Saturday, November 29, 2008

FAIRY LORE - NATURE SPIRITS










Nature Spirits


Various types of beings that are said to be the "soul" of natural forms. Belief in the existence of nature spirits is common to all cultures throughout history.


They are usually attached to a specific place, such as a tree, river, plant or mountain. They share the same physical space as ours – but at a different energy vibration. Some believe they also inhabit a different dimension than ours. They exist in the ethereal world which runs parallel to our own. They can be seen or felt intuitively or through the lens of a camera. Nature Spirits are one way that allows human consciousness to connect beyond the physical and understand other realms.


They come in a variety of shapes and temperaments. Some are described as human in form, others are like animals or are half-human, half animal; some are helpful, others deceitful or malevolent. They are normally invisible to humans, except to those with the gift of clairvoyance.

Elementals are a sub-class of nature spirits that are a part of the life force of all things in nature. They are ruled by archangels and are generally regarded as benevolent. The Neoplatonic Greeks categorized elementals according to the four elements:

Earth elementals are gnomes;
Air elementals are sylphs;
Water elementals are undines; and
Fire elementals are salamanders.

In the Middle Ages interest in these main groups was revived and alchemists and magicians sought to control and manipulate the forces of nature and the universe. Other elementals include elves, which live in the woods, and household spirits such as brownies, goblins and bogies. Fairies are also sometimes included in this category.

This is some information that I've gathered through the years about Nature Spirits. Whenever I walk in nature I can sometimes feel their presence....or at least it's fun to pretend.





Friday, October 31, 2008

More Fairy Lore



More Faery Lore to Muse !

The Best Places for Faerie Approach
Where Streams divide
Intersections of roads
Beaches and seashores
Lakeshores
Fences and border hedges
Islands
Thresholds
Bends in the road
Stairwells, landings and hallways
Any opening in sea or land
Glades in woods
Tidal Pools

Waterfalls
Cave Openings
Forest And Garden Paths
Attics
Gardens

The Best Times for Faerie Approach would be – Dawn – Dusk - Noon


Thursday, October 30, 2008

Positive Word And Quote Of The Day !


BELIEVE - "Believe Anything Is Possible" -

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. ~ Buddha

Love This! I have this wisdom stick on top of the computer so I can look at it all the time ... it really helps me to stay on track!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A Wee Bit Of Fairy Lore


Here is some Fairy Lore for you to enjoy that I have gathered through the years!


Signs of Faeries Approach and Presence - . A sudden unexplained trembling or whispering of leaves. A whirlwind or dust devil. The bending of grass blades with no perceptible cause. Sudden unexplained chills and goose bumps when alone in nature. A sudden, unexplained breeze that leaves as quickly as it arrived. A stillness in the air when walking in the forest or some wild area of nature. The feeling of an insect walking through your hair, when there is none. A rippling of the water when not caused by a fish, a breeze or something tangible. Extreme silliness and times of uncontrolled laughter. An unexplainable loss of time.

I don't know about you, but I have experienced these from time to time in my life. It's fun to think that there are fairies and wee folk about. A book that looks interesting with lots of Faery Lore that I found is Fairy Lore: A Handbook (Greenwood Folklore Handbooks)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Fairy Trees - Some Folkore, Legends And Myth, Or Could This Be True ???

Some say Fairy Folk can be found in mushroom circles, in pine forests, in hollows of oak trees and amongst the acorns, pine cones and Autumn leaves. Milkweed pods are sure to lead you to the wee ones. Dew drops, primroses, running streams are regular homes for the Fae & Gnome. Almost all kinds of tree found in the Celtic countries have been thought to have special powers or to serve as the abode of the fairies, especially the magical trio of oak, ash, and thorn. Next in rank are the fruit-bearing trees apple and hazel, followed by the alder, elder, holly, and willow. The esteem given different trees varies in different parts of the Celtic world; on the Isle of Man, the phrase ‘fairy tree’ denotes the tramman [elder]. D. A. MacManus devotes a chapter to Irish fairy trees in The Middle Kingdom (London, 1959). You can find this and some other books that may be of interest to you regarding folklore, legends, and myth of the fairy and sacred trees just below.




