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The Folke

Faerie is a world of dark enchantments, of captivating beauty, of enormous ugliness, of callous superficialty, of humor, mischief, joy and inspiration, of terror, of laughter, love and tragedy. It is far richer than fiction would generally lead one to believe and, beyond that, it is a world to enter with extreme caution, for of all things faeries resent the most is curious humans blundering about their private domains like so many ill-mannered tourists. ~ Betty Ballantine

The mystery of the Faerie has been, from the earliest times, a subject of human speculation. What are the Faeries? Where did they come from?

The following theories have been advanced by folklorists to explain the coming of the Faeries:

The Hades Theory ... Faeries are the souls of the unforgiven dead, waiting to be reunited with their bodies at Judgement Day.

The Demotion Theory ... Faeries are demoted beings. One popular story held that when the angels revolted, God ordered the gates shut; those still in heaven remained angels, those in hell became devils, and those caught in between became fairies.

The Mythological Theory ... Faeries are the diminished figures of old paga Celtic divinities.

The Pigmy Theory ... Faeries derive from a folk memory of prehistoric Mongolian race, which inhabited Britain and parts of Europe but died out after its members were driven out by the Celts.

The Druid Theory ... Faeries derive from a folk memory of Druids and thier magical practices.

The Naturalistic Theory ... Faeries are a continuation of a prehistoric belief in nature spirits.

The Psychological Theory ... Faeries are the manifestation of a worldwide doctrine of souls, and a part of the universal animistic spirit.

The Atlantis Theory ... Faeries originated in Atlantis. There are those who also believe that 'Atlantis' and a lost Celtic kingdom are one and the same. Tara is the prehistoric home of the magical Sidhe (Tuatha De Danaan (pronounced too-ha day dan-an)), who are considered to be direct descendents or reincarnations of the biblical Shining Ones (Elohim), the creator gods.The Sidhe and humans have always interacted for they hold the knowledge and wisdom of ancient Lemuria and Atlantis and how to ascend.  They are higher vibrational beings who reside in middle earth. According to Irish legend, the Sidhe,  were forced to the Hollow Hills of the land of Tir na nog (pronounced teer na nogue) meaning ‘the Land of Eternal Youth.’ They still dwell there today at the court of the Faerie King Finvarra and his Queen Oonagh.

The ACTUAL Theory ... Faeries are a real race of supernatural beings.

There are many ways to spell the word fairy - faery, faerie, fairye, fayerye, feri and frairie. It is from the old French word faerie which means enchantment. The word “Faery” is a bit different from the word fairy because it encompasses all elves, gnomes, fairies and other wee folk… even angels. The Faery Kingdom is also aligned with magical beasts such as trolls, unicorns, centaurs, urchins and dragons. Every country and sometimes region has its own race of faeries, each with its own hierarchy, customs, legends and of course peculiarities. Did you know that when faeries live alongside humans, our societies, professions, family structures, communities, crafts and affairs of the heart often mirror the human counterpart except that we exist on a higher spiritual level and have magical powers?

There are many myths and legends surrounding the whereabouts of Faerie Land and the entrances are shrouded in mystery.  Truth be known is that Faerie Land can and does exist anywhere and everywhere and has no constant geographical location .Britain and Ireland have more than their fair share of magical portals.  Famous Faerie Portals are said t exist in Glastonbury Tor in Somerset, England AND Knockshegouna, the Faerie Mound of Oonagh, east of Lough Derg in County Donegal, regarded as the most sacred lake in Ireland. Faerie Portals always take us someplace ethereal which are energy points on the Earth that have a strong resonance with divine elements (almost like the chakras of the Earth)  to create this type of phenomena.

The Fey are often shy of humankind. They may spend some time observing you to see if you qualify as “their people” before revealing themselves. Like those humans who are evolved, they judge you based on the vibration of your energy, your thoughts and most importantly your actions and deeds. They will ponder:  Does this human heart bear kindness? Is this human good to animals? Does this human care for the Earth? Is this human honorable? Will this human love us?

