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/fables/ http://fairiefabels.com/2011/02/the-ember-audios/ http://fairiefabels.com/2011/02/the-ember-audios/#comments Sun, 13 Feb 2011 00:50:07 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=2324 http://fairiefabels.com/2011/02/the-ember-audios/feed/ 0 http://fairiefabels.com/2010/02/never-hitchhike-with-a-ghostly-faerie/ http://fairiefabels.com/2010/02/never-hitchhike-with-a-ghostly-faerie/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:46:06 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=2053 http://fairiefabels.com/2010/02/never-hitchhike-with-a-ghostly-faerie/feed/ 0 Arial,dark eyes,ghostly faerie,glowing mist,golden light,leathery wings,thin white fingers,weird alien beings The Kind One rushed into the forest without thinking of the danger. She barely escaped being overcome by mysterious beings with glowing yellow eyes when her progress was slowed by a malevolent mist. Evil appears in the guise of a beautiful spectral fae... The Kind One rushed into the forest without thinking of the danger. She barely escaped being overcome by mysterious beings with glowing yellow eyes when her progress was slowed by a malevolent mist. Evil appears in the guise of a beautiful spectral faerie attempting to lure her to her doom. The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no http://fairiefabels.com/2009/12/the-yule-ball/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/12/the-yule-ball/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:07:47 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=1914 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/12/the-yule-ball/feed/ 0 celebration,faerie magic,faerie winter palace,gift,holly berries,jingle bells,pine cones,shooting star,steampunk faerie "Winter Procession" by David Delemare Transporting the "faerie way" has a tendency to make me slightly dizzy, I think it has something to do with molecules rearranging... - We always arrive in the realm outside the palace, "Winter Procession" by David Delemare Transporting the "faerie way" has a tendency to make me slightly dizzy, I think it has something to do with molecules rearranging... We always arrive in the realm outside the palace, appearing  just at the bottom of the broad stairs that lead up to the ornate double doors of the royal home. Because this was a special occasion, and because Arial wanted to make her first visit to the newly arrived queen spectacular, she made sure that our whole entourage appeared right in the center of the Grand Hall. Personally, I thought it was because she was showing off for her mother, but she insists it was..."just for effect, in honor of Yule". The winter palace, as you would suspect, is made entirely of ice and snow. Every wall glistens. The floors are solid white and the color of choice is blue, every shade you can imagine. It sounds like a cold and foreboding place but I can assure you, it is just the opposite. Faerie magic is a wonderfully subtle thing, you can never trust your senses. What looks cold; is warm, and things that appear at a distance are actually closer than you suspect.  Now, standing in the middle of the winter palace, I was comfortably warm. The pale ice blue walls were draped with long runs of spruce garland that were decorated with pine cones, holly berries, and snowdrop flowers.Fireflies added their own particular type of twinkle.  Two large oak trees stood sentinel at both sides of the dais, where, instead of one chair, four chairs sat. I had to ask. "Arial, what's with the four chairs?" I pointed at the ornate stools, each carved with symbols depicting winter, spring, summer, and fall. Arial was busy greeting a steady flow of her faerie family. She looked very proud of her kind as she  turned to explained."The Festival of Oak and Holly is the only time the four sitting queens are together. The Yule ball is the time for all four seasons of the Fae to come together and celebrate the coming year." I nodded and looked around me. The grand hall was quickly filling up with faeries of all types and sizes. Other magical beings where in attendance as well. Elendain and the elves from the elven-wood were here. The centaurs were represented by Serg. There were dwarfs and pixies, mermaids and dyads (the mermaids accommodated by the placement of large fountains down each side of the hall). The dyads pretty much stayed in the oak trees, only coming out to greet the occasional well wisher.  