http://fairiefabels.com faeries through the ivy hedge Sun, 13 Feb 2011 00:50:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 faeries through the ivy hedge The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no faeries through the ivy hedge http://fairiefabels.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://fairiefabels.com/category/celtic/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/10/the-friar-kensington-abbey/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/10/the-friar-kensington-abbey/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:50:56 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=1777 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/10/the-friar-kensington-abbey/feed/ 0 candle,celtic cross,farmland,friar,glen,lantern,mist,monk,robes,shadows,vow of silence Night was quickly closing in around me and the path leading down to the little town of Willowmeer was becoming harder to see. If it weren't for the kindness of the monk I met on the road I would have been lost for sure. Night was quickly closing in around me and the path leading down to the little town of Willowmeer was becoming harder to see. If it weren't for the kindness of the monk I met on the road I would have been lost for sure. I rubbed my eyes and glanced quickly around me. The deepening shadows must have been playing tricks because it seemed as if he materialized out of thin air. With a humble nod, he greeted me silently,  palms pressed together in front of the Celtic cross that hung  around his neck. His tunic and cowl were dark gray. He wore the hood up, covering his head and obscuring his face. "Brother, thank goodness you're here. I had to park on the side of the road a ways back."  I turned to point back the way I had come and continued. "There was sign posted saying that Willowmeer was a kilometer down this path. I had no idea a kilometer was so far or I would have waited until morning to make the hike. Could you tell me how much farther it is to the town?" This mysterious friar moved closer, sending a chill breeze before him. It looked more like he glided than walked, then he stopped suddenly, close enough that I could hear his rasping breath. He gestured down the path, indicating with his fingers that it was only a short distance around the curve. I found it curious that he he wouldn't speak, then remembered that certain monks take a vow of silence.  That must be it. I felt a little embarrassed that it took me so long to understand and said, "Please excuse me for my ignorance Brother, I understand, you've taken a vow of silence." He smiled. It was a sad smile. I could see his face a little better since he moved closer and there were deep lines of sorrow etched around his hazel eyes. With his hands stuck inside the large cuffs of his robes, he bowed, then started up the path that I had just come down. I held up my hand to stop him and touched the sleeve of his tunic. When he turned, it felt like my hand passed through his arm and  a shiver ran down my spine. I shook off the chill that had come over me, telling myself that there was nothing to fear from this mild monk. "It's getting very dark, will I be into town before I lose my light completely?" He nodded and reached into a pouch that swung from the rope tied around his waist. When his hand emerged, he was holding a small lantern with a white candle. He brought the lantern close to his mouth and blew on the candle. I am not joking when I say that every hair on my head stood out as I watched the candle burst into flame. I stood, frozen, looking at the monk for what seemed to be a eternity, then hesitantly took a step forward to take the glowing beacon he offered. He nodded at me and smiled that same sad smile, then turned again to make his way up the path. When I looked up from the light, he was gone, it was like he turned to smoke and vanished into the murkey forest. The sun was low on the top of the hills that surrounded the little valley and the deepening shadows seemed to slither through the pines like ghostly wraiths.  A grassy meadow sloped down from the path and opened into a wide stretch of farmland dotted with small houses that had thatched roofs. As the shadows grew longer, a mist reached up from the ground with thin curling fingers and crawled through the glen, swallowing barns and fields, creeping closer to where I stood. I was startled from my thoughts by the quick, sharp hooting of an owl. Holding the lantern out in front of me, I hurried down the path and around the bend. Looking back I thought I saw the form of the monk , hood up, arms tucked inside the sleeves of his robes, wavering on the edge of the trees. © Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009. The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no 4:59 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/07/she-still-knocks-me-out/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/07/she-still-knocks-me-out/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:17:34 +0000 Arialhollyberry http://www.fairiefabels.com/?p=1492 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/07/she-still-knocks-me-out/feed/ 0 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/05/faerie-vision-its-all-in-the-bloodlines/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/05/faerie-vision-its-all-in-the-bloodlines/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 22:23:09 +0000 Arialhollyberry http://www.fairiefabels.com/?p=1119 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/05/faerie-vision-its-all-in-the-bloodlines/feed/ 0 bloodlines,Brighid,Faerie Vision,faeries,Fairie Stories,families,Ireland,magic,trees,Tuatha De' Danann We stood facing each other: a five foot, six inch tall human with long auburn hair and moss green eyes, holding out her hand, and a two inch faerie with  auburn hair hanging to her knees and bright crystal blue eyes, standing on the proffered hand. We stood facing each other: a five foot, six inch tall human with long auburn hair and moss green eyes, holding out her hand, and a two inch faerie with  auburn hair hanging to her knees and bright crystal blue eyes, standing on the proffered hand. The bright smile on Arial's face quickly dissolved into a look of serious contemplation. With hands on hips, she paced back and forth from finger tips to wrist and back again, her wings casting a multicolored  array of sparkles in the morning sun. "Bill only sees faeries because he is so near to you. We block his memory later, this is how we protect our involvement with humankind." She motioned for me to sit down and continued. "Queen Orlaith knew that this day would come, that you would eventually start asking questions, and she has left the decision to me as to when you should be  enlightened."  She cocked her head to one side as she looked at me closely, trying to decide if I could comprehend what she was about to tell me. "Faerie vision runs in the bloodlines, it is past down from one generation to the next. Only those with faerie blood in their veins have the ability to develop the talent. Human men and women  have faerie vision only because it has been past down to them  through their family. We have noticed that the males don't actually see faeries as much as they sense them or hear them. It is the females that can interact with faeries by seeing them in their physical form. Still, we have been surprised by the occasional male that can see us." By this time I was completely confused. Bloodlines? Inherited? I couldn't decide if I was  being dense, or if , on some level, I didn't want to hear what Arial was telling me. I chose to just sit there with my mouth shut and listen. Arial drifted over to my shoulder where she could braid my hair while she continued. " In the beginning of our history,The Tuatha De Danann settled in the northern most mountains of Ireland. They were a tall and graceful race of people who had magical abilities. The Formorians, who had settled the same area, were jealous of these newcomers and wished to posses their magic so they set out to conquer and enslave the Tuatha De Danann." "It wasn't until after several conflicts that the two races decided to join together as families, thus preserving peace in the land. Bres, a Formorian King and Brighid, a fair daughter of the Tuatha De Danann, were wed. This was how humans with  faerie blood began." "There was peaceful coexistence until the Milesians challenged the Tuatha De Danann and won. At that point, the Tuatha De Danann retreated underground into a parallel realm." Arial stood and shook her wings out, flipped them once and hovered in the air, gently swinging back and forth. I jumped at the chance to ask the question. "Are you telling me that I have faerie blood in me?" Arial beamed, delighted that I had caught the jest of her story and proceeded to perform intricate spirals in the air. "But what does that have to do with Bill not being able to remember seeing faeries?" Arial landed back on my shoulder and continued. "Our leaders were worried about the safety of those humans with faerie blood. If the Milesians ever found out, they would make sure that they ceased to exist. A group of faeries were charged with watching over and protecting these chosen ones, preparing for the time when they would help with the Tuatha De Danann's return." "At first, there were enough faeries to carry out the task, but as the generations unfolded, we needed help. We relied on humans who didn't have faerie vision, but who were blessed with exceptional intuition and sensitivity to watch over the chosen ones, we only stepped in as needed... Bill is your intuitive other half." My mind was reeling, could this be true? I had been so enthralled with Arial's story that I hadn't noticed the other faeries gathering in the branches above us. There were hundreds of them, sitting quietly among the soft green leaves, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no 6:51 