A Ritual for the Autumn Equinox and Acronychal Rising of the Pleiades: Opening the Gate Between Worlds

Calling in the Liminal Powers

Art credit: Pixabay

For those who follow a fairy-related spiritual path, the Autumn Equinox and the Achronycal Rising of the Pleiades mark an important holiday. The energy around this celebration is cheerful because there is much to celebrate, and the interaction between fairies and humans tend to fell into a relatively positive category.

 

If you have been reading all my posts about Fairy holidays and are familiar with everything that happened since I returned from the last year’s trip to Ireland, I apologize to you because this may sound a little repetitive. If, however, you just came across this blog, then I must provide a little bit of context; I would also suggest to go back and read some of the older posts about fairy holidays, rituals, and Liminal Powers or Fairy Gods. These posts will shed light on what you are about to read and make it look less strange.

 

Last year, while in Ireland, I have been tasked by the fairy beings I work with (and for) to open portals between human world and the Otherworld, and to diligently keep these portals open. I have to do this at specific times throughout the year. Opening such portals is a sacred endeavor for me, as much as it is a reason for joy and celebration. So the whole process takes the form of ritual followed by feasting.  

 

The purpose for opening such portals is to give more free access to beings and energies of Fairy to flow into the human world which is in dire need for re-enchanting (Daimler, 2018; id. 2020). It is a necessary thing for both sides, fairy and human, because it would restore a heavily compromised balance. Influx of Fairy would shake things up on our side, and it has to be done: diminishing of fairy presence by aggressively blocking their access and displacement of their populations¹ – knowingly or unknowingly-  has brought about problems on every imaginable level. Just take a look at the ecological, health, and spiritual crises humanity is confronted as we speak. 

The Autumn Equinox and the close by Acronychal Rising of the Pleiades is one of the dates suited appropriate for portal-opening². The the outline of this ritual  and most of what is to be said throughout performing  it, comes from inspiration I derived from my teachers' work and the  directions I received  while journeying to access specific information. 

Outline for the Ritual

- Stand at the center of the space where the ritual will take place. Face the direction that you would usually face when beginning a ritual. For example, I begin facing my altar by the Fairy Tree, which is East, then turn North or South depending on what do I want to accomplish.)

- Announce what you are about to do, using words like: “I am setting now sacred space. In this sacred space I will open a portal between worlds, human and Fairy, a portal that shall allow the two worlds to merge within the confines of the space that I dedicate to this purpose”.

 - Turning to the right, walk a spiral path starting at the center and gradually expanding toward the periphery of the space. I have a copper bowl filled with water in which I soak herbs that I know are pleasant to fairies and Fairy Higher Powers; I sprinkle water on the ground as I walk around and repeat my intention out loud. You can walk one several coils, depending on how large your space is. My own space accommodates a 3-coils spiral.

- When you reach the periphery of the space, walk one full circle to mark the outer boundary. As I walk around this last full circle, I sprinkle herb-infused water on the ground. In my experience, it makes the space feel hallowed and  also welcoming for the Powers that I seek to invite.

- Mark the space with yarn or thread, any color that is suggestive of the ritual you are conducting, any color that you relate to boundaries and protection. Check with your fairy allies that the yarn color you use is not perceived by them as repelling. Move clockwise to mark the bounds with yarn, affirming your intention to define the sacred space where the portal will open for the Powers and your allies to com through. (This step is optional. If you chose to include it, chose a biodegradable thread.)

- Light up a candle – kept in a jar or lantern- to mark the outer boundaries of the portal with fire.  If you prefer, a censer with smoldering herbs or incense would work just fine; do what feels best for you.  Walk the outer boundary clockwise carrying the flame and declare the space protected by the power of fire and the power of the sun itself, so no inimical, unhael beings shall pass.  Use your own words, and any formulation that feels right. You can prepare your words in advance or speak extemporae, and see where inspiration takes you. After circling once, put the candle/censer somewhere safe and out of the way so you won't no trip over it. From this point on  no one should move past the circumference of the sacred space. (*Use discernment: if you have an emergency, then by all means do whatever you ned to do even if this involves you or someone else leaving the ritual space.)

- After you finished walking the circle that defines the outer boundary of your ritual space and which also sets the size of the portal, acknowledge the Pleiades, the Seven Sister, Seven Queen, or the Hen and Chicken as I knew it while growing up. Pleiades Acronychal rising is the marker for the liminal time we are entering, and there is plenty of evidence that fairies time various holidays based on star cycles. 

- You can now begin to invite the Powers associated with the Autumn Equinox. Feel free to adapt what is described next.

In my practice I acknowledge nine Fairy Liminal Powers, or Fairy Liminal Gods. In my own experience, three among these seven relate to the Autumn Equinox: Keeper of the Passages/The Gatekeeper, Queen of Apples, and The Horned Lord. These three Fairy Gods are the ones who I call following the four which I see as more foundational in their nature and whom I call first. I call seven Powers in total anchor the portal, and bring balance and the blessings of the season through the months to come.

- Begin the ritual by standing at the center of the space. In my case the ritual space is in my own backyard.

- Start making the first round of offerings, water, or if you prefer, sweet tea. I have already prepared a small jug with fresh water which will be the first offering I’ll make to the Powers. 

First call out the four Powers, who have a foundational role: The Queen of Waters, The Queen of Flame/The Ever-Shining One, The Queen of Winds, and the Queen of Ancient Earth and Stones. You can call them in any order you chose. For me personally, the order is arbitrary since I do not have any fixed correspondence linking a Power to a specific cardinal direction. I call one of the four Powers, then I simply make a quarter turn and call the next one.

- Stand at the center, facing the altar, fairy tree if you have one, or the direction you chose to begin. A lot of people who work fairy magic begin their rituals facing East. 

Call the Ever-Shining One/ Queen of Flame. She is the gold on treetops at sunset; she is behind the reds and purples in the morning sky; she’s in the tender warmth that make snow melt and first flowers peak through in springtime; she’s in the merciless heat the scourges man and beast and leaving deep cracks into rock-hard ground; she’s deep into the Earth where all is but fire, where molten rocks flow like rivers carrying continental plates on their backs. She’s in the moonshine that brightens up night, and she’s the spark making every star burn bright.  

Ask her to receive the offerings and cast her benevolent light upon the space and those in it; ask her to anchor the portal you are about to open and keep it safe and sturdy. Pour out some of the water for her.

- Turn to your left. If you started facing East, now you will face North. 

Call the Queen of Ancient Earth and Stone. She is part of the Earth itself and any earthy body in the Universe. She is withing rocky grounds and fertile soil. She holds the potential for seeds to hibernate, germinate, grow into mighty trees, and then receive them back when they die. She is the power within crystals, gems, and metals. She’s in the walls of caves and sandy bottom of seas and rivers. She’s the one who hides or uncovers springs, and is behind the healing powers of waters. She’s present within the magnificent desolation of deserts and the alluring sandy beaches. She supports life and receives the bodies which life has deserted: she is both the nurturer and the recycler. 

