I often go out to the countryside to visit my mother. Her home is like a magnet; it draws you in from the street. Walking up to her porch, one cannot mistake how the air sparkles. Even the cares of the world, which have been weighing down your shoulders, seem to melt away into the earth along the pathway like rainwater.
I am not the only one drawn to mother's house. Several years ago mother came upon an old, out-of-print fairy book at a library book sale. Within these pages she learned how to attract fairies. Since then, her home has been the refuge of human and fairy alike. The following suggestions will help you create a fairy-welcoming atmosphere in your home.
Plant Their Favourite Flowers
The most effective way to invite fairies to your home is to plant their favourite flowers. Fairies share the same habitat as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees — flowers that attract these creatures will also attract fairies. Bluebells, foxglove, forget-me-nots, heather, hollyhocks, lilacs, lilies, marigolds, pansies, peonies, primrose, and roses are flowers beloved by the wee folk.
In addition to flowers, clover, ferns, and thyme are plants especially attractive to fairies. Oak trees hold special powers for fairies and are considered sacred meeting places for the fairy court.
Mind Your Language
Since fairies are sensitive, it is best not to refer to them directly. They find the name "fairy" particularly offensive. If you must talk about them, you may use the terms: wee folk, good folk, or the gentry. Acknowledging them indirectly is a sign of respect they appreciate greatly.
Create a Fairy Garden
Fairies enjoy both well-manicured and wild areas in gardens. It is a good idea to reserve a special corner in your garden for fairy use. Placing a special statue or a small fountain in such an area is much appreciated by the wee folk. Colored stones and crystals, especially in a water-filled bird-bath, will attract fairies. Using rocks, small caves can be made at the base of rose bushes. A bird-house can be easily adapted for fairy use by adding bright colors, dollhouse furniture, and glitter to the inside. Toadstools and mushrooms — real or artificial — are also a favourite of the wee folk.
Leave Food Offerings
Leave out a food offering overnight. Fairies especially love dairy products, bread, cakes, and cookies. Don't despair if in the morning it doesn't look like the meal has been eaten — fairies are able to extract the essence of food without physically eating it. Food should be discarded after a day or two, since it will have little nutritional value left for the fairy.
If an animal should approach the food, don't chase it away! Sometimes a shy fairy will assume the shape of an animal to accept its present.
Attract Them With Water
Fairies love water. Fountains, bird baths, ponds, and streams will all attract fairies. The presence of moving water in your garden creates an especially powerful invitation — the sound and sparkle of water calls to fairies across great distances.
Create an Altar
Set aside a table top or a corner for an altar, where you can leave offerings for your fairy friends in a basket. Offerings may be food, flowers, herbs, pretty leaves, stones, or anything else you think your fairy might like. Keep your home reasonably tidy, as fairies hate a mess.
Cultivate the Right Qualities
Most important of all, you must cultivate a sense of reverence, wonder, and fun — as these are qualities necessary to befriend a fairy. A heart that approaches the world with delight and openness is the greatest invitation of all.