You should easily be able to find these books at your local library to see if this would be something you would want to purchase. That's what we do. We love to go to and support our local libraries. It is a fun experience and we are always surprised to find that the place is very busy.

Just below is a picture of my Sparkle Fairy surrounded by mystical fairy trees. In my Enchanted Fairy World the trees are very magical indeed and look and feel and smell nothing like you have ever experienced except perhaps in your dreams. Be that as it may, all of our beautiful and enchanting trees in this world are just as magical if we just lift the veil from our eyes and really see them.





* Oak * Legend tells us that "Faery folks are in the oaks". Oak trees are believed to provide safe havens and homes for many varieties of faery. OAK is the king of the forest. Oak trees are safe havens and homes for many varieties of fairies. Oakmen are created when an oak stump sends up shoots. One should never take food offered by the Oakmen, as it is poisonous. Fairies cherish the Great Oak and use the acorns for decoration, celebrations and use the tops for hats. The leaves are used in the autumn celebrations. There are some families of fairies who live in the Great Oaks. Hundreds of faeries have been found to live in the oldest Oaks. There are fairies to be found in every Oak tree, the health of the surrounding environment plays a major role in determining the number of fairies that actually inhabit the Great Oak. Planting an acorn in the dark of the moon ensures that you shall receive money in the near future. Carrying an acorn increases fertility and strengthens sexual potency. Carrying a piece of Oak draws good luck.

* Ash * has healing properties in fairy folklore. Ash is a sacred tree to the Druids. The ash was made into wands used for healing, general or solar magic. It was believed that children with crooked bodies, legs or arms should be passed through young ash trees. If the tree grew tall and straight, so also would the child.

* Hawthorn * Hawthorn Tree is one part of the sacred triad of trees that are said to be sacred to the Faery. Oak, Ash, and Thorn, when growing naturally together, create a place where it is easy to see the Fey. Hawthorns were once believed to be the abode of spirits which was that of a dryad or tree faery. A grove comprised of those three trees is believed to be the perfect habitat for fairies, and an excellent place to catch sight of them. Pixie Pears is another name for hawthorn berries. Hawthorn was once used to decorate May poles.

*Apple * The bark of apple trees or the fruits themselves have the power to transport a true-hearted seeker to the Otherworld. APPLE was regarded as the fruit of immortality in Celtic Mythology. Apple was also known as the home for Unicorns. The Welsh 'Avalon' means 'Apple Island'. CĂșchulainn followed the trail of a magical apple to gain his freedom in one story. Connla the son of Conn is fed an apple by a fairy lover which sustains him but also makes him fall hopelessly in love with her. One of the tasks of the children of Tuirenn is to retrieve the magical apples of the Hesperides.

* Alder * The Fae of the Alder have been known as the " dark Faeries". They are very protective. When they leave their trees this Faerie will take the form of a Raven.

* Elder * Elder is said to offer protection to the faeries from negative spirits. They may become offended by the misuse of the wood from the elder. Folklore advises to never lay a baby in an elder wood cradle or fairies spirit the baby away or pinch them so that they bruise. Elderberry wine is considered fairy wine. Drinking it is said to enable you to see fairies. Add dried elderberries to an incense mixture that you burn to attract fairies to a gathering. The word Elder is derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word ‘aeld’ meaning fire, an association given to the Elder because of its use. The soft pith of an Elder branch pushes out easily and the tubes formed were used as pipes for blowing up fires, later Elder bellows were made for same effect. From this came the folklore name Pipe-Tree - and the belief that the most resonant horns were made from Elder trees grown in areas away from human habitation and away from the sound of a cocks-crow. Popguns and whistles had long been made from the Elder.

* Birch * This is sometimes known as the" Lady of the Woods".


