Timing
It is advisable to maintain a regular routine of offerings, even if it is just monthly or a few times a year, as well as when you feel the call to do so. The most important times to leave offerings for Faery is at the ancient Celtic festivals of Beltane (May 1, Northern Hemisphere; October 31, Southern Hemisphere), Midsummer (June 21, Northern Hemisphere; December 22, Southern Hemisphere), and Samhain (October 31, Northern Hemisphere; May 1, Southern Hemisphere). It is at these times that the veil between worlds is tangibly at its thinnest. If you work within another tradition that has dates particularly associated with faeries or spirits, then you should be sure to give offerings at those times. The phases of the moon have a magick that is above any details of human culture, so you may wish to leave offerings for the Faery beings at full moons and new moons particularly.
Remember…
Honour is not only in your outward acts towards Faery but is carried within you at all times.
Respect the everyday as much as the obviously magickal, for there is potential magick in every act and thought; all deeds both within and without send out ripples of consequence. A wise man once said to me, “You must wear your marigolds (rubber gloves worn for housework) at the same time as your crown,” meaning you must always keep grounded, not take yourself too seriously, and see the wonder in the mundane! I’ve never forgotten that, and it has served me well.
Always keep your promises, and don’t ever make promises you can’t keep. This goes for the everyday as well as with Faery! For one thing, they’ll know. For another, once you are on a path, you cannot choose to step on and off it to suit yourself. Learn to select your words carefully, and act within awareness.
Do not lie. Faeries may have a reputation for being mischievous and even amoral, but they do not lie. If they have been called deceptive it is because of their skills of glamour and illusion, but through the use of these they teach us much about ourselves if we are willing to listen, and we can start to see through the layers of illusion to the core’s light of truth.
When we can walk the path with truth and honour, we gain insight and knowledge not only of Faery but of our true selves. That is when we are ready to embrace magick.
Suggested Activities
Create
Perform the main exercise for this section, Building a Faery Shrine, and be sure to maintain it, keeping it clean and tidy. Lighting a candle, burning some incense, or placing the occasional new object on your shrine are ways of strengthening your bond with Faery and your allies. Your shrine will now be your point of focus for any daily practice you have developed.
Practice
Have a good think about what you can best give, and try to get into a regular rhythm of leaving offerings. Experiment with offerings during different cycles of the moon and make notes of any fluctuations of energy or response.
Respect
By now you should have identified at least one potential outdoor sacred space that is important to you. When you visit this space, try to remember to take a bag with you to clear any rubbish there might be in the area, and always act respectfully. Consider ways in which you might actively care for your local environment, including local groups and volunteering.
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chapter five
Magick
“I remember…I walked in Merlin’s footsteps, sometimes halting, sometimes fleet, with bright tremendous Powers and old Enchantment spiced with fear…”
Rosaleen Norton, Thorn in the Flesh
We now look to the direction of below, the moon, and the quality of magick (the “k” is used here simply to distinguish between true magick and stage magic). The cycles of the moon affect us all and are of great importance in magick, ruling the realm of dreams and instincts. But what exactly is magick? Indeed, even seasoned practitioners still debate the definition—and since there are so many paths, techniques, and practices, it is no wonder! On its most essential level, magick is the art of causing transformation according to will. This transformation must always begin with the self, for when the self is in balance and connected with the inner and outer worlds, then energy is free to flow in accordance with the will of the individual. Hence, if you have been performing the exercises featured in previous chapters, you have already set foot on a magickal path, as you have begun the process of self-transformation with the aid of the elements, the spirits of the land, and your Faery allies.
Each chapter builds on the next, so in this chapter we will cover the subjects of sacred space, tools, and consecration, and bring all our acquired knowledge and experience so far to bear in some simple magickal exercises.
The magick of Faery Craft is not attached to or dictated by any particular doctrine or religion, nor is it in discordance with any particular path (other than fundamentalists of any religion that may have their issues with aspects of it), so it is purely a matter for your personal judgement whether it is for you. Certainly you do not need to be Pagan or Wiccan in order to practice these skills. This is wisdom of the land and its intrinsic energies, and thus it is open to all who feel the call.
The Seven Directions and Sacred Space
In order to be connected to the inner spiritual dimensions of the landscape, it is helpful to be aware of the interplay of the elements around you and your place in the universe. We are taught to be humble and not self-centred, and indeed we are all just a small part
