Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm (14 page)

To connect with the spirit of a hill, spend time in stillness and contemplation, preferably at the top of the hill or within close proximity. The experience will most likely vary according to each hill’s history and nature, so allow your intuition and allies to guide you.

above
: Dozmary Pool, Cornwall
below
: St. Torney’s Well, Cornwall

Stone Circles

It is difficult to say whether the ancients used the thousands of stone circles, henges, monoliths, and avenues across the landscape of Britain and Europe as ways of honouring preexisting sacred spaces or intentionally created them as places of power, but what is certain is that they stand today as places between the worlds where the veil is thin and the power of the land can be keenly felt.

When approaching a stone circle or henge, it is appropriate to seek out the gateway, or guardian stones of the circle, and greet them before entering. It will normally be obvious which these are, but if it is not, walk around the outside of the circle in a clockwise direction and see if you feel drawn to enter in a particular place, then greet the two stones that create that entrance. To sit with your back against an ancient stone under a starlit sky is to touch the magick of the Old Ones.

above:
Chalice Well
below
: Glastonbury Tor (both in Glastonbury)

Chalk Figures and White Horses

In the chalk downs of Southern England there are a large number of chalk figures carved into the landscape. These are mostly of white horses, which were sacred to the ancient Celts and Britons as symbols of sovereignty and were associated with a number of gods and goddesses as well as with Faery. There are also giants such as the Cerne Abbas giant in Somerset, which is said to mark the final resting place of a real giant and is still to this day visited by couples seeking to enhance their fertility. There is also the Long Man of Wilmington, who appears to be holding two staves but could also be holding open a doorway into the hill.

Neil Gaiman graphically followed this line of thought in his wonderful Sandman graphic novels, showing Queen Titania, King Oberon, and the Faery host emerging from the hill through the Long Man’s gateway to enjoy the first-ever production of Shakespeare’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
.

Hedgerows

By their very nature, hedgerows are spaces that define the liminal. Ancient border markers that teem with abundant flora and fauna, hedgerows are rich in Faery lore and are obvious places to feel the presence of nature spirits and Faery beings. Be wary, though, as many of the beings associated with the hedgerow are as dark and prickly as the thorn bushes themselves, so be sure to always greet them with respect and keep your wits about you. Time spent in stillness near a hedgerow will start to reveal its secrets, and you may find that you start to notice faces and other features within the branches, leaves, and roots. Listen to the whispers of the wind through the leaves. See if they have a message for you, and be ready to answer a riddle!

Burial Mounds

The connection between the Faery race and the resting places of the dead is so intimate that in Scotland and Ireland they were even called by the same name: sidhe. Burial mounds are intentionally constructed to be gateways into the underworld; as such, they are powerfully liminal spaces for Faery contact. Many such ancient sites were aligned with the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars, such as Newgrange in Ireland, where the entrance is aligned with the midwinter dawn; this adds to their significance as points of contact for Faery Craft. However, it must be remembered that burial mounds are also the resting places of the ancestors, and they must always be honoured alongside the sidhe when you are working in their space.

When approaching a burial mound, keep respectful silence. The triple salute mentioned earlier is an appropriate greeting, and offerings of beer and wine are usually welcomed, but be sure not to leave any mess behind you.

Native American Burial Chamber,
Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mountains

Mountains are powerful forces of liminality, reaching from the depths of the underworld to the heady realms of the cosmos. They are sacred places in many cultures throughout the world, often formed by the stone-throwing contests of giants or from the sleeping forms of giants themselves. Mountains are the perfect place to experience the awesome power of nature and the spirit within the land, having been formed by primal forces and enduring many ages.

Due to the size and slow (compared to us) energetic heartbeat of the great mountain spirits, they are often unaware of humans. However, there will most likely be several or even a huge number of spirits of place within and around a mountain. There will be the spirit of the mountain itself, possibly a faery queen and/or king, and quite possibly a whole kingdom and hierarchy beneath them. Address the spirits of the mountain as if you were a visitor at a noble court.

The Hurlers, Cornwall

Other Sites

Not all places where the worlds meet are so obviously marked. Certain fields may be full of Faery activity, as may any space where there is growth or the potential for growth. In fact, Faery encounters can happen in such unexpected places as airports, train stations, and busy streets. Just because it is a built-up area in our reality doesn’t mean that there are not still places where the worlds overlap. However, the busy world of humanity, with its confusing electrical and airborne signals, is not conducive to the peace and harmony required for enduring Faery contact, which is best found in the green places of the earth.

Flowers and Fungi

Certain flowers have strong associations with Faery, such as bluebells, snowdrops, red campion, foxgloves, and roses, to name only a few. As is well noted in folklore, rings of mushrooms or toadstools, particularly the highly toxic and hallucinogenic fly agaric, are known as fairy rings. It is said that these are places where the people of Faery dance on starlit nights. It is also said that if you enter the dance, you may be taken into Faery and not return for many centuries, so such sites must be treated with great caution.

Timing

Although contact may be made either spontaneously or intentionally at any time (expect the unexpected when dealing with the Faery realms!), there are times of the day, month, and year when the connection between worlds is strongest and you are more likely to feel their presence. Dusk and dawn are powerful times to be out in nature. There are often fewer people around, and there is a tangible sense of magick in the air as you are between the night and the day. Around the hour of midnight is also a potent time; however, do take care that you don’t pass into places where you are not welcome or that are dangerous for more mortal reasons. The full moon is the best time for blessings, consecrations, and leaving offerings for Faery, whereas the new moon is best for divination and channelling work.