A Ritual for Midsummer and The Heliacal Rising of the Pleiades

Midsummer. Art credit: Pixabay

For those who follow a fairy-related spiritual path, Midsummer and the Rising of the Pleiades mark an important holiday. The energy around this celebration is cheerful.  Interactions that occur at this time between humans and denizens of Fairy have overall positive outcomes. 

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 for (and with) 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,  for me, this 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 can restore a heavily compromised balance. Influx of Fairy would shake things up on our side, and this 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. 

 

I tend to follow the same outline for all the portal opening rituals. The only change is that I call on different Powers depending on the season or the time when the ritual takes place. On my fairy-led spiritual path, I follow a calendar that is both star-based and takes into account solstices and equinoxes. It sounds complicated? It actually is.  I am thus trying to make things simpler by creating resources for those who, like myself, feel called to follow a spiritual path that is fairy-led.

Time to open the portal. Art credit: Pixabay

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 in the East.)

- Announce what you are about to do, using words like: “I am setting 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 that starts at the center and gradually expands 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 really good, and it is a nice way to welcome 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 come through. (This step is optional)

- 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 work 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, the power of the sun, so no inimical, unhael /unholy beings shall pass.  Use your own words, and any formulation that feels right. You can prepare your words in advance or follow along with wherever inspiration takes you. After circling once, take the candle and put it somewhere safe and out of the way so I shall no trip over it. From this point on you are not allowed to move past the circumference of the sacred space. 

- After you finished walking the circle that defines the outer boundary of your ritual space and 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 Midsummer. 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. Art credit: Pixabay

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

- You will making the first round of offerings of water, or if you prefer, sweet tea, grape juice, apple cider. I have prepared in advance a jug with fresh water which will be the first offering I’ll make to the Powers. 

First call out the four Powers, who I believe to be foundational: 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 set of correspondences 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 glow of every star.  

Ask The Queen of Flame to receive the offerings and cast her benevolent light upon 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.

 

- 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 Midsummer 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.

 

- Stand facing 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 in the Other. 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 the gates between worlds and keep them wide open throughout he ritual. 

Ask the Gatekeeper to grant free passage, from one side and the other, only to those among humans and fairies who are goodly inclined toward each other’s world and its inhabitants, the ones who are needed to restore balance on both sides. 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, 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. 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 your Path.“ 

- 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, or reading aloud something special 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 Midsummer. Please keep in mind that the ritual itself focuses on opening a portal between Fairy and the human world. Celebrating the Midsummer is part of this ritual, but it is more of a backdrop rather than the purpose itself. 

Offerings and feasting. Art credit www.foodiesfeed.com 

- 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 the opening of a portal between Fairy and the human world. I time this ritual in conjunction with both the Rising of the Pleiades and Midsummer. Where I live, the Pleiades are not visible above horizon on the exact astronomical date of the Summer Solstice so it feels only natural to have all celebrations done on the Midsummer Eve. Align your practice with whatever timing you feel is right for you, such as celebrating on the actual Summer Solstice, although could miss the Pleiades who may not be visible unless you live in a very wide-open space or on a hilltop with no trees around.

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 to setting sacred space as she describes in “Elves, Gods & Witches” (see “Resources”), but in developing the ritual into the form described here I also followed what my elven guides recommended. 

I suggest 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 lit 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 this 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 worlds, 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. 

 

 

 

Speaking at the Fairylight Convention

 

Art credit: Pixabay

I was invited earlier this year to speak at the Firelight Convention, an event organized by Ammie Hague.  It was a lovely experience for me, and I hope that the audience felt the same way.  Different people engage with fairies in different ways. The Firelight convention has a nice balance between a serious and respectful take on fairies  and  playfulness, just the right amount. My part in the event was to guide the audience through a meditation to connect with fairy guides. You can glimpse into the Fairylight Convention and watch my presentation by accessing the link below. 

Fairylight Convention Guest Speaker Daniela Simina

Thanks for watching!

Daniela (Svartheiðrin)

Relationships with Fairies, Elves, and Gods: Temporary or Forever ?

Art credit Thomas Ulrich, pixabay.com

You have just encountered the fairy being that is your ally, your personal guide, and you feel like a captain whose ship reached reached the harbor, the last and final one, the destination that you call home. You believe the fairy ally you just met is your forever fairy ally. Or that the fairy queen or king you just met are the forever connection to Fairy, the you’ve been seeking. Which may prompt you to excitedly officially dedicate yourself to them in a “yours, forever” kind of fashion. A couple of years later you may still be celebrating your decision. Or doubt it. Or have second thoughts about it. Or regret it altogether. 

