Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm (28 page)

Water

Blue is the colour most associated with water, and it is nicely complemented by white and silver, as well as some shades of green and turquoise. Clothes for this element could be either free and flowing or clingy and glistening like the scales of a fish. I chose a Grecian-style white dress that I had borrowed and never returned from my college’s theatre wardrobe department fifteen years ago. At the time it was the costume for Lady Macbeth, whom I, as an evil director, made walk into a cold and rather dank pond for her final scene. It seemed only fitting that I should now wear it for the element of water and take it for another dip! Over this I wore a pale blue organza veil for a very classical look.

The blue curly wig was less classical, of course, but along with the silver and blue face paint did serve to transform my appearance to the extent that I was unrecognisable.

If you want to achieve this look with face paint, use moonlike colours as a base—say, white and grey or silver if you have it. Then add detail and spirals around the eyes and cheekbones. It’s simple yet effective!

We used a silver chalice, which is the ritual and symbolic magical tool for the element of water. It was entrancing scooping up water and pouring it back out, watching the light reflecting from the droplets as they fell and hearing the song they made as they returned to the flowing river.

Being able to stand in the river whilst dressed as a creature of that element brought feelings of tranquillity and an awareness of deep inner compassion, despite posing for the photographs whilst knee-deep in water.

Remember to try this out near or in the element if you can, and note any changes in your usual thought patterns, behaviour, or general character.

Water and Earth meet at the shore

Earth

For the element of earth I experimented on a willing victim, my friend Anna Simon. Despite the fact that she did not choose any of her costume herself and believed that she was merely dressing up in order to pose for photographs, she found it to be a profoundly transformative experience. Indeed, both the photographer and I found the change in her energy and behaviour to be quite remarkable, noticing a real connection between her and her surroundings, particularly the trees, and a deep sensuality, confidence, and grace.

In Anna’s own words:

We headed to the woods, and as we walked down the hill and the great old trees rose up before us, I joked about being in my “element” (or, in fact, being in myself, ha ha), but once inside the boundary of green, I have to admit my perception was already changing. I’ve always had an appreciation for nature, for spaces untouched by humankind. It isn’t terribly out of my character to randomly hug or even sing to trees, so this wasn’t a massive shift in perception. But something did occur that afternoon, despite the itchiness of the wig and the weight of the cloak. I connected with earth—I daresay I even became earth, just for a little while.

As I posed for the camera with an apple in hand, I felt that if you looked away, you’d turn around and I’d have blended into the scenery. What a strange feeling to mesh into one’s surroundings on an emotional level but not feel lonely or outcast. I walked taller, more elegantly (save for a little skirmish with my skirt getting caught in sticky bushes), and felt a peace I have longed for. The icing on the cake came after Emily had finished her water session and we were walking back; our photographer and great friend Steve was seeing a great shot of me next to a tree, and when I approached that tree I felt like I was wrapping my arms around a handsome, earthy man! Everywhere I looked, the trees were more vivid, the air was sweeter, and the area seemed to welcome me like an old friend.

Here’s what we did. The main colour for earth is, of course, green, but all earthy tones of brown and even black are suitable, or even autumnal hues of rusty reds. Again, I used face paint, this time using the sponge to create a foundation of green, then darker areas with black around the eyes. Leafy details were then drawn in black and green with a brush, the whole face taking about five minutes to render, yet with very dramatic effect. As you may have noticed by now, I have a small collection of wigs at my disposal, and I chose a very natural long brown wig for Anna’s look, complemented by an ivy headdress that very simply consists of a piece of fake vine wrapped around her head as a crown—so effective and very easy to do!

I also found a long green skirt that worked perfectly with the plain black tunic that she was already wearing, and finished the look off with my rather heavy outdoor cloak, which is a beautiful shade of forest green and keeps out all weathers! Consider what aspects of earth you wish to emphasise in your costume. For fertility you might choose brighter green hues; for stability you might choose browns and blacks. You might even want to try shades of grey if you are trying to strengthen your connection with spirits of stone. If you wanted to try a mask, why not make one yourself? There are plenty of blank templates available that you can paint and add to with papier-mâché or perhaps feathers and plastic foliage. Horned or antlered headdresses are also a nice idea as ways to express or encourage connection to this element.