This party reminded me of the one I attended at Midsummer, only more lavish. While marveling at my surroundings, I was surprised by a sudden flurry of faerie wings. Flashes of blue, yellow, red, and green obscured my sight. Four faeries whipped about my head in an excited frenzy. They were all talking in high tinkling voices at the same time, which made it hard to tell what was being said, it just sounded like a cacophony of jingle bells. Then it dawned on me, these were the first four faeries I ever saw! I held out my arms. Sunny, Bella, Pip, and Ferne all came to rest, two on each arm, wings fluttering wildly in their excitement . "Oh! my dear sweet friends! I am so glad you're back! Pip, I do believe you've grown, and Sunny, are you still a relentless teaser?" Ferne, the plant lover of the bunch, glided up to tuck a sprig of holly behind my ear and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. While we got caught up on the latest happenings, the lights dimmed and the huge crystal doors at the back of the hall swung open slowly. A path to the throne was made as the guests parted to make way for the procession of queens. As it turned out, I was on the front line after the throng of beings drew back to allow the queens passage. I could see them as they came down the aisle, stopping every once in a while to hug someone or share a few words. I noticed, as they made their way to where I was standing, that the people they stopped to speak with didn't look at all magical. The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no http://fairiefabels.com/2009/11/its-great-to-be-home/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/11/its-great-to-be-home/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:27:55 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=1779 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/11/its-great-to-be-home/feed/ 0 Arial,chihuahuas,fire faeries,groceries,Hawthorne trees,Roast,yellow leaves Unlike the faeries of Winter and Summer, the more subtle faeries of Spring and Fall choose a quiet, unassuming nature when it comes to the changing of the seasons. Bulbs are coaxed silently from the ground in the spring. New buds form on branch and bow. Unlike the faeries of Winter and Summer, the more subtle faeries of Spring and Fall choose a quiet, unassuming nature when it comes to the changing of the seasons. Bulbs are coaxed silently from the ground in the spring. New buds form on branch and bow... The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no 7:15 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/11/ghost-winds-blowin/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/11/ghost-winds-blowin/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:20:38 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=1838 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/11/ghost-winds-blowin/feed/ 0 ancestors,castles,Ireland,monk,Stonehenge,twilight,UK,vacation With thoughts of the mysterious monk I encountered on the path to Willowmeer swirling through my mind I hurried around the curve in the path and was instantly transported back in time, just ahead of me stood the shops and cottages of  Willowmeer, With thoughts of the mysterious monk I encountered on the path to Willowmeer swirling through my mind I hurried around the curve in the path and was instantly transported back in time, just ahead of me stood the shops and cottages of  Willowmeer, looking exactly like the photo's in the brochure. ****** It was just a few months ago that I had decided to take a vacation to the UK. I wanted to see the grand old castles and visit Stonehenge, making the side trip into Ireland was a decision that I made when I got here. I reasoned, I'm so close why not visit the country of my ancestors. I picked up a few brochures in the lobby of my hotel and instantly fell in love with the photo of a small town that was only a day trip away. I decided that I would  leave in the morning. The drive through the beautiful rolling green hills of Ireland was serene and I almost missed the small weathered sign stating "Willowmeer-1km" pointing down the path on the right side. I pulled off the road into a small dirt parking area and got out of the car. The sun was still fairly high in the sky and I thought that it would only take and hour or so to visit the town, so I started off down the path. A kilometer turned out to be farther than I had planned on. ****** I pulled myself back from my reminiscing and focused on the  winding street in front of me. Holding the lantern out I made my way into the center of the town. Willowmeer was a quaint village  consisting of  stuccoed shops with paned windows and thatched roofs, some place right out of the seventeenth century. The street was cobblestone and was bordered on both sides with tall iron street lamps that were now glowing with a soft yellow light. A few women were closing up their shops for the evening and started walking together in twos and threes up the sidewalk, making their way to hearth and home. A couple of stout little women in long skirts and aprons smiled and waved to me, then drifted off into the twilight, talking softly between themselves. I stopped in front of a wooden door with a plaque above it proudly proclaiming it to be... "The Lucky Horseshoe Inn and Tavern, D. O'Brien-proprietor". A large tree stump sat off to the side with a pile of firewood stacked beside it. There were two axes leaning next to the stump and another with its blade buried in the middle of the large, nicked surface. It was way to dark to go back now, I would have to see if I could get a room here for the night. I placed the lantern on the stump and pushed hard on the door. To my surprise, it swung in easily, with me stumbling in behind it. A tall, rugged looking man with a red beard and shaggy