Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm (27 page)

With the addition of the rainbow tights and glitter mask, the outfit was complete. You
shall
go to the ball!

This entire outfit cost only £25 and took just a couple of hours to put together. If you have a bit more time to find the really good bargains and put in a personal, creative touch, you too can create something truly unique and amazing!

The Power of Dressing Up

It is easy to dismiss the idea of dressing up as frivolous or as something that is “just for fun” and quite separate from any genuine connection or magickal practice. Indeed, it can be just that, and it is, of course, not in any way a required part of Faery Craft if it is something that simply does not sit well with you. However, hidden beneath the face paint and extravagant clothing there are depths to explore that yield surprising results and even practical everyday applications.

This may seem like a superficial concept until we consider the fact that ceremonial magick of invocation and classical theatre have the same roots, and that by taking on the appearance of the gods, usually through masks, actors would become more priest than player, taking on some part of that divine quality for the span of a play. Indeed, masks are still widely used within both theatre and magick, and as both a trained actor and a practitioner of magick, I can confirm that the effect in both cases is extremely powerful. Masks are fascinating objects with a power and personality of their own, which even without intent can affect the energy and behaviour of the wearer almost immediately. How, then, is putting on a costume or dressing with intent any different? Wearing face paint or particular makeup is a form of mask work and can be just as effective. In fact, if we consider the potency of energy contained within a painting done with magickal intent and then consider how that would affect an individual acting, in a way, as a living canvas, how could it not be transformative? When we combine this with the idea of forming an entire costume with this intent, we have a powerful technique that can also be a great deal of fun!

We have already seen how many people use dressing up at balls and festivals as a way of expressing their inner selves or to simply rejoice in the beauty of imagination. Let us now consider how we can harness the art of dressing up as a magickal technique for deepening our understanding and connection, and for bringing our inner elemental energies into balance.

Exercise:
Dressing as the Elements

This is not a clearly instructed exercise as such but is more of a series of suggestions for you to try if you wish, as well as a commentary on the effects that I and others experienced whilst experimenting with these ideas ourselves. We have already taken an in-depth look at the elements and worked towards connecting with the different aspects of each element through contemplation. For the most part this is a passive, receptive process, connecting to our surroundings through opening our awareness and expanding our energy to join with the landscape. This results in a powerful internal process that can lead to understanding and transformative wisdom when performed regularly and with the right intent. However, let us also consider another approach that may be tried alongside these spiritual techniques. Why not transform the physical appearance in order to take on the qualities of each element?

Air

Traditionally the element of air is associated with the colours yellow, gold, and white, so you may wish to use any or all of these colours in combination for your air costume. Depending on how much of a hoarder you are, you may well find you already have things that you can use or adapt for this purpose. Also think about using makeup, face paint, or even a mask; changing your facial appearance is probably the most important part of this technique, as for the most part it is your face that transmits your personality to the world around you—it is the window to your emotions and inner thoughts. When we change that outer appearance, the most remarkable inner processes can occur! We chose to use face paint in white, silver, and gold. You do not need to be an expert to create really good effects with face paint. Here is a basic step-by-step guide.

You will need:

• At least two or three colours in decent quality water-based face paints that will blend well together.
  
• Makeup sponges. In fact, we used a cut-up dishwashing sponge for this exercise (unused, obviously)!
  
• Brushes, at least one thicker and one for fine detail. There are special face-painting brushes available, but we just used regular artist’s paintbrushes, and they work great!
  
• A bowl or cup of clean water.
  
• A cloth or paper towel for blotting any excess water.
  

Step One

Using a damp sponge (be sure that it is not too wet, blotting any excess water if necessary), apply your foundation colour around the eyes, nose, and cheeks, including part of the forehead if you wish. In this case we used white as a foundation, a good all-purpose base colour that will help other colours to stand out, and of course very appropriate for air!

Step Two

Again using the sponge, choose another colour to bring out highlights and/or lowlights. Here we used gold around the eyes and cheeks, with a bit of silver to bring out the cheekbones. It seemed fitting for the element of air to try and sharpen the features, emphasizing bone structure.

Step Three

Using the brushes, add any details in a colour that will stand out against your foundation. In this case, a masklike effect was created using a stronger density of white over the gold, and a fine brush was used to create some dots and to emphasize the eyebrows.

Step Four

Consider a complementary lip colour. You can use lipstick, but we chose to use the same colours of face paint, again using white as a foundation and then gold over the top.

Step Five

Look fabulous!

You may, of course, decide that you would rather use a mask to transform your facial appearance. In the case of the element of air, any birdlike or feathered mask would be an obvious choice, or perhaps a simple metallic gold half-mask.

Wigs are also wonderfully transformative and don’t need to be expensive. For the element of air I chose a rather punky white wig that I’ve had for more years than I care to think of, and I’m so glad I kept hold of it as it turned out to be quite perfect for this exercise. I also found a peacock feather fascinator to wear over the wig.

For the clothing, choose something that you perhaps wouldn’t normally wear, or at least wear them in unusual ways, and think about the colours and qualities of the element. I chose a striking gold dress that I picked up as a bargain from a bellydance hafla, along with a white and gold bellydance belt. This had the added benefit of adding an auditory dimension to my ensemble! You may prefer something simpler, perhaps something floaty that catches every breeze or something classical that brings to mind the great thinkers of the ancient world. Of course, for the element of air, wings are a great accessory. The wings I am wearing in this picture are effective yet extremely simple in construction, made from iridescent cellophane and coathanger wire. Feathered wings would be another good choice, or perhaps a billowing cloak or Isis wings such as are used in belly dancing. You may also notice that I chose to use a representative tool for the element of air as a prop—in this case, a rather fine dagger.

You might wear this costume for an event, but I also recommend trying this as an exercise out in nature, perhaps with a small group of friends, not only so that you don’t feel too self-conscious and there is an element of fun, but also so that you can observe any changes in each other’s energy and behaviour. Try to find a place where you won’t be pestered by passersby and where you can experience the element of air directly.

How do you feel? Are you thinking, acting, or talking any differently? How is your understanding of the element affected?

Fire

Red is the elemental colour for fire, but any combination of shades of red, orange, and gold will help to bring out those fiery qualities! These colours should also be used in your makeup, mask, or face paint. Bearing these colours in mind, follow the four steps as listed for the element of air. Here I used a gold base with the sponge and a masklike phoenix design painted on in red. Fire is the element of passion and action, so try to build those qualities into your costume. I chose a very tribal-style belly dance costume, with lots of red and gold that reflected the light and layers that moved with my body. You should choose something that you can move in freely that makes you feel confident and powerful. Since my hair is currently blond and red, I did not use a wig for this element but instead used a lot of hairspray to create a flamelike style. Having exponentially increased my flammability by doing so, I kept a safe distance from the fire!

I also found the effect was enhanced once more by the addition of a tool for a prop. In this case I used a staff with bells attached and found myself wielding it like a warrior! Well, posing like a wannabe warrior actually…

Fire would be a great choice of elemental costume for any Faery ball or festival, as it is bound to bring out your inner party demon! Again, I encourage you to try this as a magickal exercise also, with a small group of friends around a fire, and note any changes in mood, energy, and behaviour.