WITCH'S GUIDE TO FAERY FOLK
Meet The Residents of the Astral World
Much of the confusion in folklore concerning finding faeries is the
result of popular misconceptions about where and how these creatures live.
Faeries are residents of the astral world. It is only when your
consciousness has deliberately shifted, when you slow your mind and focus
your thought processes inward and outward, that you can place yourself in
the astral realm. This is where faeries are most likely to be found. A
faery is not apt to aid or harm you while you are sitting at your dinner
table having a pleasant conversation with your family, but one may show up
when you do your next ritual, spell, or meditation, and especially when you
astral project.
Sometimes we hear the question that if faeries are of the astral
plane, then why do persons who are clearly functioning in concrete Earth
consciousness occasionally see faeries? Planes of existence co-exist,
separated merely by veils of consciousness, and we, and other thinking
creatures, are able to temporarily gain entry to these other worlds. For
example, people who have seen a ghost have seen a manifestation of an
otherworldly form which has gained temporary entrance to our world. And we
know through experience that we can travel to the astral plane and beyond.
It is the same with faeries.
Other faery stories have been told about humans who fell into the
faery world by accident, as did "Alice In Wonderland", either through a
stream, a well, a burgh, or down a hollow tree. These are part of recorded
faery tales and often tell of experiences which took place while the
traveler was asleep, or were written to explain an experience for which the
person who had undergone it had no other explanation.
To find and communicate with faeries you must open your mind as well
as your heart.
In-Nature Methods
Faeries love nature and will occasionally manifest in it, though their
ability to stay there is as limited as our ability to remain long in the
astral. And because of the deep archetypal association of faeries and
nature, many people new at faery contact find that a natural setting better
facilitates faery sightings and contact whether in a shifted or normal
waking state of consciousness.
Shifted state contacts with faeries are often easier in these natural
surroundings because this is where both your conscious and subconscious
minds have been conditioned to believe you will find them. But remember
that if you are disturbed while in a meditative state, you will probably be
unpleasantly jolted back into yourself - a metaphor for a quick return to
waking consciousness.
Wide awake faery sightings are much harder to achieve even by those
skilled in the art, and you will have better success if you use a light,
eyes-partially-opened trance. Remember that the Little People, like
woodland animals, have every reason to be distrustfull of human motives and
are not likely to just walk up to you.
To successfully find faeries in natural outdoor settings, one must
first find a quiet and secluded spot to relax and where few other humans
are likely to be at the time. Next, you must find the sort of places where
faeries are expected to be found. Finally, you must offer some sort of
inducement for them to manifest in the physical world, such as a bowl of
milk or a bit of fresh butter.
Faery mounds, sometimes called raths or burghs, are traditionally the
homes of faeries throughout much of the world and would be a good place to
start your in-nature search. The best time to approach a burgh is at
Midsummer (around August 1st, a.k.a. Lughnasa), go to the burgh and, if it
is possible, place yourself in a light trance. Tap on the side of the
mound lightly three times and request it to open for you in the name of the
Goddess. Then stand back and see what happens.
***Stormm's note: The "goddess" mentioned here, is very probably Diana or
her equivalent. Another would be Gaia, the Earth/Mother. Fae and other
such creatures are not unknown to singing praise to the Father/Creator as
well. I would not recommend lying to faeries or anyone, of subscribing to
dieties for purposes of manipulating them. This breeds only mistrust and
wrath. One need not become totally "Pagan" to relate to nature spirits any
more than you'd have to claim to be Italian to eat a pizza. -Stormm***
Faery rings, faery trails, and faery islands are other popular faery
sights, but they are ones which a reputedly fraught with danger. However,
a little common sense can untangle many of these murky legends for us.
A faery ring is a dark ring of grass, perfectly round and distinctly
deeper in color than the grass which surrounds it. This is another of
those freaks of nature which no scientist has ever been adequately able to
explain. Pagans have long believed them to be the faeries' magick circles,
and in numerous reports of aery rituals and revels within them have been
chronicled. If you are in normal waking consciousness there is little to
fear from stepping into one of these rings. But if you are in a
contemplative or ritual state of mind, beware. Pagans and non-Pagans have
been known to become stuck in the rings when the faeries are there, but
this may be a metaphor for being "stuck" in a trance state.