Invite her presence and her blessing in the ritual space that you have created. Ask the Queen of Ancient Earth and Stones to receive the offerings and bring her strength and nurturing into the space and those in it; ask her to anchor the portal you are about to open and keep it safe and sturdy. Pour out some of the water for her.

- Turn to your left. If you started facing East, now after the second turn you are facing West. 

Call to the Queen of Winds: she holds power over first and last breath, she is the air in the freshly aerated soil awaiting the seeds to fell and nestle in. She is the hollow and mysteries of caves, and the bubbles in the lacy crests of ocean waves. She’s in the burning fire logs, the flight of sparks and the popping sound of burning wood. She’s in the fluffiness of snow but also in the deadly blizzards. She is in the summer storms, hurricane winds, the gentle breeze in springtime, and in the forest’s cool shadow in summer time.

Invite her presence and her blessing in the ritual space that you have created. 

Ask the Queen of Winds to receive the offerings and bring her strength and nurturing into the space and those in it; ask her to anchor the portal you are about to open and keep it safe and sturdy. Pour out some of the water for her.

- Turn to your left. If you started facing East, now after the third turn you are facing South.

Call to the Queen of Waters/ The Ever-flowing One.  She is the spirit present in the raindrops enlivening the land, nourishing vegetation and animals; she’s is present in the downpour making torrents and rivers swell and drown everything in their path; she’s is present in oceans and sees as much as it is present in the crystal-clear lakes, mountain springs and small puddles. She is within tears and dew drops, in the pearls of sweat rolling down the skin, in the blood, as well as in the plants’ juices.  

Ask the Queen of Waters to receive the offerings and to bring her strength and nurturing into the ritual space and those in it; ask her to anchor the portal you are about to open and keep it safe and sturdy. Pour out some of the water for her.

Open and anchor portal.

Art credit: Pixabay

Next, call the other three Liminal Powers connected with the Autumn Equinox and with this time of the year. To call each of them, you will turn counter-clockwise about one third of the circle that marks your ritual space. Just approximate how far you turn. Don’t worry about being supper precise and don’t check if you turned 120° degrees exactly: keep in mind that this is a magical ritual not a geometry lesson.

- Face any direction you feel drawn to. Call the Keeper of the Passages/Gatekeeper. He is the guardian of portals between worlds, opener of doors that are locked in the human world and the Other, and when he doesn’t have a key to offer you directly, he’ll help you blast the obstacles that block your path. He is behind the energy released in magic to manifest or dissolve. Ask him to open between worlds and keep them wide open throughout he ritual. 

Ask the Gatekeeper to grant free passage, from one side ant the other, only to those among humans and fairies who are goodly inclined toward each other’s world and its inhabitants. Invite his presence and his blessing in the ritual space that you are creating. Welcome the Keeper of the Passages, and pour out some water as an offering for him.

- Turn about a third of the circle and call the Queen of Apples, beholder of vitality and life-force, she who embodies abundance, whether on fields, orchards, or as the health and vigor of mind and body. She is joy and zest for life, health and vibrancy, sensuality and sexuality. She encapsulates the energies of the seed that will become the apple tree (of any tree for that matter) whose twigs can be made into wands used in healing work, and whose fruit nourishes and heals. She is the essence of personal power personal sovereignty. 

Invite her presence and her blessings in the ritual space. Welcome the Queen of Apples and pour out some water as an offering to her.

- Turn another third of a circle, and call the Horned Lord. He is the energy of the ripe grapes ready to turn into wine, the plentiful of crops reaching the storage, the physical strength of people, domestic beasts and wildlife, cheerfulness and merriment, the beauty of the season as leaves turn color, and fierceness of stags fighting for mates and territory. I invite his presence and his blessings in the ritual space that I am creating. I welcome the Horned Lord, and pour out some water as an offering to him.

You are now going to open the portal. Use a ritual blade made of copper, bronze, or silver. The blade can be any size and style: a sword, a knife, a letter opener. You may use a stick or a wand made of a wood that has fairy associations. Apple, Hazel, Birch, Rowan, Oak, are few suggestions. 

-To open the portal, turn counterclockwise, either pivoting in place or walking the boundaries of the circle holding the blade or wand up above your head. See yourself cutting a round opening that matches the ritual space you set up. Focus strongly on opening the portal. Say out loud, these words or similar ones: “I am opening a portal between worlds, between Fairy and the world of mortals. The Liminal Powers themselves ground and guard this portal. Starlight shall flow through. Hael and holly beings, goodly inclined toward me and mine, my Fairy allies – I welcome you and honor you at this time when the Seven Sisters  (or however you chose to call the Pleiades) herald your arrival, illuminating the Path.“ Change the wording to suit you.

- Stand at the center of the space, or by the altar if you sat up one, and face any direction you wish. Invite the Fairy Queen or King that you are devoted to or connected with, if there is/are any. Pour out water for them too. Affirm that the portal is open for them to move through as they please, and ask them to guard it against any inimical being that may want to come in.

- If you believe that you have ancestors or relatives in Fairy, invite them to join. Pour out water for them. Affirm that the portal is open for them to move through as they please, and ask them to guard it against any inimical being that may want to come in.

- Invite your fairy familiar(s) and allies. Pour out water for each of them, and greet them individually. Affirm that the portal is open for them to move through as they please, and ask them to guard it against any inimical being that may want to come.

- Express your gratitude for the presence and support coming from those that you invited and the peoples they represent.

- Intend for the portal to remain open and bridge the worlds asunder, human and Fairy

- Present the offerings of food, and other drinks if you have any (I usually have cakes³, or fresh bread and butter, fresh fruit, or a portion of what I have cooked for myself and my family. I may also offer milk, wine, beer, fruit juice etc. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but whatever it is, it shall be the best quality you can afford.)

- If you have any other offering, such as song, dance, reading aloud something that you chose for Them, you can deliver that now. 

- You can burn incense or fragrant herbs as part of offerings.  (MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON’T BURN ANYTHING TOXIC!!)

- Leave the offerings in their dishes in the ritual space for as long as you plan to be around celebrating the Autumn Equinox. Please keep in mind that on this particular occasion the ritual focuses on opening a portal between Fairy and the human world. Celebrating the Autumn Equinox is part of this ritual, but it is more of a backdrop rather than the main purpose in itself. 

- If you created a yarn boundary, you can remove it now or later; go counterclockwise when you do this.

