Working with Faeries | How to See and Work with the Fairy Realm

Many people believe in angels, but what about faeries? They have made a name for themselves as cute, winged people who flit amongst the flowers, belonging only in fantasy tales and the imaginations of children.

But there is much more to faeries than that!

Faeries exist on the astral plane, meaning they are invisible to the physical eye. Some humans, if blessed with Second Sight, may be able to see faeries, while others sense or hear their presence instead. Some may not see or sense faeries at all, but experience their presence in other ways, such as objects being moved around the house (usually hobgoblins) or wilting flowers suddenly being revived out of the blue.

Faeries are generally wary of humans, and tend to keep out of our way. Many are angry with us for our poor treatment of Mother Earth, and if you want to work with this enchanted realm, you must therefore first earn their trust and respect.

Titania, High Queen of the Faeries
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So where to begin? Well, if you are environmentally conscious, green-fingered, and creative, you are already well on the way to making friends with the Fey! If not, don't despair. There are many steps you can take to show the faeries you are willing to work with them. If you dedicate some time to helping the planet, making your garden wildlife friendly, and spreading the word about conservation, the faeries will be impressed. The more natural your home, the lighter and more positive your state of being, and the greater your belief, the more faeries will be attracted to you and your living space.

There are numerous things you can do to encourage faeries, such as meditating in the garden or in nature, leaving offerings to them, creating an altar for working with them, keeping your house clean and tidy, and creating wild spaces in your garden. You can find out more on these topics further down the page.

If you are serious about working with the Faerie Realm, then I hope this lens will serve as a helpful guide to introducing you to the Fey, and bringing together all the best books, links and other resources to help you learn and develop with the faeries!

The best way to connect with the faeries is to find a suitable place out in nature. This can be a wild little spot underneath your favourite tree in the garden, or a special area in a local park, by a river, in a wood, or by the sea. Wherever feels most comfortable and meaningful to you, and wherever you feel most inspired by the faeries.

Although most faeries are benevolent, there is a darker side to Faerie. Not to mention that even the most kindhearted of faeries can have a capricious, mischievous side to their nature as well! So it is usually best, at least when starting out, to cast a circle of protection around you while you meditate. A witch might cast a formal circle according to her own customs and rituals, while others might simply ask their guides, angels or deity for protection. A simple protective circle to cast is to visualize a circle of light around you, and summon an angel or protective guide to each quarter, North, East, South and West. Remember to dismiss the circle when you have finished (and to thank your guardians!)

Faerie Guardians
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Sitting in your chosen, protected spot, close your eyes and relax. Become aware of everything around you, experiencing this through all of your senses. For example, be aware of the warmth of the sun on your face. Listen to the running water of the river, or the leaves rustling in the breeze. Let your hands feel the grass or earth around you. Feel the bark of the tree you are resting against, and so on.

Let thoughts and feelings come to you. Do not force them or dwell on them; let them come and go like the ebb and flow of the tide.

Mentally ask the faeries for their guidance. Tell them you would like to work with them in whichever way pleases them. See if you receive any thoughts, words, images or messages. Don't worry if you do not get anything to start with; practice makes perfect!

Alternatively, you might like to try a guided meditation or visualisation to meet and connect with the faeries or a faerie queen. You can find such meditations in the various guide books available, or try the Sally Morningstar meditation below. It is best to try these in an area where you will not be disturbed, so favour your garden for this rather than a busy park!

When you wish to end your faerie connection, slowly root yourself back in the physical world and open your eyes when you are ready. Ground yourself by drinking some water or using a grounding crystal or stone. Write down your thoughts, feelings and experiences in a faerie journal.

As you develop your work with the Fey, you may receive messages and visions more easily. Remember though, if you ever get swept off to Faerieland, don't consume any of the food or drink offered to you, or you may never return!

One of the best ways to demonstrate your dedication to the faeries is to create an altar. This gives you a place to work at inside your home and helps focus your intent. Your space can be a small area tucked away somewhere, or a full blown intricately decorated table, so long as it is meaningful and contains objects of relevance to you and your work with the Fey.

Decorate your altar in faerie colours of nature, such as brown, green, and gold. Represent the four elements of fire, air, water and earth using objects such as candles, incense, a mini fountain and crystals. Other objects might include faerie ornaments or art, feathers, stones, wreaths, leaves, acorns, lamps and other natural objects, fairy dust (glitter!), your journal, and any other meaningful symbols that you come across in your faerie journeys.

You can also choose to decorate according to the passing seasons and festivals of the year, keeping your altar fresh and full of energy.

You can find out more about creating a special faerie altar in my award-winning article HERE.

The High Queen of the Fae
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Here are some excellent flowers and trees to plant in the garden that will be sure to attract the Fey!

* Foxglove
* Honeysuckle
* Lavender
* Jasmine
* Oak, Ash and Thorn
* Holly
* Wild Rose
* Primrose
* Bluebell
* Marigold

Most herbs are attractive to faeries as are flowers native to your area. Any plants that attract wildlife, from birds to bees, will also attract the faeries too!

Most people think of faeries as being the sweet little flower fairy-style creatures - female humans with delicate wings. But it was actually the Victorians who came up with this sweet version of the fairy - in reality, they come in all shapes and sizes, and not all nice ones!

