The Dark Side of Faery
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Storm Faerywolf, author of Betwixt & Between and the new Forbidden Mysteries of Witchcraft
The magic of the Faery tradition is—first and foremost—primal. Far removed from the glittery fantasies of winged sprites granting wishes to good children, the real face of faery is far more potent…and far more dangerous. Looking back to old folktales, we see much in the way of charms and spells designed not to put us in touch with the faeries, but instead to protect from them.
The word “faery” originally meant, “things of magic and enchantment.” This we must keep in mind when reading the old stories, lest we unnecessarily pigeon-hole the experiences of our historical forebears, as well as our own. “Faery” was not so much a specific people or place, but everything that was “otherworldly” or had an air of magic. “Faery” also has connections to “eerie,” a common sensation when dealing with otherworldly powers and a good indicator for when we are legitimately in their presence, reminding us to “be on our toes,” lest we inadvertently succumb to their potentially harmful influence.
Don’t get me wrong: Though it is necessary to be aware of the intrinsic dangers involved, this should not deter us from seeking to deepen our relationship with these powers. In order for a Witch or Warlock to truly develop their magical potential we cannot do so alone. The world of Witchcraft is one populated with all manner of beings and powers that can be potential allies in our shared work. The fae are an inherent part of nature, and through working with them we can further develop our own magical potential, as well as begin to try and heal the spiritual rift that has been at the root of so many of our global problems, both environmentally, as well as socially. In order for us to evolve as a species we must be able to look beyond the “us vs. them” paradigm that has plagued our kind for millennia and begin to see ourselves as simply one part of a greater holism; opening our awareness to other intelligences and types of life, both human and non, and hold them all in a place of equality.
For those who may already feel deterred by my cautionary note, fear not! Folklore and tradition have given us tools on how to best navigate our encounters with the magical realms in ways that help mitigate the dangers involved. By examining the practices and stories of our ancestors we can begin to discover symbolic patterns that assist us in making the shifts in consciousness necessary for working in a healthy way with the unseen denizens of the cosmos. By aligning ourselves with them we are better able to discover our own inherent humanity and begin to claim our divine birthrights as co-creators of a natural and spiritual world, populated with many different intelligences and powers. It’s all there, just begging for us to look beneath the surface.
Our thanks to Storm for his guest post! For more from Storm Faerywolf, read his article The Forbidden Nature of Witchcraft: The Shadow, Power, and Poetry.”