My intention here is to provide an outline of a ritual that focuses on opening a portal between Fairy and the human world. I time this ritual in conjunction with both the achronycal rising of the Pleiades and the Autumn Equinox, so the dates for the ritual are relative. Where I live, the Pleiades are not visible above horizon on the exact astronomical date of the Autumn Equinox. Also, the difference in length between day and night from one day to the next is only about one minute, which means it is not really perceivable without precise measuring instruments. It makes sense to me to hold the ritual when I do see the Pleiades in the sky and when I get the sense that night and day are equal; which means that it won’t be until a day or two after the astronomical date of the Autumn Equinox when I’ll get into my backyard and hold the ritual. If you chose to align your practice with whatever timing you feel is right for you. 

Adapt the ritual described here to suit your beliefs and style of practice- whatever you do make sure that it fells authentic to you. I sometimes find other people’s recommendations for practice to fit perfectly my own beliefs and personal taste, in which case I adopt the ritual and credit the source where I learned it from. Some other times, I come with things that are entirely my own. This specific ritual is based on recommendations made by Morgan Daimler in their books “Living Fairy” and “Traveling the Fairy Path”, with added elements from Cat Heath’s approach setting sacred space as she talks about it in “Elves, Gods & Witches” (see “Resources”) but in developing the ritual into the form described here I followed what my elven guides recommended. 

I recommend that you get familiar with the script in advance, and prepare your supplies and offerings before starting. Elaborate your ritual components and celebratory aspects as much as you like.

Make merry and feast, and when you are done, pour out the offerings: you can bury them, put them into fire if you are having a fire for the occasion, leave them on a rock, by a tree, or on and outdoor altar if you have one. Be careful about what you leave outside, and make sure it is not toxic for the wildlife or the vegetation around. Alcohol is damaging for herbs and animals, and chocolate is toxic for dogs and the canis family in general (wolves, coyotes, foxes – etc), so best burry or burn those items. 

Since there is no plan to close the portal, find a moment to tell your Fairy invitees that they may stay or leave as they wish. A while ago I learned the formula “In good will and perfect trust/ stay if you will, go if you must.” I like it and still use it, although I occasionally play around with the wording. Ask the Keeper of Passages and those whom you entrust with protection to guard the portal. 

Let the ritual melt into the rest of your evening, or night, without closing abruptly. The ritual itself extending naturally into feasting and celebration mirrors the opening of the portal and the smooth flow between world, a subtle but continuous process without any steep halting to it.

Happy Autumn Equinox, and may the light of stars always shine bright on your path,

Daniela

PS. I will give more details about the nine Liminal Powers in an upcoming post, as well as templates for rituals for different occasions.

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¹ As Norsemen began to populate Iceland they encountered the local land wights and alfs who acted benevolently toward the newly arrived. Making offerings and treating the local wights and alfs with respect ensured humans’ survival. Wights shared knowledge and made crops and game plentiful. Advancing of Christianity destroyed the balance. Priests sprinkled holy water on places where alfs dwelt, making them leave. In leaving, however, the alfs and wights took away the land’s abundance, and people were left to deal with the problem. (Gundarsson, 2007; id.1993) In feuding against each other, chieftains and kings intentionally offended the wights and alfs dwelling into the opponents’ land to cause opponents' downfall, because without protection form local alfs and wights no ruler has control or power over land. (Gundarsson, 2007; id.1993) In Ireland, fairies seem to be bothered by church bells ringing which may case them to abandon an area. (www.duchas.ie; Daimler, 2017; id. 2020) Destruction of fairy places is another reason for them to leave, oftentimes not before taking revenge on the humans who caused the destruction. (Gundarson, 2007; Paxon, 2021)

² Portals open automatically at different times and/or in specific places, but ritual action actively supports the process by landing more energy to it. More over, through ritual action, such portals can be anchored into physical places so they become permanent or semi-permanent. With these in mind, portals are not to be opened randomly and carelessly. 

³ Daimler, “Living Fairy,” 2020. 

⁴ For details you may check Daniela Simina, Pagan Portals “A Fairy Path: The Memoir of a Young Fairy Seer in Training”, 2023, autobiographic.

Bibliography and Resources

Books:

Carding, Emily “Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm”, 2012

Daimler, Morgan “Travelling the Fairy Path”, 2018

Daimler, Morgan “Living Fairy”, 2020

Daimler, Morgan “Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk”, 2017

Daimler, Morgan “A Modern Dictionary of Fairies: A 21^st Century Exploration of Celtic and Realted Western European Fairies”, 2020

Gundarsson, Kveldulf “Teutonic Religion: Folk Beliefs and Practices of the Northern Traditions”, 1993

Gundarsson Kveldulf “Elves, Wights, and Trolls: Studies Towards the Practice of Germanic Hethenry, Vol.1”, 2007

Paxon, Diana, L. “Taking up the Runes: A Complete Guide to Using Runes in Spells, Rituals, Divination, and Magic”, 2021

Simina, Daniela, “A Fairy Path: The Memoir of a Young Fairy Seer in Training”, 2023

On-line articles:

Winifred Hodge Rose, "Land Wights and Human Ecology", 2013, https://heathensoullore.net/landwights-and-human-ecology/  

“The Fairy Swelling on Selena Mor” https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/swc2/swc216.htm

Daimler, Morgan “Liminal Gods- Deeper Theology”, January, 2021 https://lairbhan.blogspot.com/search?q=Liminal+Gods

“The School Collection”, https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes

Seo Helrune, "Elves and Witchcraft, Seidr and Grimoirs" , https://seohelrune.com

Classes:

Seo Helrune, "Elves and Witches: A Survival Guide", for access to class recording and materials, contact Set Helrune at seo.helrune@gmail.com

Morgan Daimler, "Pulling the Wings off Fairies" https://irishpaganschool.com/courses?page=3 

Daniela Simina, "Fairycrafting: The Art of Fairy Magic", 3 parts course offered bi-annually. Email Daniela Simina at dsimina@gmail.com or check SiminaYoga on Facebook for announcements regarding course dates and description. 

September: On Autumn Equinox, Fairies, and the Importance of Portals

 

Art credit: Daniela Simina

The treetops have just begun to turn gold. Whenever the wind picks up, leaves dance in the air and twirl their way to the ground.  The days are still long but the light has a different quality to it, and the sunsets are made of amber. September: the very word sounds magical, resonating like old bronze bells that in the century past called schoolchildren in to classrooms. September: the name, as the month itself, brims with memories and magic, and memories about magic from as far back as my childhood years, and sometimes from even farther back… 

Over the past few years, walking a fairy path added layers to both the meaning and the feeling surrounding September, as it shaped my perception not only of nature in general but of the Powers behind nature and natural world. Because of this – and few other contributing factors that I will detail farther – the Autumn Equinox has become an even more special time and a weightier marker on my calendar of seasonal celebrations.

