Heathens, Pagans and Witches discussion

Have any of you ever seen fairies, faeries, or any of the "Good Folk"? I actually did see a fairy when I was a child in Ottawa of all places. I'd be curious to know how many of us have had viewings. We can include gnomes and elves and such, but lets leave out orbs and angels. I tend to agree with the Ghost Hunter team about orbs. There are too many things it could be. ;)

Yes, I have seen a 'gnome' for want of a better term. I was camping out by myself at Wayland's Smithy (a neolithic tomb in England) some 30 odd years ago. I was sitting in one of the chambers in the middle of the night with a candle and I became aware of another entity in there as well. Standing in the passage was a tiny figure about 2 feet tall. His face was ancient and baby-like at the same time with very finely wrinkled skin. The clothes were dull earthy colours but his hat was pure white like brushed wool. He was observing me with a look a friendly curiosity as if to ask "what on earth is this hippy doing here in the middle of the night?" He was there for several seconds then disappeared into thin air. A few years later I learned that a number of other people had seen a very similar being in the vicinity.

Yes, over the last four weeks I have caught many glimpses out of the corner of my eye. Dark blurs. At first I wondered whether it was the stress or my fasting that brought it on, but a couple of days ago my daughter told me that she was seeing the same things (I had not spoken to her of my experiences). Neither of us feel threatened in any way by these presences. In fact I feel comforted. I think they were here all along but I needed my husband out of the way in order to see them more clearly (or for them to reveal themselves).

Thank you both for posting! Such interesting stories. I was looking for a sort of guide website for fairy hotspots but couldn't turn anything up.

Mine was in a vegetable garden in Ottawa. I was with my babysitter, and we saw a small woman with green hair and wings sitting on a broccoli.

Gavin, Gina, Aaron, it's wondrous that in all three instances none of you was the only one to see them. I wish I could add something significant to the thread, but things 'seen from the corner of the eye' feel too iffy :)

It was first and last for me Nell. I never even saw a ghost after that. My friends Sue has seen ghosts, and was so jealous that I'd actually seen a fairy. We made a special trip to Gwdyr Forest in North Wales hoping to see them, but no luck. It was rather an enchanted wood though. Supposedly the Vale of Neath in South Wales is a hot spot.

Gavin, my childhood friend saw a similar being. It was a little wrinkled man in a top hat, who was carried away by a murder of crows. My friend could be colourful though, so I was never sure. Evocative image though.

Little, interesting that they waited for the man in your life to clear off, before revealing themselves. I wonder if those particular beings are somewhat more partial to feminine energy.

I think they've always been around me (do you remember my email ages ago, the shadowy figure an ex saw over me when he woke one night?) and yes, not so partial to men, at least not unbelievers. I feel protected though.

If never seen fairies before, and I don't want to. Many ancient mythologies describe them as war-like.

I don't know if I've heard of them being exactly warlike. They're definitely described as amoral. I generally think they like to get people lost and play havoc with systems of logic and assumptions about reality.

In the Old English traditions, elves were often thought to cause pain and physical affliction to humans by shooting them with their elfin arrows. I'd presume they could also heal the 'wounds' they so inflicted.

Noctowl wrote: "If never seen fairies before, and I don't want to. Many ancient mythologies describe them as war-like."

Like their Middle Eastern counterparts the djinn, there are many different types and hierarchies, and the individuals are, like humans, of different dispositions. Some are ancient pagan gods and well worthy of worship, others are mischievous and amoral (Peejay's experience) some are downright dangerous and adverse to humans. (The Victorian idea of the sweet little creature that lives at the bottom of the garden is almost offensive to me.) I think respect is the way to go. I certainly wouldn't be blithely seeking out encounters.

In The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans-Wentz, many describe them as being fallen angels, too bad for heaven and too good for hell. This one kind of fits for me. Interestingly one description of a particular fairy sounded just like an advanced being with all chakra petals open and functioning, as per Rudolf Steiner's explanations in How to Know Higher Worlds: A Modern Path of Initiation. And it's the fairies, or fallen angels who gave the original wise women the fey gifts of foresight, healing and other magical skills...

I've never seen any faerie folk, but ever since I read a book about the Cornish Piskies, and since I live at the edge of a tiny forest, I greet The Good Neighbors often. Can't hurt. I have a copy of a book about the Piskies somewhere in a box in my basement. I will nose around and look for the book so I can post information for the group. I hope The Good Neighbors approve.

I'd be interested in that one too Portia. :)

Me too Portia.

That's pretty gorgeous Fallen Star. :) The Faery Faith by Serena Roney-Dougal discusses Ley lines, sightings and interactions with Others. Highly recommended by the way.

Thank you, Nell. :)And I will be sure to check out those reads!

Of course, for my fellow poetry buffs, great poets such as W.B. Yeats and William Blake claimed to have seen faerie folk (perhaps, even to have befriended them)and wrote about them in their work.

