Who are the Faery Fair Folk?
(Working with the Fae)
Mossy toadstools & moonlit withers
Shiver me silver, and beckon me hithers
Night sage sings & spirits dance
See me you won’t but for a glance
Offer me honey and maybe a whistle
A moonlit wink and dew from a thistle
Our circles are sacred and so let them be
We grow with the earth, from fire and tree
Fairies. Adorable, tiny beings with gossamer wings, right?
They are loved and adored for their whimsical natures and diminutive forms.
We have created a modern day depiction of the fae that is simply delightful… a troupe of modern day fairy icons à-la-Tinkerbell that have forever shaped our pop-culture idea of what fairies really look like.
As a race, the faeries are not always the tiny winged creature that modern illustrations depict. Historical and modern day accounts of interactions with the fair-folk tell a different story. Many fae are human sized, some are larger – and many of them lean towards the elements of nature in their outward physical appearance. Some, for example, look strikingly plant-like, while others may have such strong correspondence to the fire element that their outward appearance is very flame like. (Djin) Many texts suggest that the fae can shapeshift at will, and that their appearance is simply the skin that their energy wears at a given time. The fae are energetic beings, whose outward appearance is maleable, with a fluid physical appearance.
We have a rich history of connecting and communing with the fae. The enchanted Tuatha de Dannan (people of the goddess Danu) of the Celtic Culture, the Scandinavian and Germanic fairy and elves (Älva if female and Alf if male) have been the most well-recorded, but there are forest spirits from Indigenous cultures from around the world. From Siam, we have a pre-Buddhist belief system that completely parallels Irish mythology and the Tuatha De Danan stories. The Phi were minor deities, and were a mixture of spirits both good and bad. They continuously influenced human behaviour, and they frequently found in the forests, in the sacred trees surrounding Buddhist temples, and in the water.
Many were feminine in nature, and the people errected altars for them. This animism (the belief that non-human entities posses a spiritual presence) was found in indigenous beliefs world-wide, and was the basis for all religions, regardless of physical place.
So what is a faery then?
The fae are a race of spirit beings that exist beyond normal human perception. Some people see them as spirits, others see them as the angels of nature, or as part of the life force that runs through the rivers and trees, in the air, and in the earth. This mystical folk live in the Otherworld, sometimes stepping through the veil between their realm and ours (betwixt and between) to show themselves to people on this side of the curtain.
Once upon a time,
and not all that long ago in the history of history- we were able to see much more and we were able to hear much more. We lived in synch with the natural world around us, and our very survival depended upon our ability to understand the messages that were presented, and to listen to cues from the earth herself.
We listened for the animals and critters as we worked the land for food and water. We listened to and felt the seasons, the life-giving rain, the places that would offer us safe shelter, and the very hum of the world that can only be labeled as the earth’s life teeming all around us. Part of the energy that we were able to perceive at this time was energy that was not necessarily felt by one of our 5 senses, but rather intuited by our spirit.
Our spirit selves were able to perceive other spirits, and we were able to sense the fae around us. Children often have this gift. Like a misty film that sits one dimension over the other, people believed in faeries in very much the same way that many people currently believe in angels. They are beings that we can sometimes feel. They can give us messages. They can work with us, help us, warn us – and we can choose to befriend that energy and work with it to open our hearts and minds to the magic of nature, if we chose.
Why does someone begin working with the fae?
We are not human beings living a spiritual existence, but spiritual beings living a human existence. If you believe that this is true, then working with the fae is a natural progression as you explore your human journey. We were once very close to the beings that inhabit the world with us. The spirits of the trees, the animals… our ancestors guides – and the fair folk. They are the spirits that inhabit the world around us, and they can enrich our spiritual lives tremendously. Working with the fae means working in alignment with nature and with the oneness of the planet. I don’t personally draw a rigid line between the fae and other spirits around us. They are all energetic beings that we can’t easily see with our eyes, but that we can learn to feel. Working with them has brought me great peace, wonderful messages, and a life that is richer than I have ever imagined. Working with the fae has brought me closer to my roots, to my spirit guides, and has opened my heart to angelic , benevolent creatures who are as happy to get to me, as I am to get to know them.
Are faeries dangerous?
In my experience, not at all. Meditation and imagination are powerful tools that can shift your life in many ways. Visiting the fae has brought many people tremendous insight and joy. The idea of fairies as ‘evil’ or fairies as dangerous is a remnant of one religion trying to stifle indigenous beliefs. Demonizing a native culture in order to push religious or political agendas has happened throughout history, and many authors fairies as being put into a similar That said, visiting the fae can be a spiritual journey, and spiritual journeys often involve confronting some of the darker sides of our natures. To grow, we need to really dig deep and learn about ourselves.
Are faeries the same as elementals?
No. Fae have been working with the elements as angels of nature, and living in close companionship with the plant and animal kingdoms. They can take on a variety of physical appearances, from tiny winged spirits to human-sized beings, and many stories of fae describe them as shape shifters, and that can give them a similar appearance to an elemental.
Sometimes, their physical appearance is closer to a plant or tree when they take on the physical presence of the earth energy, so they may appear to be an earth elemental. Sometimes they are closer to flames or mist if they are more aligned with the elements of fire or water. They are always beings though. Elementals are usually pure energy, without a true physical form.
Regardless of the shape the fairies take, humans that have connected with beings from the faery realm often describe their presence as an energetic sensation that is profound, heady and visceral. They often evoke a specific fae feeling – rather than a specific fae physical presence.
How to connect with the faery and the sidhe realm
Coming Soon – connecting and working with the fae
They are deeply connected to nature, and some see them as the nature Living in a world that is part of our own, although They have been called many things in the past: fairy folk, fair folk, the shining ones, faerie, sidhe, wee folk.. They there are few that conjure such the Tuatha de Dannan… and they have rich history of connecting and communing with