 

I am not writing this with the intent to dissuade anyone from pursuing strong, close, long-lasting, or forever relationships with fairy allies or honoring particularly, even exclusively, fairy queens and kings. Quite the opposite. I am writing this with the hope that readers will find the information useful in building relationships that grow organically into one’s path, however the path meanders. I don’t want to talk only about relationships’ beginning, but also about relationships in the spirit realm coming to an end, about parting ways with fairy allies and even deity whom one believes they’d serve for life. These are rarely brought up in conversation. Among the very few who address the ending/separation part, Morgan Daimler has excellent material on this topic. (“When Dedication Ends” and “Evolution of My Spirituality”- see links in Resources at the end of this post. )

 

Sometimes we discover that relationships are not what we expected them to be. We wish we would have not committed indefinitely to a particular fairy being. In the same time may may feel inadequate for wanting to back out, and uncertain whether this is even acceptable. We may end up end up staying for the wrong reason. Or the relationship may fracture. It worth thus pondering: are temporary relationships ok in spirit work? Is temporary ok in fairy dealings? Is temporary always temporary? Could forever become temporary, and vice versa? 

 

Here’s my my personal perspective, and of course, there will be others who disagree. Take it for whatever it worth, and I hope you’ll find something useful in here. Relationships with fairies can have a rather transactional character. There is a balance in the energy exchanged, mutual and the expectations one side has from the other. This being said, I’ll paraphrase Cat Heath[1] and point out that, however,  one shall not think of this as elf-vending machines where one puts in an offering, and a service of favor comes out . So yes, it is transactional in the sense that being a good friend and a good partner is usually reciprocated. No, it is not transactional in the sense that you could not instantly “buy”, lets say, help for a job promotion, by randomly calling fairy beings, pouring some milk, and formulate your request: this would be actually offensive. 

 

Raised eyebrows?  Let’s imagine that a person who was never properly introduced to you shows up at your door, possibly at an inconvenient time, hands you a cup of coffee that may not even be your taste, and asks you bluntly to babysit their kid in the afternoon. How would you feel? The person who showed up never took time to get to know you personally and learn that you are not even a coffee drinker. They assumed you like coffee based on a rather general preference. The person heard from a common acquaintance that you work in education, assumed you are good at dealing with young children, and thus a good fit for what they need. Notice, there is no concern whatsoever with what you like/care about, and who you really are aside from potential provider of a service they need and want. In other words, there is no concern with forming a relationship that is mutually beneficial. If turned down abruptly, the person who brought you coffee in exchange for anticipated babysitting would get offended. You may end up with rumors spread about your selfishness and rudeness:  you shut the door in the face of the “nice” person who brought you coffee, right? At least this would be the version of the story circulating. Now transfer this scenario to requests made to fairy beings- whatever their culture of provenance. (To learn more about the role of offerings in establishing relationships among fairies, read “Offerings to gods and Spirits” by Morgan Daimler, and “Offerings for Fairies: What’s this, what’s not, and why bother?”, by Daniela Simina, linked in the Resources)

 

Generally, appropriateness or inappropriateness of asking for assistance form fairies, elves, or whoever else you chose to think of, is determined by the type of relationship you have with them. In turn, such relationships could be defined by contracts and agreements of various types. Contracts, and agreements made upfront, help minimize potential problems arising from the expectations – what, how, when- one has from another. 

 

Contracts and agreements with fairy beings are exactly what they sound like: these are forms of settling partnerships in which terms are spelled out clearly. I emphasize clearly. Paraphrasing Morgan Daimler, I will remind that fairies don’t lie and they take what is said at face value, so don’t be sarcastic because it will backfire eventually. Fairy culture is different form humans’, and this reflects in a number of things including, or especially in, verbal communication. Bottom line, listen carefully, speak carefully, and think carefully before you act. Contracts with fairies are very difficult to renegotiate.

 

When fairy beings seek you out but you don’t feel ready for the undertaking, negotiate for a temporary contract or agreement. This will set up the tone of a relationship that allows time for exploration and getting to know one another better. Then extend the contract if it feels right, or part ways if it doesn’t. Whatever you do, just do it in fairness – their interests count as much as your own- and as nicely as possible. 

