| Where, When, and How One Finds the Fey There are many ideas on how one contacts faeries, where they live and are found, and when you can contact them. I will not claim mine are the only ways, or say that this will work for you but this is my attempt at answering this questions. |
| Today, faeries live in the astral world, sometimes called "the faery realm." At one point in time, when belief in the Fae was common and accepted then they may have lived more on the physical plane, however now this is unlikely. You will most likely meet up with a faery in the astral realm, or if on the physical plane an pure and unspoiled natural place such as a meadow, forest, or lake. It's unlikely a faery will appear, or do you any harm, while you are sitting with friends watching television or during some sporting game. However, they have been known to pop up during rituals, spells, astral travel, and meditation; they are drawn to these things. This being said, planes of existance co-exist. There may be a time, however unlikely, that you are fully functioning in the physical and mundane world when you will glimpse a faery. Sometimes we temporarily unconciously let the seperating veils shift and some people are so gifted that they are never fully closed. Faery tales that speak of a traveler suddenly falling into Faeryland are usually refering to dreams. Communicating with the fae in this day and age will take some work on your part, and will require you to open your mind and heart. The best method of seeing a faery, no matter where you are, is to shift your consiousness to the astral world. This skill takes practice but isn't as hard as you may think. Usually this is done during the night while you are dreaming, or while you are daydreaming in class or at work. This can also be reffered to as meditation, lucid dreaming, astral state, out-of-body-experince, trance, and shifted consciousness. One method do this usually used for divination is scrying. This is the act of gently gazing into a reflective surface in order to slow and focus the mind and bring on visions. Meditation, for beginners guided meditation is excellent, is another easy method of making contact. In cases of astra projection or lucid dreaming you are entering directly into faeryland. Personally I prefer to reach these states via meditation and astral projection can be a difficult skill for some people to learn. There are other methods though. Because faeries adore nature they on occassion manifest there. For someone trying to help along their first experince with faery contact then this method may be a very good way to start. This method uses shifted concouness in a natural setting. It is harder though to be wide-awake to see a faery. For the best success use a light trance with your eyes partically opened. These creatives are, and justifiably so, very distrustful of humans who have harmed their earth and it's not common to have them approach you. To try this method you will need a quiet, seculded spot where you are not likely to be disturbed. Some sort of incentive should be given to the fae on your part, such as a bowl of milk or fresh butter. Inviting the fae to be present at your circle is yet another way to initiate contact. Overall, faeries cannot be summoned at will nor can they be controlled. They are very sensative and to demand anything of them would surely offend the Wee Folk; always be respectful! If you wish to invite them to your circle after you have cast your circle and as you are invocing you deities, invite the faereies to be with you. If however, your circle casting ritual usually involves bells do not ring them! Bells are used to scare faeries away with their high and sharp loud noises. Whistling also frightens them away. It is a good idea to stay within the confines of a protective circle when you first start contacint faeries. If you feel faeries are present do not break the circle until it has been grounded! This is terribly important. Keep in mind, faeries are not always seen but often are felt. If you don't feel or see them don't repeat the invitation, it was in fact heard the first time and if you press the issue you will likely come off pushy and rude. Other things can be done to help you see into the faery realm aside from the aforementioned methods. Folklore had an abundance of tricks to see the fae. A tea of cowslip and primrose will help you see into the astral plane. To make most magickal teas work a good ratio is two tablespoons dried herbs per cup of tea. It's easiest to place all the herbs in a tea ball and pour the water over them; automatic coffee makers are good too place the herbs in the filter like coffee grounds and turn on the machine. Never ingest a herb without first being positive of what it is and second testing for allergic reactions by rubbing in on your skin and waiting a day looking for any signs of irritation and repeat at least once. Some good tea blends for entering the faeryrealm are: valerian, echinacea, and valerian; catnip and eucalpytus; catnip, mugwort, cinnamon, and wintergreen, valerian, and willow, daminan, eyebright, and valerian, ginseng, sassafras leaf, and chamomile, spearmint, white oak bark, ginger, witch hazle bark, and hawthron berries, and goldenseal, peppermind, and valerian. Another tips is to burn jasmine incese or lilac incesne. Jasmine tea or chamoimile tea will help also. An incese made of sandalwood, wormwood, and Dittany of Crete is good. Pussywillows and lilacs also attract fae. Keep in mind most faieries are most active on Esbats and Sabbats, and generally at night during the time between Beltane and Samhain. In many countries green is considered the favourite colour the of the faireis, so buring green candles is a good idea but actually wearing green is not. One thing is certain, and that is faeries love to dance and adore music, ecspecially folk music and dances. The pennywhistle and recorder are good instuments to play. These are just a few ways to contact the fae, but to learn more read faery tales for much pagan lore has been hidden within them! The best time for a faery contact are refered to the the "'tween times" or those which are not clearly defined. One of these times is dawn; dawn is neither night nor day. Dusk is also a good time for faery sightings due to this very reason. Another good time to spot the fae is noon. Noon is not afternoon or morning. Midnight is an excellent time, should you want to be outside or the like at this time. Midnight is a time in which is it neither one day nor the next. Solstices and equinoxes are times when nature is "in between" and the fae are usually exteremely active on these days. Spring and Autumn appear to be ecspecially active times for fae also due to it being in bettween winter and summer. LIkewise, the best places for faery encounts are "'tween places." These places include tidal pools, seashores, beaches, where streams divide, forks and bends in the road, islands, intersections, border hedges and fences, any opening in sea or land, glades in woods, lakeshores, hallways, landings, stairwells, and thresholds. Often times people are unsure or unaware that a faery may be approaching them. Sometimes, there will be one sitting right near them and they would never notice. You must know the signs to look for if you are going to go out and actively seek the fae. One sign of the approach is the bending of grass blades with no other cause. Also, feeling as if there is an insect walking through your hair, when there isn't one. Extremem bouts of uncontrolled laugter or great silliness for no other reason is also said to be a sign the the fae are near. When you are alone in nature, unexplained sudden goose flesh or chills is usually a sign of a faery presence. An unexplainable loss of time is usually a sign that the fae are near you too. Other signs that the fae are close is a sudden and unexplained whispering or trembling of leaves and dust devils and whirlwinds. If you keep your eyes and other senses open, hope you see enjoy the fae you do find. |