hair was standing behind the bar, wiping glasses and setting them on a high wooden shelf behind him. He gave a short laugh when I made my embarrassing entrance and said, "Well lass, come on in then and set a spell, looks like you could use it." I smiled sheepishly at him then straightened up and nonchalantly smoothed my hair back. He waved his towel at the door. "Don't be forgettin' the door now, it's lettin' the cold in." Cringing a little I said, "Oh, I'm sorry!" I started to close the heavy door and remembered the lantern. Pulling the door open again, I stepped out to retrieve it. I had set the lantern down on the tree stump, I know I did, but now it was nowhere to be found. Where it had been was a circle of fine gray ash. I was staring at the stump when a chilling wind swirled around me and blew the ash out into the darkness. At that same moment, a hand landed heavily on my shoulder. I jumped and turned around as the bar keeper, towel thrown over his shoulder,  stepped out into the night. He looked up and down the street, now empty of all life, and said in a low voice, "ghost wind's blowin' tonight, better come in now." He took one more look around and lead me inside, closing the big door with a solid bang. Shutting out the spirits that roam the night. © Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no 5:10 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/10/i-see-faeries/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/10/i-see-faeries/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:01:11 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=1781 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/10/i-see-faeries/feed/ 0 Blue Ridge Mountains,faerie fan club,faerie sighthing,Haiku,Katherine Bourgeois,magic of words,silver flute " Arial, come and look." I was working at the computer when an e-mail message came in from a good friend, Katherine Bourgeois. Kat and I met on a social site for business people and were immediately friends. " Arial, come and look." I was working at the computer when an e-mail message came in from a good friend, Katherine Bourgeois. Kat and I met on a social site for business people and were immediately friends. I was told by Queen Litha that faerie people find each other, and I am finding out that  she was right, people from all over are writing to me about some faerie sighting or another. "Remember Kat? She introduced us to Patricia Saxton." Arial was all smile's as she made herself comfortable on my shoulder. "Yes, I do remember, have you received new tidings from her? (Fairy's tend to talk "old world"). "I have, would you like to see?" Arial jumped up and swirled about in a fast, rather complicated series of aerial maneuvers. She stopped suddenly and drew a tiny silver flute from  her belt. It wasn't long after the sweet, melodic notes had faded away that the room exploded into hundreds of fall faeries, all struggling to look at the monitor. I had faeries sitting on my head and slipping off both shoulders, one even tried to perch on the tip of my nose. "Um...excuse me!" I carefully removed the offending faerie by lifting her up by the wings and setting her down on the desk, where remarkably, there wasn't one other faerie. "Thanks Arial, just what we needed, a faerie fan club." The room vibrated with excitement. Arial darted back and forth, "Hurry, hurry hurry!" A couple of  things I have noticed about my faerie friends, they don't have much patience, and they love a good story (that's probably why Arial is so insistent that I write things down). "All right, calm down! I'm opening it, look, here it comes. She sent pictures too!" Kat wrote: Tami, on a recent trip blueberry picking in a beautiful valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, my granddaughter Chloe and I discovered several beautiful faerie hideaways.  These lovely little spots also sparked a little faerie haiku. Arial wrinkled her nose as she tip-toed around the keyboard. "What is "haiku?" She ask this as if it were something to avoid stepping in. I had to laugh at the expression on her face. "Haiku is a form of non-rhyming, Zen-like poetry that originated in Japan. It has a formal structure limited to seventeen syllables, five in the first line, seven in the second line, and five in the third line. Would you like me to read them to you?" All the faeries clapped and cheered so I began: Deep in the valley I thought I saw a glimmer Of faerie luster. Twinkling by the stream Sparkling, blinking, and shining Faeries as flashlights ****** Faerie, tucked in for The night, did you hide your light Under the covers? ****** Silly Faerie, why Do you think I cannot see You blinking at me? ****** Do faeries smile and Stop to talk a while and be Friends like you and me? ****** Is there faerie time? Or can their days be measured In winks of an eye? ****** When faeries get mad Do they blink slowly and point A mean wing at you? There was a soft collective sigh when I stopped reading. Fairy eyes are, for the most part, large and dewy, but now I noticed that there were more than a few misty eyes in the group. I smiled. "Judging by everyone's response I take it that you