 

Altar for Autumn Equinox 2016. Photo credit Daniela Simina

Going on a tangent, just a little bit, I must restate that Ireland is for me a most special place. I connected to it psychically a very long time ago, and when I visited in 2018 not only did I feel the connection strengthening, but also had one experience in particular which prompted a chain reaction that reconnected me with fairy faith and practices. Fast forward to Ireland, 2022. As if picking things up form where I left them in 2018, I found myself going through a multiple-steps initiatory experience (totally unplanned). As a result, I came to see my path and my relationship to fairies in a different light. This “new light” concretizes as new ways of perceiving and understanding things and also translates into assignments and instructions- all related to the fairy path I've been pursuing. Firstly, on June 21, while at the Hill of Tara, I received a list of 7 Powers/Fairy Gods and was instructed to connect with them and align myself with the nature aspects They represent. Based on this connection I would then begin to develop a personal cosmology (more on this in a future post). Second, on the night of June 23, I was released from contractual obligations I had with Zâne[1]. Finally, on July 11, my birthday, I was asked, in a take–it-or-leave-it fashion[2] to acknowledge and embrace my connection to a specific group among the Fair Folk[3] , and when I did, I knew that I was not only in a lifetime relationship with that specific group, but also officially in service to fairies in a larger scheme of things. I was then tasked to open portals between worlds at specific times, and keep them open.  I know this sounds bizarre and complicated, but things are far more nuanced the words can convey, particularly in this case when I cannot write about every single detail: I do not want to challenge readers’ patience by turning this post into a novel. Done going on tangents, and back to Autumn Equinox.

Autumn Equinox is one of the times, four in total, when I am to open the portals I talked about. This will be the first time when I will be performing the ceremony which I’m not sure yet what form will take precisely. What I know with a fair degree of certainty is that we need such portals to open wide again between our world and the Other. I am not alone in concluding that Powers of Fairy must flow freely to allow the restoration of an energetic balance that modern society is slipping away from, farther and faster with each passing day. Greed and aggressive industrialization coupled with policies of spiritual annihilation lead to the ossification of minds and spirits alike by rejecting the magic, the wild, the feral, the Fairy. 

This is destructive in both intent and outcome because healthy balance can only be achieved among competing and complementary forces. 

I am thus getting ready for the Autumn Equinox and once I’ll have a relatively clear outline for the ceremony, I will share. Maybe several of us can coordinate, and gather more power by working together. 

Opening Portal. Art credit Daniela Simina, womboart.com 

In line with everything that I said in the last part of this post about the need for ushering more of the Fairy into the human world as necessary albeit not devoid of danger course of action, I made a list of resources that I believe to be very useful.

1. Morgan Daimler, “Fairy Witchcraft”, “Fairycraft”, “Traveling the Fairy Path”, “Living Fairy”, “21st Century Fairy: The Good Folk in the New Millennium”, and for those particularly interested in the Irish fairies, “Aos Sidhe: Meeting the Irish Fair Folk” is one of the best resources available anywhere on the market. Also, I would recommend the books in the high fantasy series “Between the Worlds”, and “Into Shadow” by the same author. Daimler does an amazing job at developing fantasy characters in ways that do not distort traditional lore. 

Also, Morgan Daimler's blog “Living Liminally”, https://lairbhan.blogspot.com , is a great resource. 

2. Blythe Rhymer, “The Raven and the Lotus”, http://theravenandthelotus.com , an excellent blog written by Blythe oftentimes in collaboration with her fairy partner, Tadhg. I cannot recommend it highly enough for both style and content quality.

3. Barbara Campinoti, “Chime- A Space for UPG and Italian Fairy Folklore”, https://upgandfolklore.blogspot.com/2022/08/welcome.html . Barbara has a strong, lifelong connection to fairies who guide her personal and professional paths. Her approach to fairy faith is eclectic, and what Barbara shares on her blog, flows straight from her own experiences with the Fair Folk.

Thanks for reading, and until we meet again, bright Fairy blessings to all of you.

Daniela

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[1] Generic term used for Romanian fairies. 

[2] There have been three or four occasions in my entire life so far when the fairies I am partnering up with presented me with this kind of one way or no way choices. To be clear, the choice has always been mine.

[3] The name Fair Folk could be misleading so I shall specify that it is a generic name that I use for a group of fairies that are not all from among the Irish Aos Sidhe, but include Wights and members of the Álfar. 

              

Where Fairies Meet: The Relevance of Comparative Material

There is a sense of delight that I feel, as I hold the author copy of “Where Fairies Meet: Parallels between Irish and Romanian Fairy Traditions.” It is the first comparative study that brings side to side Irish and Romanian fairy folklore, and as I sit here, with the hard copy in hand, I can only think of why and how “Where Fairies Meet” came to be. The book came to life in his format because They (by ‘They’ I mean fairies[1]) wanted it so. I’ll give you the full story, shortly. My personal motivations however, lay along the lines of wanting to offer a useful resource to those who are interested to pursue a fairy-based spiritual path or have an interest in researching fairy lore cross-culturally. 

 

Being one such a path myself, I found it very important to have access to authentic fairy lore and folklore, especially to resources that examine similar traditions across two or more cultures.  I will underline the words authentic and cross-cultural, and here’s why: I needed more context for my own experiences as well as a better understanding of who and what was I dealing with. I needed a solid framework, one built on scholarship as opposed to speculative interpretation of lore, on traditions – such as those of fairy seers from places in Southern and Central Europe, that still survive today albeit scanty- as opposed to fakelore. 

 

More than once, I found myself running circles while trying to piecemeal an approach to working in partnership with fairies. I shall explain. I found excellent guidance through the work of Morgan Daimler, Lora O’Brien, Cat Heath, Sabina Magliocco, Dr. Simon Young, whose blogs, papers, books, and webpages I am adding to the list of resources at the end of this post. I also have had the memories from the times I apprenticed with my grandmother, herself a fairy seer and medicine woman. But the path I found myself treading over the past few years is an eclectic one, so I needed, and still need, resources that present information more in the fashion of comparative studies. I also believe with all my heart that I am not the only one trying connect bits and pieces into something coherent, into something that makes sense from a broader perspective and in the same time feels true to me. To all those seekers like myself, here’s one resource which I truly hope you may find useful.

 

I am aware that comparative studies can be problematic due the tendency to whitewash differences and present for example deities and fairy beings form various cultures as one and the same under different aspects. In the vast majority of cases this is not accurate, and in my opinion, it is offensive to the cultures as well as to the deities themselves to be conflated, squashed together as just one thing disregarding individuality. 

