Faeries

Hello all. A toe-curlingly delicious thundstorm is ensuing tonight! Thought it was a good time for a little late-night blogging about my favorite little winged fancies...

When I was a little girl, my parents had the most magickal bedroom. It was painted a deep deep green and was an attic room (which later became mine in highschool). My mother had Victorian-esque paintings on the walls, fancy lace-up boots, a closet full of paterened dresses, and delicate glass perfume bottles. Needless to say, the very dust was enchanted and it always smelled deliciously rich. She had a bottom drawer on her dresser which was of particular interest to me. Inside were lots of little treasures waiting to be explored with tiny hands. Essential oils, angel amulets, me and my brother's little baby teeth, glittering jewlery and a collection of little books about faeries.

"The word fairy derives from the Latin fata, or fate which refers to the mythical Fates, three women who spin and control the threads of life. An archaic English term for fairies is fays , which means 'enchanted' or 'bewitched. Fairies are said to possess magical powers and consort with witches and other magically empowered humans. They have many names and come in all manner of sizes, descriptions of beauty or ugliness, and demeanor from benevolence to turpitude. Most are small or tiny. Some resenble humans, and some have wings. Some always carry about a magical wand or a pipe. According to lore, fairies are invisible, except to humans with second sight or whenever fairies choose to make themselves seen. They pester humans who keep messy houses, or who do not leave out offerings of food or drink."
(Excerpt from the "Fairies" entry in a book I own entitled Harper's Encyclopedia of Mystical and Paranormal Experience)

Above images from the Flower Fairies books which my mother so lovingly read to me as a child.
The following are the Cottingley fairies hoax photographs from 1917. I know they're fake, but still quite magical, no?

C.W. Waterhouse

Helen Jacobs



Hmm. Perhaps we should all keep a little space for faery energy, literally and emotionally. You know, that little part of the garden that is left wild and unkempt. I've heard they sometimes snip hair in the night and replace human babies with ugly changelings. Perhaps it would be best to leave a little sweet something out as a faery treat lest they decide to cause mischief!

madeleine