dear kin,
... feel a sense of alienation from the normal world. We almost always know that we are different from others around us but we don�t always have a name for that difference. It is when we Awaken that the reality of our elfin nature comes to us. This is not to say that upon awakening we suddenly realize we are different from most of the others about us but that, having always known we were unique we suddenly, upon awakening, know that the specialness we feel is because we are elves. Prior to that moment, the most of us never knew where we fit in in life, or if we did at all or would ever. As we awaken we realize that we are part of the most ancient culture upon the Earth and that we are not absolutely alone but part of a people that have been evolving since the dawn of creation.
Some folks looking in from the outside might conclude that our awakening is akin to a religious conversion. That we suddenly �find Elfin� in the way that others �find Jesus�. However, this is not the case at all. It is true that there is often a tremendous excitement that floods us when we are able to put a name to the uniqueness of our nature but this is not due to any conversion but rather to the fact that we feel, at last, that we have begun our journey home. We know, after long wondering, who we are. And we begin to understand why our mere presence has always been so unsettling for the normal folk. We were from the very beginning eccentric beings as compared to the most of society, but upon being able to put a name to our unique nature we begin to feel, at last, that we have a family and kindred that we have always searched and longed for. And in time, we realize that we are not utterly alone but that there are others of our kind looking for us as well.
The sense of alienation that haunts our lives before we realize who we are, while often bitter and painful, none the less, is a guide for us, a sign post that says detour and leads us away from accepting the �world as is� and toward our gentle and beautiful Elfin, the vision of which exists within our souls both as a memory of what once was and a prophecy of what will be. It is this sense of alienation that makes us seekers and leads us to reject those parts of modern life that are incapable of fulfilling our inner being. There is an aspect of our elfin nature that just will not let us be satisfied with a world that is based on factionalism and hate, rather then inclusiveness and love.
There is a paradox to the elfin nature. While we exclude no one from pursuing the elfin life and while these elves tend to feel that everyone has at least a little elf within them, the evident fact is that there are few who are interested in being elven. Thus while everyone who is sincere is welcome among us, not everyone among us is an elf. We include in our frasority all willing and dedicated individuals, and we have accepted the dharma of helping each and everyone find the essence of their true nature, whatever that might be. Thus while the world is filled with normal folk, it has been pointed out to us that no one is really normal. That is that everyone has a unique and individual nature that they can develop. Realistically speaking, however, there are few that will chose to do so, at least in this lifetime. It is difficult for some elves to accept but nature in Her wisdom, created normals for the express purpose of preserving the status quo, and created elves and other mutant kind for the express purpose of altering it. She scatters Her seeds in all directions, on fertile soil and on dry, on rock and water and sand.
Some might think that our uniqueness is based upon a contrast to the normal folk and while we are surely in great contrast to them, they are not the source of our uniqueness. We are eccentrics, one and all, and we elven do not need normal folk to be normal in order for us to be unique. We are exceptional people and our exceptional nature simply makes the uniqueness of each of our kind even more evident. We do not need a normal world for there to be an elfin world. In fact, the vast majority, perhaps all elfin, would just as soon do without the normal world. And yet, we cannot help but think at times that that world is like an uncut diamond, just needing to have a few chips tapped away and a bit of polish to bring out its true beauty and luster. But then, if that happened, it would no longer be normal would it. It would be something, beautiful and unique and yes, Elfin.
kyela,
the silver elves
The magic that formulates our world...
most beloved kindred,
... is in the form of various archetypes of behavioral possibilities. In their simplest form these archetypes might be seen as images of being which are available to us, such as the mother role, father role, hero, sage, etc. Within these basic forms there are myriad possibilities of fulfillment. Alas, for the most of folks these potentialities are limited by the formulations of magic that we have experienced or observed, sometimes personally and at times vicariously in movies, books, plays, etc. Thus we see the peculiar phenomena of people speaking in movie or tv talk, that is, repeating scenes and dialogue that they have gleaned from their relationship with the tube.
Take for instance the Lover archetype, which has as a sub division, the Rejected Lover archetype. The possibilities of enacting the magical formulas for dealing with rejection are many, yet the most of folks have a typical reaction that has been formulated by a spell which occurred earlier in their life. One could have the Fatal Attraction, Borderline Personality disorder reaction by saying, �If I can�t have you, no one can.� And acting in the maladaptive ways that are attached to this formula. Others will react with depression, some even becoming suicidal. Some few will look at the situation and wonder, �what�s wrong with that person, that they didn�t want me�, in a rather narcissistic but far more effective fashion. These elves tend to acknowledge that the relationship was simply not meant to be. For us Fate is, most often, our guide and we accept its indications as humbly as we are able.
There are those who think that we can be free of such formulations. You will find these folk on the various internet mailing lists proclaiming how they are not elves nor anything in particular for they will not let themselves be defined or labeled. The fact that numerous individuals make this proclamation periodically merely serves to indicate that this is a formula of the Lone Wolf and Rebel archetypes. For, in truth, we can never become more than ours�elves and we are the archetypes or gods, if you will, seeking to fulfill thems'elves in unique and creative ways. However, while we can never be free of who we are, we can become fully ours�elves and when we do, we become the unique and special individuals that we created ours�elves to be.
The magic is not in ridding ours�elves of archetypes, but in creating formulations which are not only uniquely our own, but positive, successful, loving and effective in the world. Thus the elven ever seek a solution to problems that brings success to all concerned. The greatest formulation of the hero, to us, is not about a person who conquers their enemies, but one that ever seeks to transform them into their friends. Our goal in every relationship is friendship and even romance, in our view, should stem from and lead to friendship. Thus we seek to be friends with everyone and everything that is open to doing so. We are friends with the trees, with the birds and every being that is in the least capable and willing to reciprocate.
Doing magic implies taking certain actions. These actions are the formulas of any particular magic. The magic of the elves is ever about taking the essential energy of the archetypes and elevating them to the highest level of which we are capable. Saying this, is, as always, far simpler than fulfilling it. Most of us, even we modern elves, have been instilled in early childhood with dark spell formulas that inhibit our behavior and chain us to modes of reacting that are less than successful. These dark spells are inculcated most often through a combination of emotionally charged experiences that become hardwired into our synaptic responses. To alter these spells takes a never ending determination to follow our Will and do what we know to be best rather than falling prey to the outmoded form (formulas) of behavior that would keep us enslaved forever. By magic, which is to say, by consistent action, the dark spells begin to fade and we become the masters of our fate.
While most folks have no choice, since they are unconsious of these archetypes, but to follow the reactive formulations that were instilled in them early in life and carry out their daily lives by imitating the trauma dramas they�ve observed on television, we elves are fortunate to know that we have the power/magic to transform our lives, which is to say our s�elves. The formulas we enact are the magics of Elfin. As we live our lives as elves, Elfin begins to manifest all about us. At first, this is merely a change of perception. We begin to see the world in new ways. Where once we saw ordinary men and women, we begin to see elves and faeries, pixies, gnomes, dwarves, nymphs and all manner of folk. Where once life seemed endlessly repetitive and boring, and for us, offering neither hope nor possibility, we begin to see magic born of coincidence and synchronicity. Where once life seemed meaningless and humdrum, now life is filled with meaning, a meaning that extends beyond any one particular lifetime into the vastness of the future where Elfin awaits us, and our kindred, like ours�elves, are weaving their way to that great gathering where we shall celebrate with love the wondrous knowledge that we are Elves.