kiss.

“Seriously, Jon, I think it’s going to be beautiful. I’ve always wanted a real medieval knot garden. I may never leave here” I breathed, taking his hand and we strolled through the freshly dug earth that was slated to become the slate pathways through the garden.

We’d already planted the hundreds of boxwood hedges that outlined the design of the garden and Jon would lay down the slate this afternoon to form the walkways. My task now was to plant the hundred or so herbs and irish moss we’d already purchased and to determine what plants went where. The sun was already high in the sky and it was a beautiful day to play in the dirt.

We toiled side by side, surrounded by the fragrant aroma of flowering herbs and we had the bulk of the work finished by early evening. We’d worked up an appetite and decided to break for some dinner and Jon carried out plates and silverware to the deck in back of the house. I was finishing the balsamic chicken when he returned to the kitchen and began to hunt for the right wine to accompany the meal.

“Light and crisp or fruity and sweet?” he called over his shoulder.

“How about a Moselle?” I answered back, having finally learned a bit about wine with Jon as my tutor.

“Perfect” he smiled, uncorking the bottle.

We sat on the newly built deck in the back, savoring our dinner as the fading rays of the sun bathed the garden in shades of orange and red. It was quite a magnificent sight and I recalled how Victor, our mentor in Sedona, had immediately recognized Jon as an artist. His music had been his main form of expression for so many years and I wondered what other hidden talents lay beneath the surface, ready to be awakened as Jon explored other facets of himself.

“You’ve done an amazing thing here, my love. You turned your vision into reality and it’s breathtaking” I sighed, admiring his work.

“You’ve done a lot too, Trish. It’s not just my creation, it’s ours” he reminded me.

“I chose the plants, but you’ve been the architect. I have to say, though, that I’ve enjoyed working together on this masterpiece more than you know” I smiled, taking his hand.

“Me too” he agreed, raising my hand to his lips. “I think we should pay homage to the Lord and Lady for the gift of the earth and ask them to bless our garden tonight at the full moon” he said with a twinkle.

“You’re so right, love” I agreed without hesitation.

We cleaned up our dinner dishes and headed upstairs to bathe before tonight’s ritual. We were both pretty filthy and grimy, but in truth it had felt good to us both to connect with the earth and we washed off the dirt with some reverence. As tempted as I was by the sight of Jon’s naked body, I kept the lust I felt rising in check as we both knew that tonight’s union would be special as we asked the Lord and Lady to bless our endeavor.

“The gazebo should be delivered tomorrow and then we can finish the last of the planting” Jon commented as we dried each other off with the towels.

“That’ll be perfect-the ground will be ready” I said wistfully, already anticipating tonight’s consecration as I trailed my finger down the side of his cheek.

His eyes darkened with his desire and I nearly lost my resolve as I studied the full, sensuous pout of his lips. A simple kiss couldn’t hurt, I thought to myself as my lips parted involuntarily. Without hesitation, Jon drew me to him and I felt myself melt as his tongue entered my mouth. His lips were soft and he tasted of wine and spice as I allowed myself to drink from his well. His fingers twined through my damp tresses while his tongue sought a deeper place in my soul and I felt the rising surge of his passion knock at the gates of my secret garden.

“Soon” I whispered, willing myself to step back before I became deeply lost in the surge of our passion.

Jon stepped back as well, lowering his mouth to my nipple with a promise of things yet to be and I groaned with my need. He grinned, knowing he’d just made it harder to wait.

“Soon” he echoed my words with a smirk and I shook my head.

“You’re really quite evil at times” I admonished.

“That’s why you love me, babe. You love my dark side as well as the light” he countered and I didn’t argue.

We finished getting ready, donning our cloaks and gathering our supplies, but avoiding any further physical contact. We were both too close to the edge and we didn’t trust ourselves if we tempted the Fates any further. The moon had already risen and the garden was illuminated by its silvery shadow. Jon carried the wine, incense and athame and I carried the salt, chalice and candles. Our nostrils were filled with the scent of the earth as we walked barefoot towards the center of the circle.

I no longer conducted each ritual by myself as Jon had been studying and he’d learned the drill well. We removed our cloaks and took turns creating the sacred space and honoring the four corners, lighting each candle as we went round the circle and together lighting the main altar flame. When the initial activities were completed, Jon filled the chalice with wine and I raised it high towards the heavens.

“Lord and Lady, look down upon us and join us this night as we give thanks for the gifts you’ve provided” I called to the night.

“We offer thee praise and devotion and beg your blessing on this, our garden, our sacred space, which we’ve created from your abundance” Jon cried to the sky as he scattered salt in the air.

“With your blessing, may the earth and the sun nourish your offspring and may the rain bathe them with your essence …” I continued.

“…and fertilize their seeds with the gift of life” Jon finished, plunging the athame into the chalice.

I felt the sudden jolt of electricity surge through my body as the mild breeze stirred my hair and we both bowed our heads, acknowledging the presence of the Lord and his Lady. Jon removed the athame and plunged it deep into the soil and I followed his gesture by pouring a welcome libation of wine into the ground.

Jon’s hair glimmered like silver in the deepening twilight and his muscles rippled with the inpouring of power from the God. My breasts swelled with the rush of the Goddess as she filled me with her energy and we surrendered to the forces within us. Our lips met in a feverish kiss and I felt myself spiralling through time as Jon laid me down on the ground. My body rose instantly, meeting his thrust as he entered me and we enacted the union of Stag King and Maiden.
We moved to the ancient rhythms of old, our bodies fused as if only one being, as we consummated the ritual as well as our desire. Jon’s fingers dug into the soil, just as his shaft plowed my furrow, and I felt soft earth beneath me. His eyes shone with the warmth of the sun and his lips tasted like the fruit of the vine. I felt the beginning spasms stir deep within me and I clutched onto him fiercely as the strength of the wave overtook me. Jon’s primal cry rang in my ears as his seed flowed freely into my waiting depths, flooding me with his plentiful bounty. The sound of our lovemaking echoed into the night, carried on the wings of the wind, as we lay silently now in the dirt, sweating and exhausted. Jon smiled as he felt the first drops of rain splash onto his back, created to nourish the seeds we had planted.