Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm by Carding, Emily (sad books to read .TXT) 📗

your house or out in nature is fine, but remember to not leave it unsupervised and to clean away your candle stubs afterwards. Natural beeswax is best.

Creative Acts

Even if you are not normally creative in any obvious way (everyone has the potential for some form of creative expression), you may wish to create something as an offering. A painting, model, or sculpture may become the focal point of your Faery shrine, or you may choose to create something from natural materials that will, in time, be taken into the landscape. It is best not to do this at sacred sites, however, which should be kept clean and pure for all, both of this world and the otherworld. A piece of writing may be recited and either kept for future work with Faery or burnt to send it to the otherworld.

Wildflowers

Opinion is divided on whether cut flowers are an appropriate offering in Faery work. I would urge you instead to plant wildflower seeds that encourage bees and butterflies and bring beautiful, growing life to the land rather than take the life of a growing thing. Certainly shop-bought flowers are an absolute no-no both for offerings and as altar dressing, unless they have come from a reliably organic local source. Most flowers on sale in stores have been imported from countries with poor working conditions and intensive chemical treatments. If you wish to use flowers on your altar, if possible they should be grown in your own space, not taken from the wild or bought from a shop. Fragrant herbs grown specially for the purpose in your own space are a good alternative.

Shiny Things

Coins or jewellery may be left, but it is important to really use your judgement as to whether it is appropriate in individual circumstances. Again, sacred sites should be left pure unless there is a longstanding tradition of offerings being left. If you feel called to leave something of great personal value, that is far more fitting than buying something specifically to give away, as it is more the energy and the act than the object itself that is a gift. Also be aware that through your giving, the spirits of place may intend for the object to pass on to another who will find it. This is all part of walking in awareness of the greater patterns of the web that unfold around us.

Acts of Devotion to Nature

Acts of physical labour out in nature may be dedicated to your work with Faery allies or they may ask you to undertake certain tasks. This can be as simple as leaving food out for the birds, picking up litter in your local area, or planting trees. Certainly when you have found your particular sacred space or spaces where you best connect with Faery, you should undertake to keep them in an orderly fashion and free from human debris. Keep an old carrier bag with you to take rubbish home in! A similar idea would be to donate money to an environmental cause.

Bodily Fluids

We may be a bit squeamish about bodily fluids and so on, but an offering of saliva, a tear, a drop of blood, menstrual blood, or even hair can be an excellent offering if accompanied by the right intent, usually to seal a pact or promise rather than as a gift. Giving from your body in this way is an act of trust, as to an extent it is giving the spirits of the place access to your energy signature that can be used against you if they have cause (for example, if you break a pact or a promise). Because an offering of this nature forms a powerful physical link with the land and spirits of place, do think carefully before it is used as to whether you can maintain that link and commitment (especially with blood; no more than a drop or two is needed or advised).

Things to Avoid

Glitter

Glitter is fine in its proper place—on your face! As most glitter is made of tiny bits of aluminium, plastic, and glass, leaving it out in nature is not only littering but very damaging for any wildlife that may ingest it. Edible glitter is a biodegradable alternative that should always be used when making children’s bottles of “fairy dust,” as they will inevitably want to pour it on flowers and plants.

Chocolate

Many well-meaning people leave chocolate as an offering out in nature, and even some so-called authorities on the subject recommend it. you must not under any circumstances leave chocolate out in your garden or anywhere in nature! Because of the high amount of theobromine it contains, chocolate is extremely toxic to most animals, sometimes even deadly. I’m sure you can understand why it would be a highly inappropriate offering. Make sure you leave it out of any baked goods you leave as offerings too.

Leftovers

When leaving food or drink out for the faeries, it must always have been specially made for them or be the first and best portion (if necessary, it can be put to one side to be left out for them later). Giving them what is left over after you have eaten or drunk first is not an offering, it’s a sign of disrespect. The same applies to any offering given because it’s something that you no longer have a want or a need for.

The Neglected Shrine

If you are going to have a shrine—either in your dwelling place or preferably in your garden—it should always be kept clear. Food offerings should always be cleared the next day, as described earlier, and it should be kept free of any debris or mess. Neglected shrines attract negative energy and mischief (the bad kind)!

Crystals

Crystals are actually fine in your own space, either in your home or your garden shrine. It is recommended to check with your supplier to make sure they have been mined ethically. There is an unfortunate trend in modern times to leave crystals or even bury crystals at sacred sites. This is,