Like humans, faeries are etheric beings of pure energy. Faerie energy vibrates much faster than human energy but slower than that of the Angelic Realm. They are caretakers of the physical Earth and they have an innate understanding of the needs of Earth. Their energy consists of a density that allows than a combination of etheric and physical form. They have the ability to appear in form when they want to be seen and exist as light when they do not want to be seen. The Fey are powerful healers and they are steeped in the “olde ways” and skilled in herb lore. Their magic is also powerful and they are masters of manifestation because they can focus thought with an unencumbered heart. Faeries are well known for their wicked sense of humor. They laugh at jokes, they’ll laugh at you and they’ll laugh at themselves!

Some cultures divide their understanding of fairies into two broad personality categories. First, there is the social fairy, also known as the aristocrat of the fairy world. Social fairies gather in large groups and spend most of their time in delightful group activities like attending large feasts where they eat, drink, dance and sing. The other major fairy category is made up of solitary fairies, which represent the peasants of the fairy world. These fairies are not as playful as social fairies and tend to stay away from the big gatherings, preferring to keep to themselves. It is said that social fairies prefer to wear green, which may be a sign of their closeness to nature. The more anti-social solitary fairies lean more toward earthy brown, gray or red, perhaps because of their desire to blend it with the trees.

Other cultures divide their fairies in terms of colors: white fairies represent light and goodness, green fairies are one with nature, and black fairies symbolize the evil side of the world. White fairies are usually playful and live above ground in the sunshine and fresh air, where they commonly reside near the water. White fairies will usually bring good luck to those who believe, but they may tease the unbelievers, although they are not evil so they will not cause any harm. Black fairies do not like the light, so they frequently live underground, in caves or deep in the darkest part of the forest. In folklore, black fairies symbolize the evil nature of things, and they are malicious rather than playful. These dark fairies are most closely associated with trolls, ogres or dwarves that tend toward bad behavior and causing problems for the unsuspecting person who crosses their path.

Some people divide the Fey into elemental categories as did the 16th century alchemist, doctor and philosopher Paraclesus:

  • Earth: gnomes, dwarves, brownies, pixies, elves, goblins, leprechauns, imps, green ladies, garden faeries and crystal faeries.
  • Air: sylphs and rainbow faeries
  • Fire: salamanders, Farralis and Ra-Arus
  • Water: undines, mermaids, nymphs, nereids, naiads and water goblins

There are a few rules you need to abide when journeying with the Fey:

  • If you are lucky enough to visit Faerie Land in meditation, ritual setting, astral travel or in a dream, never dance with the Fey or partake of any food or drink while visiting. It is very tempting but is a form of entrapment and as pleasant as it is temporarily you will want to return to your own realm.
  • Never thank the Fey. Leave us a small gift instead. Maybe some bauble that is shiny or a little milk mixed with honey in a thimble.
  • Avoid offending the Fey. We are very sensitive and depending upon which group you are dealing with the results of offense can be quite unpleasant.
  • All faeries hate iron so if you ever feel you are in danger from malevolent faeries carry a small piece of iron with you or put it under your bed.

 

Remember to respect us and we will respect you. Faeries are also God’s messengers through the magical consciousness of our living planet Earth which reflects the spiritual, emotional and physical well being of us all!

Synopsis: 
Faerie is a world of dark enchantments, of captivating beauty, of enormous ugliness, of callous superficialty, of humor, mischief, joy and inspiration, of terror, of laughter, love and tragedy. It is far richer than fiction would generally lead one to believe and, beyond that, it is a world to enter with extreme caution, for of all things faeries resent the most is curious humans blundering about their private domains like so many ill-mannered tourists. ~ Betty Ballantine ... Go to the Main Page to learn more. ALSO visit Faerie Craft in the ATHENAEUM for more information.
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