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Sacred Sites: The Faerie Grove
Part Three: The FaeAlmost all of what I've written about the faerie realm over the years was inspired either by the old quarry that I worked with or the aptly named faerie grove. My relationship with the fae started back in the early 1990's and has grown to one where, as of this writing, I was recently invited to work with the fae on a deeper level.
I have so many stories about encounters with the fae and it's a relationship that has slowly grown over the years. Conor, a good pagan friend of mine and a member of the first coven I was privileged to work with, accompanied me one day into the grove to do some ritual work. The two of us stood on the high bank cut by one of the streams that wander through the grove, watching tiny faeries flutter just beyond the reach of our fingertips. Back in 1994 I wrote:
"I've been blessed to work with the faire folke and be accepted by them. I've watched them dance in groves of old growth forest, heard Elven calls echoing across lonely mountains. I've come across peacocks in the midst of the wilderness; a traditional sign that Elven royalty is near. Sometimes I've been alone. Other times friends have sat with me as we listen to ethereal voices spoken in strange tongues, broken only by the most delicate laughter. I feel blessed to count the faire folke among my magical friends. We've exchanged gifts and blessings, love and magic, developing a bond that is difficult to describe in the harsh light of the waking world."
Back when I first began interacting with the fae, my understanding of their ways and how they interact with our level of reality was very limited. Even today, working with the fae on any sort of meaningful level can be a fairly challenging process. In the same article I mentioned above, I wrote:
"Much has been written about the realm of the faire folke. In my opinion, each vision of the faerie realm is an interpretation of the relationship between our "layer" of reality and the realm of the fae. People often try to categorize the mystical, wrapping it in neat little packages so that they can manipulate it to fit their needs. But the faerie realm defies definition. By its very nature it is elusive, even more so when we try to firmly grasp it."
Working with the fae requires a depth of imagination and a certain ability to suspend disbelief and see the world through symbolic eyes. You have to read between the lines and approach the moment as if you were interpreting a dream. That strangely formed figure of roots and moss? The one that seems almost as if it could take human form? To work with the fae, you have to consider that it just might do exactly that.
The head and shoulders of one of the moss figures in the grove.
Approaching the interaction in this manner is one half of the key that opens the doorway between our world and the realm of the fae. The other half of the key is something that they hold. There's no rhyme or reason behind their choice to apply it but I find that thick skin, an easy going personality, and an ability to laugh at mischievousness goes a long way toward making the interaction something positive.
If you look carefully you can see shelf fungus on the trunk of this tree.
Referring once more to the article from 1994, I explained where you can find the fae.
"If you'd like to work with the faerie world, there are some simple places to begin your quest. You'll find them in high, rocky places and in forests sprinkled with mushrooms and shelf fungus that climbs the trees like stair steps. Watch to see which portions of the garden or fields children are drawn to, the places where they will often sit quietly and talk to unseen friends, or laugh as they watch the air, their eyes following beings you can't quite see. I've heard stories of the faire folke inhabiting vegetable gardens and flower beds, but my own experience is with the Wild and I don't have any first hand knowledge of the cultivated world."
This knowledge was learned from personal experience and from the experiences of others. The stories of the fae "inhabiting vegetable gardens and flower beds" came from pagans in the UK and throughout Europe. Much like the different species of animals that inhabit various ecosystems, there seems to be a great amount of diversity between the fae that live in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. I've only read accounts of those from Africa and have very little knowledge of the spirits of South America - but you never know... perhaps one day I'll have the opportunity to interact with those beings firsthand.