In the faery portraits I create, one of the art overlays is a magic photograph of the old Magnolia Tree in my yard– the Tree where all the faeries gather each year.  Until I add this layer to the portrait all of the faeries remain invisible to the eye.  But once it is dropped into place the faeries begin to appear.  I have tried all sorts of other art layers in my work. Pine trees, hydrangeas, flower gardens, wooded paths, grass, weeds, sand, fireworks, …. the list goes on.  Nothing.  Interesting effects but not one faery hiding in the shadows.   Faeries are often though to be like Disney’s Tinkerbell, but they are all manner of creatures.  Look to the drawings of Brian Froud and you will see what faeries look like, or at least they look a lot like the ones that appear in my fine art faery portraits.  They are never perfectly clear in the portrait, the edges are soft, and the faces mostly invisible, but the shape is undeniable– or at least undeniable to those who believe in faeries.  For those of you who have more difficulty believing,  I’ve sketched one so you can see one more clearly than the soft and tinny image in the August Faery Portrait in my 2012 calendar.

Little flower faery made visible

Someone asked me if I put them there, the answer is no.  I don’t put them there at all, I just look and find them.  I am certain you will be able to find all sorts of creatures once you start looking.  Enjoy faery hunting!

Hmmm… I wonder… If I was to make glasses out of slides of my magnolia tree, would I be able to see faeries as I walk through the garden?  I’ll get back to you on that!

Faery Blessings.

Can you see the faery behind her?

Getting the next 30 orders ready to fly home, and as usual during the magical phase of my faery portraits a faery appears.  Some are harder to see than others, but this little faery wanted to be seen!

And there she is, arm outstretched, holding her magic wand....

Never this clearly captured! Isn’t she beautiful? I wonder what blessings she will bring this little one sitting under the old pine tree?

Blessings

I was born at sunrise on the 31 of July, the eve of the high faery holiday of Lammas.  My first night was spent under the glow of the Lammas fires where pagans danced and celebrated the harvest festival in joyful lamentation over summer’s end. Lammas marks the return of winter’s shadow sun.  You can feel it in the air– that  hint of winter’s cold beneath the hot August sun.   It is the traditional time of craft fairs! And summer harvest fairs and potluck dinners!

The bittersweet celebration of the harvest

To know more:

http://www.leyline.org/cra/articles/lughnasadh.html

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/bos050.htm

http://www.asiya.org/sabbats/lammas.html

Symbolism: First harvest festival; aging of the Deities, honoring of Sun Gods

Symbols: Corn dollies, cornucopia, grains, the Sun

Foods: Breads, grains, potatoes, summer squash, cider, blackberry pies and jellies, berries, apples, roasted lamb, elderberry wine, meadowsweet tea

Plants & herbs: Ash, camphor, caraway, fern, geranium, juniper, mandrake, marjoram, thyme, sunflowers, wheat

Incense and oils: Allspice, carnation, rosemary, vanilla, sandalwood, aloe, rose

Colors: Red, gold, yellow, orange

Stones: Aventurine, citrine, peridot, sardonyx

Animals and mythical beasts: Roosters, calves, the Phoenix, griffins, basilisk, centaurs

Some appropriate Goddesses: all grain, agriculture, and mother Goddesses; Alphito (Greek), Ashnan (Sumerian), Bast (Egyptian), Bau (Assyro-Babylonian), Ceres (Roman), Demeter (Greek), Gaia (Greek), Ishtar (Assyro-Babylonian), Isis (Egyptian), Libera (Roman), Persephone (Greek), Rhiannon (Welsh), Robigo (Roman), Tailtiu (Irish)

Some appropriate Gods: all grain, agriculture, Sun, and father Gods; Cernunnos (Celtic), Dagon (Babylonian), Lahar (Sumerian), Liber (Roman), Llew (Welsh), Lugh (Irish), Neper (Egyptian), Ningirsu/Ninurta (Assyro-Babylonian), Odin (Norse), Osiris (Egyptian)

Decorations: Corn, hay, gourds, corn dollies, shafts of grain, sun wheels

Activities: games, country fairs, making corn dollies, baking bread, gathering fruits, visits to fields, orchards, lakes and wells.

Spell/ritual work: Offering thanks, honoring fathers, prosperity, abundance, generosity, continued success, connectedness

Faery Blessings

The Queen of dreams in her poppy crown

She is the powerful queen of dreams and can make your wishes come true– if you are worthy; or she will play mean tricks upon you if you are not.  She is to be feared and avoided by bad people, but can be called upon by those with a pure heart.  Be aware of your intentions when you make your wish.  Do you want to succeed because you desire that as a fulfillment of your dream, or do you want to succeed to spite another?  If your wish is a dream-come-true based on spite, Queen Mab will grant your wish and send it back to you wrapped in such suffering and turmoil that you will forever regret your desire.

Queen Mab in her poppy crown represents rest, beauty, and success.

Blessings

The Faeries hava a surpirse for you July 39th!

Holly – The Ruler
July 8 – August 4
Among the Celtic tree astrology signs the Holly is one of regal status. Noble, and high-minded, those born during the Holly era easily take on positions of leadership and power. If you are a Holly sign you take on challenges easily, and you overcome obstacles with rare skill and tact. When you encounter setbacks, you simply redouble your efforts and remain ever vigilant to obtain your end goals. Very seldom are you defeated. This is why many people look up to you and follow you as their leader. You are competitive and ambitious even in the most casual settings. You can appear to be arrogant but in actuality you’re just very confident in your abilities. Truth be known, you are quite generous, kind and affectionate (once people get to know you). Highly intelligent, you skate through academics where others may struggle. Because many things come to you so easily, you may have a tendency to rest on your laurels. In other words, if not kept active, you may slip into an unhealthy and lazy lifestyle. Holly signs may look to Ash and Elder signs for balance and partnership.

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-tree-astrology.html#CelticZodiacAsh

This is my Celtic sign, I was born during the Holly Tree Month and oh, if only the description was 100% accurate…lol! I can hear my college professors laughing…’skate through academics’… true only if they were dull blades on thin ice!

Ah, but the faeries are not done laughing yet!  They have picked a date on my faery calendar, a day to grab our attention.  They made July ’39′ invisible to me, Tom, and two very skilled proof-readers until after the calendar was printed and distributed.  They insisted, so now it is on the calendar… it must be a special date for them and for us.  Watch closely for Faery Gifts and Faery Shenanigans! It is a day of laughter for the citizens of Faery and you may be the target of their tricks or their blessings!  Or this may be the night they will reveal themselves to you. They have our attention… now what?

What happens to you on July 39, share with us!

Faery Blessings