A faery trail, or path, is like a faery ring except it is a long trail
of dark grass rather than a circle. Often the trail goes on for miles and
again, science can offer no explanation for this phenomenon, which follows
an identical pattern year after year. These trails are believed to be the
paths taken by trooping faeries on their Rades.
If you would see faeries in a faery circle or on a fairy trail, sit at
a respectful distance and slow and focus your thoughts. You might even
request aloud to be permitted to see the faeries if they are there.
Announce yourself as a fellow worshipper of the Old Gods and Goddesses, and
as a friend who intends them no harm. To help things along, try this
exercise at the full moon or just before sunrise.
***Stormm's Note: Again, for your own safety, I do not recommend that you
you make any untrue claims about yourself, concerning your faith in dieties
you may know far too little about. To say you intend no harm, is almost
laughable, considering the faeries are longer lived and more potent at
magick than yourself, but the stating of peacefull intentions is always a
good practice. If you try to deceive them, they will see through it
quickly enough. It sort of stands to reason that someone very old, may
well be very wise. Respect them as bubble-minded simpletons, and you will
only incur their derision. Respect them as equals and as wise and gracious
hosts, and you will win their respect as well (though they are likely the
wiser).***
Misty faery islands such as Avalon or Anglesey of England, Gresholm of
Wales, and the Isle of the Blest of Ireland abound with faery legends.
Sailors have reported faery islands which on one voyage are there, and on
another have vanished. Near these islands the sailors were most cautious.
Here abounded Merpeople and other water spirits, both friendly and
dangerously malevolent. Ghosts of drowned sailors and their ships traveled
the seas near these islands and are still seen by those who make their
living on the oceans.
Contact with these vanishing islands has never been thought to be a
good idea, even if you could get close enough to actually get on solid
ground before they vanished again. These islands may be explanations of
our metaphors for the experiences of people who began to astral project,
got scared at what they saw, and snapped back again without ever really
knowing what happened to them.
If you are interested in faery islands and the faery legends native to
them, it would be worth your while to make a trip to the Isle of Man in the
Irish Sea, which was once thought to be such an island, and is a place
where faery lore is still abundant.
Woodland streams are another likely spot to faery hunt. Sit a ways
back from the stream, slightly shift your consciousness, raise a circle
around you, and focus your attention softly on the edges of the stream.
Stone heaps near old ruins (except for those which are burial cairns)
are very sacred and private faery dwellings and should never be disturbed.
This is simply a matter of respecting the privacy of the faeries, who are
not obligated to be at our beck and call.
The Shifted Conciousness Methods
Whether you are in a magick circle or in a city apartment, or
wandering through a secluded wood, your best chance to see faeries is to
shift your consciousness to enable you to peer into the astral world where
these things live. By shifting your focus you will slow the frequency of
your brain waves, and your mind will expand so that your consciousness can
traverse other realms of existence.
Fortunately this is not nearly as complicated as it sounds, though it
does take practice to get it under control. Such changes happen naturally
during the course of every 24-hour day, usually without your consent or
knowlege. You fall into a light trance every time you read, watch
television, sleep, or even daydream. A trance state differs from sleep in
that in a trance state you seek to control your brain waves and direct the
course of your thoughts. Other terms for an altered state of consciousness
are meditative state, astral sleep, lucid dreaming, trance state, going
out, going within, out-of-body experience, and shifted consciousness. All
describe the same process and all are acceptable synonyms for each other.
Scrying is one of the easiest of the shifted consciousness methods to
learn. Scrying is the act of gazing gently into some reflective surface
such as a lake, a candle flame, a bowl of water, or a mirror in order to
slow and focus the mind and bring about visions. This has been a popular
method of divination for centuries because it requires nothing more than
some commonly found item.
Meditation, particularly guided meditation (sometimes called
pathworking), is probably an even easier method of contacting faeries
because when you feel dreamily carried along with a guide, you are
immediately able to allow your noncritical, subconscious mind to do your
thinking.
Astral projection, or lucid dreaming, is another very good way to find
faeries, because with the practice you go immediately to their world.
Astral projection can be difficult for some people to learn, but
fortunately many books have been published on the topic.
