Fairies and Other Fairy Folk

Fairies exist within all countries of our planet and are referred to by many different names depending on their country of origin. In the west we may refer to a fairy as a changeling, sylph, gobblin, gnome, hobgobblin, brownie, elf, or elfin creature. In Scotland a fairy woman is called Bean Nighe yet in Ireland she is known as Banshee.

All countries agree that fairies are mystical, magical, and mischievous winged creatures. If a fairy settles near your local be forewarned that you may be in for a strange visit from this creature. He or she is just as apt to bless you with mischief as they would be to bestow you with luck.

All fairies are magical beings but for some their magical powers are overshadowed by their mischievous nature. Some fairies it seems are intentional little tricksters while others just can't seem to help but get themselves in and out of trouble on a regular basis.

Mischief is just part of a fairy's character, and it seems that no matter how hard they try to stay out of it, fairies just cannot escape from their mischievous ways. Fairies seem to spend a great deal of their time getting into all forms of mischief. Some of this mischief is to our benefit but much more is not.

At one moment a fairy can be in the form of a beautiful angelic creature with wings and then in a flash of light she becomes a warted old garden toad. At another time the fairy may be disguised as a rock lying at our feet, and in the space of a breath, and a bright flash from a colored rainbow the fairy changes into the shape of a bird so she can fly away carrying the words that we had just spoken with her. Words heard and carried away to be shared with others perhaps?

Perhaps fairies are really not so sinister and it is only their ability to change shapes which is the reason that we as humans do not trust them. But there are many tales told of fairies and their mischievous ways. Stories of fairies who sneak into rooms in the dark of night to tangle hair into elfin locks as people sleep. Tales of items stolen from beneath a persons very eyes and tales of crops that fail for no apparent reason.

There are also the darker more sinister tales of a fairy's mischief and it is this which makes people wary of a fairy's presence. Whispered warnings of fairies who have stolen the breath from children, or from the old when they were asleep, or too weak to fend the fairy off. Frightening stories of people who have been led away by fairies from their chosen pathways. Tales of children and adults who disappear into the air about them. Stolen by fairies, and whisked away to a land where humans cannot venture without a fairy's express permission, they are lost forever more from our world. It is this dark folklore that keep us watchful of a fairy's mischievous magical ways.

Fortunately there are ways that a human can have protection from a fairy should it be necessary to acquire this respite. Carrying bread on your person is something which will keep a fairy away from you. It is believed that this very traditional symbol of the home, also symbolizes the taming of nature, and this is something which a fairy absolutely cannot tolerate.

Other forms of protection from a fairy are cold iron, running water, the sound of ringing bells, four leaf clovers, St.Johns Wart, and wearing your clothing inside out. The thought that a fairy may be warded off by the sound of ringing bells is somewhat ironic because the fairy queen actually adorns her horses in bells.

Fairies love to eat and are always munching on something. If you notice that last piece of pie has disappeared, or that the half full cookie jar is now empty, well you just might be able to figure out who was visiting there. Fairies like to make themselves at home when they find a spot that they like.

APPLE CRISP:

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
Approx. 4 1/2 cups apples

Cream margarine and brown sugar together. Add next three ingredients and stir till mixture is crumbly.

Mix 1/4 of mixture with apples in baking pan. Pile the remaining crumb mixture on top of the apples in the baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool slightly and serve with ice cream or cream.

When you participate in pleasurable activities like smiling, laughing, exercising or playing, your brain does an amazing thing and releases a little chemical message known as an endorphin.

These endorphins are feel good messages that have the power to actually remove physical and emotional pain. They travel down the spine, and then throughout your body, sending a feeling of well being as they go. These endorphins not only have the ability to relieve pain but they also have the power to make you feel happy. So remember to take time to play - It really is important.