“How is it that I connected so deeply with my surroundings without so much as intent to do so? I’ve always struggled with meditation, and I’m terrible at grounding myself to the extent of clumsiness; I walk into doors and walls constantly. So for me to suddenly snap my roots on, that was a soul-opening feeling.”

Anna

Practical Everyday Applications

Once you have fully immersed yourself in each of the elements in this way, you can draw on your fresh understanding and the memory of any energetic shift whenever you wish, without the need to dress up to such an extreme. You can also apply the same technique on a much more subtle basis in your everyday life, particularly through conscious use of colour symbolism. For example, for increased confidence and drive, you may wish to draw on the power of fire by wearing an item of red clothing, perhaps altering your makeup or even colouring your hair in a red tone. To emphasise logical thinking and clear communication, try consciously wearing something yellow or gold, or perhaps a subtle piece of feathered jewellery, for the element of air. To bring a feeling of inner peace and bring forth the compassionate side of your nature, try wearing the colours of water, such as calming shades of blue and turquoise. Earthy colours such as green and brown will help to bring a feeling of grounded stability and connection with the natural world. You can also extend this idea further by looking at planetary attributions.

Sun:
gold, yellow, orange; success, confidence, charisma, happiness

Moon:
white, silver; mystery, magick, intuition, dreams

Mars:
red; power, strength, status, sex

Venus:
green; femininity, love, beauty, fertility

Mercury:
light blue; communication, thought, travel

Jupiter:
purple, dark blue; expansion, hope, joy, luck

Saturn:
brown, black; structure, organisation, time, law

As you can see, with this awareness you have a whole palette of tools at your disposal to bring energies into your life and to encourage conscious connection with the world around you. The art of dressing with intent is a very Faery kind of magick, for just like the wonders of the spirit within the land, it goes unnoticed in plain view.

Suggested Activities

Practice

Dress with intent and awareness—it doesn’t need to be conspicuous. Make notes of how the different colours and styles affect your energy and what kind of attention or events you attract throughout the day.

Celebrate

Why not throw a fancy dress party for your friends with the four elements as a theme? You could also try preparing food and snacks with the elements and colours in mind!

Research

Find out if there are any Faery events or festivals within travelling distance, and make plans to attend. If not, do you feel ready to organise one yourself? Everyone starts somewhere, and you could bring great joy to others as well as yourself by spreading the awareness of Faery.

Create

Using a blank template (available from craft stores or online retailers), create a mask for the element that you feel the least connection with, putting thought into materials, colours, and techniques used. When it is finished, spend some time in contemplation of this element whilst wearing the mask, and see how your understanding expands. This should also help to bring valuable balance to your energies.

[contents]

chapter seven
Inspiration

“O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
On the fore-finger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Athwart men’s noses as they lie asleep…”

Shakespeare,
Romeo and Juliet

F
aeries have long been associated with inspiration, though whether they climb into our noses as we sleep (as the great bard describes in the quote above) is debatable! Inspiration is the quality we gain from the south and the element of fire, but it may be found all around us, from the most epic landscape to the tiniest blade of grass. We should also never underestimate the power that we all have to inspire each other, and for this reason we should never be shy of creative undertakings, for though there will always be those whose will is to detract from our achievements, there will equally be those who are inspired by our own will to act on creative impulse.

This chapter is intended to help you find the sustenance of inspiration upon your path. There are many inspirational voices within the Faery community, and all offer their own perspectives, some of which will no doubt resonate on a personal level more than others, but all of which have something to offer. Walking a spiritual or magickal path can seem isolating at times, especially when those around us do not share our views, experiences, and beliefs. This is why in Faery Craft it is so valuable to know that there is a rich and varied community out there, full of creative, intelligent, and open people who share their gifts and teachings of inspiration with the world. You are not alone.

Faery Paths, Traditions, and Groups

Faery Craft does not require traditional initiation or membership in any group or religion, nor does it preclude such membership, as it can become part of any path that is wide enough to allow our Faery allies to walk by our side. Naturally, a number of groups and traditions have formed over the years that have particular connection to Faery, so we shall look some of the more prominent and intriguing ones here.

