My Love of the Wee Folk

Have you ever been in the garden on a spring day?  The warmth of the sun shining can be felt all around.  The birds sweetly sing their song and flutter about in merriment.  You feel the coolness of the earth in your hands as you work the ground cleaning the clutter from the past winter months allowing the young tender green sprouts more room to reach towards the sun as well as spread themselves to cover the ground.  You find yourself humming softly; then it happens.

From the corner of your eye you see the familiar flicker.  The sensation of their pressence can be felt as your skin tingles with excitement.  They have joined you in your afternoon activities.  You continue on as you had been yet now with the knowledge that you are not alone.  The wee folk have come to enjoy the day as well.  For the small bobbles and goodies you leave on occasion they in turn help to tend the garden as well as other things.

There are many things in life that one can not necessarily "see".  Yet I wonder, does this make their existance unreal.  I can speak from experience and say that there have been many times in my life where I have had encounters that can not fully be explained; at least not in the complete manner that some may wish to have in order to believe the story that I may try to tell them.

My daughter and I have long had the discussions on the existance of the wee folk.  She has the logical mind of an adult and does not take kindly to remembering or adhering to her child like ways or thoughts.  My grand daughter on the other hand has an immense love for the fae folk.  She believes in them with all her heart and all her soul.  Yes, I may have something to do with it, yet I believe also that she is a soul who will always keep her mind open to things, even as she grows older.  We are both gently working on her mother to remind her of what it was like when she was a child and anything was possible. 

I am sure many of you have noticed my button at the top in regards to February Fairies over at the Whimsical Cottage.  Danni has done a wonderful job of bringing a month full of information, stories, crafts, and experiences all in tune with the wee folk.  I will have a post featured today.  If you have not had a chance to go and check it out I would suggest you venture over there and see.  If you have any interest at all in fairies, I am sure you would find it wonderful. 

What To Do?

Today I sit and wonder. Not a new thing for me actually.  I sit and wonder much of the time.  I have been accused of thinking to much on several occasions.  Yet today I feel as if I am pondering even more.  Maybe it is the fact that we received snow AGAIN last night and still the yard is a soggy muddy mess.  I am unable to go outside and just allow the outdoors to sink into me.  I can not putter around in my garden and feel the energy of the earth as I dig and plant in the soft soil.  I can not clear the dead leaves and fallen branches from where they have accumulated over the past months of winter. At least I can not do these things without the companionship of the cold and the moisture that is everywhere.

So again I sit inside.  There are things I should probably be doing and definitely things I want to do yet motivation does not seem to be much of a friend today.  I am sure I will push myself up on occasion to do a few small chores that will enable me to feel at least somewhat productive and not be too hard on myself.  Yet I long for the surge of energy that comes at this time of year.  It is not that I am tired or under the weather.  I feel fine.  There just does not seem to much of a spring in my step today.

A warm cup of tea with honey and cinnamon I am sure will help somewhat.  Maybe a good book and some quiet time to fall into it and be lost for the day in another world.  I have been working on my writing as of late.  The fact that my granddaughter has been learning to read this past year and has become quite an avid reader has inspired me some.  I had started a story some time back for my grandkids.  It incorporated them into the story.  I thought that I could read it to them when they came to visit, yet in truth I think that my granddaughter may end up reading it herself. 

It starts on a gloomy day much like today and eventually takes them to the land of Fae.  Through magical adventures and the meeting of new friends, their mundane day turns into something far more than they expected.  Maybe I should take a day off and visit.  It doesn't sound too bad. 

Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend.  Hopefully mother nature will be kind to you and allow you all just a little bit of sunshine. 

Faery Morning

The morning sun crept silently through the branches of the big elm tree, illuminating the small droplets of dew that hung to each new leaf.  Slowly each droplet grew larger until the weight was too much to remain attached to its home up high.  It was inevitable that each would eventually take its journey to the ground below.  Small shoots could be seen scatterd throughout the blanket of dried dead leaves that covered the ground underneath the great elm.  Each attempting to stand as tall as possible to soak in all the warmth they could from the welcomed sunshine.  The birds sang  as if in a means to wake all living to the dawn of the new opportunity of daybreak; each communicating their words of greeting through song.  The robins busy, heads tucked down, searching for any unsuspecting worm that may be showing a little too much of themselves through the soft earth.  An ample breakfast could be found for any robin whose search was one of success.  A slight flutter could be heard in the air throughout the small space; a sound so soft that if one did not listen carefully one would never even notice its presence.  As morning continued its arrival, slight dashes of light flashed through the small wooded area.  As if darting in and out of the dew drops as they fell and then landing on the small shoots of newly sprouted flowers that in days would bear their newly bloomed treasure.  At times it almost appeared as if the flashes of light would land for brief moments, settling for just  a few seconds; then just as quickly darting off to dance once again among the sunlit morning garden.

