Meet the Fae Folk with these simple Do’s and Don’ts.

Are Faeries real? Have you always thought maybe they were? Did you love fantasy movies when you were growing up about unicorns, dragons, elves, dwarves, fairies, mermaids, wizards and so on?  Have you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye like lights or orbs or perhaps caught an image in a photo? Or maybe you are just drawn to sparkly things or putting gnomes in your garden?  Would you like to meet the Fae Folk?

The answer for me to all of the above is a resounding YES! And now in my adult life I’m so happy to know I was right!  Magic is real. The Fae Folk exist. As a child we are not programmed by society yet and therefore believe naturally.  But later, in our adult lives, many of us have to have an ‘awakening’ or a return back to what our higher selves and ‘inner child’ already knew.

The Fae Folk actually don’t necessarily like all being lumped together as ‘fairies.’ There are many types of Fae and they go by many other names. Such as; the Gentle Folk, the Fair Folk, the Good People, the Little Ones and so on.  And there are different classes of Fae under the Four Main Elementals; Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  We will first discuss each type of Fae Folk below and some of their Folklore.

Folklore

In Celtic lore or Irish Mythology, the Fae are said to be the next generation of Tuatha De Danann.  The Tuatha De Danann were the Celtic gods and goddesses.  One of a few supernatural races of beings that settled in Ireland. Some of these you may have heard of like Brigid, The Morrigan, Lugh, Dagda, The Cailleach, Danu, and many more. After many wars with many different invading races or beings, the Tuatha De Danann were eventually driven underground. And they are now said to reside under those ‘fairy mounds’ or crop circles in the ground, or stone monuments and other sacred sites.  The Fae are said to be the offspring or descendants of these gods or supernatural beings. This is why it is said to avoid stone circles, fairy circles made of mushrooms, stones or even trees, or fairy mounds, etc. because you will find yourself sucked into the Fairy Realms or into Tir Na Og as the Irish Mythology called it, the ‘Land of Eternal’ youth. In Norse mythology they were referred to as the Sidhe (pronounced ‘shee’) and said to have brought their magic ‘Seidr’ to the Norse people like spell casting, shapeshifting and divination. Odin and Freya were the Norse gods most associated with knowing and practicing ‘Seidr’ magic.

References: 

Who Are the Tuatha Dé Danann? Demystifying the “God-Folk” of Irish Mythology

Now the Land of Eternal Youth, or the Fairy Realm, sounds pretty great and magical right?  However, there are not-so-good-intended Fae as well. And always remember the Fair Folk do not abide by the same rules or ethics that we do.  Therefore, if one does find oneself sucked into their magical realm, it is best to have done your research.  

Fairy Do’s and Don’ts

Here are my top 5 tips to meet the Fae Folk:

1. Never say ‘thank you’ to one of the Fae Folk! They do not use language quite the same as us.  They think the way humans throw around the term ‘thank you’ is obtuse and insincere. Or they view it as contractual, meaning you expected what they did for you and saying ‘thank you’ is because they did a job they were supposed to do. If you want to thank them, for example for being kind to you, granting you a favor, or befriending you, you say something instead like, ‘I am most honored’ or ‘You are most kind and gracious.’
2. Never eat or drink anything in the Fae Realm! It is well known folklore that if you find yourself at a part for the Fair Folk, do no eat and do not drink the Fairy Wine! It will affect you differently. You could find yourself dizzy, disoriented, faint, or under their spell never to return to your own world.
3. Turn your coat on inside out!  If you find yourself lost in the woods, or have accidentally stumbled upon a fairy ring or circle you did not mean to enter, immediately turn your coat or clothing on inside out. This is another well known folklore which will break the Fae spell and you will be able to find your way home again.
4. IF you DO wish to attract some Fae friends to you, carry lavender or rosemary in your pocket or grow some foxglove in your garden.  IF you need to repel a nasty Fae away from you, or to protect yourself just in case, carry IRON in your pocket. Fairies hate Iron and also Salt.
5. Give them Presents or Offerings.  If you want to befriend one of the Fae Folk, make sure to have a sweet treat like candy, cookies, fruit or bread in your pocket. Even crystals or jewelry. If one suddenly appears and is willing to answer a question or grant a wish you must be prepared to offer something in return!

Good Fae and Bad Fae 

Bad Fae

1. Red Caps – real nasty little devils that seek to hurt and ‘unalive’ animals and humans alike.  Said to wear caps that are red (from blood) and make them look like mushrooms, hence their name ‘red caps.’
2. Boggarts – said to transform into your biggest fears
3. Changelings – shapeshifters said to be left by their own Fae families in place of stealing a human child from it’s family
4.  Banshee – screaming ghosts that foretell death
5. Goblins and Hobgoblins – more of the mischievous sort rather then inherently evil, but will love to disrupt your life
6. Kelpies – evil ‘mer-folk’ that will lure you and drag you down into the dark depths of the waters to drown

These are just a few of the many types of the ‘darker’ Fae Folk.

Reference: https://genrebomb.com/scary-fairy/

Good Fae

1. Earth Fae – Gnomes, Leprechauns, Dwarves, Elves, Knockers, Brownies and Pixies.  Included in this category is often my Patron God, Pan/Cernunnos/Green Man/Herne/The Horned God of Nature.

As these are Earth Fae, you can find them in your garden, around trees, in the forest, or around your home even. If you want to connect with the Earth elementals, have crystals like moss agate or black tourmaline, or make a fairy garden inside or outside, or do acts of kindness for Mother Earth.