The Faery Tradition and R. J. Stewart

There is strong vein of Faery lore and practices that until modern times was passed down orally through tales and folklore. Although the oral tradition has all but faded into the mists, there are resources and teachers who can point the way to not only reclaiming the hidden wisdom inherent in the lore but finding the living and evolving tradition within it that is just as relevant now, if not more so, than it was to our ancestors. One of the most respected teachers of this tradition is the Scottish author, esotericist, and musician R. J. Stewart. He currently has forty books in publication and dedicates a great deal of time and energy to teaching magickal arts and Faery tradition to groups both in the United States and Europe. I was lucky enough to be able to visit him in his home in Glastonbury, England, and gain insight into his perspective and experience of the Faery realm.

Was there an experience that stands out in your mind as being your first truly otherworldly experience with the Faery realm or like an initiatory experience that came from them as opposed to from other people?

Well, there’s several. I had lots of experiences on sacred sites in Britain, really from the early 1970s onwards, and then around 1980 I visited Robert Kirk’s Faery hill in Scotland, and as a result of my experiences there I produced a new edition of his famous book
The Secret Commonwealth
, which is about Scottish Faery tradition, and I wrote a commentary on it. You know, I had a lot of spiritual experiences when I was at Kirk’s Faery hill, as have many other people. It is a powerful place.

Are there any that you can talk about, or is it all very secret?

Well, that’s more difficult. What happens with the Faery traditions is the more willing people are to talk about it, the less they’ve experienced, and the less willing they are to talk about it, the more they’ve experienced, which makes it very difficult. You find the same thing hidden within the interviews noted by W. Y. Evans-Wentz, the famous scholar who wrote
The Faery-Faith in Celtic Countries
. He didn’t speak Irish and he went round interviewing the Irish grandmothers and grandfathers and country people generally, and often he had to go with the local Catholic priest, so he’s not going to get proper answers to his questions. He’d ask them, “Did you ever see fairies?” and they’d say, “No, never seen any. But my uncle used to see them, it was a long time ago, and they were very small.” And that means, “I see them every day, and they’re really big.” There is also something inherent in the Irish language that is difficult for modern English people to understand, for things are often referred to as their opposite in Gaelic. Thus “the little people” actually meant “the big people.” This has been forgotten.

What do you think the most important qualities are for someone who wants to seriously work with Faery?

You have to be very honest, because they sense all deception; you can’t hide anything from them. One of the early writings about the Faery realm is that you have to go there without a shadow on your heart, because if you have a shadow on your heart, they’ll tear you to pieces. But if your heart is pure, they’re already your friends, and they will love you. So that’s the old-fashioned way of saying what we would say today—that you have to have integrity, and you have to be truthful and honest, like every fairy tale! In every fairy tale it’s the person who is truthful and honest who does well, and the person who’s deceitful and selfish does very badly.

You have to have a sense of humour, because they’re very humorous and they make jokes all the time and do all sorts of strange things. And you have to be patient, because some Faery things are very instant, and others take a long, long time.

What would you say are the big things to avoid when working with Faery?

Avoid being superior, and avoid thinking of faeries as “little helpers,” and always be respectful. Respect goes a long, long way. Never, ever assume that they will do anything for you, anything at all, because even if they’ve done something for you for years, one day they’ll say, “No, we’ve never done that…we’re not going to do that for you.” So never assume anything. Always expect the unexpected!

R. J. Stewart

How important do you think place is—being rooted in a place for connecting with Faery?

I think it’s very important. There are some things to do with Faery magick that you can do anywhere—anywhere in the world, it doesn’t matter. But there are other things that you can only do when you’re tuned in to one place and tuned in to that place relatively long-term. So I think place is extremely important. And you know that’s true in human life, too. There are people who never leave their hometown and there are people who travel all over the place, and the Faery beings are just like human beings in that respect.

What would you say the difference is, then, between the kinds of beings who are able to travel with you and those who are tied to a locality?

This is where it gets interesting, and not enough is known or taught about this due to lack of practical experience in our alternative communities at this time. Especially because there’s a lot of assumptions about what Faery beings are and statements are made about them without really trying to relate to them and come into a proper understanding. Certain Faery beings can move around freely and really have a great sort of independence of energy. Others are closely tied to springs or wells or hills or forests and they can’t move around freely, even if they’re powerful. And so those are two of the quite clear distinctions that you have—the ones that can move freely anywhere and the ones that are really in a location. And really we have to try to understand both.

