As a little lass, I spent countless hours singing, dancing, and playing with the faeries, communing with the spirits of trees and rocks, and feeling connected to the earth, air, and water elementals. Everything in nature was magical to me, and, oddly enough, I too carried a kind of magic that fascinated the nature beings. The faeries loved my rhymes and the musical sound of my voice, so, with all the joy of my innocent heart, I sang to them. Often, we made up tunes together, for every nature spirit delights in the art of creation, and there is no finer act of joy than to bring to life a melody along with rhyming lyrics. How they giggled and sparkled as we lifted our voices in song.
Does this seem fanciful to you—perhaps even a bit loony? When I was a child, I was often told I had a most vivid imagination, which was true enough to be sure, but to me these worlds into which I escaped among the woodland creatures were my haven and my higher reality. I still feel the same.
If you long to cavort with the nature spirits, here’s some advice from my inner child, who still thrives in my heart even at the age of 65.
- Open your heart and mind to the possibility of magic. Connect to your inner child through play and welcome the sense of wonder a young child experiences when exploring the terrain of a world that is still new. For some, this will seem quite natural. You are the ones who, like me, never left behind the gift of childlike curiosity. For others, this may take more work or rather more play! Try swinging on the swings at the park, playing in a pile of autumn leaves, plunging your feet into puddles on purpose, twirling with arms extended, lying on the grass and watching the shapes of clouds, or skipping down the sidewalk. Finger paint. Daydream. Create rhymes and ditties. Try being silly and making foolish faces at yourself in the mirror. Cultivate a bit of whimsy every day. Give yourself praise every time you manage to embrace these childhood joys. When your inner child feels nourished in the art of play, you are ready to approach the faeries.
- Find your faerie places in the world of nature. Perhaps these are spots where local legends about wee folk date back for countless years, but these aren’t the only locations to seek the faeries. If there’s a place in nature where you often feel daydreamy, where you seem to “zone out” or lose your sense of locality, there may well be faeries or other nature spirits present. When you let the universe know you want to spend time with the faeries, you will likely find yourself drawn to particular areas—perhaps a meadow you’ve passed a hundred times and always wanted to lie down among the tall grasses and wildflowers or a forest that is off the beaten path or a secluded pond or lake. A spot where you can spend time by yourself without other human interaction is ideal.
- What to take with you: a kind heart filled with love, a curious and open mind, a musical instrument (if you play one) or some wind chimes (faeries love the lilting notes), an offering for the nature spirits (a bit of cornmeal or oats, a few nuts, some seeds for planting, something with a lovely shine like a crystal or silver chain, etc.), and your creativity and imagination.
- Once you arrive at the forest, field, or lakeside, let your feet, not your head, guide you to the right spot. Take off your shoes and feel the earth beneath you. Sense the support the earth always gives you. When you feel it’s time to plant yourself, sit on the ground, against a tree, or wherever you feel most comfortable.
- Begin by connecting to the Earth, both the soil and the consciousness of the planet (Mother Earth). Feel and express your gratitude for all the bounty, beauty, and blessings Mother Earth offers you.
- Expand love, the light of your own heart, into the space around you. Imagine you are held inside a bubble of love from your heart. (It may be emerald green or pink if that feels right.) The more love you can muster, the more likely you will attract the nature spirits to you.
- As you breathe, imagine you are drawing in the loving light of the cosmos and breathing it out into the space around you and into the earth below you.
- Set your intentions to welcome communication with the nature spirits, the faeries, tree spirits, elemental beings (gnomes, undines, etc.). Invite them to visit you. This is different from “invoking,” which is more commanding. Imagine you are inviting friends for a visit to sit down and chat with you after a long absence from one another’s lives.
- Begin to hum, chant, tone, or sing. Even those who can’t carry a tune can intone or chant. If you have the aptitude to create rhymes or tunes, try writing a poem and/or a song among the world of nature. This activity will call the faeries to you better than just about anything. They will happily inspire your words and/or song if you let them.
- Another possibility for engaging the nature spirits is freeform dancing. Give in to the rhythm of the forest or field. Each place has its rhythm. Let the spirits of nature around you guide your footsteps and movements. If you feel like laughing at the prospect, please do! Laughter is its own special music, and faeries love the sound of it and want to join in.
- If you haven’t yet sensed the faeries at this point, you may simply need to cultivate your inner senses (intuition) more. Instead of giving up, try using “make believe” as a child would do. Children don’t always see or hear the nature spirits, but they often can sense them and connect to them through imagination. Pretend you can hear them. Imagine what they are saying to you. In your mind’s eye, envision what they look like. Imagination and intuition are a mere hair’s breath apart from one another, so what you imagine is likely being fed by your intuitive self.
- Use deep breathing to slow the mind and declutter the thoughts. I cannot explain here how to “go into the Silence,” but that is the best way to meet the fae. The Silence is the place where all things become possible and all realms exist simultaneously. Practice getting into theta brainwave state or diving into the stillness within the sacred heart. There you will find worlds without end and a laughing, dancing, singing child who once was you (or at least the dream you carried within your childhood self if your life was too hard to experience such joys). That wise and wonder-filled child waits for you in the realm of imaginings, ready to run with the wee folk and frolic with the faeries.
I hope these suggestions help you connect to that eternal child of light you are and to the hidden realms that lie just outside the periphery of your vision. Remember to embrace the love and light you are!