 

Yet those studies that present various elements and practices from different cultures using comparison instead of leveling of differences, that treat with care and consideration the uniqueness of each culture, are useful resources. In her excellent class “Charms, Wihta, and Story: An Animistic Approach to Modern Heathen Magic”, Cat Heath explains why comparative material is important.  Viewing the same practice (healing charm or ritual element, for example) through different cultural lenses offers different angles and perspectives that are oftentimes converging.  This in turn help seekers shed light especially over the cases where material is scanty or very fragmented.  Since modern personal practice is not a one hundred percent replica of something done in the distant past, comparative studies can help one’s personal practice to grow through the integration of various elements. Integration is different from slamming things together into a hodge-podge. Integration of elements coming from different cultures is based on understanding of how things evolved over time in response to the changes that occurred within society. Knowing the background gives a thorough understanding which is very important as one seeks to connect with theses practices, (healing, protective charms, ritual elements, propitiatory offerings, etc.) at deeper levels. Deep connection leads to internalizing the material which then can be adapted and incorporated into personal practice to create an organic blend.

 

I admit to the fact that I was not planning to write this book: not the way it came out anyway. Initially, I was focusing on a conference paper to present at Mystic South, Atlanta, 2022. I initially wrote the abstract of what I believed would be my paper, and then let it percolate before submitting it. That very night, one of my fairy guides told me in unequivocal terms that I was not going to submit that abstract. What I began as a paper had to be expanded into a book. I agreed to the undertaking, but I also made it clear that I needed ASAP a new idea for a paper as well as an abstract; you see, I had less that twenty-four hours till deadline.  Reassured by the fairy ally that it’ll all work out, I went back to sleep. In the morning, I woke up with a new paper title, and as soon as I sat down in front of the computer, the abstract began to flow through as if under dictation. (The link to the paper, which was accepted to the conference, is in the list of resources at the end of this post.)

 

Next, I focused on writing the book. As I expanded the initial outline, it became increasingly clearer that I have to go beyond focusing exclusively on scholarship which had been my initial intent. Thoroughly researched and complete with a long Bibliography section, the book offers study material for everyone interested in authentic fairy traditions, past and present. It also invites pondering over the reality behind the phenomena described in the collected material, since it includes the testimony of fairy seers of the twenty-first century, and personal experiences. This last aspect may be of use especially to those who have a more eclectic take to working in partnership with fairies. 

 

There’s never too much material to equip us for functioning in the space where the fairies meet, the space where fairy and fairy-like beings tug at one’s sleeve, inviting (I put this in the mildest possible terms) a partnership. For all those needing such material, I was thus guided to write “Where Fairies Meet: Parallels between Irish and Romanian Fairy Traditions.”

 

Thank you for reading, and until we next meet, bright fairy blessings.

Daniela Simina

Notes

[1] The term fairy/fairies as I use it here is intended as an umbrella term to include beings that are strikingly similar yet unique to the cultures they come from, and are known as the Aes Síde, Na Daoine Maithe in Ireland and zâne, either Rusalii or Sânziene, in Romania. 

 

Resources

Daimler, Morgan “A New Dictionary of Fairies: A 21^st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies” , 2020

Daimler, Morgan “Living Liminally” https://lairbhan.blogspot.com

Heath, Cat “Elves, Witches, and Gods: Spinning Old Heathen Magic in the Modern Day”, 2021

Heath, Cat “Charms, Wihta, and Story: An Animistic Approach to Modern Heathen Magic”, https://www.eventbrite.com(contact Cat Heath for class recordings)

Magliocco, Sabina “Magliocco, Sabina, “The Taming of the Fae: Literary and Folkloric Fairies in Modern Paganism”, Magic and Witchery in the Modern West edited by Shai Feraro and Ethan Doyle White (Palgrave MacMillan, 2019) 

O’Brien, Lora, and Jon O’Sullivan,  “Irish Pagan School: Authentic Connection to Ireland” https://irishpaganschool.com

Young, Simon, Ceri Houlbrook, “British and Irish Fairies -500AD to the Present”, 2017

Young, Simon, Ceri Houlbrook, “Magical Folk: A History of Real Fairies, 500 AD to the Present”, 2022

 

An Herbal Charm to Propitiate Abundance

Bearded Iris. Photo credit: Daniela Simina, 2022

Sânziene, the fairies which according to Romanian lore are intensly active during summer, have under their purview the use of herbs for both medicinal and magical uses.  From my own practice, I am sharing here the nuts and bolts of crafting a little herbal charm to propitiate abundance.  

https://youtu.be/C7PYDRY2bhA 

Enjoy watching, and until we next meet, bright fairy blessings to all of you.

Daniela 

Fairy Partnerships: Who Comes in, and Who Stays Out

 

 Whimsical window display. Hill of Tara coffeeshop, June 21, 2022

Photo credit: Daniela Simina

According to the fairy lore provenient from several European cultures, fairies – by whatever name they go- are best when left alone.  To this day, people in Ireland caution against disturbing fairy mounds and fairy trees. Actively seeking fairies is not only discouraged, but regarded as very unwise. In Romania, as well as other countries in the Central and Eastern Europe, fairies are presented with offerings on different occasions outside of which people do not seek to engage with them in any form. From culture to culture, fairies show various degrees of hostility and friendliness toward humans, all of which is context bound.

Fairy witches, fairy doctors, fairy seers, known by different names and whose attributions vary slightly according to the culture they belong to, share one common denominator: they all work in partnership with fairies. This seems to contradict everything the cultures themselves recommend, namely, leaving fairies alone. It seems though that certain individuals are somehow called to develop working partnership with fairies. The tradition of fairy witches/doctors[1], once wide spread, has currently declined and it has been driven nearly to extinction. However, isolated cases of practitioners working in partnership with fairies are still to be found. For example, a Romanian community settled in Eastern Serbia, has active fairy seers[2]. In Ireland, Pat Noone[3], at Green Hills Farm in Co. Longford, talks about the fairy activity on his farm which has acquired a world wide reputation. 

In modern times, barriers around spiritual beliefs have thinned, and people are more comfortable talking about various experiences they’ve had, including encounters and interactions with fairies[4]^,[5]. It seems that fairies themselves have began to show a vested interest in humans, to an extent previously unknown. This goes hand in hand with modern spiritual seekers’ desire to develop partnerships with fairies. For short, fairies associated with different pantheons and bodies of lore seek to connect with humans, while people from the most varied spiritual paths are actively seeking to connect with fairies both local and from pantheons outside one’s native culture. 

While many express positive feelings and impressions following fairy interactions, others follow along the norms’ presented in the source material describing fairies as mainly dangerous, and – as previously mentioned-  best left alone. 

Positive or less so, sought after or steamrolling into one’s life regardless the human’s intent or desire, fairy interaction happens today as it always did, maybe nowadays being marked by a more pronounced willingness from people to encourage or actively seek such connection. In the modern world, similarly to the ages past, humans and fairy relationships take a wide variety of expressions. Regardless of form, degree of closeness, degree of casualness or structure, entertaining these relationships brings up one important question to consider: how does someone invite fairy partnership while still protecting against fairy beings who are less then fond of humans? Warding and shielding using materials which repel fairy presence will keep out all fairies, most likely including those that one wishes to partner up with. On the other hand, not warding against anything at all allows all kinds of energies and beings to gather around, including fairies or beings of other nature who are not necessarily friendly or goodly inclined. 