like Kat's Haiku?" The faeries were sitting in groups of two and three hugging each other and humming softly. Arial came up close to my ear and whispered "We must send Kat a missive this instant thanking her for her charming words and her captivating still life!" The fall faeries drifted off, one by one, still caught in the magic of Katherine's words. © Tami Ruesch, The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry, 2009. My heartfelt thanks go out to Kat for her wonderful poetry! The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no 5:32 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/09/lithas-summons/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/09/lithas-summons/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:40:59 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=1671 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/09/lithas-summons/feed/ 1 diamonds,Elendan,faeries,fairy wands,fun house,Litha,Magical travel,rumble of thunder "I knew you could do it!" Arial whipped around my head, giggling and tweaking my cheeks on each pass. "I knew it, I knew it, well done." - My head was spinning. Traveling magically though time and space isn't something that I do everyday, "I knew you could do it!" Arial whipped around my head, giggling and tweaking my cheeks on each pass. "I knew it, I knew it, well done." My head was spinning. Traveling magically though time and space isn't something that I do everyday, not on my own anyway. "Is it always this way?" Arial stopped buzzing around my head. She tilted her head to one side and stared at me with her huge luminous. 'Is what always this way?" I found a flat rock and quickly sat down, holding my head to stop the spinning that threatened to tip me over. "You know, fairy travel. When you pop in and out, do you feel like your being sucked down a worm hole? I felt like I was in one of those spinning tunnels in the fun house. It was more colorful though, like someone had taken all the colors ever imagined and swirled them all together." I closed my eyes and pressed on the top of my head again. Arial landed on my left shoulder, took my ear lobe between both of her tiny hands and pinched. "In the beginning there are some side effects."  I felt a tug on the opposite ear. "There, feel better now?" I sat for a moment, taking stock of my general well being and decided that, everything considered, I was as well as could be expected. I mean, after all, this was nothing compared to my little feline escapade, or getting caught in the middle of the blasts from two fairy wands and ending up in a dark forest. " Yes, I do believe I am beginning to feel a little more like myself,  thanks." The palace doors were thrown wide to the sound of crackling electricity, a flood of orange, red, and yellow faeries poured out of the opening. The winged masses rolled down the steps like a tidal wave and streaked toward us. Within seconds we were surrounded and all I could see were scintillating wings and large gleaming eyes. There was so much electricity around us that my hair was pulled straight out away from my head. I wish I could describe the feeling that comes over me when I am surrounded by the Fae. It is a warm, comforting feeling, like being snuggled in a fuzzy blanket on a cold winters night, and even though the faeries of each season do things a little differently, they always make me feel as though I have come home. I noticed that Arial had risen above the crowd of excited faeries and was performing a deep,  respectful, mid-air curtsy. I craned my neck and looked in the direction of the palace doors. Standing on the flag stone steps was Litha, queen of the fire faeries. Her gown was a deep glittering red, it floated around her like a cloud. Her hair looked like a flame, red turning to orange, turning to bright yellow at the tips and her crown was a circle of  flashing lightening bolts. I had only seen her once before, in the elvenwood with Elendain and I had forgotten what a striking presence she commanded. A silence fell over the crowd of faeries and they parted as she floated toward  toward me. Litha stopped, flashed a bright beautiful smile, then addressed Arial. "Welcome, daughter of  Orlaith, Queen of the Winter Faeries, come and stand at my right hand." Arial floated gracefully to the ground, growing in height, and took her place by Litha. The High Queen of summer is much more proper than the other queens I have met, so when she turned to face me I offered a deep curtsy, following Arial's example. "Queen Litha, I have come in response to your summons. I hope that I haven't kept you waiting." Her laugh wasn't high and musical like I would have expected, but low and throaty. Litha's laugh sounded like the far off rumble of thunder, and her eyes sparkled like diamonds under a bright light. She took both of my hands in hers. "Daughter of Summer, you who have become a beacon of hope for the world of the Fae. Do not carry the fear of disappointment, but rejoice in the light that you bring to the realm. It is I that have kept you waiting. Waiting far to long since my court arrived, and for that I