"Round about the faerie ring, join them as they dance and sing."- Faerie_Witch
Faerie Faith:
The "Faerie Faith" is at its core, the belief in faeries / fairies. From there the path will split on what the individual person believes when it comes to folklore and superstition; however, the following will be an inside look and breakdown of my practice as a Faery/Faerie Witch.
Are there Gods or Patrons?
Yes, there are patrons; however, there are no "Gods". In my practice you have Lord Oberon and Lady Titania , the respectful king and queen of the faeries.The two act as the Witch Father and Witch Mother , of traditional witchcraft. The patrons who one is initiated to, given spiritual familiars by, and those revered by the witch. (For more info on the Witch Father/Mother, please look into any works by Gemma Gary or on Traditional Witchcraft).
How does one make contact with the Faeries?
An individual can make contact with the Faer-Folk, by going to aboundary of the worlds, to say. By that, I mean going to a wood line, a shoreline, a river bank and so on. From there, sit and listen maybe even play some music, as in many accounts of faery folklore, the Faer-Folk love music. While there set up a small offering area and listen, talk to the trees and breeze. The faeries will be listening, and if you have a divination tool such as cards, pendulums or such use that as a means of communication with them.
You said something about familiars, what are they in your path?
Yes, I did bring up familiars. They are spiritual beings, some may or may not possess an animal (not my place to say, but folklore has said familiars could be either), that assist the witch in their workings. The familiars of my path, are indeed spiritual (unseen) faeries that I've contracted to aid me. I have two, one is a brownie (a domestic faerie of the house, which assists in keeping it clean and protected), and the other is an unseen faerie that acts as my intermediary to the Faerie King and Queen. Nothing fancy, they just send my requests when doing minor rituals and act as a spiritual guardian when I am outside of the home.
When doing rituals do you lay a circle or compass? Do you call in the quarters or such?
Yes to both; however, my method and naming is a bit different. I call my compass / circles "Faerie Rings", and I lay/cast it counter-clockwise with the rotation of the earth. One laid I then dance around it three times with a small chant which I quoted above.
" Round about the faerie ring,join them as they dance and sing. "
When it comes to "Calling Quarters", I call forth and invite but never demand, the spirits / faeries of the directions. Going East, South, West and North.
" Hail to the Faeries of the (Direction), we / I welcome you to join this rite! Bestow us, if you will, your knowledge and might. Hail and welcome! "
Where do you believe your magick comes from, and how do your spells work?
Great questions! So, I believe my magick comes from my connection to the spirits (faeries and ancestral dead). Part of it is through me, being able to commune and travel to the spirit world (through hedge-crossing/riding), but mostly from the faeries and spirits being willing to aid me.
When I cast a spell, I ask the faeries (and my familiar, as stated above) to send my request depending. If I wish protection, I will invoke the power of the reagents (herbs, stones or such) along with asking the spirits and faeries for their aid. Normally when I cast a spell, I also give an offering because no one likes to work for free. I scratch their back, they scratch mine.
Do you celebrate any holidays or Sabbaths?
Yes, I do celebrate many holidays, both Christian and Neo-Pagan. The most important of them are the Equinoxes and Solstices. Midsummer, Mabon, Yuletide and Beltane . I do celebrate Christmas and Easter too, as my family are Christian and I am alright with it. Faeries in some way or another show up in Christmas and Easter; be it the Sugarplum Fairies of the Nutcracker, or the bunnies and ducks of Easter. It is also to worth note that All Hallows and Walpurgisnacht are two very important holidays for me as well.
It is also wise to note that every full moon I do a special ritual for my familiars, which I acknowledge their hardwork and give them special offerings. Everyone likes to be recongnized for their hard work, even your familiars and spirits.
Is there a morality to your faith, like how Wicca as the Wiccan Rede?
No, there is no set dogma or mortality. The Fae, are not one way or the other. They're a reflection of nature and humanity too. So in my practice, I am the same way. If someone's cruising for a hexing, or in need of a blessing, I will do what I need to do. Faeries in lore could lead on to treasure and luck, or cause a blight to a crop. I believe it is important to remember that humanity isn't strictly "good" or "bad", "Selfless" or "Selfish", and that it is okay to be any shade between. To be human is to be kind and cruel. Without one we cannot have the other, and to be one, is to deny the half of who you are.
How would you describe your spiritual view and witchcraft?
I would describe my spiritual view as an animist and totemist , all things have a spirit and spirits / spiritual energy can be channeled or stored through totems, and which the spirits can interact and cause change to the physical world. Now when describing my witchcraft, if we want to break it down into terms it would be as followed:
My practice is a Folk/Hedge/Cottage Witch. Sharing the folk-beliefs, working with spirits and crossing into their realm, while keeping the domestic and sacredness of the mundane just as important as the magickal.
If I have any questions about your practice, may I contact you?
Of course! Anyone who wants to know more about my faith and how I practice is fully welcome to contacting me with their inquiry! I love to help and the only way we can grow, is to ask questions.