One of my favorite among all poems is this one by W.B. Yeats:

http://www.online-literature.com/yeat...

The amazing music artist, Loreena McKennitt, put the majority of this verse to beautiful song as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgm9vU...

...So lovely.

Eerie, haunting. Beautiful.

Thank you for the photos Fallen Star Poet. They are indeed head scratchers.

You're welcome, Aaron.

However, I have since taken them down as my husband is quite protective of them--after all, he shot them.

Fair enough.

I don't think I did, but this thread reminded me of something...

I used to have a gnome made out of clay and everytime I felt depressed I could see its smile growing bigger to me. It always brought me comfort with a mix of tears and smile. I had it until Alecrim came to my life and she ate it! My partner says Alecrim got jealous of it.

Well, I believed for many years it was a gnome, now I don't think so, but it was nice having it around.

Just thought I'd share this folks.
Spent the night on a hill top in a bivvi bag, cloud came down and weather unleashed.
Poor sleep at the best of times in a bivvi bag, but with rain it's like sleeping inside a drum.
Anyway, I awoke from a doze to find myself face to face with a very wet looking rabbit, just staring at me.
Having poured a wee libation from my flask (a 12 year old cask strength Inveraray) before settling down I like to think it was the local púca.
I asked it "what's the craic?" and it hopped slowly away.
I am now moving as slowly myself today, my old man legs ain't what they used to be and the hills can be hard on the hips.

Love this. Had to do some looking up of the local lingo to understand of course. The US dictionaries spit the dummy every time. I'd be taking it as the local puca too. Glad you are still with us this morning O.B and that you didn't attempt to ride it...

Little wrote: "and that you didn't attempt to ride it..."

Ah, colloquialisms...
Here (and I'm sure in many other countries) "ride" is one of many terms for the act of coitus.
I did not go down that road...sex with the sidhe? Never a good thing.
Look what happened to Ossian (and loads of others).

Whoops. At least not in bunny form. Tangent to follow, bear with me while I look Ossian up...(Extremely curious.)

Rabbit and a sexual connotations, long Hx.
Etymological similarities: coney/cuny etc.

Got you. Swept, but what a ride.

From @oldweirdbritain (Elizabeth-Jane Baldry) on Twitter: "To reclaim a person stolen by the fairies, wait for a year and a day, then, wearing a rowan cross, boldly enter the fairy hill."

Aaron wrote: "Have any of you ever seen fairies, faeries, or any of the "Good Folk"? I actually did see a fairy when I was a child in Ottawa of all places. I'd be curious to know how many of us have had viewings..."

If anyone is interested this website is interested in collecting tales from people who have seen fairies:

http://www.fairyist.com/

They're also looking to restart the Fairy Investigation Society.

Thanks Peejay. Off to look at the page now. :):)

Little wrote: "Thanks Peejay. Off to look at the page now. :):)"

It's run by Simon Young, the fellow who wrote the introduction to Seeing Fairies by Marjorie T. Johnson. As he states in his intro, he's interested in the full spectrum of fairy belief, from true believers to committed skeptics and everyone in between.

I started this book but have put it down again. I liked the Introduction quite well, but the main text itself is full of "sparkly fairies," which is all well and good, but...I dunno. Not my thing.

"Summing up then the ideal circumstances for seeing a fairy would be to send an emotionally-disturbed ten-year-old blackberrying at dusk on a hill associated with fairies on his or her own. If that doesn’t sound like good parenting then we return to the point that perhaps meeting fairies is not the safest activity." (From the above mentioned site.)

Lol-- yes, that's my take on "fairying." If it happens fine, but not something to go looking for.

Peejay Who Once Was Minsma wrote: "Little wrote: "Thanks Peejay. Off to look at the page now. :):)"

It's run by Simon Young, the fellow who wrote the introduction to Seeing Fairies by Marjorie T. Johnson. As he states in his intro,..."

No, sparkly fairies are up there with sparkly vampires...Off to search out books on the artist Luis Moe now.

Hope all well with you and yours Peejay! xg

Good luck with your search. Simon Young is definitely not a sparkly fairy man. He's a skeptic who wonders why Johnson didn't relate more dark encounters.

As for me I'm going through major life changes at the no but that's for another venue.

Peejay Who Once Was Minsma wrote: "Lol-- yes, that's my take on "fairying." If it happens fine, but not something to go looking for."

Wise, I think. Have seen books on how to involve fairies in your spell work too. Perhaps some feel confident enough to do this, but not me. I'm fascinated by them, and djinn, but not doing any invoking.

Also realised I have spelt the artist's name wrong, it's Louis Moe. No wonder I was having troubles finding him...

Peejay Who Once Was Minsma wrote: "Good luck with your search. Simon Young is definitely not a sparkly fairy man. He's a skeptic who wonders why Johnson didn't relate more dark encounters.

As for me I'm going through major life cha..."

Thanks. Strength to you for your life changes! xg