 

If you want to jump into a relationship of your initiative and volition, you could also begin by calling for a temporary agreement. It will give you time to assess whether the relationship is what you imagined it would be and wanted, or not. This is no different than relationships among humans, ranging from business to personal. To get a job, there’ll be interviews and possibly all kind of tests and examinations. People date for some time before getting engaged, and usually get engaged before getting married. So take time to explore how fairy partnerships feel and work for you. 

 

After extending or renewing an agreement, maybe a couple of times, maybe more, you may decide that yep, it is definitely what you want. Then you may even choose to formally dedicate your services, by ritually marking your commitment to a specific fairy, Fairy Power or fairy-related endeavor.  (See posts “Midsummer in Transition”, “Evolution of My Spirituality” by M. Daimler, and “On Liminal Powers or Fairy Gods” , “A Fairy Path” by D. Simina, all linked in Resources), 

 

However, for as much as possible, in making agreements avoid using word like “forever in your service” at which point contracts with fairy denizens turn from temporary into very permanent. Considering that they live unfathomable long lives, it would be possible to sign yourself off to them for several lifetimes: permanently, right? Think this over before proceeding, and make sure the wording is as clear as possible. Go for plain rather than flowery formulations: literary sophistication at the expense of clarity may not be such a good idea. 

 

My own experience.

 

If you read “A Fairy Path”, the very short story linked in Resources, you’ll get the broad strokes of how I ended up initiated in fairy seership. If you’ll actually read the book “A Fairy Path: The Memoir of a Young Fairy Seer in Training” (also linked in Resources), you will get the full story including all the details about getting into relationships with fairies, breaking a number of rules because of ignorance or stubbornness, and getting into trouble because of it. In a nutshell, a case study for a lot of what is being discussed in this post. 

 

To summarize, I once rushed head-first into a relationship with fairies, pledged myself to them, and asked them to take me as a forever partner in their magic workings. And they actually took me seriously on my promise. Because I was only about nine when I threw myself into the deep end, it didn’t take long for me to mess up in a pretty big way. The consequences were dire, and knowing what I know now, I realize that it could have ended even worse. In retrospect, I believe the fairies[2] made some allowance because of my age.  Lesson learned: never write rain checks, and always mind fairy etiquette. 

Photos taken by the author 

But relationships with fairies, deities, and other kind of spirit guides don’t usually end in tumultuous ways, nor involve punitive action. Sometimes it is like parting ways with companions we had been traveling with for a long time, or separating from teachers when a course of learning has reached conclusion. Such is my experience with Brigit, the Irish goddess, prominent member of the Tuatha Dé Danann (See “Fairies, February, and Brigit”, linked in the Resources) This is my third and last year as a Flame Keeper for Brigit. I was first acquainted with her in the context of practicing Irish-focused paganism when I was trying hard to find my path. Brigit lit up the lantern and held it up for me to see not just one but a multitude of paths, and directly and indirectly helped me discern where do I go. First she unlocked my words which ever since, have become wings for my thoughts and feelings, and purveyors of magic, too. She taught me a thing or two about about the forge and the art of smiths, so I’d know about transformation, skill, and endurance. She asked me to never shrink my dreams to fit other people’s reality. One day, Brigit had me pack my bag while she watched that I won’t forget anything, and sent me out into the world to follow the path I chose. Truth being said, I didn’t actually chose the path: it chose me. The call reached through years – many – and it could no longer be ignored. When I hesitated, Brigit encouraged me to pursue. Mine is a fairy path, and Brigit saw that it would be her dad, – isn’t he the king of all fairies in Ireland? -  to guide me further. 2022 is thus my last year of service as Flame Keeper for Brigit since the fairy path claimed me one hundred percent. While officially parting ways, there is yet a ‘forever’ element forged into our temporary joined walk through the woods called Life.

Many of the relationships that we form in the Otherworld - same with relationships that we form in this world - may come to an end or morph into something else. We may realize it was not the right choice. Some may simply outrun their course. On such departures, there may be feelings of guilt and inadequacy creeping in and make us wonder about where did things go wrong and why. If we’d only remain aware of and accept the fact that temporary relationships are intrinsic and natural to any spiritual path, we’d save ourselves from much disappointment, self-doubt, and self-criticism creeping in.  Temporary doesn’t show lack of commitment; it shows that we take things seriously and think things in the long run, or that at least, we try to. Temporary can lead to forever while forever may turn out to be temporary, and there’s nothing wrong in any of these. 