Some faeries include:

Sidhe - the ancient Celtic faeries are thought to be the original race of Celtic gods and goddesses, who eventually vanished into the hills and became fey.

Elementals - the faeries of the elements, Air (Sylphs), Water (Undines), Earth (Gnomes) and Fire (Salamanders) are ruled by Faerie Kings and control the elements of nature

Nature Spirits - the faeries who tend everything from flowers to trees.

House Faeries - such as naughty hobgoblins or hearth faeries

There are many different races of faerie. For example, Cornish faeries include Knockers, Spriggans and Piskies.

Some faeries, such as Red Caps, can be extremely hostile and unpleasant. It is best to avoid these faeries!

Unicorn in Fairyland
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The faerie race also includes creatures such as mermaids and tree spirits. Unicorns are also associated with faeries.

The Faerie Realm is divided into the Seelie (benevolent) and Unseelie (malevolent) Courts.

To learn more about the different types of faerie, I recommend:

The Fairy
Bible:

Fairies and Magical Beings

Enchantment of the Faerie Realm

Tree spirits are ancient and wise beings who reside within trees. They have great knowledge and dignity and are drawn to humankind. When you think of what a tree has seen, standing over a changing landscape for so many years, imagine what that tree could tell you!

Tree spirits are not entirely bound to their tree; they can venture a short distance from it. Legends tell of folk becoming scared and unsettled in woods and forests at night, mainly because of the energy created by the tree spirits stirring and walking about the woods.

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Trees are often full of faeries who rest and play in the branches, or even make their home there. However, there are rarely tree faeries as such; rather faeries that attach themselves to particular types of tree, or faerie who reside in wooded areas, such as dryads and wood nymphs.

Tree spirits can teach humans a lot, both about the world and about themselves. This is especially true of very ancient, wise trees known as Tree Mothers, or Mother Trees.

My first encounter with tree spirits was with that of a Willow Mother Tree (pictured at the top of this section), and I visited her over and over. I live further away from her now, but always like to return to her whenever I visit the area. Tree Mothers, like all tree spirits, have a strong presence of energy and may cause those who encounter them to feel shivers or a sense of awe-inspiring power.

"Elder Tree Mother" by Arthur Rackham
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To work with a tree spirit, choose a favourite tree and sit beneath it, leaning back into its bark and relaxing. Connect with it by closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and introducing yourself. Let words, imagery, visions or symbols come to you naturally. Trees have much wisdom and healing to offer, and even the simple act of leaning against one can provide healing, strength and renewal.

You will be able to find out more about tree spirits in my forthcoming Tree Spirits lens, coming soon. In the meantime, here is an article I wrote on suite101 entitled What are Tree Spirits?

Faeries are fickle creatures, and it is always a good idea to keep on the right side of them. While most are not generally malicious, they are capable of causing mischief around the house and garden, such as overturning things, breaking plates, spilling things or scattering flour and sugar everywhere!

One of the ways to honour faeries is to leave them offerings. This is a tradition stemming from ancient times, and still practiced in parts of Ireland today, where folk leave out milk and honey on their doorsteps for the Fair Folk.

Food is a good place to start; faeries have a sweet tooth, with a liking for cakes, sugar, honey and the like. They also find milk pleasing, as well as any food associated with current festivals. Seasonal, natural and chemical-free produce should be offered, so as not to offend their sensitivity.

Other forms of offerings can include natural objects, such as acorns, leaves or berries. Many of us like to collect shells, flowers and so on for creating crafts or displays, so it is only right to give some back to Mother Nature. If you collect a twig from a tree, for example (always remembering to ask permission first!) it is respectful to leave something natural in its place, such as a stone or feather.

Crystals also make excellent tributes to the faeries, as they are beautiful trinkets for them, but also natural, and with healing properties.

The Cherry Tree Fairy
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Sharing your garden produce, from fruit trees to berry bushes, with the birds and other wildlife is also pleasing to the Fey. They dislike fruit cages and similar methods of protecting plants; if you are willing to share, then the faeries will bless your garden and bring you bountiful produce, meaning that there is plenty to go around for everyone.

Finally, share your creativity with the faeries. They enjoy music, song, poetry and art. Create gifts for them, or if you are not artistically-minded, use what you already have and dedicate them to the faeries. When writing letters, poems or stories, it is worth remembering that faeries like rhyme. They don't have to be brilliant - faeries are big fans of poor or funny rhyming, as it brings them much mirth!

Leave your offerings on your faery altar, under a bush in the garden, or in a secluded spot dedicated to your faerie offerings. Don't sit there waiting for activity though - faeries don't like to be spied on! Leave well alone, and know that the faeries are thankful. They will show their gratitude in the form of blessings, miracles and magic!

The Fairy Box charity exists to help support ill children in hospital, their families, and the medical and nursing staff involved in their care.

At the heart of the charity's work is the Fairy Box itself - a themed gift box which sits on the children's wards and which is filled with small gifts of books, toys, and games - lovingly donated - so that parents, medical and nursing staff caring for ill children can have access to a gift to help dry the tears of a child who is feeling sad or blue in hospital - and so help them on the road to recovery.

Medical and nursing staff are increasingly supportive of using the Fairy Box to help dry tears when a child has had to undergo a difficult or upsetting treatment.

If you would like to find out more about this wonderful charity, or donate, click here