Faery Shamanism and Spirituality

June 25, 2022

A Workshop for Witchfest 2023

Jourdan-Bachmann Pioneer Farms March 4, 2023

Welcome, introduce

Cast Circle

Welcome Elements in form of the Elementals: Sylphs, Salamanders,

Undines, and Gnomes

Welcome Fae with offerings (have volunteer Priestx give audience offerings)

(Some consider it rude to “invoke” Fae. Better way to draw them in is to tell stories, poems, songs.)

Pass around Faery oil

A good choice is “The Stolen Child” by William Butler Yeats

Tell the story of By Which Eye

…so Fae can be dangerous. Why do we work with them? (Sometimes no choice)

Faery Gifts

Healing

Prophesy (Poetry)

Magick

Faery Geases (pronounced "gesh")

An obligation or prohibition specifically for you, in return for Faery Gifts, an audience with the Queene, etc. (pick up cigarette butts, no lawnmower, veganism, etc)

The Nature of the Realm of Fae

By legend and lore, our world and Realm of Fae used to overlap much more. It may be that natural forces of the multiverse, like waves, move the realms together and then apart again periodically.

Likely, as humans destroy Nature on our plane, Faery mages are doing their best to prevent our world from contaminating theirs.

Therefore, we interact rarely in this world (and that can be very scary)

Mostly we work magick with the Fae in Astral planes

Our Astral plane is not outer space astral, but realm of imagination “underground”

Faery realm has its own Astral plane usually depicted as “above”

Therefore our interactions with Fae are mostly where our Astral planes intersect; each of us is a projection like an avatar to each other. Safer for both sides.

Especially at first, we often work with an intermediary, a human who is known to have gone to exist in the Realm of Fae: Reverend Robert Kirk, Tam Lin, Sir Thomas the Rhymer, Ossian, Fiona Mcleod,

Basic steps for “safe” journey to Faery Realms

Sanctification of space - Cast circle
Call Elements
State clearly your intention to contact a Faery Guide or Ally and WHY
Offerings to Fae (cream, sweets, ginger) and ornamenting/altar building
Recite stories, poems, sing songs
Guided/self-guided meditation to natural place and it's Primordial Perfection (the ideal original version)
Find an opening underground, go in with only the purest of intentions (leave a piece of iron to keep the door open)
Ask one of the above human intermediaries to come to you
Have a conversation with them about what you are trying to accomplish
Ask them to introduce you to a Fae Ally suited to your intentions and theirs
If nothing happens, retrace your steps with thanks, and go home
If an Ally comes forward, introduce yourself, explain your intention, have the conversation, and if they ask you to do something on this side, DO IT! The Fae hate oath breakers, braggarts, cheats, liars and posers
Do not consume food, drink or engage sexually in this Realm
With thanks, depart. Return by exactly the same path, DO NOT take another route home. Realize that just because your Fae Ally is “safe” it does not follow that their friends will be safe as well
Return to your Circle, ground out, eat food that is clearly of THIS realm
Release the Elements
Open Circle

Next Steps on the Faery Path

After this experience, you may or may not have dreams, visions, new insights or magickal talents. You may return to the Faery Realm numerous times. Sometimes you will meet with the same Ally, or it may be a different person every time. You may just work with the human intermediaries. But if you keep doing this as a practice, the ultimate experience will eventually be an audience with the Faerie Queene. You will most likely get a Geas or several for the privilege. "Normal" humans often find those of us who work with Faery energies to be strange, weirdos. It is unlikely that, like Ossier, 300 years have passed in this Realm upon your return. This is the main advantage of remaining in the Earthly Astral Realm of intersection with the Faery Astral Realm. Reverend Robert Kirk, Tam Lin, Sir Thomas, and Ossier are believed to have gone (or been abducted) *physically* into the actual Faery realm. However, you could be obligated to serve Her for 7 years, like Sir Thomas, so are you ready for that?

Nobody could blame you if you were not.

"Safe" Faery Spell

Write down a request or petition to one of the human in the Realm of the Fae. Make it in the form of a poem. Find a hole under a tree or in a tree or in our limestone, and put this message into it. (Biodegradable, PLEASE!) The Faery Postal System will hopefully carry it to the intended recipient.
This is how I came to have 6 years as a short story writer. I wrote a poem to Sir Thomas the Rhymer and then I wrote a book’s worth of short stories for 6 years! Then it stopped as suddenly as it started. It was time to move on.

Resources:

(More or less in a logical order)

The Living World of Faery by R.J. Stewart

The Faery Teachings by Orion Foxwood

The Faerie Way by Hugh Mynne

Faeries by Brian Froud

The Vanishing People, Fairy Lore and Legends by Katharine Briggs

Fairy & Folk Tales of Ireland by W. B. Yeats

An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies,… by Katharine Briggs

The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Faunes, and Fairies by Rev. Robert Kirk

The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y Evans-Wentz

Underworld Initiation by R.J. Stewart