I’ve heard from people where they have experienced beings who are clearly deeply connected to the land but seem to take on some qualities of their appearance from the people who had moved to that place from other areas—for example, faeries of Celtic appearance have been encountered in some areas of Canada. Is it that they travelled over with the people or that the people seeing them are perceiving them through some sort of filter?

I think it’s a mixture of all of these things. Irish mystic AE (real name George William Russell) was actually interviewed by Evans-Wentz anonymously, and he also wrote in his autobiography, which is called
The Candle of Vision
, that when he was out in the remote parts of Western Ireland, the Faery beings would appear as lights. They looked like oval shapes made of light in the remote places. But when they got closer to human habitation they started to look more like human beings.

This is significant because they take a form, a visual presentation, from the human memory and from the human imagination. And guess what? They’re always several hundred years out of date. This is why a lot of people think of faeries as looking medieval or sometimes they appear in eighteenth-century costumes. They tend to draw, for some reason, from the collective memory but appear to be several hundred years behind the times. You don’t see them dressed up in the latest Gucci outfits!

Something that is mentioned in Evans-Wentz and also much more recently in John Matthews’s channelled work,
The Sidhe
, is that a time is coming when Faery beings will rise to the surface and be seen again by all. Is that something that you see coming in the future?

I think that it’s a very important idea, and if humanity is going to
not
destroy itself, we need to come back to this heightened awareness of the spiritual dimensions of the Faery realm. I think that if we’re going to go for something like that, it may take a while for it to happen; I don’t think it’s going to happen quickly, and it really depends on individuals and groups working at it to open it out. So it’s all down to what we do—what we actually do.

There seems to be a number of people within the modern Faery community who believe that they are faeries in human form. What do you think about that?

Well, I don’t see why they shouldn’t be! Why not? One of my teachers, Roberta Gray, who was an astrologer and very knowledgeable in Celtic tradition, used to say—she said this in the late 1960s/early ’70s—that there were more and more beings being born into human bodies that had not been human before. That was very interesting, because she was saying that in the late 1960s, before the New Age movement, before any of the stuff we’re so familiar with today, so that gave it a unique authenticity. It wasn’t just a cool “something” that was around in a book. So I think it’s very possible.

What do you see the future of Faery tradition being? Do you think practitioners will always be in the minority or do you think it will be more respected and known about in the future?

I don’t know, I think there are multiple answers to that question. If, for example, our modernist culture breaks down and people start to live in new ways—like new versions of old or ancestral ways, I suppose—then we would see quite a widespread return to relating to the Faery beings and nature spirits, because it’s clear, from tradition, that our ancestors regarded that as essential to survival. If our modernist culture doesn’t break down, and we get more and more attuned to computers and cyber-networks and machines, then we’ll continue to lose that awareness until eventually we lose it altogether. So I suppose the answer is we’ve got to find a middle ground somewhere between those two and hope that the culture doesn’t break down but that people do become increasingly aware. Again, for me, the key is the environmental movement, because that’s what makes people more aware of the spiritual worlds of nature.

So perhaps it will be the increasing connection with Faery that will stop the breakdown from having to happen?

That’s a very interesting point, yes, I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that.

For more information, visit www.rjstewart.net.

Celtic Shamanism and John and Caitlín Matthews

Celtic shamanism is a path that embraces the native spiritual practices of the British Isles, honouring the ancestors and spirits of the land. It appeals to those who are drawn to nature-based spirituality and trance techniques and wish to work with the spirits of the Celtic and British landscape or who are of British or Celtic descent. As such, interaction and connection with Faery beings and nature spirits forms an important part of this practice. Shamanism and shamanic techniques in all their forms have become very popular in recent years, and two of the most prolific and respected authors in this field are John and Caitlín Matthews, a husband and wife team who have between them penned over a hundred books on Celtic mythology, shamanism, and related subjects, as well as taught core spiritual practices all over the world. I spoke to them about their relationship with Faery and the use of shamanic practices to strengthen our connection with the unseen realms.