A Samhain Invitation From The Faeries

Fairies love fun and joyful games in the great outdoors, even during the darker seasons of the year. I am reminded of this every year at this time when the veil between the worlds thins during the mystical season of Samhain and Halloween.

If you’re currently experiencing a highly creative period or feeling called to get out into nature, even if it’s just to your garden before the weather gets too cold, there’s a good chance you’re also being invited to have some fun and free-spirited playtime with the fairies.

It is easiest for us to connect with the Faeries or Fae during the times of the year when the seasonal energy portals are open at the cross-quarter holidays of the Summer and Winter Solstices and the Spring and Fall Equinoxes.

These seasonal transitions are also traditionally celebrated in the ancient pagan festivals and religious holy days of Imbolc (St. Brigid’s Day) on February 1st, Ostara (Easter) on around March 21st, Beltane (St. Walburga’s Day) on May 1st, Litha (St. John’s Day) around June 20th or 21st, Lammas (Day of Bread) on August 1st, and Samhain (All Saints’ Day) on October 31st.

Traditionally celebrated as a time to honor our ancestors and reflect on the cycle of life and death, Samhain on October 31st marks the halfway point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. It is a special time that invites us to step beyond the ordinary into the realm of magic and mysticism. The lingering echoes of autumn and the approaching winter in the Northern Hemisphere also foster a sense of introspection and connection to nature, making it an optimal time to commune with the ethereal elementals of nature.

The woods are full of fairies! The trees are alive: The river overflows with them. See how they dip and dive! What funny little fellows! What dainty little dears! They dance and leap, and prance and peep, And utter fairy cheers! ~ William Allingham

Known for their playful yet profound nature, the Fae are more accessible during this time, encouraging us to open our hearts and minds to their wisdom and guidance. Whether you are looking to deepen your spiritual practice, invite joy and abundance into your life, or simply experience the wonders of nature and the unseen, the next few days offer a portal to enchanting realms where the Fae await your call.

I suspect the faeries have a particularly strong affinity for the season of Samhain because the mythical land of the faeries, also called Faeryland or Elfland, has similar characteristics to the afterlife or “the land of the dead.” According to Rosemary Guiley, a noted author and researcher in the field of folklore and mythology, especially as it relates to faeries and other supernatural beings, time is altered in Faeryland so that a day in human life can stretch into years. There is also no day or night, only a perpetual twilight, similar to the symbolism of the thinning veil between this world and the next during Samhain.

The word faerie (or fairy) comes from the Latin fata (fate) and the Old French faerie (enchantment). In French folklore, a faerie was a woman who knew magic and the power of words, stones, and herbs.

Faeries are a type of elemental being recognized in various mythologies and mystical traditions. Elementals are mystical beings or spirits that are traditionally associated with the four classical elements: earth, air, fire, and water because they embody the qualities and characteristics of their respective elements.

Faeries are also guardians of nature and intermediaries between the human world and the spirit realm. Spending time in nature and feeling the nourishment of being around the energy of plants, trees, flowers and herbs brings us into the magical healing world of the faeries. They want us to remember that we all share this beautiful planet, so it is good to show your respect for nature by recycling, using natural products, and picking up trash or litter when you see it on the ground.

Fairies are also drawn to love and romance. Before winter sets in, weather permitting, pack an autumn picnic basket and take your favorite person, your kids, or your dog to a place in nature that you love. Maybe there’s a pond or stream, a park or forest that beckons. When you arrive at your picnic spot and get settled in, invite the “little people” to join you.

You just have to pay attention. If you don’t, you’ll miss them, or see something else–something you expected to see rather than what was really there. Faerie voices become just the wind, a bodach…scurrying across the street becomes just a piece of litter caught in the backwash of a bus ~ Charles de Lint

Always remember to leave an offering for them, such as a treat of honey, cream, bread, or grain, and you will find that magic begins to appear in your life! If you connect with the fairy realm through nature, by leaving out sweet treats, or just communicating with them in general, they will grant wishes and bring magic into your life!

I used to live near Ann Arbor, Michigan and was a student at the Avalonian Seminary. There was an author in my group who knew a lot about faerie magic and mythology. She shared some secrets with me about the elves and how to connect with them. One of the things she suggested was to wear a pendant of the seven-pointed star, which I did. The other was the number seven. She told me that seven was the number of the fairies and that it was auspicious.

One day I was alone in the house and was about to start working from my home office, but first I decided to get some chocolate chip cookies from the kitchen. I took out a cookie and broke it into eleven pieces. I then placed the pieces on a special plate and took them to a room on the top floor of the house. I said aloud, “Fairies, I have a sweet treat for you!” I left the room and shut the door.

At the end of the day, I went back into the room and found the plate with only seven pieces left! There was also a very strong presence of love in the room. The fairies gave me the evidence I needed to prove that they were there, and they left seven pieces as a confirmation of what the faerie expert had told me.

To this day, I remain fascinated by the prevalence and presence of fairies in my life. In my experience, they very much want us to return to our childhood innocence and spend more time enjoying the simpler aspects of life. There is an open invitation from the fairies for us to connect with our inner child and remember the magic that is alive and free for all to participate in every day. May the good fortune of the fairies be with you and may you experience their magic not only this Samhain but all year round.