 

I hope what’s being said so far paints a fairly good picture of temporary, forever, contractual, and accidental spirit relationships, possible endings, and safe ways to start. I would suggest checking “Witches& Elves: A Survival Guide”, Cat Heath, “Working with Fairies”, Morgan Daimler, and “Fairycrafting: The Art of Fairy Magic”, Daniela Simina, all linked in the “Resources” section at the end, because when engaging with fairies one can never know too much.

 

[1] For more details check out “Elves& Witches: A Survival Guide”, info linked in the Resources. 

[2] Zâne, specifically.

Resources:

Books 

Daimler, Morgan “Fairy Witchcraft”, 2014

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

Blogs, Articles, Papers

Daimler, Morgan, “When Dedication Ends” https://lairbhan.blogspot.com/2018/03/when-dedication-ends.html

Daimler, Morgan “Evolution of My Spirituality” https://lairbhan.blogspot.com/search?q=parting+ways+with+gods

Daimler, Morgan “Midsummer in Transition”, https://lairbhan.blogspot.com/2012/06/midsummer-in-transition.html

Daimler, Morgan “Offerings to Gods and Spirits” https://lairbhan.blogspot.com/search?q=Offerings  

Simina, Daniela “Offerings for Fairies: What’s this, what’s not, and why bother?” https://whispersinthetwilight.blogspot.com/2022/03/offerings-for-fairies-whats-this-whats.html   

Simina, Daniela “On Liminal Powers or Fairy Gods”  https://whispersinthetwilight.blogspot.com/2022/10/on-liminal-powers-or-fairy-gods.html

Simina, Daniela, “A Fairy Path” https://www.academia.edu/70184317/A_Fairy_Path_Jan_2022

Simina Daniela “Ritual for the Autumn Equinox and the Acronychal Rising of Pleiades” https://whispersinthetwilight.blogspot.com/2022/09/a-ritual-for-autumn-equinox-opening.html

Simina, Daniela “Fairies, February, and Brigit”  https://whispersinthetwilight.blogspot.com/search?q=Brigit

Classes

Daimler,  Morgan “Working with Fairies”, course offered every autumn at the Irish Pagan School https://irishpaganschool.com/courses/author/244072

Heath, Cat, “Witches& Elves: A Survival Guide”, for access to the class recordings, contact Cat Heath at seo.helrune@gmail.com

Simina, Daniela “Fairycrafting: The Art of Fairy Magic”, course; details and registration at https://www.solstice.love/product/11-19-fairycrafting-the-art-of-fairy-magic-with-daniela-simina/5243?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=2

A Ritual for the Winter Solstice and the Wintry Setting of The Pleiades

Pleiades in the Winter Starry Sky. 

Art credit Reimund Bertrams, pixabay.com 

The Wintry Setting of Pleiades is actually the setting of Pleiades in the morning sky, or as astronomers would call it, heliacal setting. Heliacal setting means that the stars are last visible on the western horizon, they set, with the first morning light, and continue their trip below horizon line throughout the rest of the day.  This year, 2022, the heliacal setting or the Wintry Setting as I named it concurs with Winter Solstice, December 21.

 

Starting at the end of October and concluding on the Winter Solstice, the Pleiades have drawn an arc all across the celestial dome, lighting up the Wintery Bridge[1]. In my practice and personal mythology, this bridge that begins to open in late October, ushers dark and depth and it is an avenue for The Wild Hunt[2], Otherworldly beings, and the dead.

 

At this time, fairy beings, Álfar and Sidhe, and of course the Ælfs/Elves[3]

that I am connected with make their presence felt in ways that are more poignant than usually. People who track their ancestry to fairies or elves or have dual nature both human and fairy/elf may experience the energy of this particular time quite strongly and be affected by it in profound ways. 

  

I celebrate thus the Wintry Setting together with the Winter Solstice, the convergence of the wintery travel of the Pleiades concluding and the sun’s journey beginning on this day.

I celebrate the Wintry Bridge, this star-lit spanning between worlds, between horizons, between seasons in calendars, and between seasons in our lives. 

I celebrate and welcome those who travel on it. 

May we all rejoice in the stellar light that shines upon us throughout this season. 

Stonehenge, Sunrise on Winter Solstice. 

Art credit Howard Walsh, pixabay.com

Outline for the Ritual

The ritual I do to mark this occasion focuses on opening and anchoring a portal between worlds, a task I have been assigned by my guides among elves and fairies. Here’s an outline that you can adapt to suit your own purposes. Also, welcome in joining me to open such portals: the world needs them badly.

