Lesson 7. Rules for Dealing
with the Fae
—by Abby WillowrootI was raised with a few traditional faerie beliefs. My
Grandmother, Catherine Burke, came from the Aran
Islands as an adult; she grew up on InishMor. Belief
and knowledge of the Fae is strong to this day on
InishMor. She taught her children and grandchildren
how to stay safe and not offend the Fae, or the “Wee
Folk” as she called them. Here are a few of the folk
beliefs and “rules” that must be followed by those
who do not want to court disaster.- Never ever call anyone SHE; never use the word as
a pronoun. Always use the person’s name when
referring to him or her. - Never finish all the food on your plate. Always leave
a bit of the best, tastiest, part and place the dish
out of sight for time, about an hour or so. (Ellen
Evert Hopman says: “I would like to add that in the
Native American tradition I am trained in, if a piece
of food or an herb or other good thing falls on the
ground, especially during ceremony, it is supposed
to stay there. It belongs to the spirits at that point.”) - If you leave your house and realize you have for-
gotten something, do not go back for it; continue
on your way without it. If you must immediately
return to your house, you must make noticeable
noise before entering, and upon entering the house,
remove your shoes, and sit down in a chair for a
few minutes. Then it is suggested you make a cup
of tea, or eat a bit of something and return to the
chair, or do some domestic activity. You may then
leave the house again after at least 20 minutes has
passed.
The reason you must do all of these things is to
establish your “ownership” of the space and right
to be there. If you do this, no offense is taken by
the Wee Folk. But, if you just burst back in unex-
pectedly, you have violated the space that was
claimed by the Wee Folk for their own use in your
absence. You are not welcome there; they feel you
are not “entitled” to be there, and your presence is
a grave offense. - A healthy plant is always kept by an open kitchen
window, and you never sleep in a bedroom with-
out an open window. To ignore either of these
would be an offense to the Wee Folk and be seen
as a sign that they were unwelcome in the house.
Uppity humans are not appreciated, and this habit
of taking offense at perceived human arrogance
runs deep in all of these customs.
Ellen Evert Hopman adds:
I have had the privilege several times now of hear-
ing the Faeries sing. They sing in three-part harmony,
and they love music. They have their ancient songs,
but they just adore humans who sing or play music for
them, and they will immediately pick up the tunes and
sing the words. They love laughter and celebration. They
also like to have offerings of honey or other sweet things.
Everyone should have a little shrine for them
somewhere in the garden. On holy days it is nice to
put out a plate and specifically tell them that it is for
them. Solstices, Equinoxes, and Cross Quarters are
good times. In Scottish tradition, they “move house”
on Solstices and Equinoxes and appreciate a wee bit
of food. Milk and honey is easy, but they also like
cooked oats with butter or mashed potatoes with but-
ter, steaming hot. The butter symbolizes the sun and
is something they can’t get easily. The butter should
be a big golden glob floating in the middle of the
cooked oats or mashed potatoes.
Also, one must always save a bit of the beverage
used in ritual and put it outside the Circle, after the rite
has been finished, as a gift for the Faeries. The gift can
be placed on a western windowsill or placed on the
faerie altar in the garden. Every garden should have a
place set aside where no human walks, for the use of
the Faeries. If you find a solitary hawthorn tree, espe-
cially if it is on a small hill, or near water, an entrance to
the Land of Faerie is nearby.Course Seven: Lore 323
Corrected pages 3rd printing.2.p65 61 6/10/2004, 4:03 PM