This is the story of three sisters. Not by blood — by coven.

Years apart. Different cities, different lives, the kind of distance that happens slowly and then all at once. But the thing about a coven is: the bond doesn't break. It just waits. And last week, it stopped waiting.

One of them ordered the very first Coven Special — a full-scale installation. Another helped me build and deliver it. And then, finally, all three of us were in the same room again. Standing over the credenza with both arrangements glowing in that Bay Area afternoon light, it was like no time had passed at all.

Five years ago, around my birthday, I got my first tattoo with these girls. An air sign — because that's what I am. We may not be in each other's lives every day. But they are always near when I need them. And like a good familiar, they are always there for much-needed love in friendship and a helping hand.

The Arrangement

King protea presiding over everything. Hot pink roses in every shade from blush to electric. Lemons tumbling out like they'd been there all along. Disco balls catching the light — because the coven has always known that sacred and glamorous are the same thing. Cherry blossom branches reaching toward the ceiling. Trailing amaranthus spilling over the edge of an iridescent vessel like green velvet.

Overflowing with golden yellow and orange orbs, luscious plentifulness — perfectly Tropic Bay. This is what happens when the season's energy meets a reunion that was years in the making.

Both arrangements, side by side. The moment all three sisters were together again.

The companion piece: pincushion protea reaching outward, purple hyacinth adding depth, disco balls hanging from bare branches like tiny planets. Trailing amaranthus cascading down. Same vessel, same magic — different spell. Together on the credenza, they were a conversation between two arrangements that knew exactly what they were saying.

The coven is small. The coven is intentional. And this week, the books are open.

— Brandon Joseph
The Green Witch of Nob Hill