The Faery Realm
Eventually, this will be the home of all the information about the Faery Folk that I have collected over the past two years or so.
For a long time, I shied away from any mention of Faeries, having been told by numerous Pagans that dealing with them is tricky at best, nightmarish at worst. Once I started gardening, however, the Fae seemed to be calling to me. They had been neglected for so long that they were almost starving for recognition.
I ignored their calls as best I could--and suffered the longest streak of continously lost objects that I've ever experienced. In the spring of 2000, I could ignore them no more. Very warily, I began to leave them buttered bread and honey-sweetened milk outdoors. I invited the Fae to partake of my offerings. I made certain each time I issued the invitation, that I would welcome only Faeries with benevolent agendas--for all Faeries have an agenda of one sort or another.
Immediately, I noticed that my plants were thriving and the herb garden just seemed to radiate a healthy green glow. Rings of toadstools began to appear all over my large yard. I had experienced problems with a squirrel stealing all of the birdseed from the feeders and, one day, jokingly asked the Faeries to keep Mr. Sneak-Thief otherwise occupied. Miraculously, the thefts stopped.
After a mutually beneficial relationship was established with the Garden Faeries, I became braver and invited some of the benevolent Folk into my home. I set up a small shrine in one corner of my bedroom, containing a live plant, a stone that naturally resembles a chair of Faery size, a print of the image you see in the border, a chalice for milk, and a candle so the Wags-by-the-Way, if I was so honored, could come and warm their perpetually cold little bodies.
Soon after I established their space, some of the Fae Folk came for a visit... And they stayed. They're really quite helpful and fun to have around. If I ask very nicely, they find lost objects for me and they entertain my familiar, who gets his exercise by chasing Faeries through the house. They join me in ritual and often remain to dance by themselves long after the ceremony is concluded and I have left the room.
I must add a word of advice, though: if you plan to invite Faeries into your home, you are making a commitment. They will stay where they're made to feel welcome. They quickly become accustomed to getting their offerings at regular intervals. If I forget, things start to disappear. If I ignore that hint, they will come and tinker with my computer, causing it to crash--with no lasting damage, thank goodness. As soon as they're fed, everything returns to normal.
Overall, I wouldn't trade my Faery friends for anything in the world. They are a constant source of amazement and--sometimes--amusement.
Until I get together my collection of Faery lore, here are some of Faery-related sites that I like:
Otherkin.net
Synesthesia Symbiosis
The Elenari Nexus
Tir Nan Oc
Are You a Faeid?
Hopewish's Little Folk of the World
Faerie Lore
Lil She Creatures
The Tam Lin Pages
Theories of Fairy Origins
Fairy Congress
Faeries and Witchcraft
[Thanks to Dronarron from the Faeries' Oracle list for the above links!]
Find Your Faery's Name
The Faery Crossing
WynnJera's Fairy Friends
A Guide to the World of the Fae
Faery Lore
Nature Spirits of the World
Elfish Language
The Faery Garden
Faery Flowers
Italian Faery
Faeries and the Faeries' Oracle
Plants and Flora of the Fae
SurLaLune Fairy Tales
Water Faery Found!
The Secret World of the Fae
The World of Froud
The Eald of the Silver Elves
Faery e-cards
Faeries and Other Wee Folk
Faerie Godmother Fiona's Cottage
Graphics courtesy of:
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