Fairies, and how to attract them

          I do believe in fairies...I do, I do!....which is why I decided to try and attract more of the fae to my humble abode. Fairies are known for being notoriously shy and like to hide. If you truly want to interact with these elemental beings, you're going to have to create an environment where they feel comfortable. I've found that you'll need to start with belief, for that is the foundation with anything magically speaking. As children we have the innate ability to see the unseen, our imaginations haven't been tainted with what is "real" and what is not. Now that we've established the belief part, I'll move into the creating physical space...

    
Build a fairy house: Pick a location that is off the beaten path, somewhere that won't be disturbed. What you see above is, a simple lean-to, outfitted with fairy sized amenities. It's nestled under a hedge to lend a bit of privacy. Fairies enjoy a lot of greenery and natural surroundings, so using mostly natural materials is a plus. You can construct an abode for the fae out of hollow tree trunks or miniature wooden doll houses, even stacked rocks will do. This year I made mine out of fallen limbs from the trees out behind my house. Really, only your imagination can limit you on a project like this one. Include bright colors, and shiny objects in your building materials. You can even add bells or small wind chimes, for fairies love music and may want to party all night! However do not include anything made of iron. It weakens them and they have a very large distaste for that type of metal. For those of you who live in an apartment and don't have an outdoor space, you can always do a massive house cleaning (fairies are a cleanly loving folk) and hang some shelves or use some empty space on an already existing book shelf to make a home for them.

Create a fairy garden: Fairies love flowers and use them to make clothes, shoes, hats, and for food, medicine and wine. So include some of their favorites in your garden and your sure to attract the fae.

• rosemary
• chamomile
• lavender
• primrose
• bluebells
• pansies
• mint
• honeysuckle

those are just to name a few. Bushes that attract butterflies, and bumblebees are handy as well, for fairies like to hitch a ride on their backs. They also enjoy riding birds and dragonflies so maybe a water feature would be helpful also. Don't for get to leave regular offerings of some fairy favorites, such as milk, honey, and objects they can put to use, and your on your way to hopefully some fairy sightings.