Selective, filter-like protection measures seem to be the answer to this dilemma. I cannot speak for everyone, but I would like to share what is my own approach to selective protection. By selective protection I mean what I do not to allow and actively invite near me some among the fairies, while respectfully keeping away some other.  I’ll emphasize that respectfully is a key word, and it applies to everything I do regarding fairies; this is how Grandma taught me to approach anything connected to them. 

So, in practical terms:

-It was Grandma[6] who taught me to keep mugwort and basil under my pillow, and when doing so to intend for the energy of those plants to keep away anyone and anything inimical to me. In retrospect, I discern several layers to this kind of protection. Firstly, in Romanian lore, some fairies are averse to basil and mugwort while other are not. The ones known to be verse, are the unfriendly ones, while the ones who are not deterred by these herbs are know in the lore as friendly and goodly inclined toward people. With this in mind, I would suggest to anyone who seeks to use herbs for protection, to check out in the specific body of lore what is the relationship between fairies in that culture and the herbs intended to be used to protect. Second, I was not to simply dump a bunch of mugwort and basil on my bed and slam the pillow on top; the intention regarding whom to allow and who to keep away had to be clearly expressed. Also, I was told to give thanks to the plants themselves. These details made me realize that clearly stated intention is not only a powerful and very important component in setting up protections, but more like the crux of it.

-My main line of defense has always been my allies. I will compere here my personal allies to really close and trusted friends that I feel not only comfortable but outright happy to have around at any given time. Since very young, I developed such a relationship with a fairy woman whose true identity and power I only came to know much later in life. Back then, at some point, I did something really disrespectful toward her, and it came at a price. Years later, our relationship healed, and she is with me now as much as, if not even more than when I was a child. Our relationship is rather complicated, but she was, is, and will always be around to protect me. This has nothing to do with the anthropocentric view of fairies being guardians-on-duty to silly humans doing silly stuff: I have been tasked with work to carry on, by her and other members of the Other Crowd to whom I have various degrees of connections and closeness. In Fairy nothing is really for free, and I am not to take for granted the protection and friendship they offer. 

To her and to the fairy king to whom I am connected, I make offerings regularly. Offerings consist of food and drinks presented weekly, and on special occasions I am adding poetry, music, or dance. 

Photo credit: Daniela Simina

-While I leave offerings for the closest allies on the indoor altar, there is an outdoor space where I leave offerings for various Other whom I do acknowledge and respect, but do not have such close, intimate connection. Whenever I present their offerings, I explicitly welcome only those among the Other Crowd who are friendly and goodly inclined toward me and mine, and express gratitude for the protection they provide.

-I also strengthen my personal defenses by cultivating the connection to, and living in alignment with, the cycles of the seasons, solar and lunar cycles, and the Powers associated with these, the Fairy Gods. 

- I am aware that different bodies of lore recommend iron as a protection against fairies in general, so, if someone does not want any fairy in their proximity, they are advised to use iron in various forms: knives, scissors, horseshoes – etc. But, if someone seeks to connect with fairies, then iron may undermine the purpose. Most of the fairies around my household and the close fairy allies that I and my family have, do not mind iron at all. However, I still prefer to use wood, ceramic, copper, and glass bowls to place food and drink offerings out of respect and caring for the Other Crowd, if nothing else. There may be places around one’s house or yard that demand special warding, and iron implements could be used on that isolated patch. As always, being specific is very important, so state clearly what is the extent of the warding and who is guarding against. 

- Leaving offerings and setting up spaces especially for the fairies to enjoy are ways to invite them near. There are fairy flowers that make a space more appealing to the fairy people. In choosing how to render a space fairy-friendly, check the lore. Whenever possible go to the source material first, and see what flowers, herbs, trees, crystals, rocks have been recorded as ‘fairy-friendly’ within specific cultural frameworks.  Then proceed from there.

I shall conclude that selective protections act as filters that allow some things to pass through, while retaining others. In forming fairy partnerships, the challenge to invite the fairies that one would like to partner with while staying safe from the intrusion of less then friendly entities. Combining defensive and propitiating elements into a synergistic approach, clearly expressed intent about who shall join and who shall not, being courteous, smart, and and cautious shall help.

 

Thank you for reading, and until the next time, the blessing of the Shiny Ones be with you.

 

Daniela

 

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[1] An excellent article that details the functions of fairy witches, fairy doctors is Morgan Daimler’s paper “The Witch, the Bean Feasa, and the Fairy Doctor in Irish Culture”, available at  https://www.academia.edu/17823067/The_Witch_the_Bean_Feasa_and_the_Fairy_Doctor_in_Irish_Culture

[2] Maria Vivod, “Fairy Seers from Eastern Serbia”, available at https://www.academia.edu/36940629/The_Fairy_Seers_of_Eastern_Serbia_Seeing_Fairies_Speaking_through_Trance?email_work_card=title

[3] Pat Noone, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yci8WOlo7T0

[4] Simon Young,  Magical Folk: A History of Real Fairies , 500AD to the Present

[5] Sabina Magliocco, “The Taming of the Fae” available at https://www.academia.edu/40416801/The_Taming_of_the_Fae_Literary_and_Folkloric_Fairies_in_Modern_Paganisms_prepublication_copy

[6] My Grandmother was a fairy seer and, when I was a child, I apprenticed with her. The full story is in the book “A Fairy Path: The Memoirs of A Young Fairy Seer”, that will be released most likely toward the end of 2023.

May Day: Integrating Beliefs and Traditions

I grew up in a strongly dualistic society. The beliefs in the supernatural ran deep, and the majority of people honored those beliefs with a certain degree of discretion. On the other hand, what I was taught in school and what was publically, albeit superficially upheld as the norm, was to deny the supernatural. Great mental and emotional place to be, isn’t it, especially for a child who can see those things that the official system of education affirms they don’t exist. 

 

The way I approached holidays then attempted to bridge this duality. I enjoyed the days off from school and my parents' days off from work because we could visit with friends or travel. But on such days I also wanted to do something special for the Others, like I saw my grandmother doing more or less secretly. My personal feel was that holidays encompassed the laic and spiritual dimensions, and the spiritual layer always stood out bold and strong, no matter how much the modern and “progressive” forces within society tried to drown it.  Bealtaine¹, Walpurgisnacht², or as lived it in my childhood years, May Day, is one such example. I shall explain.