-               Start standing 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, then first turn North.)

-               Announce what you are about to do, using words like: “I am setting 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 left, walk a spiral path starting at the center and gradually expanding toward the periphery of the space. You can walk one several coils, depending on how large your space is. (As I spiral outward- my space accommodates a 3-coils spiral- I sprinkle water on the ground and repeat my intention.)

-               When you reach the periphery of your space, walk one full circle to mark the outer boundary. (I have a copper bowl filled with water in which I soak herbs that I know are pleasant to fairies and Fairy Higher Powers. As I walk around this last full circle, I sprinkle herb-infused water on the ground. In my experience, it makes the space feel really good, and it is a nice way to welcome the Powers that I seek to invite. You may want to sprinkle water and/or dried flowers as you walk throughout the whole spiral path, not just the outer bounds. You may wish to use plain water, scatter leaves or something else, or use nothing at all beside your own intent.)

-               After you finished walking the circle that defines the outer boundary of your ritual space and sets the size of the portal, acknowledge the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, Seven Queen, or The Hen & Chicken as I knew it while growing up. Begin inviting the Powers that you associate with the Autumn Equinox. You can do this is any way that suits you, so feel free to adapt what I describe below.

 

(As I already mentioned, I am personally connected with seven main Fairy Liminal Powers, or Fairy Liminal Gods[4], and four other more regional or seasonal ones. In my own experience, five among these seven relate to the Wintry Setting. They are:  Keeper of the Passages/The Gatekeeper, The Queen of Apples, The Queen of Winds, The Spinning Goddess, and The Queen of Ice and Snow. These five Fairy Gods are the ones that I call to both anchor the portal, and to bring in the blessings of the season along with balance through the months to come.)

 

-               I begin the ritual by standing at the center of the space which is my backyard.

-               I have prepared a small jug with fresh water, which will be the first offering I make to the Powers. 

 

(Call the Powers that you feel drawn to call. Even if you resonate with the ones that I mention here, still know that you can call them in any order you chose. For me personally, this order is arbitrary since I do not have any fixed correspondences that link a Power to a specific cardinal direction.)

 

-               I stand at the center, facing the Fairy Tree. I call the Keeper of the Passages/Gatekeeper to open the gates between worlds and help me keep them wide open. I ask the Gatekeeper to grant passage from one side to the other only to those among humans and fairies who are goodly inclined toward each other’s world and its inhabitants. I invite his presence and his blessing in the ritual space that I am creating. I welcome the Keeper of the Passages and pour out some water as an offering for him. 

-            I turn to face East, and call the Queen of Apples. She is vitality, 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 empowered feminine and emblematic of personal sovereignty. I call on her, beholder of vitality and life-force, she who embodies abundance whether on fields, orchards, or as the health and vigor of mind and body. I invite her presence and her blessings in the ritual space that I am creating. I welcome the Queen of Apples and pour out some water as an offering to her.

 

-               I turn to face South, and call The Queen of Winds: she holds power over the  first and last breaths, she is the air in the freshly aerated soil awaiting the seeds to fell and nestle into; the hollow and mysteries of caves, and bubbles in the lacy crests of ocean waves; she’s in the burning fire logs, in the flame and the popping; she’s in the fluffiness of snow but also in the deadly blizzards; she is in the whipping November winds and winter storms, lamenting among barren branches and whistling in the dark, long nights. I invite her presence and her blessing in the ritual space that I am creating. I welcome the Queen of Winds, and pour out some water as an offering to her.

 

-               I turn to face West, and call The Spinning Goddess, The Great Weaver. She’s the one who spins the thread of anything and everything, who turns wool into thread, and thread into tapestry or clothing, doing both work of art and utilitarian, as needed. Time itself is strung on the thread she spins: past, present, and future for her are one. She gives out her thread for people to use, but then what individuals do with it is their own choice: she’s there to help, provide, teach, but cannot complete the task for you; she’ll teach you how to work – magically and otherwise- but will not do the work for you. I invite her presence and her blessing in the ritual space that I am creating. I welcome The Spinning Goddess, Great Weaver and pour out some water as an offering to her.

