Faery Stories

I have always believed in faeries. Santa, the Tooth Faery, Elves, Hobbits, Dwarves, Dryads, wind and dust devils, water sprites, salamanders (fire sprites) these are just a few that I have experienced in one way or another.

Living in the country when I was small, gave me ample opportunity to wander and spend a great deal of time by myself in the outdoors."Raise a child up in the way and when they are old, they will not depart from it."

And so it is that of late, I have missed my faery experiences.

You see, I banished them from my home a few years ago. I miss them. I will get to that story....

But in the meantime, I will recant that I have recently started a Fairy Tale and Folk Tale book discussion club. I realized in the reading of my latest acquisition "Faery Tale~ One Woman's Search for Enchantment in a Modern World" exactly what I have done.

This book, written by Signe Pike, jumped out at me when I was thumbing through my book club. I ordered it on a whim because of my new book club I am forming. When I started reading it, I was pleasantly surprised at the parallels in my life and hers, and then found it uncanny all the "co-incidences" this book was showing me.

She believed in faeries as a little girl. (Ok, don't we all?)

She thought, and still does, that there are monsters under her bed. (ahem. This is why I keep my bed on the floor. No monsters. No dangling feet over the precipice of possible annihilation is waiting for me)

She'd had a faery ring in her back yard. (Ok, don't we all? No? I have seen many...)

While she'd never been pricked or prodded by an imaginary being, my daughter Shawna was pestered by "a mean little man" (she said) for quite some time, which is another sign. (Ok, so I'm starting to feel like she's got something to say with this book)

I had an imaginary friend who would appear to me, yet when I finally told my mother his name....he never came to me again. I was very sad for my loss of such a bosom friend at such a young age.

She went to Tulum. I have been to Tulum. (ok, this is still co-incidental as far as I thought, and it was nice to see and remember some of the imagery of this sacred and magical site again. I was there 10 years ago)

She is petrified of the paranormal. So am I. After having some very frightening experiences thrust on me when I was young, I do NOT ghost hunt, use Ouija boards, do seances, or visit cemeteries. I don't want to see dead people and I do not watch any movies that feature any of these elements. My imagination and memory are too full of such things. (ok, this too, may be a common experience...still co-incidental in the kindred thing, but it's starting to feel pretty surreal, like she's talking about me. She's writing my life...)

The writer doesn't like to go to the bathroom at night, feels "presences" in the hallways and in strange or familiar settings. (ok, this is probably universal too....right? anybody with me?)

She has felt a touch and seen out of the corner of her eye a movement or a swift figure. ("muscle twitches, cataracts and shadows", says I, uneasily remembering the same...)

Then I turn the page to Chapter 3. It reads, "Finding Faeries in Upstate New York" (oh god. This really now no longer co-incidental....I'M from UPSTATE NEW YORK)

She then talks about Potters Falls, Ithaca....going to Cortland...Rochester.....fer feck's sake she even mentions "Doug's Fish Fry" all as places to note in her writings....SYRACUSE...(ok ok OK! You have got me! Uncle!!)

She goes to chat with someone, an expert on Faeries. She talks to....Coleen Shaughnessy, and describes her as looking like "Joan of Arc" with her bowl haircut. I had to laugh as a shiver went down my spine. I KNOW Coleen. I've read tarot at psychic faires where she also did readings. Have chatted with her at great lengths. I even had her husband. Mark, come to the Unitarian Universalist Church and talk about his animal medicine readings. (Ok, so are YOU now finding this all to be too much co-incidence too??? Or is it still just me here?)

Then the book goes on to talk about Dark Elves. You know. The ones that live under the stairs. (you mean the ones that used to live at mom & dad's house? Yah, I know them....<shiver>)

This all got me thinking as I am currently enjoying this kindred book.

There are all kinds of stories in my life, just like hers.
There are lots of people who have stories such as this.

There are stories about sweet faeries (Santa, the Tooth Fairy, Elves, House Elves or Brownies, Gnomes and Faery runners who help you ahead of the fact).
There are also not so nice ones (Dark Elves, some House Elves, Bogles, Goblins, Trolls, Pixies...just to name a few)

I have stories.

Maybe the emergence of my need to bring Fairy Tales & Folk Tales back into my life, is a deeper need to bring the faeries back into my life.

Yes, I banished them awhile back. I wanted to banish the harmful, tricksey ones who were tormenting us here at Squirrel Haven. I didn't mean to banish the good ones. I had no choice.



While it has been quieter for the last few years....things only go walking for short periods of time, and there is a house sprite who still lives here and helps us from time to time...

I miss the sightings.
I miss their humor.

I don't miss the pinches tho.

So I may go on a quest to bring them back into my house.....

You have to weigh the odds on these things.

I think that bats, and spiders and snakes are all good creatures. I think most faeries are also good creatures.

But I don't think I want any of the above in my house. They can be disruptive, frightening and disturbing.

I think some critters are best left outside.

So......

I shall go outside and make my peace with them and look for them in my life.....

and I will....

in the meantime....

ponder taking down the horseshoes over the front and back door.