apologize. The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no 6:28 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/08/warren-and-the-gigantic-tomato-vine/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/08/warren-and-the-gigantic-tomato-vine/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:10:13 +0000 admin http://fairiefabels.com/?p=1615 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/08/warren-and-the-gigantic-tomato-vine/feed/ 0 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/08/midsummer-revisited/ http://fairiefabels.com/2009/08/midsummer-revisited/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:48:31 +0000 Arialhollyberry http://www.fairiefabels.com/?p=1477 http://fairiefabels.com/2009/08/midsummer-revisited/feed/ 0 bleeding hearts,crystal,dancing,dragonflies,faerie celebration,faerie realm,Flowers,frogs and crickets,humming birds,light of day,Midsummer,rose quartz I felt a tangible shift as I stepped into the fairy ring. A soft breeze began to sweep through the meadow, it carried the sent of lavender and jasmine as it swirled around the circle. I heard the rustling of a thousand  faerie voices blowing on the bre... I felt a tangible shift as I stepped into the fairy ring. A soft breeze began to sweep through the meadow, it carried the sent of lavender and jasmine as it swirled around the circle. I heard the rustling of a thousand  faerie voices blowing on the breeze, soft at first, then growing louder. I spun around and peered into the gloomy recces of the tall pines looking for the whispered solicitations, then, In one gigantic explosion, the air was filled with faeries. I couldn't see Arial anymore, she was lost in the frenzy of the faerie celebration. At the edge of the clearing, fireflies flew in and out of the flowers on the bleeding heart bushes, making them glow a soft red, still others flickered like tiny yellow candles moving in and out of the shadows at the edge of the clearing. Mixing with the melodious voices of the faeries were the sounds of the night. Frogs and crickets added the counter point to their song. The faeries circled and spun, diving in and out, their delicate wings fluttering through my hair. In an attempt to find Arial, I moved closer to the center, making sure not to step on any of the spiraling faeries. They were everywhere, flying on humming birds, and hiding behind flowers. I had been to the realm of the fae before but I had never seen so many different types of faeries, they were all shapes and sizes. The rhythmic melodies of the faeries were becoming more enchanting and I found myself swaying with the magical music. I caught sight of Arial just as a legion of faeries  lifted me into the air. Normally I would have been unnerved by the sudden change of altitude, but the high pitched singing had filled my ears and I was caught up in the turbulent dance of Midsummer. It looked as if I were dancing with the stars themselves, whirling faster and faster until everything blurred together. I heard musical voices whispering to me to leave the mortal world behind. The night passed into early morning and still we danced, twisting and leaping, until I felt as though I had merged with the fae. All memory of my mortal world was slowly seeping away. This is wonderful! I have no ties to hold me back, no responsibilities. I am grace and spontaneity! At this moment, I had given myself over completely to the faerie realm, I couldn't even imagine going back. I was so caught up in the euphoria of the moment that I hadn't noticed Arial spinning close by. She had a look of understanding on her face. "Kind One, we must get back to the ivy hedge before the sun's rays hit the meadow."  I felt like cold water had been splashed in my face. In the east, the sky was beginning to show the first light of day. The celebration was already beginning to fade from my memory and I became aware that I was floating high above the ground. "No Arial, I don't want to go back, I'm one of the fae now, I've been invited!" Arial held her wand over her head in both hands and spoke in elvish. The wand began to glow as we slowly drifted back toward earth. Arial spoke, her words soft in my ear. "Hold out your hand." Reluctantly, I gave in and held my hand forward. She waved her wand  and a small polished stone materialized in my upturned palm. The stone was soft pink rose quartz that had a hole in the center. I watched as black cording twined around the stone then draped itself over my head so that the pendant hung over my heart. "This is beautiful Arial, thank you, but what do I do with it? Does this mean I can stay?" Arial smiled. "The Fae need your help on the other side Kind One, your work and the people who love you are there. You are much to important to us to stay in the realm."  She could see that I was having a hard time remembering. "Hold the stone up to your eye and look through it, you will understand better." I brought the crystal up to my eye and gazed through the center. The faeries I had been dancing with were fading into mist, their delicate hands reaching out for me. The Misty World of Arial Hollyberry no 7:36 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