In Romania of my childhood, May 1^st was officially celebrated as the International Workers Day, when schools and public institutions were decorated with flowers and flags in the national colors, and parades were organized in almost all the cities. People gathered around tables on terraces for cold beer and “mici”³ , gathered for picnics, and generally had a good time. But in the rural areas, May Day had a different flavor. May Day marked the transition into summer, and signaled the beginning of a new season in the agricultural calendar. As a time of transition, the beginning of May called for specific rituals. Such knowledge has been handed down from one generation to the next through hundreds, if not through thousands of years. Maypole, specific foods, fire-lighting, people dressing in traditional garb, dancing and feasting, magic for protection and prosperity, and charms for health and beauty – that was, and still is, my kind of holiday. 

Photo credit: "Unirea" newspaper archives

Fortunately, many traditions survived modernization quite successfully, especially in rural areas. Same as forty-five years go, on May Day Eve, green boughs are hung at doors and gates, around byres and stalls to keep people and livestock safe from the mischief caused by iele⁴ and other malicious spirits. A long pole with green boughs tied on top, or a small tree, is decorated with flower wreaths, and then planted in the front yard or at the front gate. This is done for protection, but also to propitiate the God of vegetation⁵, protector of crops, orchards, wildlife, and cattle. I found this practice to be very similar to the Irish custom of decorating the May Bush for Bealtaine, May 1^st. 

A much older name for May Day, still in use in rural areas, is Armindeni. It is also known as the Wormwood Holiday. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a close related to Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). Both herbs are known for their magic properties and are used in very similar ways. On May Day bunches of Wormwood and/or Mugwort are used to sweep back, bring back, a person who has left home and their return is much desired. The same bunches can be used to sweep out disease. This is done either by the elder woman in the house who uses the herbs to sweep all family members with long, downward strokes running from head to feet, or by each person using the bunch of herbs to brush themselves form head to toes.  Wormwood is also added to red wine which is drunk on this occasion to strengthen the body. Wormwood and/or Mugwort twigs are carried inside pockets, belts, or pinned on hats to ward off malicious spirits.

Photo credit: Mythologica.ro

 

My practice, as it is today, still carries a flavor that is reminiscent of the traditions that I grew up with, specifically those traditions that focus on fairies. I bring this up for discussion because as I said in previous posts (August and September 2021), I currently follow a path that is centered on fairy beliefs from Romanian, Irish, and to some extent Norse⁶traditions, and it is hard work to preserve balance with regard to authenticity of traditions in their cultural context and the need to practice in a way that is authentic to myself and my personal beliefs. I am pretty sure that I am not the only one trying to integrate elements from various cultures into a cohesive personal approach, so I thought I’d share my own experience here. 

In Ireland Bealtaine, May Day, is one of the four fire festivals. The holiday, under various names, is celebrated everywhere in the territories inhabited by Celtic languages speaking cultures, and in those area where Norse/Germanic influences are present, including Romania.

Bealtaine marks the half way between Spring Equinox and Summer solstice, but more importantly, it marks the beginning of summer on the agrarian calendar. The Pleiades, know as 7 Queens, 7 Sisters, The Hen, The Clock, The Wren, disappearing from the western sky (by April 30 this star cluster it is no longer visible in the night sky anywhere in the Northern hemisphere) announces the change in the natural rhythm, the season shifting, and the time to begin various seasonal activities. It is not so much the date, May 1^st that is important but it is the Pleiades position signaling the cycle, the season, and the right time for people to engage in agricultural, farming, fishing, sailing activities. This is a time when I acknowledge the presence of the Other as I learned from my native culture as well as from those traditions that fused into my current path.  

Bealtaine, May Day, or Walpurgisnacht, officially begins on April 30, at sunset (May Day Eve). In my own practice and beliefs, during this time the Fairy Gods or Liminal Powers exercise a very strong presence. They are connected to the seasons changing, the shifting into summer. Also, fairies travel around more than usually, and their paths intersect those of humans. In my own experience and according to Romanian fairy lore, this is the time when Sânziene begin to make their presence felt. Their activity peaks on their own eponymous holiday, the Feast of Sânziene on Midsummer. In addition to the Fairy Gods, on this holiday I welcome the Zâne, acknowledge the Aos Side and the Alfar, and honor my guides and familiars.

 On April 30^th, early in the day, I decorate the May bush, clean and arrange the altar, and prepare what I need for the ritual that I’ll hold later. At sunset I bring the supplies and offerings by the Fairy Tree, where there is a dedicated space for rituals, ceremonies, meditation, offerings, etc. I like to keep things simple. I prepare the space, acknowledge the Powers, invite my Otherworldly guests, make offerings- whatever forms offerings may take, light the fire, do some magic, give thanks and pour out some more offerings- could be fresh water, and close the ritual. 

Picture taken by Daniela Simina on May Eve,2022

I do not have a proper fire pit in my backyard, so I light up the fire in a rather large, heat-resisting ceramic bowl which I crafted myself when I was in college. I also light some incense. I walk around the fire, basking in the warmth and brightness, and invite cleansing and protective energies. I meditate, renew the wards around the property, and after the fire goes out, I scatter the ashes in the yard and around the house, on the outside, for prosperity and protection.

Picture taken by Daniela Simina on May Eve, 2022

The next day, May 1^st, I get out early to walk barefoot in the grass and wash my face with dewdrops, as I learned from my grandmother.  I spend time outside, by myself or with my family, take omens, feast, and have a good time. I prefer Mugwort for warding, cleansing and protection. I have never been fond of red wine with wormwood in it because it is very bitter, however I do acknowledge it as a powerful liver tonic used in folk medicine⁷. 

I also add May 2^nd to the actual holiday since it feels right to me to do so. My feeling is that the energy of Bealtaine doesn’t, all of a sudden, stop flowing at the end of May 1^st as if someone flips a switch to the “Off“ position.  April 30 through May 2 feels, in my own perception, a smooth continuum that initiates with the approach of April 30, builds up gradually, and begins to fade with the sunset of May 2^nd. On this evening, May 2, as I take down the May bush, I give thanks for the Spring that just passed and ready myself the Summer ahead. Another season filled with Their gifts, blessings, and challenges is just about to begin.

Notes:

1.         I began to use systematically the name Bealtaine in 2013 when I shifted toward an Irish-based pagan practice.

2.         In my family, we occasionally referred to May Day Eve as Walpurgisnacht. For context, my father was born and raised in the German community in Transylvania, the western region of Romania. I attended German school until age 7, so I had a fair amount of exposure to German customs and lore.

3.         “mici” literally translate as “smalls”, and are made of ground meat and spices, shaped into small rolls which are then roasted on the grill. 

4.         Fairies who can become very dangerous when shown disrespect, or intruded upon. Iele are not particularly fond of humans, although they can, and do help people heal, or grant healing powers to those fairy-seers who they favor.

5.         The practice maintains its pagan overtones and interpretations alongside Christian meanings acquired later on.

