Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm (5 page)

There are undeniable connections between the angel, demon, and Faery races, and if we can free ourselves from prejudice and preconceptions and approach the subject with a curious and open mind, we can learn much of the deeper mystical nature of our Faery cousins and their function within the world and the cosmos.

On the most obvious level, the parallels are clear. Both Faery beings and angels are powerful, shining beings, possessed of their own inner source of luminescence. Both are credited as being sources of inspiration and are particularly associated with inhumanly beautiful music and dancing, and they are both most popularly portrayed and perceived as winged beings. Angels and Faery beings both have a resonance with the light of the stars, though the angels are seen to dwell there, whereas the Faery race dance beneath the stars and sing to them, and emit something of that stellar power into our green world. This takes us into a deeper level and adds some spiritual credence to the fallen angel theory.

Looking beyond the Judeo-Christian and Islamic religious framework and seeing the Faery and angelic races as beings of cosmic energy who are far older than any human theological concept, if angels are the agents of cosmic energies and messengers of a spiritual source from above, then Faery beings can be seen as angels of the inner earth, having brought that energy from the source down into the centre of the earth,
breathing
spiritual life into its centre and now radiating that energy outwards from within, connecting the earth to the web of the universe and enabling sentient spiritual life to evolve. It must not be overlooked that the core of our planet itself radiates its own cosmic energy—it is the star within our earth that illuminates the otherworld.

Lisa Hunt, “Djinn”; www.lisahuntart.com
(reproduced with kind permission
of US Games Systems, Inc.)

The name
Lucifer
means “light bringer,” so returning to the folklore with the added dimension gained by looking beyond it, we can see the wisdom hidden behind the dogma. If “God” is, in fact, the source of spiritual light, then Lucifer is, in fact, the agent of this light sent to earth. There are also parallels, therefore, between Jesus (as the son of God sent to earth to redeem humankind) and the fall of Lucifer, which, though seemingly straying from the subject of Faery Craft, gives interesting food for thought. (Quite literally food for thought when we consider Lucifer’s connection to the apple of the Tree of Knowledge, which first brought wisdom to humanity, and how the primal beauty of Faery can be compared to the Garden of Eden.)

The Reverend Robert Kirk, who was both a man of God and one who truly loved the Faery race, observed in his indispensable
The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies
that they “are said to be of a middle nature betwixt man and angel.” By their very nature as spirits connected to earth, they are indeed closer to us than the cosmic energy of angels. Within the same work he also observed the great sadness that is an undeniable part of the nature of Faery, which is the shadow that lives alongside the light of their abundant joy: “Some say that their continual sadness is because of their pendulous state, as uncertain what at the last revolution will become of them.”

By the “last revolution” he means the day of the Last Judgment, when it is said that the sidhe are expecting salvation, at last able to return to their celestial origins at the end of days. Again, in the context of Faery beings as being spiritual forces of inner earth, this makes sense, as if life on earth did, indeed, end, they would return to the source. However, there are other possible interpretations. If we interpret the many omens of Judgment Day as being the herald of a new stage in our spiritual evolution as opposed to an ending, then it may be that these prophecies, in fact, refer to a time when Faery will be seen again on the surface of the world.

Returning to Evans-Wentz’s
Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries,
there are several accounts that hint at this possibility, stating that “before the consummation of the world they will be seen as numerous as ever.” Since these predictions are accompanied by similar biblical images such as the dead rising from the grave and angels being seen on earth, it is not a huge stretch of the imagination to suggest that instead of the dead literally crawling out of graves (no doubt to feed on our brains), if humanity’s awareness were expanded, we would become more aware of all the invisible spiritual beings around us. This includes not only the ancestors but Faery as well.

On the deepest level this refers to an awakening in humanity as a result of the awakening of the inner light of the planet itself. In John Matthews’s fascinating contemporary account of Faery contact,
The Sidhe: Wisdom from the Celtic Otherworld
, he receives an insight from the sidhe that hints at this very possibility: “We believe that a new era may be about to dawn in which the people of the sidhe will come forth again and be seen by all.”

Through examining the possible origin of Faery beings as fallen angels, we gain insight into not only Faery but also ourselves as spiritual beings and our relationship and connection to them. They, like us, are both of earth and stars. Like us, their spiritual origins are in the cosmos. As those of us on a spiritual path long for reconnection with the cosmic source of spirit, so do the Faery beings. They are our cousins in spirit.

World Soul

“The nymphs of the fountains and all the water-spirits and the depths of the earth and the air and the gleaming hollows are the lunar riders and the rulers of matter, celestial, starry, and that which is of the abysses.”

Chaldean Oracles

The ideas discussed here of Faery as being originally cosmic energy that now radiates from inner earth have direct and fascinating parallels with the ancient concept of the world soul, which exists in a number of ancient worldviews in slightly varying forms and still resonates today as a cosmic truth. The phrase
world soul
originates with the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, but similar concepts that predate his writings can be found around the world in ancient Egypt, the beliefs of ancient Semitic tribes, Hindu teachings, and the Chaldean Oracles, mysterious fragments of a collection of writings thought to date back to ancient Babylon. These ancient philosophies essentially tell us that all living things are imbued with spirit that radiates from one source at the centre of earth, which in turn was placed there by a creator god at the beginning of time.

This world soul is usually referred to as female and is the common origin of many wisdom goddesses throughout history, including the Judeo-Christian wisdom goddess the Shekinah, whose presence in Christianity is better known as the Holy Spirit. The earliest origins of this wisdom goddess can be traced back to Sumerian myths of the goddess Inanna some four thousand years before the birth of Christianity. In a fascinating parallel to the tale of the fall of Lucifer, Inanna, also known as the Queen of Heaven, flees from her father’s heavenly realm to bring wisdom to humanity. It is also extremely interesting to note that both Inanna and her Semitic equivalent Astarte are worshipped as the Morning Star, the title of the planet Venus, which is also associated with Lucifer. It is also interesting to note that Innana and Astarte are both associated with the septagram that has in recent years been closely linked to Faery as the “elven star.”

