I believe in Faeries...

There is magic to be found everyday, there is another dimension that is often overlooked and as life gets further away from the earth elements, as we intellectualise until nothing is real unless there it's accompanied by a formula or statistics to 'prove' it's existence, well we lose something... we lose the magic, the dreamers, the folktales, the faeries... 

I am just back from quite a wonderful journey with my family, and I hope to share some of the highlights of my adventure in the future. I have sadly neglected my precious blog friends (yes I'm missed you!!) but first post back - today - is to celebrate with Magaly at her Annual Blog Party 'The darker side of Faeries' (please check out all the creative party goers posts if you can)... So now... 

As one of our treks took us to the Scottish Isles of Skye, Harris & Lewis, to the lochs, & dense mossy forests to the land of rainbows and pools of deeps dark waters, where faeries were born and their tales still told, I am thrilled to take part in this celebration, because I want to tell you... they do exist... but treat them well, otherwise you may see their 'dark' side...

Faerie Glen near Uig on the Isle of Skye, never was a area more fitting to conjure up images of faeries, complete with waterfalls, toadstools, dripping moss, truly the most picturesque landscape littered with stone pictograms left as gifts for otherworldly entities, I'm sure I glimpsed a doorway, down from the ridge-top that weaved to the highest point in the glen, 'the castle' as this natural formation is named, where the little ones protect the Glen, it is a happy place, this is where everyone believes.

Callanish, stories, including those of faeries are connected with these megaliths from 3,000 BC. Our road trip had taken us to Isle of Lewis on the Outer Hebrides in Scotland where folk still speak of the sprite that came from the sea with salvation when the village had no food back in time unrecorded, and still 'the shining one' who walks up the avenue of stone at dawn of Midsummers Day. Standing here I can feel the energy from the earth & that of the sky, like a conduit I am part of the energy in nature & I see how one believed in the power of unexplained, and I listen to those stories of faerie, and... I believe, in the words of Hamlet touched on when speaking of the Sprite that appeared in Shakespeare's tale "And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

OK, now, under the influence (well it is a party & I've been here a while) I checked out the Washerwomen, I had never heard of these creatures until I read Magaly's blog post & I was intrigued, it was considered a foretelling of death if one encountered these stringy white haired pale women who in the rivers washed the shrouds of those about to die... these women did not 'kill' the person they 'foretold' of the event... they weren't evil but some say they may have saved other women from the endless work, laundry & chores that they have to do for eternity... these water sprites go from being ugly hags with boobs down to their knees in Scotland where they have to toss them over their shoulders to continue washing those bloody shrouds to the beautiful Irish banshees that do the same work, but if you HEAR their cries, well just order Moet with that last meal because it's all over red rover... below is the Banshee...

I also did this aceo Banshee below, with her pale face & long white stringy hair she takes on the appearance of a madonna, no evil intended in her deeds,  a female who's fulfilling her role in the darkened waters of the lochs and riversides where she lives forever more...

This, well is birth of a faerie, an aceo, a realisation that fairies are born of believe, and die through neglect...

Oh and sometimes... sometimes I think there are worst things than the boogeyman (aceo below), he that materialises under beds, in cupboards, he that scrapes at the doors and windows of the children's bedrooms... sometimes I wonder if he's just  lonely, needs company, is harmless... but maybe he was banished from the world of fairies & sprites for deeds unspoken... maybe it's right to be afraid, maybe he embodies the 'darker side' of fairies... 

You'd think I'd had long enough to do the randomiser thingy on my last 'giveaway' but I will announce next Friday if not before, and everyone that comments on this post goes into the draw to win one of my 3 new aceos (winner's choice) so I'll announce all winners together, old post & new... 

Now... Off to lock my doors & turn on the lights ;) Thanks for your company & if you hear someone scraping at your doors or windows... don't worry... it'll be me coming by for a long overdue visit ;)