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/03/the-old-oak-grove/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/03/the-old-oak-grove/#comments Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:02:38 +0000 Arialhollyberry http://www.fairiefabels.com/?p=698 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/03/the-old-oak-grove/feed/ 1 backyard,banshee,celebration,Dryads,Faerie stories,Fairie Stories,Fairies,garden,Gnomes,Imagination,ivy hedge,Midnight The setting sun sent a riot of pink and orange streaking through the high thin clouds which cast the  backyard into deep purple shadows. Arial and I were in the kitchen putting finishing touches on the refreshments for tonight's celebration. The setting sun sent a riot of pink and orange streaking through the high thin clouds which cast the  backyard into deep purple shadows. Arial and I were in the kitchen putting finishing touches on the refreshments for tonight's celebration. When all the crystal bowls were stacked high with berries and sweet breads, and the gravy boats filled to the rims with milk and honey, Arial pointed  her wand at the platters and they rose into the air and vanished in a flash of light. Arial turned to me with a radiant smile, "I must go and attend to our guests. We will be back for you when the last of the light has left the sky." Then she winked out, but not before she swooshed a cascading spray of pink and green sparkles all over me. I covered my eyes. "Hey!" Arial giggled, and was gone. I tied up my hair  with purple and yellow streamers and found a sparkly blue shawl to throw over my shoulders. Bill wore his best panama hat with the exotic feathers in the band. I checked with Warren and Odette to see if they were ready and was delighted to see Warren in a tiny black and green tartan kilt and a white shirt with puffy sleeves, he was carrying a staff made of  willow, and the toes of his shoes curled at the tips. He kept stopping every few steps to tug at his stockings which kept slipping down below his knees. "Warren! you look very stylish." I noticed Odette grabbing at his hand every time he started to pry at his tight collar. " And Odette, you are a vision in your pink skirts." "I had a time of it with Warren here Missus, he's not used to dressin up, but I told him I didnt' want him goin and embarasin us all. Oh Warren! stop yer fidgetin" Bill held the door open for us when we heard drums beating out a slow, steady rhythm. We stepped out into the cool night air and were greeted by four faeries who flanked us. The faerie to my right held up her wand and waved it at the ivy hedge. The vines began to roll back, twisting and twinning around until a large archway formed. A path, lighted on either side by glowing silver and crystal orbs, led down the hill to the left and into a grove of old oak trees. We stepped through the opening and started off down the path with our escorts on either side. There was a furious rustling behind us. I jerked around, expecting to see Mrs. Shunner streaking up,  like a crazed screaming banshee.  When I looked, there was no one there, and the hedge had filled in, leaving no trace of our passing  from the mortal world. I linked my arm in Bill's and took a deep breath as we continued toward the trees. The narrow path opened to a small glade, completely surrounded by live oak trees. In addition to the Spanish Moss (imagine  Spanish Moss in these northern climes), the trees were strung with streamers of pink, blue, and white. Small twinkling lights hung in the branches. I glanced around, "Bill, look over there." I pointed straight ahead of us. Lights weren't the only thing hanging from the branches. Tall thin creatures with long stringy fingers were draped over the bottom limbs. They had pointed faces with large glowing green eyes. I pulled at the skirts of the faerie that had opened the portal. "What are those!" She smiled and said, "Those are Dryads, they live in the oak trees to protect this special grove." We were shown pillows placed at the bottom of the largest oak then allowed to take our seats. When we were seated, all kinds of magical creatures began to appear in the glade. Pixies, unicorns, a couple of dwarfs, and the dryads joined the group of faeries to celebrate the Spring Equinox. A sudden hush fell over the group and we all looked skyward. A Light appeared in the sky and grew larger as it descended, landing in the middle of the circle. Then, in a flash of sparkling pink light, Arial appeared. The drums that we had heard earlier started again, Arial walked around the group, smiling and placing her hand on each creature's head as they bowed before her. She turned to the east, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no http://fairiefabels.com/2009/02/arial-and-the-emerald-guard/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/02/arial-and-the-emerald-guard/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:08:53 +0000 Arialhollyberry http://www.fairiefabels.com/?p=468 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/02/arial-and-the-emerald-guard/feed/ 0