FAIRY MAGIC FOR BELTANE

Hi all!  I will be back at the Triple Goddess tomorrow to demonstrate some uses for fairy cards, in honor of the great fairy festival of Beltane.  In the meantime, I’ve been thinking about ways that we can enjoy a good relationship with the fairy folk.

When we look at the role the fairies play in so many different cultural traditions, we see that the fairies’ activities raise the vital energy that enlivens the universe.  Or maybe I should say, “multiverse.”  Actually, I like the Buddhist convention of talking in terms of “the ten thousand world systems.”  When viewed from that perspective, there can also be many different types of fairy realms, and other realms that can feel the influence of fairy magic.

 

So, if so much of fairy magic is spreading well being, what can we do to generate some good energy to keep the fairies going?  Well, traditionally, some of the most basic things are 1) acknowledging the fairies and their good work through greetings and ritual, 2) setting out suitable offerings, 3) creating beauty--as beautiful words, gestures, things, and places give fairies delight, and 4) engaging in celebrational activities, because festive energies revitalize fairy life.  Of course, in planning your celebrations, be sure to acknowledge the fairies by inviting their participation, set out foodstuffs such as miniature sweets or pour libations in their honor, and be creative about ways to bring beauty and grace into the festivities.

Of course, working with the different fairy decks is another way of acknowledging fairies.  So, now I have something personal to relate.  After drafting the above three paragraphs, I got up to read some fairy cards for myself, as I am about to go out on a walk, and wanted something to muse over, as well as some fairy companions to accompany me.  Well, seconds after pulling cards from assorted decks—and I’m talking seconds, because I don’t think even a minute had passed—I found my little gold mano cornuta necklace & pendant, which I have been looking for for two weeks, and had given up for lost, figuring it had fallen off during one of my walks.  I think the little folk are trying to tell me something, in affirming their existence.  Incidentally, some of the cards I drew were the Brownie from the Mason-Franklin “Fairy Ring” deck, and “Gawtcha,” a fairy type that catches you unawares, from the Froud “Faeries Oracle.”   So, one of my errands today will be to buy a fancy cupcake to set out as an offering, since fairy magic should always be acknowledged with gratitude.

Lammas Themes for Workshop on Sunday, August 5th

Because the first Sunday in August falls close to Lammas, (with its old pagan focus on the grain harvest and bread baking), I typically do something focused on The Mysteries of the Grain, which also gets us into Ancestor World connections and The Magic of Interconnectedness.  So, for a simple, fun activity for this Sunday at the Triple Goddess bookstore in Okemos, I will bring out the Animal Cracker Oracle, which is a fortune telling exercise that was inspired by old Prussian ritual bread baking traditions, and uses animal symbolism for fortune-telling.

For the special card reading exploration activity, I’m bringing along two types of oracle decks: Brian Froud’s “Faeries” Oracle, and Mason and Franklin’s “Fairy Circle” cards to demonstrate readings that explore ancient connections with the fairy folk.  (If you happen to own one of these decks, you are welcome to bring it along for your own use—otherwise we just take turns with the decks I have brought, or use demonstrator decks.) We will also do the Tarot Round Robin.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I am trying to trim the length of these sessions so they don’t get fatiguing, and I believe the above activities won’t run too long.  As always, these workshops are free and casual, so people can drop in and drop out as they feel like.