 

-               I turn North and call the The Queen of Snow and Ice. She is the spirit in the snowflakes dancing through the air and snow blanketing the earth; she’s in the icecaps, in the sheets of glass covering bodies of water, and the silvery-white that coats grasses and rooftops with the first frost in late autumn; she’s within the grains of hail in summer storms. She is the cold soul devoid of emotion or devastated by loss as much as she is spark of joy, perfection and beauty, and sheer potential awaiting to express itself. I invite her presence and her blessing in the ritual space that I am creating. I welcome The Queen of Snow and Ice and pour out some water as an offering to her. (* Note: if geographically, meteorologically, or for any personal reason calling the Queen of Ice and Snow doesn’t fit with what you do, call instead the Liminal Power that makes sense to you; this applies to any of the Powers invoked in this ritual.)

 

(You may notice that I change the direction and turn clockwise as I invite the Powers. I do this in order to both raise and balance the energy within the space. To open the portal, I walked counterclockwise. I will not close the portal, and therefore I will not walk the opposite way at the very end.  Personally I feel I need to bring in a balancing element/action so the energy of the space doesn’t go haywire- hence the change of direction: counterclockwise to open, clockwise to raise energy and ground it. You may change to whatever suits you, based on your own training, intuition, and guidance from your own fairy advisers.)

 

-               Stand at the center and face any direction that you chose: ask the Powers, collectively, to anchor the portal and guard it so only those fairies and Fairy beings who are benevolent to you and beneficial for the place may come through.

-               Standing at the center, or by the altar if you have created one, and face any direction you chose. Invite the Fairy Queen(s) or King(s) 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 through.

-               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 little cakes, 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 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 Winter Solstice is part of this ritual, but it is more of a backdrop rather than the main purpose in itself. So prepare accordingly, and elaborate your celebratory aspects as much as you like; what I intend to provide here is only an outline, and my focus is on the portal opening part. Make merry and feast, and when you are done, pour out the offerings: you can burry them, put them into fire if you are having a fire for the occasion, or leave them on a rock, or on what would represent an outdoor altar space. 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, during my training in witchcraft 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 may play around with the wording. 

-               Let the ritual melt into the rest of your day, evening, or night, without closing abruptly, so that it mirrors the opening of the portal and the smooth flow between worlds, a subtle but continuous process without any steep halting to it.

 

Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Lighting of the Wintry Bridge! May the starlight always shine bright on your path.

 

Daniela

 

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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 which made 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 their 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 cause 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. 

⁴ For details,  check Daniela Simina, Pagan Portals “A Fairy Path: The Memoir of a Young Fairy Seer in Training”, 2023, autobiographic, TBR on amazon.com and Barnes&Noble

 

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:

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

Simina, Daniela, ”On Liminal Powers or Fairy Gods” 

https://whispersinthetwilight.blogspot.com/2022/10/on-liminal-powers-or-fairy-gods.html

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

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

“Perchta, Holda, and the Wild Hunt” https://earthandstarryheaven.com/2016/12/21/wild-hunt/

“The Wild Hunt” http://www.orkneyjar.com/tradition/hunt.htm

 

Classes:

Heath, Cat “Elves and Witches: A survival Guide”, contact Cat Heath at seo.helrune@gmail.com

Heath, Cat “Mound Magic: Elves, Necromancy, and Adaptation” Parts 1&2, contact Cat Heath at seo.helrune@gmail.com

 

Art Credit:

“Pleiades” Reimund Bertrams,  Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/8385-8385/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=259458">Reimund Bertrams</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=259458">Pixabay</a>

 

“Winter Solstice, Sunrise at Stonhenge” , Howard Walsh, Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/kidmoses-14062968/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4614639">Howard Walsh</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4614639">Pixabay</a>

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] My own naming for the trajectory the Pleiades follow from the end of October when they become visible on the E-NE horizon at nightfall, all the way through the time around Winter Solstice when thy set at dawn, disappearing below the W-SW horizon. The Wintery Bridge is not an official name, nor is it called this way in any lore that I know. Please feel free to use it in your own practice if you wish.

[2] See “The Wild Hunt”, and “Perchta, Holda, and the Wild Hunt” linked in Resources.

[3]  In the post “A Bridge in the Winter Sky, An Eclectic Practice, and the Slippery Slope of Unfounded Attribution” I talk about a specific group, Ælfe or Elves to whom I am connected. I also make an important distinction: they are not the same as the Ælfe encountered in Anglo-Saxon lore. 

 

[4]  For this to make any sense please read “On Liminal Powers or Fairy Gods” linked in Resources.