In the movie, "The River Wild" starring Meryl Streep, Meryl is Gail, a wife on the edge of divorce, who takes her young son, along with a husband who has "lost himself", into a canyon for a white water rafting trip. During the course of a calmer ride down the river, she explains to those in the raft the meaning of a vision quest as related to Native American signs painted on the towering rocks above them. The remainder of the film depicts how her husband came to "finding himself" through the experience of his own vision quest. A vision quest is a journey into another world which leads to finding one's self. Loosly defined, it is a form of meditation, contemplation, and prayer for it contains acts of petition, orders of practice, and degrees of searching. A vision quest is a method of bridging the divide between what is known and the unknown. A faerie vision quest is the method by which the culture of faerie bridges the gap between the real world and their Otherworld.
In the past, I often wondered why some people proclaimed to have seen the faerie folk, while others were unable to see them. Since those days of wondering, I have come to believe that those who hold belief in the faerie faith RELIGION are the only ones who can see them. For in order to see the fairies, one must go on a fairie vision quest - a shamanic journey into the fairie realm. Therefore, those of us who do not subscribe to the faerie faith or vision quests will never see them! Having said that, I hasten to add that even though I do not believe in fairies or fairie as a religion, I do enjoy reading about them in folklore and other literature. I also relish their beauty as an art form, and their respect for nature as found in literature. I also respect the right of everyone to their own beliefs regarding this, so feel free to enjoy this writing, irregardless of the fact that I have expressed my personal belief.
In an earlier writing, I cited the terms nexus and plexus. In fairie, and a few other religions, a plexus is that point where any two worlds meet. In the faerie faith the World Tree is only one of many examples of a plexus. It is the tree bridge between two realms. The trunk of the tree stands visible in this world, while its roots extend into the Underworld, and its branches reach into the Upperworld. Anyone who sees the tree in the waning hours of a lowering sun also sees the tree's shadow. The tree's shaddow is a reminder of the Shadow Shelf which resides in the Otherworld. According to the faerie shaman, the shadow self can be changed -hence an impetus for a faerie vision quest--a journey into unorthodox meditation, contemplation, and prayer.
Preparation for a vision quest sounds very enticing at a glance, but it can be harmful. Why? Because there is written evidence in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam that fairies are not benign creatures, rather they are demonic in nature.
The quester begins by clearing his mind of all clutter. He must achieve an alternate state of consciousness in order to faerie quest into the Otherworld. This state should NOT be sought through any medication or mind-altering drug, but rather by listening to recordings of soothing sounds - waves breaking on a sea shore, sea gulls, a babbling brook or any sounds which are repetitive. Some have found that reading faerie tales is helpful and relaxing. The faerie shaman may even use the rhythmic beating of a drum. Any of these sounds or activities puts the person into a deep meditation. It is from this state that the journey to the land of the faeries begins. He enters into a trance in which his soul is said to migrate from the body and enter into the sky or the earth - in other words, into faerie land.
There is a rite to be followed. After one has prepared himself for entrance into the Otherworld through meditation, he follows the rite of passage, first meeting the World Tree. In front of the World Tree are four deep pools of water: the first pool contains muddy water; the second pool is deeper water; the third pool contains water that is crystal clear; and the fourth pool has steaming water.
The faerie believer stops before he reaches the first pool, bends over and picks up four stones. Into this first stone he will send all of his daily troubles such as illness and money problems. As he imagines them entering into the stone he drops the stone into the first pool.
Into the second stone he will direct all of his emotional discomforts and imagined pain as he drops it into the second pool.
He imagines all of his mental and intellectual troubles, worries and fears into the third stone and drops it into the third pool.
Into his last stone he sends all of his creative troubles, inhibitions, self-doubt and lack of energy as he drops it into the fourth pool.
At this point he is unburdened and free to choose one of three options: he can continue his vision quest; he can sit by the pools and simply meditate on what he has done; or he can choose to terminate and exit the path to the faerie worlds.
Well, this is surely an experience for the person on a faerie vision quest! Most questers choose to go ahead and enter into faerie land to dance and sing with the faeries. Those who choose to dance and sing with the faeries are said to be given faerie gifts. Some of the faerie gifts are poetry, artistic ability, love, and clairvoyance which the faerie shaman can use as he experiences enchantment.
The goal of this vision quest is to comfort or change his shadow shelf, to gain knowledge, divination or healing, to engage in communion with his gods and goddesses or to gain entrance into faerie land...
...Where is faerie land? It is in the Otherworld and although its position is elusive, the entry way itself reads like a faerie ale. There are four elemental entry portals which are represented by the points of a compass--north, south, east and west. At the north portal one sees tall snow-capped mountains. On the tallest one is the castle of the Faerie Queen. Wind chimes of ice with their tinkling music welcome the Vision Quester. I envision it to be like the captivating ice scene depicted in the movie, Doctor Zhivago.
On the west portal one may enter by way of a cool dark lake. Here dwells the Lady of the Lake and if one is observant he may see King Arthur and Excaliber, his sword. (Well, if King Arthur is Sean Connery, I might stop in and give him a hug. I simply adore Sean Connery, and what a great real King Arthur he would make!)
The eastern portal opens onto a vast plain abloom with faerie bells and poppys...Ah! This is a garden I could go for! An Avalon where knights on their festive seeds ride in procession over faerie hills to meet the rocky and misty peninsular of Pembrokeshire. And there - on the horizon are the markets of Laugharne and Millford Haven which the Faeries frequent.
Looking to the southern portal one sees a stark barren volcanic landscape. The welcome there is ominous and one is likely to be met by some of the more capricious of the fae such as Trolls, (remember the faerie tale of the Troll and "Who is that walking over my bridge?"), Gobblins, Hags, Boales, The Bean-Sidhe, Leanan-Sidhe or the Pooka. So, go softly - where the rewards are enchanting, the dangers are real!
What does this have to do with faerie tales? Well, you'd really have to ask the faeries about that!
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