Hello, my lovelies! As the Ambassador to the Fae for the Midwest Coast Coven, I wanted to start a weekly blog post discussing faeries and our interactions with them. To me, faeries are synonymous with nature. And much like Pocahontas, I believe that “every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name.” The personification of these spirits found within the natural world are what I would call faeries. And I’m not the only one who has this belief system. Throughout time, basically every region and culture have included faeries or faerie-like creatures within their mythologies (Eason, 2002). From the malicious Red Caps of Ireland and Scotland, to the Japanese Tengu with their fans of feathers, and even to our own shores in North America where Native Americans in the Algonquin tribe could hear the distant drumming of the antlered Manitou Fae (Eason, 2002).
Due to their pervasive presence around the globe, there are numerous forms faeries can take. I’ll be using these Fae Friday posts to dig a little deeper into the different kinds of Fae, their histories, and any notable examples found in literature or pop culture. For today’s post, however, I wanted to keep it simple by discussing why exactly the existence of faeries is so prevalent in Pagan groups like Wiccans, Druids, Shamans, and others. As I mentioned above, faeries tend to be a personification of nature, and Pagans of all kinds have a crucial foundation in common: nature is sacred, and they seek to have a closer relationship with the natural world (Goodrich, 2015). Animism is a common occurrence in Pagan religions because it attributes non-human things such as plants, animals, and inanimate objects with a soul (i.e., flower faeries and selkies of the sea).
In an age where it feels like the planet itself is dying merely so humans can feel like conquerors (over the land, over the animals, and even over other humans), it is no surprise that Pagans are trying to imbue the Earth with magic and make it as revered as it was before technology made man feel invincible. Fantastical creatures like faeries help give Pagans what they crave: a living being to commune with that makes them feel closer to nature as they try to heal it (Goodrich, 2015). This is why there has been a resurgence of the Faery Faith in recent decades. It’s due to people like us who revere nature and who can feel when it is hurting due to human expansion and neglect. By anthropomorphizing aspects of the natural world like trees, rivers, flowers, crystals, etc., we are trying to commune with and restore the land before it is lost.
Image by Arthur Rackham via https://faeriequeene.com/transposing-edmund-spensers-the-faerie-queene/
Communing with the Fae in Your Life
I want to leave all of you with an activity that can help you feel more connected with any Fae that may be sharing your space. Since faeries and nature go hand in hand, the key here is to find an environment that makes you feel the most linked to the world around you. Don’t despair if you live in the city or if you don’t have access to a vast wilderness in your backyard. Faeries are strong creatures who have lasted throughout the ages; they are adaptable and can find ways to exist even in the most tech-heavy environments. Perhaps you have some potted plants that you care for inside. Maybe there is a rooftop garden nearby or a vegetable garden in your backyard. A botanical garden or park within walking distance. There are even elementals who thrive in the air, so just staring out a window into the sky beyond can work.
I am lucky enough to live nestled inside a small woods in the middle of nowhere. It is not hard for me to walk out my front door and immediately start communing with nature. While exploring my forest one day in spring, I noticed a round stone surrounded by a ring of blooming daffodils. I was immediately pulled to this spot and felt a magical energy about it. This is the faery circle I come to whenever I participate in a ritual like celebrating the full moon or embracing the coming changes during Imbolc.
Pick a day to go out (or stay in if you are cultivating an indoor garden) that works best for you. I would suggest times where the light is at its most vibrant: sunrise, sunset, or when the full moon is at its peak in the sky. Go where the aura of nature is the strongest for you, like your favorite flower fleetingly in bloom, a rock formation that draws you in with its permanence and strength, or perhaps an ancient tree that may have witnessed many secrets over the ages. Sit near your chosen spot and allow yourself to feel connected to the living, natural spirits around you. Feel as if you are sprouting roots into the Earth and out into the universe. Once you feel linked, let your eyes become unfocused. The light from the sun filtering through your windows or the moon streaming between tree branches may reveal faeries hidden in your presence. Let yourself see them out of the corner of your eye, hiding under a petal, or taking shelter beneath a mushroom cap.
Thank them for allowing you to witness their comings and goings by leaving a small offering of some kind. I usually leave fruits or nuts around my faery circle for the forest spirits to take when I leave. After you’re done with this exercise, go find a notebook to chronicle the experience. Write descriptions of what you saw. Or, if you have some artistic inclinations, try to sketch any faeries who crossed your path.
I hope you enjoy this experience! I’ll see you next week as we dive deeper into the world of the Fae.
References:
Eason, C. (2002). A complete guide to faeries & magical beings. Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
Goodrich, S. (2015). Human-nature relationship and faery faith in the American Pagan subculture. The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College.