Elves are of a special nature. They are sometimes gay and
playful, sometimes musing and contemplative. Their magical Way
is as difficult to describe as the way the wind whips your hair
about on an autumn afternoon, or the way the forest smells on a
spring morning. Utterly natural and largely spontaneous, the elven
Way includes all others in its eclecticism while it excludes them in
its lack of concrete structure.

For this reason, it may be difficult to spot an elf right away. They
may be engaged in activities which seem foreign to any elven
stereotype. Since their movements coordinate with the underlying
Song of Nature, however, given time even an engaged elf can
be distinguished quite easily. Yet spotting an elf will not really
allow a glimpse of their mystical Way, for such is their magick that
it blends into their surroundings much as a cloud dissipates in
the sky.

In fact, it is more accurate to say that elven magick is absorbed
by, or becomes, their environment. Magick for elves is less a
labor and more a part of their very being. Those skilled in magick
dance in attunement to the essence of All in the very act of living
their lives, whatever its form may be. Natural power flows out from
them and heals everything it touches. To some in their sphere of
influence this may seem uncomfortable or painful, while to others
it is a joyous experience.

This doesn't mean that the elven Way is easy or that those who
walk it face less of a challenge than those on more structured
paths toward the Source.

Elves often begin their journey from little spiritual foundation. Their
parents provide them with none, or that which their parents do
provide is released in emotional abhorrence or dashed to pieces
by critical intellect. Cut loose, they face a most challenging
dilemma -- whether to begin an alternate path put forward by the
Elders or to forge a new path through the wilderness of spirit.
Most fall somewhere between these extremes, mixing together
that which seems familiar and attempting to weave a fabric
allowing them independence and freedom to express their
sometimes unusual tastes.

Yet even these are only the initial steps along the elven Way.
They may also develop relationships with the powers Faerie (by
whatever name), and friends among the various nature spirits,
travel the outer reaches of the elemental planes, locate and
worship the Star Goddess or other worthy deities, seek out the
Fountain of Immortality, or trespass the Summerlands, among
many other courageous and potentially dangerous adventures.

None of these endeavors in and of themselves constitutes an
exercise of elven magick. Each may provide a puzzle-piece, a
key to unlock the door that leads toward the mystery known to
some as the Secret of Merlin, the Art of the Elven Sages, and the
lifeblood of Faerie children everywhere.

While these words may sound rather precise, they only hint at the
nature of ways elven, especially regarding arts of true magick.
Along the elven Way are signposts pointing toward an
indescribable path of magick which participates greatly in the
patterned, cosmic ebb and flow of Universal Tides. Those who
navigate these waters do so without the aid of boat or sail. The
waters have been called 'the sub-conscious realm', yet this
minimizes the beauty and complexity of such an expanse.

Elves trained in the ways of Seeing and Exploring move within
this dark demesne as an otter swims among the seaweed forests
off the California coast. They learn the highways and byways,
gradually losing themselves in the ecstasy of discovery, revealing
the purest and deepest magick of their being.

The elven Way is not a particular form, it is a style. It is not
exactly a well-worn path, but is more accurately an art of
path-walking. It is not a mindset, it is an attitude, a commitment to
eternal youth, the honoring of the Old Ones, and a vow to serve
the Mystery of Life.