6.         I shall explain where the Norse/Germanic component comes from and how does it fit along with the rest, in a separate post.

7.         This is NOT intended as medical advice, NOR is this something I recommend that you consume. Whatever food and drink you ingest, ritually or otherwise, it is entirely your own responsibility.  

Resources:

Daimler, Morgan “Living Fairy”, 2020

Dobrescu, Petre  “1 Mai- Sarbatoarea de Armindeni.” , 2018. Retrieved at https://www.libertatea.ro/stiri/1-mai-sarbatoarea-de-armindeni-traditii-populare-romanesti-2230701

Ghinoiu, Ion “Romanian Folk Almanac”, 2021

Gundarsson, Kveldwulf “Elves, Wights, and Trolls”, 2007

 

 

 

The Insidiously Damaging Alteration of Fairy Characters in Stories

"Blue Hair Fairy" Art credit Desktop Nexus, 2022

I grew up with fairy stories which, to this day, still play a significant role in my life. There were two kinds of fairy tales, as I remember. One kind drew from bodies of lore connected to traditions regarding fairies, still in use and surviving through generations. Those had the inebriating flavor of history. Those stories were glowing, like powdered with golden dust that awaited to be blown off to reveal treasures of hidden meanings and deeds impossible for the modern folks to fathom. Yeah, that kind of lore. 

The other kind had nothing to do with the first. It was made up mainly through depicting objects caricaturized as fairies. Those stories, modern fairytales for children, or fairytales for modern children, were populated with stereotypes that had very little in common with the “a long, long time ago…” kind of tales. 

About the stories in the second category… well, oftentimes those involved turning objects into fairies to suggest that imagination can make a fairy out of everything. They were not connected to the belief that consciousness could found in many forms, other that human, often encountered in Romanian and German fairy lore, where trees and wells give protagonists advise or warnings. In the type of stories that I bring under scrutiny here, fakelore[1] and other similarly developed ones intended to replace children’s folklore, authors plainly turn objects of common use into fairies in a sort of personification taken to an extreme. 

Is this a problem? Let’s see.

I have a vivid memory of such story where aniline, the substance used in preparing oil painting colors, turns into Aniline, a fairy in charge of colors all around. It was not enough to personify aniline as a magical spirit that oversees colors: it hadto be a fairy. 

When I red it, some fifty years ago, I found the story to be a pretty one, yet it left me with a feel of disappointment about the fairy character. That kind of fairy felt alien, and I could not connect with it, not even remotely. It felt like a kitsch plastic replica of some valuable antique.   

In retrospect, there are few things that I find quite annoying in this and other similar approach to fairy characters in children’s stories. The stereotypical fairy, always good, is invariably clashing against a dragon or a witch, always villains. It isn’t the roles per sé that bother me: it is the always aspect. This doesn’t match what I know from older stories based in authentic lore, where fairies aren’t always that good, nor witches are always that bad. 

Fairy tales and stories in the second category didn’t and still don’t sit well with me. The cause of disconcert may not be obvious, so I shall explain: it is due precisely to this innocuous appearance that the effects of many modern fairy tales are insidiously destructive. I am not criticizing the use of fantasy in creating stories to teach children values and important life lessons. Far from it. But I am concerned about the muddling of fairies’ character, personality, deeds, legends as preserved into bodies of lore of native cultures. Fairy lore acts as an intergenerational compass: if we just mess up with carelessly, it will stop pointing north altogether. 

 

Why is flipping objects of common use into fairies as bad as objectifying and/or infantilizing fairies? Because it trivializes something that it was not supposed to be treated as trivial. Denizens of Fairy were and still are in some cultures treated with reverence. Some have connections with aspects of nature, abundance or fertility, such as Áine in Irish lore, Ileana Sânziana in Romanian lore, and Fro Ing in Germanic/Norse traditions are still honored as sacred beings. Trivialization destroys the sacredness, and turns something that once was treated with reverence into some sort of a toy. Infusing fairies with childishness has been done purposefully by various bodies of authority to strip them of power and make those who believed in them look awkward and ‘primitive’. Then once the mystique is gone, what’s left is mockery. Paradoxically, turning everything around into fairy- the aniline that turns fairy-  doesn’t bring more magic into our life; if anything, it strips off the enchantment, de-spiritualizes the world, and reduces all that surrounds us to a joke. 

 

Fakelore may teach that things turn into fairies, fairies becomes things, and children “learn” that with a little bit of imagination all things can be fairies: or that fairies are only a product of one’s imagination. Since they are an entirely made up thing, fairies have no real power or agency. This goes against the massive body of anecdotal evidence and corpus of material showing the exact opposite. 

 

There are of course great stories that incorporate fairies in order to educate young audiences and entertain readers of all ages. Carlo Collodi brings Fata Turchina (the exact meaning is The Girl with Dark-blue Hair) in his story “Pinochio”. Fata Turchina is Collodi’s creation. He doesn’t turn a pencil or an inkbottle into a fairy, he brings a fairy character that is very carefully developed. Fata Turchina, while fictitious, it is developed based on the lore of the Bambinin Aquatici (Aquatic Children), where fairy beings, oftentimes depicted as blue or having blue hair, take care of young children. The association with the aquatic fairy-beings, known for both their blue color and nurturing of children, lend strength and credibility to Fata Turchina in her role of care taker, almost a maternal figure, for Pinocchio.  

 

Anthropomorphizing animals, plants and objects did and will always be efficient in teaching children. In a cartoons or books, seeing animals and plants speaking and acting like humans, help empathizing with the natural world. Empathy is the foundation for acting with consideration. 

Bringing fairy protagonists into modern children’s lore is a wonderful thing from all perspectives. However, such fairy protagonists must be developed carefully. Authors should draw inspiration from traditional ancient lore, not destroy it. What is the danger? Gradual substitution leads to annihilation and complete loss of original characters. This means cutting off bridges with spiritual roots. 

 

The solution? Whether you are writer or a parent telling your kids fairy tales, find creative ways to make up stories where innovation and preservation go hand in hand. Children, parents, and fairies, everyone wins.

 

Bright fairy blessings, 

Daniela

 

Resources:

The Right and Wrong of Fictional Fairies, by Morgan Daimler https://www.patheos.com/blogs/agora/2019/03/irish-american-witchcraft-the-right-and-wrong-of-fictional-fairies/

Le Sfumature della Fata Turchina, di Angelo Serfilippi https://heroica.it/le-sfumature-della-fata-turchina/

 

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[1] “Fakelore or pseudo-folklore is inauthentic, manufactured folklore presented as if it were genuinely traditional. The term can refer to new stories or songs made up, or to folklore that is reworked and modified for modern tastes. The element of misrepresentation is central; artists who draw on traditional stories in their work are not producing fakelore unless they claim that their creations are real folklore.” (https://www.definitions.net/definition/fakelore)