Lady Liberty watched grief-stricken. The humans were talking through one another, and no one was listening. They were bickering and fighting everywhere Lady Liberty looked. Many were retreating into themselves in fear and despair. She sat down on her rock and cried, feeling the weight of her beloved country upon her.

Just then Lady Justice came upon Lady Liberty. “May I join you? My scales have gotten unbalanced and I need to better understand the problem.” Lady Liberty nodded. Lady Justice tinkered with and cleaned her scales but then put them down. “You look like you could use a hug.” Lady Liberty nodded. They sat on the rock, holding and rocking one another.

Face tear-stained, Lady Liberty turned to Lady Justice, “What can I do to help the humans? They are not following my code of being a welcoming place.”
Lady Justice pondered, “Perhaps the just thing to do is to leave them alone to let them figure it out themselves.”
“But they are not. They have let the demons take over. Look.”

Sure enough, there were demons strutting around everywhere. The humans didn’t notice the difference, but the two Ladies charged with looking after this section of the continent could see the tell-tale signs: Demons stuck out their greedy hands clutching for anything and everything. They said nonsense to grab attention. They laughed at the suffering of others. They coveted power. They preened while others groveled at their feet. And now, there were several in power. They came up with self-important titles such as Kingly Highness, Imperial Emperor, Special Overlord, and Ruling Puppet-Master.

A choir of snakes about to leave their hibernaculum hissed in protest. “Where the fuck did all these demons come from?” “Were they here last fall?” “They are frickin everywhere!” “Spring, please come clear the path for us.”

Spring stretched and yawned, daffodils still napping in her lap, and then she gasped as she looked upon the scene, “Good Lady and Lord, what the hell?”
The snakes hissed, “Exactly!”
Lady Liberty said, “There are more humans than there are demons at this time. We just have to wake the humans up out of their funk.”

The demons turned on Lady Liberty and Justice taunting, “This land is my land. This land is my land, from California to the New York Islands. This land was made for me and only me.”

Spring reddened with anger, stomped her foot, and icy rain began to fall. The demons scurried for cover while giving her the middle finger and lighting an oil tanker on fire to keep warm. “Oh, how rude,” Spring proclaimed furiously!
The snakes hissed from under Spring’s skirts, “Why are these demons so powerful?”
Lady Justice replied disheartened, “It’s because too many humans don’t believe in justice or liberty anymore.”

Just then Death appears out of nowhere to state, “TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME…SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.” And then poof, he was gone.

Spring shook her head, “Death can be so dramatic.”
Lady Liberty sniffled, “Am I a lie?”
Lady Justice consoled, “No dear, we are the embodiment of what many humans strive for.”
Lady Liberty sighed, “Okay. But what are we going to do about all these demons?”

Just then the Goddess Kali whirled wildly onto the scene, her skirt of demon arms and skulls swinging. “You say you have a demon problem?” She assessed the situation, seeing the demons gyrating their bodies grotesquely as they gobbled up money and gold and data. “My yes, you do.” She brandished her sword. “Want me to slay the bastards?”
The snakes nodded and hissed affirmatively.

Lady Liberty sobbed, “Is that the right thing to do? Would we still be good to take such an action? Is it wrong to kill demons? Aren’t we then perpetuating violence?”
Justice beamed, “It’s the just thing to do. I can live with that.”
Kali breathed in deeply and then exhaled, “May the blood of these evil demons feed only the soil and sow no more hate.”
The demons look up petrified as they watched the sword arch.

Spring raised her hand, “Please, Kali, wait. Let’s try another way first.”
Kali and Lady Justice look dubious. The demons cackled thinking they’d won. But then Spring turned on them, sprinkling them with dirt.
The demons coughed. “What is this magic?”
Spring smiled, “Demons, since you like being around humans so much I thought it would be just for you to become them.”
The demons shook their heads as Spring continued, “You will live and die among them. You will get to live to watch them turn against you. You will get to experience their wrath.”
The demons shook their whole bodies in disbelief and panic.

Kali chuckled, her necklace of demon skulls clacking, “Oh this is rich. I think I like your idea even better than mine, Spring. It will take more time but the reward will be even sweeter.” Then to the demons, “Aren’t you lucky Spring came up with such a fresh idea?”
The demons mouthed “no” as their powers diminished.
Kali, added, “I can always slay you later if this doesn’t work out.”
The demons cringed.

Lady Justice perked up, “You are just petty humans now. My people will be able to tackle you.”
Lady Liberty took a deep breath, picked herself up, dusted herself off, lifted her torch which Lady Justice helped her light again and smiled, “Give me your tired, your poor.”

The demons shook with impotent anger, “No no.”
“Give me your huddled masses.”
The demons shrieked louder, “No!”
Lady Liberty exclaimed triumphantly, “People of the USA, Let freedom ring! There are more of you than there are your would-be rulers. Stand up. Take your power back. We are here to support you. You are not alone.”

As if they could hear the liberty bell ringing in their ears, humans all over the USA, cocked their heads, rubbed their ears, and still the bell tolled. From north to south, from east to west, the bells of freedom were sounding. And in that ringing they heard new song, “You are not alone. You are not alone. We are lanterns lit with hope. We are the beacons made of strength. We are the ambassadors of truth and we’ll keep speaking. When the lightning strikes the sky and we have heard too many lies, let’s stay rooted in our hearts and keep on reaching.”

Come on, humans, sing!

“We are the lanterns lit with hope. We are the beacons made of strength.
We are the ambassadors of truth so keep on speaking.
When the lightning strikes the sky and we have heard too many lies, I’ll stay rooted in my heart and keep on reaching.
We are not alone. We are not alone. We are not alone. We are not alone.”

“Let them hear it far and wide,” Lady Liberty cried with joy.

“You are not alone. You are not alone. You are not alone. You are not alone.”

Lady Liberty smiled, hope in her eyes, “Let freedom ring.”

Story by Arianna Alexsandra Collins, ©2025. Written for Ostara ritual as a participatory activity.
Song “We are not alone” by Sarah Pirtle, ©2025. Permission granted for use.
Death’s speech from Hogfather by Terry Pratchett, ©1996

Arianna Alexsandra Collins, naturalist, poet, writer, wild edible enthusiast, and Wiccan High Priestess.

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