Fairies need Houses Too
A few years ago I was honored to have been chosen to teach children how to make Fairy houses at the children’s Summer day camp here in Scranton PA. I was the one asked because of my reputation for being in contact with the fairies who live in the forest near my home . That first day was a beautiful sunny day, it was just the kind of morning you would expect to see a fairy or two flittering around from flower to flower. The children were already working on a project painting large butterflies and other type things to be placed around the city just for fun.
I introduced myself as My Lady Becky Fire Elf Shimmer(my elf name), and explained to them that I was there to teach them how to find and connect with fairies and how to make Fairy houses of their own.
After my introduction the other counselors and I took them on a walk in the park to locate where the Fairies were hiding. Fairies do hide you know, that is why it is almost impossible for you to see them. They do come out from time to time just to let you know that they are there and they are not to be forgotten.
I am a professional dowser so I always have my trusty pendulum with me . This is the tool I always use to find Fairies and Fairy rings. I carry it along with other special things in my medicine pouch around my neck. We continued to stroll down the path towards the tree house and on the way I stopped here and there to check the forest with my pendulum for signs of Fairy activity. As we progressed down the path I got the distinct feeling that we were being watched. Then I spotted it. It was a ring on the forest floor. A fairy Ring to be exact. I walked over and checked to see if I was right. As soon as I placed my pendulum over the circle it began to spin very fast indicating that this was a fairy ring.
The children were standing around it looking in amazement at what they had just witnessed. i asked them if they had ever seen a fairy ring? Some of them did not know what I was talking about so I explained that a Fairy Ring was a very special magical place where Fairies entered and left our Mother Earth. This was al place where they danced all night on a full moon especially on Mid Summers Night at midnight. I also told them to never step inside a Fairy ring because if they did they might never come back. Fairies will take children and adults to the underworld and not let them return if they choose to keep them there forever or if they do return them it might be a long time before they do. Do you remember the tale of Rip Van Winkle I asked them? they all shook their heads yes and then I proceeded to tell them he had fallen asleep inside a Fairy Ring and the elves and Fairies took him and never returned him for 20 years.
This is when I asked if them if anyone had ever seen Fairies, and 2 little girls said yes they had seen fairies with their own twinkling eyes and were very excited to be able to share their amazing story with our group . It seems that one of the little girls and her sister were visiting a neighbor of theirs and had experienced the tiny fairies flying around in the gardens there. They were so excited to be able to share their story with the group and explain how they saw lots of fairies twinkling and buzzing as they flew back and forth between the brightly colored flowers . As the other children listened in amazement to these sisters spinning their magical tale I could feel the excitement beginning to churn all around us.
I knew instinctively that there were others in the group that had seen fairies too but they were not ready to share that yet. It isn't easy to tell about something that people do not believe .
So that first morning the children learned that fairies were not just something someone made up, but they were real and they were something magical to be careful of.
We continued down the path and I saw something twinkle out of the right side of my eye. I took my pendulum to the trees on that side of the path and sure enough there they were bigger than life itself. We found where the Fairies had a strong hold. This was the place where we were going to place our houses after we made them.
We took some time to clear trash and make room under the trees who by the way were delighted we were there to clean up the place and clear space for the new village we were about to construct for the forest fairies who reside there among them. I was also able to teach the children that Trees are alive and have names as well as faces if you look close enough you can see them. I have a guardian tree in my forest back home who watches over me and my pigs. His name is Old Man and he is awesome.
Well after we finished there we took the trash bags we carried with us to the trash containers and headed back up to the pavilion to talk about what we learned. That was all for that day it was time to leave so we said our good buys and headed home. All the way home I could feel the love from the forest that I had just left behind that wonderful day.
The next morning came fast and I was excited to start our adventure. The children were anxious to see me and we started right in with trash bags to collect the things we needed to make our Fairy houses. Fairy Houses are always made from natural things just found lying around on the forest floor. They are always things that have been lying around, never take something that is still growing. You also need to ask permission to take it before you do. That is the polite thing to do and Fairies love politeness.
We returned to the spot where the houses were going to go and began to collect pine cones, leaves, sticks, stones and acorns. nuts and bark. Everything we needed was there for us to use for our beautiful houses. When we finished gathering our building supplies we thanked the trees and the fairies for letting us to gather our things there and we headed back to the pavilion to start the building project.
There were councilors there to man the hot glue guns and to help the younger ones cut their branches to the size they needed for what they were making. I must say something here I noticed that the boys were just as thrilled with this project as the girls were . They made things like play gyms and teeter totters , swings and wagons. There were no tanks or guns allowed but they came up with some amazing things to build for the Fairies.
Well the day was gone again and we said good buy after we cleaned up the mess we made and headed home.
Another wonderful day was passing into night as I turned out the lights on my deck and said good night to Old Man. I had just shared my story of the day with him and the fairies in my forest. I was reflecting on the day and getting sleepy so I tucked my 2 potbellied pigs Reggie and Pepper into bed and went to bed myself. Tomorrow will arrive sooner than I think .
The third day had arrived in all it's blazing glory so after a light breakfast I headed to the Park. The kids were there already dragging their unfinished houses out to work on . This was the day that they should start to see just how their sticks and stones and pine cones would begin to look like something amazing. Their things were beginning to look like the houses they wanted them to look like. They were awesome. They were learning that you do not need a lot of money to have fun all you needed was some imagination and glue to produce something magical and awesome. I knew in my heart that these kids would never forget this experience and that they would pass it on to their children.
The houses were coming together nicely and the kids were amazed that they were able to produce something so cool from scraps of stuff just lying around on the ground.
One by one they were finishing their houses and they even made a church as well as some things for the Fairies to play with . there would be a park with swings and see saws, there were tables and lamps and chairs . Couches and TV's as well as little beds and night stands. Out houses and sheds. Whatever these kids had at their homes they were determined to give to the forest Fairies of Nay Aug Park.
I even had the kids promise to check on the Fairy Village from time to time when they visited the park with their families . Well the houses were finally finished and ready to be placed in the spot in the forest that we chose in the beginning of the week. the day was done again and clean up was upon us. We finished and said good bye. Today as I headed home I felt a little glimmer of sadness that this would all be over after tomorrow. I knew I would miss everyone especially the kids who had given me so much to look forward to every day this week. I felt a tear trickle down my old cheek as I drove home in quiet reflection. Tomorrow is the day.
It was finally the last day of an amazing journey with the kids and the Fairies. I arrived early at the park to gather my thoughts. The others were there collecting the new houses to take down the path to be placed in the forest glen. The kids were so excited as we started to descend to the fairy forest to place our gifts to the Fairies there.
They took great pains in placing everything just right where it belonged. I sat on a boulder and watched just what developed. They were scurrying back and forth as each and every one of the kids picked a tree or a rock that they wanted to use to place their creation under. It did not take long to notice that the place was starting to actually come alive with the energy of the kids that were so engrossed in building this Fairy village. They kept stepping back and looking to see that everything was just perfect and that there was not anything left un fixed. It was not only an amazing thing to see but it was also amazing to feel the love that went into this project by everyone involved. I feel personally that these children went away with a greater respect not only for the forest but for nature in general because I was able to teach them that everything has energy and is alive.
I was blessed to have been chosen for this project and I went on to do the same thing in two other parks in Scranton that Summer. Always remember Fairies need houses too ,so build Fairy houses in your own garden and they will visit you .
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