Later manifestations of the wisdom goddess, most notably the Gnostic Sophia, also strongly feature the theme of light that “falls” into the world to bring wisdom to the earthly realm. I will not dwell too long on this area but will draw your attention to more interesting parallels for consideration that may deepen your understanding of the nature of Faery. As David Rankine and Sorita D’Este point out in their excellent study
The Cosmic Shekinah
, “The Shekinah is the primordial light of creation, the heavenly glory of divine wisdom, and the inspiration for prophecy,” and this certainly seems relevant to the exploration of Faery. Not only are there the links we have already discussed with Faeries as beings of the light of the inner realm, but there is an interesting connection again with the gift of prophecy, which, as previously discussed, is one of the most constant gifts of Faery, particularly of Faery queens.

Is it coincidental that the goddess Hekate, who in British folklore counts “Faery queen” among her many titles, is also a light bringer and ancient wisdom goddess? Hekate is worshipped as the World Soul as Hekate Soteira (saviour), so this opens up a new area of study and contemplation. Another fascinating aspect of the Shekinah is that she is said to manifest as the Garden of Eden itself. This is another direct connection with Faery, for not only does their ageless realm resemble all descriptions of the perfection inherent in Eden, but a tale from Icelandic folklore tells that the Faery race were, in fact, the children of Eve whom she hid from the eyes of God out of shame, who were then forever cursed by God to remain hidden from sight, gaining the name
Huldufólk,
or “hidden folk.” This has obvious similarities with the Celtic tales of faeries as fallen angels and similarly compelling implications when we look at the spiritual truths behind the dogma.

When we work with Faery and visit their realm, we are collaborating with agents of this “primordial light” in order to strengthen the much-needed link between their wisdom and our material world. If we perceive angels as the intermediaries between ourselves and the divine source above, it follows that Faery beings, as “fallen” angels, are the intermediaries between ourselves and the divine source below, or within the world of nature. In a parallel with the loss of the Divine Feminine through mainstream patriarchal religions, our ability to recognise the inherent spirit and wisdom in the world of nature has been weakened. The very light that dwells within the inner world and within the realm of Faery as intermediaries is the source of the same divine spark that dwells within each of us and within every living thing. Through this light, we are all connected.

Faery Hierarchy

When studying the Faery realm in any depth, it becomes apparent that beneath the seeming chaos, just as in nature, there is order. The hierarchy of Faery has not been as well documented as that of their upperworld angelic counterparts, but fragments may be found throughout folklore, and through experience and interaction with a variety of Faery beings, a certain clear hierarchy emerges.

There are, of course, the kings and queens of Faery, who are often associated with dominant features in the landscape such as mountains or great hills. Below that, we have the lords and ladies, the gentry, or the trooping faeries, who, as their names suggest, could be considered the Faery nobility, though it is worth considering whether any of this is simply their way of trying to make themselves understood to humanity by mimicking our own social structures of the past. However, if we look at great shining beings such as the sidhe, they are so different in power and ability from, for example, a dryad (tree spirit), that there is a definite hierarchical quality. This is not to say that even the most seemingly limited Faery being, elemental, or nature spirit should ever be underestimated. Within these “lordly” classes of Faery beings there are many tribes and roles, and these vary from area to area, as may be seen in tales and experiences around the world, yet there are always parallels to be found. For want of a better word, the “lower” classes of Faery beings are more accurately referred to as nature spirits, and below that, the elementals of earth, air, fire, and water (i.e., gnomes, sylphs, salamanders, and undines).

The grimoire magicians of the Renaissance were well aware of the existence of a hierarchy within the Faery realm and made good use of it within their work:

I exorcise, adjure, call upon and Earnestly Require you terrestrial spirits, that are the supreme head of the hierarchy, of those that are called Fairies, and who are called by the names of Mycob and Oberyon…to command the seven sisters Lilia, Rostilia, Foca, Folia, Africa, Julia, Venulla, or some one of them to appear visibly to us…(the seventeenth-century Sloane MS 3824, as quoted in David Rankine’s
Book of Treasure Spirits
, 2009)

They used very similar techniques to conjure Faery beings as they did to conjure demons and angels, primarily in order to locate buried treasure troves! Interestingly, though, instead of the usual threatening behaviour, Faery beings would be bribed with a good meal of “a chicken or any kind of small joint, or piece of meat handsomely roasted” (Ibid.), so it is clear that the magicians were aware that Faery beings could not be controlled in the usual methods and must be appealed to instead.

The author and teacher R. J. Stewart has been studying Faery tradition for over thirty years, and I asked him in a recent interview about his experiences of Faery hierarchy:

I have described it in several of my books, especially
Earth Light
,
Power Within the Land
, and
The Well of Light
. It’s very easy to understand, because it starts with huge beings who are of, say, the Atlantic or the Pacific, or of the European landmass, so it’s a total consciousness like that, which is what the Greeks would have called Titans. Inside them, you have lesser (but still very large) beings that are of the mountains or forests—they’re like a massive consciousness of the forest or the river. Then, inside that, you have somewhat smaller ones like a mountain, a region. Then, eventually, just as in the human world, you get the smaller inhabitants who live in that region, the difference being that these are all consciousness. They’re not just geography, they’re consciousness. Places, People, and Powers are the three Ps to remember.