Saturday, October 25, 2008

THIS THING CALLED LIFE


I've been reading This Thing Called Life, by Ernest Holmes, which was first copyrighted in 1943! Yikes! My daughter brought this to my attention, knowing that I would be interested. Now, I've been on this spiritual journey for many years now, to enlightenment you might say, or an "awareness" but never heard of this guy. And, he's saying many of the same things (in a different way, or course) that I've been reading from tons of authors through the years. Ever heard of "The Secret", well he had, and way before this was touted to us through the media and such. I have to read up on him and blog more on him, but this book is a little gem, especially when I think when it was written.


As you might know, I'm big on affirmations, and so is he. I'm trying to focus my thoughts to the light and change their course as I notice that they are drifting negative. Lately they have been negative, I've been watching way too much news, but it's so exciting this election year. I can see a real shift in our society starting and I do believe it will be good...focusing on uniting us not dividing us...focusing on what we can do (which is anything we put our minds to) not fear and hate. I know, I know, some of you will be thinking, oh how naive and corny....well, don't give a hoot about those thoughts....only the good ones.

Friday, October 17, 2008

FAIRY ART PAPER DOLLS













Well, here I am again, finally. It's just that I'm been actually watching the news because of the historical events now in place, which I don't do normally. Way too negative. I don't know why the 24-7 channels don't do something else more positive besides the bad and sensational news. There really are a lot of wonderful people and stories to be told that would actually lift our spirits and unite us not divide us, don't you think?

Anyway, just wanted to show a couple of my recent Fairy Dolls. From left to right, let me introduce you to Zelda, Sadie and Gracie. They don't have arms and I liked the way they came out without them (oh, you could use your imagination and know they they are magically hidden, but some don't believe in the magic of the universe and that's ok). I gave names to each of them (you will find them on the back of the doll which is also finished off so you can use these cuties and a ornament). I tried to use names that fit with the doll and also names that were vintage for a lack of a better word. I have embellished them with different vintage and not so vintage findings. Don't know if I'll be creating more of this style....that's for another post. Hey, if anyone has any ideas about "vintage" and cutie names please let me know - I would love to put them on my list for the dolls/ornaments. Needless-to-day I have lots of these dolls hanging all over the place. Fun Fun Fun!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Wisdom Sticks


Greetings from really hot Florida. Well, today I would like to discuss my Wisdom Sticks. I have tons of these made in various stages of completion. I really enjoy creating these Wisdom Sticks as there are many different ways to use my creativity with these. First, I need to think of a word and then look up or make up some kind of POSITIVE affirmation or quote or whatnot (you will notice I love that word because I'm not a very good writer, but I know I'll get better as time goes by). Because I believe in positive thinking and beliefs, these sticks speak to me on many levels, not to mention that they are just fun. I love painting them in my Eastern European American style (I'm an American with Polish heritage) and they all have a touch of sparkle on them. If I can spread a bit of happiness, laughter, love and HOPE, well, who could ask for more?





Friday, October 10, 2008

Where my HEART is !


Ok, ok, I know, I know, at first I intended this to be a blog on all my art stuff, like what I create and what I like and all of that. But, I just had to write about where my heart is and always will be, and that is Brooklyn, New York. And, someday soon (that is if the Universe starts getting it's act together) my daughter and I will be moving back there and in style. Now, it's not like I live in this horrible place right now, it's a very very nice gated community just to the east of Tampa, Florida. But, we just don't belong here - we belong in Brooklyn, New York, somewhere close to Prospect Park to be precise. For some people they need to live where they need to live, some can live anywhere and it's ok with them. Either way, we do what we have to do and like what we like and belong where we belong. It would be some boring world if we all looked alike, thought alike, dressed alike, and lived in the same place or if all places were kinda the same. For me, I love the differences .... makes life interesting, don't you think. So, now I guess my blog will be about art (love it), Brooklyn (love it), Positive Thinking, and anything else that suits my fancy.