Gnomes – love to be assigned tasks, especially like tending to your garden. In return leave them a little treat of bread or cakes.

Leprechauns – guard their pots of gold of course, and it’s said you have to use cunning to trick them into giving you their gold, but there will be a steep price to pay.

House elves and brownies – yes like Dobby in Harry Potter, will love to clean for you and keep a tidy house. Leave them pies, or cakes or bread on your countertop if you want to thank them. But don’t ever acknowledge or actually give it to them as a gift. You have to pretend you are just ‘leaving it on the counter’ for whomever wants it.

2. Air Fae – Sylphs – these are what we would refer to as ‘fairies’ as these are the ones with wings, although some do not have wings.

The gods Odin, Hermes and Thoth are often associated in this category as Air is the element of intellect and communication.  As such, the Air Fae love poetry, music, anything spoken or sung out loud.  You can find them whispering secrets or creative inspiration into your ear. They are also associated with mystical creatures like Griffins and Phoenixes, and all types of birds.  If you want to connect with the Air elementals, burn some candles or incense as offerings to them or keep things like feathers or chimes on your altar or in your home.

3. Water Fae – also known as the Undines – these are the Mermaids, Selkies, Kelpies and other water nymphs.

Some famous Undine in folklore were the Ningyo, a Japanese water fairy who cries pearls instead of tears, the Gwargedd Annwn, a Welsh female water sprite said to be irresistible to men, and Naiads who were water nymphs of streams, fountains and wells in Greece.  In order to connect with a Water Fae, leave offerings of water of course, or have seashells, sand, beach glass and other sea or beach items on your altar.

4. Fire Fae – aka Dragons and Salamanders, and sometimes Centaurs are grouped in this category as well. The famous Phoenix, like Fawkes in Harry Potter, and the Djinn would be in this element as well.

*Be very careful when making a wish with a Djinn! They may grant it, but watch exactly how you word your wish, or you may get a nasty surprise in how it is granted.*

In order to connect with a Fire element, simply have an element of fire like a candle or fireplace in your room or home. Or you can wear the colors red or orange or have crystals like red jasper or carnelian.

Bonus tips to Connect With the Fae Folk

Here is a list of what the Fae like or things you can do if you want to build a friendship with them:

1. Sparkly things! – sun catchers, wreaths, hanging mobiles, crystals, jewelry, anything that sways in the breeze or hangs around that catches a sparkle in the sun.
2. Music – wind chimes, soft ambient music, harps, wind flutes, pipes, kalimbas, steel drums, singing, dancing and more.  And they love parties!!
3. Sweets and Treats – cakes, berries, sweet cream, milk, candy, fruit, honey, honey with lavender sprinkled in, cookies, scones, muffins, breads…they love these all. However, DO NOT give them salt or salty things. And try to get organic and fresh when you can. They do not like chemicals and preservatives.
4. Crafts! – they love when you make them little fairy homes, fairy gardens, fairy wreaths, wind chimes, clothes, jewelry and more.
5. Be Kind to Mother Earth!  – reduce, reuse, recycle! Lol. Buy ethical and organic and sustainable products when you can. Stop using plastic. Pick up trash. Feed your local wildlife with proper bird/animal feed. Leave water out for the bees. If you are not a good steward to Mother Earth, they will not be interested in a relationship with you.
6. Poetry and Art – they love when you write poems about them, their folklore or even the gods and goddesses associated with them. And they love art about them as well. Even just coloring a fairy picture is fine!

How did I connect with the Fae Folk? 

I did all of the above! It all started when Pan became my Patron Deity. If interested you can see my full blog on The Great God Pan here:

https://grovewitch.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=177&action=edit

I now have a ‘Fae Altar’ in my room (see pic). I have all 4 elements represented in my room. I made a piece of driftwood with shells on it and some beach glass for the Undine (Water). I have a leaf incense holder with a few fairy statues around it for the Sylphs (Air). I have a Dragon candle holder with a candle in it for the Dragon (Fire) elementals. And I have a small fairy garden made with soil, moss, and a small gnome inside a soapstone bowl for my Earth Fae.  

I also have a teacup and saucer in which I place their sweet cream, honey or berries each night for their treat. I have made two small fairy houses out of candle holders. I have also made a fairy light up wreath which hangs on the wall above the altar. And I have quite a few other statues of Fairies and Gnomes on the altar as well. 

And finally, I started living a greener life and being a better steward to Mother Gaia.  My daughter and I have drastically reduced our plastic use and instead have invested in silicone, bamboo, and glass containers. We have also found refillable healthier sources of laundry soap, hand soap, toothpaste and more. You may want to check out my blogs on those products here:

https://grovewitch.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=59&action=edit

https://grovewitch.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=107&action=edit

This blog only just scratches the surface of the magical Fair Folk, the Good People, the Gentle Folk.  If you would like to dive deeper I highly recommend these books:

The Fairy Bible by Teresa Moorey

https://a.co/d/4TpgkZN

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of the Fairies

https://a.co/d/91CMkrv

Thank you for joining me again to talk about the Fair Folk!  As always, be good to yourself, each other and Mother Gaia! Take any small step you can towards living a Greener Life!  And join me for my next blog.  Please consider liking, commenting or sharing with a friend!  Many fairy blessings!

-AF- The Grove Witch