Nestled within the peaks of Oregon's Coast Range Mountains are places where the veil between the worlds is very thin. On certain nights, the joyful laughter of children will whisper on the air, hundreds of miles from any habitation. Tiny beings, the size of a child's finger will hover on gossamer wings in the summer sun. It isn't uncommon for kindness and a giving nature to be rewarded with gifts and glimpses of the mystical. This is the land of the fae, the doorway into the faerie realm, and it is here that I learned of the wee folke.
There is a definite distinction between the fae and Nature spirits, although both are intimately tied to the well-being of the land and the environment. The spirits of the wild are for the most part, ethereal entities that are tied to specific environments or, more accurately, very specific locations. I have worked with the spirits of rivers and stones, the souls of trees, and the energy that is inherent in many parts of the land. These differ greatly from the fae.
The faire folke, as they are sometimes called, are similar to ourselves. They live full lives, learn and grow, feel emotion, live passionately, and make mistakes. It isn't that their world is separate from ours; the faerie realm exists on a different level, in much the same way that the layers of an onion are all connected but separate, each a part of the whole. From time to time, and in certain places, the veil that divides the physical realm from the world of the fae becomes thin, allowing the two realms to openly intermingle. I know of three places in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest where this happens; their locations zealously protected by those who share the secret.
Although these sites are doorways into the mystical, the fae are everywhere that wild things grow, regardless of whether it is a forest, a flower garden, or an open field. Traditionally shy and mischievous, if you approach the fae with a sense of humor, a deep respectfulness, and an open and honest heart, you vastly increase your chances of entering into a beneficial relationship with them. These qualities may be imperative to successfully interacting with the faire folke, but there are a number of things that will aid you in your quest.
First of all, when you have found a likely location, simply speak your intent. This is a integral part of any magickal working, and will let the faire folke know that you are not just meandering through the area, that you are seeking to enter into a partnership with them.
Second of all, demonstrate that you possess the qualities necessary for working with the fae. Spend a day cleaning up trash around a park. Contact the forest service and find out if they have volunteer programs for replanting clear-cut areas near where you live. Plant a tree in your neighborhood, create a flower garden. Anything that improves the land, erases some of the devastation mankind has wrought, or raises the natural energy of the area will attract the attention of the faerie realm.
Always leave a gift. Scatter birdseed for the songbirds. Leave a handful of nesting material if its that time of season. A tiny bit of blue thread or ribbon is a treasured gift as it's the color of the sky. And whatever you do, don't expect anything in return. The attitude with which the gift is left is as important as the gift itself.
Be patient and continually repeat the above steps, even when you've begun to work with the fae. Their initial response may be subtle. It could be something as simple as a beautiful feather or stone left where you can find it. It might be as ethereal as discovering the magick you work outdoors suddenly carries a much stronger punch. Whatever the result is, as you continually earn their trust, you will slowly interact more and more.
But keep in mind that the fae are terribly mischievous. Part of this is simply their love of laughter and you'll find them playing small pranks on you, expecting you to laugh with them. Sometimes, they'll appear more serious than they are, as the fae gauge your reaction and the way you truly respond to adversity. I've bent down to tie my hiking boots after driving for three hours up a rutted logging road, only to find a large screw imbedded in my tire and the "bicycle tire" spare that came with my Honda not sturdy enough to survive the drive into town. Although the tire was definitely punctured, it held the air all the way back down the mountain and into town. After the ordeal, I was led to a gorgeous site I would have never found in any other way, one in which the fae were extremely active.
Once you begin to connect with the natural world (see this issue's installment of Winter's Grove) you will begin to feel the places where the veil between the worlds is thin, where natural energy pools and grows. It's then simply a matter of making sure your heart is in the right place and that the fae know your intent.
Sadly, because of their intimate connection with the land, the faire folke are slowly being pushed out of our world. After a winter where all of the road's leading to their sacred sites were washed out, the forest service has rebuilt them to encourage logging in the areas I'm familiar with. Vast stands of timber have been cut, hiking trails opened and littered with the refuse of city folk, and the magickal realm is slowly losing the battle to protect their homes. I visited two of the three sites that I'm familiar with during a recent retreat to the wilderness. While the grove is still protected by forest magick and it's inaccessible location, it is weary from the devastation occurring around it and I have a feeling it's not long for our world. The quarry which I spent so many years healing and reconnecting, is now 100 yards from a make-shift helicopter base, established to aid the logging operations. Unless our culture shifts from one based solely on capital, to one that also realizes the importance of mystical and spirituality, it is only a matter of time before the fae are little more than a memory.