There are many who believe in the little people or fae as I like to call them.  There are many who respect such creatures as fairies, pixies, elves, and more.  I will be honest and say that I do not go about telling everyone I happen to meet that I beleive in fairies.  However if an opportunity arises, I am glad to take it and explain my friends.  It is somewhat difficult to fully understand them if you have not in some manner experienced their magic.  Yet the best manner in which to be so privileged is to believe in their existance.  Something that many struggle with.  I have not always been so lucky to this joy.  Yet in the past years as I have resided in the magical place that Vincent and I call home, I have had the wonderful pleasure many times.  From the flickering of lights throughout the woods behind our Elm after the day has come to an end to the slight fluttering sounds that can be heard at times while I work in  my flowers each summer to just name a few.

I am always sitting out small trinkets and bits of butter and cream for them beneath our Elm where I seem to sense them the most. They in turn have left me "presents" on occasions.  This spring I have plans to create a small fairy garden behind the elm.  I have planted flowers and such around the base of the elm and also along side of the backside of the ponds dam.  It was beautiful last summer and I look for it to be even nicer this summer.  Yet the area I want to fix for them this year is a bit more secluded and behind the Elm.  Some flowers for the shaded area as well as a small stone bench and small fairy houses.  Not necessarily for adults to go and sit yet, maybe a smaller child could fit throught the opening and enjoy.  I would love for my grandchildren to have the opportunity to explore and experience such things when they come and visit.

Whatever ones view or belief in faeries it seems that they still mystify and interest all.  Some tend to believe they are simply a figment of ones imagination.  That there is no possible way they could exist.  A piece of fantasy that has been embellished throughout the years in a manner to intice and excite one.  When fairy is said to most the image of  Tinkerbell comes to mind.  Yet there are those those who believe that faeries were created just like humans.  They are a life form that resides in a parallel but unseen world, though they have the ability to transcend from this place and travel briefly into others dimensions.  They have elemental associations but they are not raw energy.  They are thinking and feeling beings. 

Faery interaction with humans can be traced back to our ancestors and was once a very common occurrence.  It is believed by some that before we turned our backs on the fae in disbelief, that they worked beside us.  Some were helpful others were more difficult.  Yet time passed and humans soon began to push them aside, placing them in roles that were lesser then they rightfully deserved.  As this happened the break between the two worlds grew and the sightings and interactions with the fae become somewhat of a memory except to very few. 

To see faeries today one must be open to such experiences which are not easily visable to everyday eyes. Very young children still can and do see faeries with remarkable ease.  They have not yet been taught to not belive in such occurances and do not question that which they can see is quite real.  It is as they grow and are taught the rules of humans.  The need to not admit such things out loud less you be thought to be silly.. or worse still.. crazy.   There are many who say the secret to seeing faeries is simple... You need only beleive.

The Wealth of Wisdom

Ocassionally in our lives when we are fortunate we encounter those wonderful people who are blessed with wisdom.  I truly think they are a gift and too often we neglect to see the true treasure they are.  Wisdom can come in so many forms.  From the bluntness of a child's words to the simple musings of a stranger as they pass by.  Yet one of the most often resources for pure wisdom is from the experiences and life of one who has simply lived.  Gathering in knowledge through the years and learning from it.  Unfortunately we all go through the stage where we think we know it all yet as we start to gain in age ourselves we realize the true value of such things and our minds seem to become a bit more open to things that are not necessarily our own. 

Some time back I was blessed to find Mxtodis123 via blogland.  Little did I know at the time just what a wealth of wisdom she would become to me, in more ways then one.  A very wise woman indeed, at the ripe age of 62.  Now of course with me being 48 I do not see this as old.  It is only a woman coming into the true prime of her life.  Something I truly wish I would have known when I was younger... It would have saved me so much... Believe me... all your younger women... Getting older is a wonderful thing...  Mary as Mxtodis123 is more formally known has several blogs to visit, all of them offering information in regards to some area of interest. Her rich Celtic ancestory and desire to learn of it is what fuels her.  Her blogs are detailed and very rewarding to read. 

Although Moontides is the blog which I feature, there are several others to choose from with more detailed information on specific areas.  Avalon Revisted  is a site dedicated to her Celtic heritage and the history of it.  Inner Journey: The Moon Mythology and You is an indepth blog on the archetypal dimensions of the female self through the cycle of the moon.  Finding Faerieland focuses on the land of faerie and all its wonder and magick.  She even recently stated up a new blog Dreams: A Pathway to the Soul.  Diving head first into the interpertation and explanation of dreams.  I truly think I can easily say that there is something for everyone in Mary's contributions to blogland.  I invite you to visit one or all of her sites.  Personally I think you should take a peek at each one as they are all truly wonderful.  It amazes me at the dedication and time spent on all of these as Mary also works... She truly is a wonder woman... Enjoy