In some past social media posts and a previous blog post, I evoked the idea that it's not recommended calling the people of the otherworld Fairies (the otherworld is their permanent plane of existence). In today’s blog, I would like to clarify this to help those who may be in contact with the Fair Folk. You must understand that the following is nothing more than learning polite behavior around the Good People. You’ll notice that in the last two sentences I have used different words to describe them; the goal is to honor their presence on our planet as equals, as neighbors. Using the word Fairy is insulting to them because it bulks them together as one homogeneous group, which is not true at all.
The only term that is deemed acceptable to group them as one is Fey. To look at this from our perspective, we would accept humans as a term to define us as a whole, but not humanoid bipeds. You may find that term inoffensive, but know that the Fair Folk are a susceptible bunch. Plus, trying to group them into one entity is useless, they are a varied group, spread across every natural phenomenon that we know, even those that we don’t. Whatever term you want to use when speaking of the Fair Folk, make sure it honors them. The reason you need to be careful about your choice of words is that you never know when a resident of the otherworld will be around. And it doesn’t matter if they are from either royal court (we’ll get into the courts later, there will be a lot to cover). If you insult them or abuse something they hold dear, there will be consequences. Regardless, if you are careful and polite when speaking of them, they may award some favors as a reward for being nice. And this is true of all of them, from the frightening to the fantastic, the terrifying to the enticing. They will all appreciate a good heart and a curious nature.
Like I was saying, Fair folk are a varied bunch, who can be both physical and ethereal, they are present in every part of nature. They have scores of names; lake fey, sprite, pixie, brownie, changelings, gnome and so many more. Some are attached to their environment, like forest nymphs, others can travel freely anywhere they like. None of them are wrong, and none of them are right either, and that’s your first lesson about Fey: it's in all ways and always a contradiction, which is why I am insistent on making sure you use proper language when speaking of them. And please take my words to heart, The Fair Folk love completely and hate completely, without any reservation.
The Fey I speak of come from a long time ago, before time even existed, but my warnings also apply to the modern versions. Speak ill of the tooth fairy, and you will get a visit from the bone mother, and you don’t want that.
To finish, here are some tricks to know if any Fair Folk are around you.
- Unexplained laughter, voices, or music – one indication that the Fey are around is the sound of laughter or voices that seem to have no discernible source. If you do hear this music when this happens, it will be unlike anything heard on Earth.
- You can sometimes hear voices speaking when ghosts are present, but with the Fey, it’s commonly the sound of conversations, often in an indecipherable language. In some cases, this may also include the sounds of hounds or horses passing by.
- If you have a cat and it's playing with something invisible, there’s a good chance it's playing with a Fey person.
- Another reaction some cats have is to run and hide for no good reason. Some cats don’t like them and would rather hide when they are around.
Be careful folks, remember that they have a moral code that is somewhat like ours, but entirely different as well. My research has shown that if they feel dishonored, they may do nothing more than tip over your glass of milk, but they may also make your food rotten, or worse.
Let me finish by telling you that if you are endowed with good luck, please keep it to yourself, they do not appreciate a blabbermouth. But more on that another time.
Have a great week everyone!