Holiday Magick Read Online Free PDF

Indeed, she has been called the Mother of the American Valentine. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College in 1847, Esther received an ornate valentine from a business associate of her father’s. Intrigued with the idea of making similar valentines, she began her business by importing paper lace and floral decorations from England, getting supplies through her father’s book and stationery store. Esther had over $5,000 worth of business in her first year, and recruited her friends to help with this venture, which she named the “New England Valentine Company.” Her valentines became renowned throughout the United States, eventually grossing over $100,000 per year, a considerable sum for that time.
    Despite the fact that Esther created an empire based on love, she never married. One must wonder if, through her valentines, she had seen another side of love. How did she help others fall in love? What really caused her to start making paper valentines?

    â€œOh, Essie, I do hope this works,” exclaimed Jessamine, as she clutched the ornate paper to her chest.
    â€œOf course it will,” snapped Esther. “Have my charms ever failed?”
    â€œNo,” murmured Jessamine, eyes downcast. “Certainly not.”
    Esther regretted her harsh tone; really, she only snapped at the girl because she felt so uncertain herself. She’d bound a spell to paper many times in the past, but those had only been meant to be handled by the subject of the spell. This one was going through the Postal Service, and Esther had heard many tales about their gross mishandling of packages. She had no idea if the delicate paper, or the charm it contained, would survive such abuse.
    What was worse, Jessamine had ordered a love spell, the most fickle of enchantments. Esther greatly preferred the simpler spells, those for clear complexions, or to banish wasps, or other straightforward requests. Creating a spell to entice one to love another meant that all sorts of variables must be considered, from a pre-existing marriage contract to a rare, but still possible, counterspell. Not to mention all the times she’d had to unmake her spells, when the purchaser realized that the beau she’d so ardently pursued was not the right man for her.
    But Jessamine had assured Esther that she loved dear Edward Hillebrand, with all her heart, and that becoming Mrs. Hillebrand was indeed her most fervent desire. Jessamine had even claimed that Edward had returned her feelings, which had confounded Esther.
    â€œIf he has already admitted he loves you, whyever do you need to spell him?” Esther inquired.
    â€œHe’s away in New York for the entire year, tutoring,” Jessamine replied, then went on (and on) about the many unmarried schoolteachers who, of course, would surround dear Edward. And they weren’t just unmarried—they were city girls, worldly in all the ways that poor, New England Jessamine wasn’t. Esther’s opinion was that, if Edward’s heart could be so easily swayed by a few witty comments, perhaps he wasn’t worth the bother.
    However, Jessamine had been willing to pay twice the standard fee in order to procure a spell of an especially ardent nature, so Esther had bitten her tongue and selected the proper enchantment from her spell book, while simultaneously debating how to get the spell to Edward. After all, even a fledgling witch knows that the spell will fail unless there is some sort of contact with the intended victim, either in the form of a lock of hair, a bit of clothing, or some other such sundry. Jessamine claimed to possess no such token from Edward’s person, at least not one she was willing to part with.
    Then, Esther had remembered a shocking, insulting event that had occurred the prior February—her father’s business associate had presented her with a valentine. Well, that wasn’t the truly insulting part, even though it had been a gaudy confection