Do you believe in Faeries?

Faeries

Do you believe in Faeries? Did you ever? How about now? If you don't believe in Faeries, we at Earth Council just might change your mind.

Stories and descriptions of Faeries come from the Celtic people (pronounced Keltik). Around 400 BC, the Celts ranged from Britain & Ireland all the way across Europe to northern Turkey. Most of the Celtic people and their customs and languages died out with the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity. Celtic descendents still live mainly in Europe. Some of their stories, traditions and languages still survive in some areas.

Celts were a very intelligent and creative people. They were well versed in herbal medicines. They made all kinds of practical and useful things out of metals such as bronze, iron and gold. The Celtic people were also very artistic and made even practical things beautiful. They also made carvings and sculptures, enjoyed music, wrote songs, and told stories. Their stories were their oral tradition. It is how they recorded their history and culture. They did not have a very high opinion of the written word.

Celts also practiced magic and various rituals. They believed in Faeries or The Little People. They did not have to see them to believe they were there. It was just a matter of fact. They knew Faeries were magical and could be helpful if you were good or make trouble for you if you were bad. The Celtic people would leave cakes and milk out for the Faeries as an offering to the Faerie Folk.

Faeries live in woods and fields and streams. They are the elemental nature spirits of the trees, hills, and waters. They live wherever the Natural World still exists (which is becoming more scarce by the minute). The Celts had different names for spirits of different areas of the field, wood, mountain and sea.

They live in all different places in the woods and fields. Some live in trees, some in holes in rocks or in openings under fallen trees or rocks. Some live under ferns and other plants. Others live on or near flowers and still others live on the waters edge.

Faeries are so tiny and elusive it is very difficult, if not impossible to see them. They are especially active four times a year during the two Solstice's and two Equinoxes for it is a time of celebration. Even if one showed herself to you it would be hard to spot her among all the plants and leaves because they are so incredibly tiny. That is why the Faerie Folk are also called The Little People.

Generally all Faeries have the job of watching over and protecting the Natural area they live in and all its residents. As big as their responsibility is they are not so busy as to never enjoy life. That's their biggest task of all. Because they are so in tune with their environment they constantly revel and rejoice in the wonder and beauty that is Nature. They thrill over the sight of a deer. They marvel over the colors, reflections and dance of water. They are in awe of every sunrise and sunset. Nothing in Nature goes unnoticed in the Faerie World. Nothing is ever taken for granted, especially now when it is all dwindling so fast.

They celebrate Nature and Life all of the time. They are the elemental spirits of the Natural World. They enjoy good food, drink, music, and everyday is filled with feasting, dancing and music. No one can die in the Faerie World. If they are hurt or slain in play or mock battles they are resurrected the next day. They are almost always happy because they are so grateful. They are fully aware of how lucky they are to live in such a beautiful and magical world. They live in a paradise that very few humans have ever seen. Even if a mortal human can enter their world they may never return if they are not careful. The only thing that robs the Faeries of their joy is the permanent loss of trees, animals, species, rivers, habitats, land,....their world.

I envy them. I wish I were that in tune, that grateful, and that inspired.

Very few humans, if any, have actually seen them. They only reveal themselves to quiet, extremely patient, still creatures they feel they can trust. This explains why humans don't see them. How many humans sit in the woods, absolutely quiet and utterly motionless for long long periods of time? We don't know any either.

Well, one of our members, a human even, had a Faerie visit her recently. The Faerie even stayed long enough to let her get a picture. Of all the photos she snapped only one came out really well.

I have never been to the Faerie World, but I was lucky enough to have one visit me and spend some time. She came to our window, to our home. I am not surprised in one sense since we do live in the woods so I am sure Faeries are all around us. We were especially privileged because she was willing to reveal herself and for such a long time. I am probably the only human on Earth and in history who has an actual picture of a Faerie! This is a photo that was not doctored or edited in anyway. There are no special effects. This is a real photograph. I took a dozen or so but this is the only one that came out this well. She is so tiny it was hard to get a good close up. The sun was shining so it was hard to get a clear shot without her coming out too bright to make out. Well, here she is....

This particular Faerie is called a Golden Mayfly (Hexagenia species). The picture does not do her justice. She was a little brighter golden yellow color. She lives near rivers and quiet lakes with sandy or silty bottoms. We have a creek in the back so she must be staying there mostly and came out to visit awhile. She and her family are widespread in eastern North America. She'll lay her eggs on the water which will sink to the sandy bottom. When they hatch, her babies, called naiads (or nymphs), will live and feed there for 12 months. They construct a U-shaped burrow in the sandy bottom. They continuously undulate very large, feathery-looking gills to keep the water moving through the tube-like burrow. This way they can get oxygen and food without exposing themselves to predators, like insect eating fish. They scrape diatoms and other algae from the mud and submerged vegetation for food.

They reach their full size by Autumn or overwinter and complete their growth by Spring. The subimagos (or subadults) emerge from their watery home May - August. In 12 - 24 hours, usually in the evening, they transform, or undergo metamorphosis, into adults like our friend here. Mayfly swarms are quite common in late summer (especially near lights). Adults do not feed. In fact, she does not even have the mouthparts necessary for eating. She has to be on the lookout for hungry birds and bats though.

They are with us for such a short time (only a few days) just long enough to mate and return to the water to lay her eggs. Because she lives such a short transitional life the Order she comes from is Ephemeroptera, indicating an ephemeral existence. This makes her visit with us that much more special.

She was only about 1 inch long from the tip of her nose to the end of her long slender tail. From her tail she had two long streamers called filaments extending about another inch. Even at that size Golden Mayflies are the largest of the Mayflies.

Our little Faerie visitor was beautiful and graceful. She would occasionally arch her tail back and spread her streamers. She was utter grace. She has it arched a bit in the picture.

When she was done with her visit, the little Faerie leaped off the window and fluttered away like a butterfly into the woods.

Her visit was mesmerizing and nothing less than a great honor. I still can't believe how lucky we were for the visit. It's a good sign.

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