Be sure that when you use the meditation and astral projection as
methods for faery contact that you double your normal protection. Witches
have always thought it best to work inside a carefully drawn circle and/or
carry protective herbs or talismans when doing any shifted consciousness
exercises.
***Stormm's Note: For those of you, who are strong in your faith as an
open minded Christian, your "protection" is found in the white light armor
or protection of the Holy Spirit, and there is nothing that can protect you
better than this. No circles or talismans needed beyond a pure heart.***
Faeries At Your Circle
A circle is the sacred space in which witches have worked for
thousands of years. It offers both a space of protection and a place to
store raised energies until they are needed. By casting a circle you state
your intention to leave the solidity of the earthly world and the
boundaries of your normal consciousness behind you. In a circle you are on
the edge of all worlds - the physical, the astral, the spiritual, and
probably ones of which we as yet have no knowlege. At the edge of your
circle all things, all time, and all places meet, and it is here that
faeries can easily come to watch, aid, or participate in your worship and
your work.
Rmember that faeries as a whole cannot be summoned at will, nor
controlled by egotistical magicians. (AMEN!) They are sentient, living
beings who are extremely sensitive, and they deserve our respect. When you
are in the protection of your circle, try calling on faeries while keeping
their individuality in mind rather than thinking of them as merely
elemental energies. (You can and should certainly keep in mind their
elemental associations, but try to divorce them in your mind from only
being such a representation.) Invite them with the same respect with which
you would offer an invitation to a cherished friend.
Once you have discovered faeries, you will have to do some special
things for them which will keep them around. While you can draw on raw
elemental energy at any time, you can't always draw on the extra power of
faery energy unless you remain on good terms with these sensitive
creatures. Above all else, show them respect. No one likes to be
belittled, rediculed, slandered, or taken for granted. Never forget to
invite them to be a part of any ritual you do, even if they have been
invited only as spectators.
Faeries, like other beings, need food for sustenance, and in faery
lore around the world the common thread of nourishment is prevalent.
Leaving out food for the Little People is as common a practice in some
Pagan circles as is setting out bird feed in winter. Clean water, butter,
cakes, wine, honey, and bread are the most commonly sought-after foods, and
their favorite is fresh creamy milk. In Cornwall and in Russia it is a
folk custom never to scold a child who has spilled milk, for this should be
seen as a gift to the faeries and scolding would make it seem as if it were
given grudgingly.
Formal libations to faery folk can be performed in place of simply
leaving out food and drink. A libation is a ritually given portion of your
food and drink which is offered before you partake of it. For example, if
you wish to offer your reesident faeries a bit of your wine, raise the
galss and say so, then pour out a portion on the ground or put some in a
small bowl which will later be set out for them. Do this before you
drink. Or break off a part of your bread or cake and set it in a wild
place where it can be found. Never toss a faery offering out haphazardly
as you would for a wild animal. Faeries consider this very disrespectful.
Respect for faery dwelling places both in the physical world and the
astral is also a must. Do not march into the astral realms as if you own
them, and do not go there making demands of the creatures you meet. In the
physical world do not do things which contribute to to the pollution of our
planet, and do not descecrate faery mounds. Legends abound of families
still reeling under the curses of indignant faery folk who were provoked in
this way by some ancestor long dead.
Put out the plants they love, whether it is a full garden or only a
planer in a small apartment. Trees which the faeries love to inhabit can
be planted on your property, or a start of one can be brought into a small
home or apartment.
Faeries do not like being gossiped about any more than humans do, and
to lie about magickal workings violates Pagan ethics. At best they will
shun you in retaliation, and at worst they will be a nuisance during every
altered state you enter.
In the first two decades of this century it became a fad among
occultists to claim faery contact, and several elaborate hoaxes were staged
for the public. The most famous was the Cottingly Grove hoax in which two
two young girls were photographed frollicking with faeries. The "faeries"
turned out to be cut-out drawings taken from children's books. However, at
the time many persons were fooled, and flocked to Cottingly, England, to
see the girls and talk with them about the faeries. Unfortunately, this
hoax rang down the curtain on modern faery belief in all but a few Pagan
circles. Among modern Pagans, the full dimension of faery life is only now
being rediscovered.
HOME Back To The PALE More Of This PHILOSOPHY Stuff