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From earliest childhood I was brought up on faerie stories, something commonplace within my Celtic culture and heritage. In addition to these wonderfully vivid and evocative stories I also had psychic abilities and a powerful compulsion to paint the things I saw, something I continue to do to this day.

As a child you are not aware that 'seeing things' is anything out of the ordinary, and that hearing the voices of Faeries, Spirits, Guides et al is not something that each of us experiences.

That awareness comes with time and maturity. One learned eventually to keep quiet, it wasn't regarded as usual, nor 'normal' to tell someone that a faerie was sitting in the Rose bush behind your best friend's shoulder, or that a Spirit Guide had just appeared next to Great Aunt Margie and wanted to tell her something. So for me you see, faeries are REAL, I have always seen them, always believed in them. As a child I would sneak out of our home in the dead of night, I would sit in our garden, play and watch the faeries; I was enthralled. I have been ever since.

In the Irish village where my mother was born and where I lived for a time, talk of faeries abound. Young, old, and 'inbetweenies', male, female, all would talk of faeries. Boys and men are not smirked at should they recount a faerie encounter; they would not be considered less masculine, or be viewed as 'away with the faeries'. It is considered usual, normal, acceptable, and most importantly 'real'. Yet here in England the word 'faerie' may be used to describe someone in what is perceived as a negative way...as something less than...So strong is the belief in the realness of faeries that many places in Ireland have been given faerie names - rath - an ancient earth works held sacred by faeries.

On Rath Moor near my mother's old home no building work, no development will ever take place, the moors remain unspoiled by human hands, for it is said that if humans were to damage the moors they would be punished by the faeries with some strange affliction. To this day roads may be diverted so as to avoid a faerie ring, magical tree, or stones strewn around a faerie mound.

Faerie folklore however is not exclusive to the Irish...

Faerie folklore however is not exclusive to the Irish, here in England the generic term for faeries is the Good People, and in Lincolnshire there are faeries known as Hookies. Indeed all around the globe belief in faeries prevails, amongst all aboriginal peoples, and from Russia to Stockholm, Bulgaria to Japan, and so it goes on...Yet despite this almost global network of faerie folklore, many of us remain sceptical and almost embarrassed should mention be made of anything remotely connected to faeries. We smirk, we giggle, and all too often I have heard children being told that they are 'too old' to believe in the 'make believe world of faeries'. But why is this?

Most of us have been brought up to believe in Angels, we believe they exist, we believe them to be real, kind, gentle, all knowing, all seeing. I have never heard a child being discouraged from talking about or believing in Angels. But time and again our dear faerie friends are banished to the realms of myth, fantasy, make believe and childish sentimentality.

So, I am here to implore you to open your hearts, your minds, your eyes, and to awaken yourself to the REAL WORLD OF THE FAERIES. Give faeries the 'street cred they deserve', and open the portal to a whole new world. A world of unconditional love, a profound and deep connection To Mother Earth, rhapsody and harmony. Remember, you are never too old to believe in faeries, and you are never too young...

BSSK offers wonderful Faerie Treasure Hunts, where the world of the faery and the world of humans can come together in the spirit of harmony. The stories were gifted to Vanya by the Faeries, so embrace the worlds of Narwhalia, and Lemuria, share in the magic.

The Faerie Throne of Enchantment can be found at The Faerie Lady's stand (next to the Creative Spirit Zone, near Magik Thread), here is a place where young and old alike can sit upon the enchanted faerie throne, head garland, faerie wand, and magical faerie dust await you. Add some sparkle to your day, encounter the magic and wonder of the Shining Realm, its fun, its free, its for you. Got a mobile phone with a camera, why not capture the magical moment on film, share the moment, and enjoy the wonders of the Faerie Realm.

If you have any faerie questions, the Faerie Lady is here to help, if she doesn't know the answers, the faeries will most assuredly help.

Contact Vanya

e: thefaerielady@sacredearth-sacredart.com
w: www.sacredearth-sacredart.com