Mr. Pyo takes baby Mira from her mom’s arms and carries her toward the cauldron. I instinctively shrink into my velveteen pew cushion, wishing I could melt into its softness and disappear.

“Mago Halmi, mother of the three realms, mother of the six goddesses, mother of mortalkind and all creation,” Mr. Pyo starts, holding Mira up into the air with both arms outstretched. “Today I humbly present to you this child of the Samjogo clan, descendant of the Three-Legged Crow Goddess, for your divine blessing.”

The Samjogo clan chants their motto, Leadership and Wisdom, while the four other elders take turns touching Mira’s forehead with their activated gifted marks. Then Mr. Pyo steps toward the Gi cauldron and declares, “Mago Halmi, let your will be known!”

The congregation goes silent, and for a moment, nothing happens. Immediately, my heart starts to race and my palms get sweaty. A deep rumble emanates from the cauldron, and I count to ten under my breath as Mina’s first element is revealed.

“Her dominant element is water!” Mr. Pyo announces first, as a swirling tornado of liquid materializes above the cauldron. “The symbol of abundance and grace. How fitting for a seer.” Everyone cheers in approval.

The water tornado disappears, giving way to a glowing seed that grows into a tree in front of our eyes. “Her subdominant is wood,” Mr. Pyo calls out. “The symbol of compassion and growth.”

The cheering continues as the third element reveals itself—a pyramid of solid bronze, shimmering as if it had been dipped in glitter. “Followed by metal. The symbol of strength and power.” Mr. Pyo beams almost as bright as the pyramid.

Finally, a blazing bonfire appears in the pyramid’s place, levitating above the cauldron with its hungry flames. “And finally, fire. The symbol of transformation and will. Mago Halmi has spoken!”

My eyes lock on to the fire. I want to look away, but I can’t.

“And so, Mira’s Gi will be forged with earth—the element she does not possess,” Mr. Pyo concludes. “The symbol of fertility and life, and the key to unlocking her perfect elemental balance. May Mago Halmi bless her future as a seeing witch.”

As the fire dissipates, a small glass charm of soft earth appears above the cauldron’s mouth. It looks just like Hattie’s Gi. The cylinder hovers expectantly in the air until Mr. Pyo carefully takes it in both hands and passes it to Mira’s parents.

I clutch my chest, and Hattie takes my hand and squeezes it hard. She knows exactly what I’m thinking about right now.

My parents, being the progressive people they are, persuaded the elders to give me a Gi ceremony when I turned one hundred days old. And I’m sure they meant well. It must have been a landmark occasion for the LA-based clans to see a saram get blessed. Too bad it didn’t go according to plan….