My packing list for the Morrigan’s Call Retreat, among the usual camping and witching bits and bobs, also included a completely metal-free drinking vessel that could lock shut and stay shut tossed around in a bag. So I brought that I bought shortly before the trip, because I was gently reminded by some of my allies that all of my usual travel mugs were stainless steel! I was not about to spend a whole weekend without tea, and I needed the ability to share it in case that was requested – a lot of spirits appreciate a small pour of your beverage, the Fair Folk included. It’s also better for me – if I’m in too close contact with Otherworldly beings averse to iron, touching it can cause sudden painful grounding. Which is why I also tend to travel with some titanium-coated tableware! It’s a thin layer but it seems to be enough to blunt the effect, at least for me. Though at this retreat, the tableware was mostly plastic so that was a non-issue.
In addition, I made sure to pack a variety of offerings so that I’d have something suitable for the local Fair Folk when I arrived and did my check in. I brought mead and whiskey and honey candies this time, as I didn’t really have a way to keep any dairy products cool, nor did I have the time to make baked goods. I usually have to “check in at customs & immigration” whenever I’m in a new area, especially if I’m spending the night or planning to do any magic or ritual, and that check-in always requires at least a gift and a formal introduction, including an explanation of my relationship to the fairy court I serve. But in order to introduce myself, first I have to find a suitable place!
My general approach to finding the Fair Folk in a new place is to send out a sort of notice of intent, and then to wander about with no particular destination in mind, just letting myself move where I feel drawn to, and trying to observe the area around me very deeply. Often I find myself feeling like I’m being led by a bird or insect, and then as I follow, I find a place that feels otherworldly. I stop, and open my subtle senses, and reach out, to see if this is what I sought. If it is, I then inquire about preferred offerings, and give those and do my introduction. Usually I also ask for a name for their group that I can use to identify them, and ask what type of being they are (or are closest to) so that I have a general idea of their likes, dislikes, and expectations. After that I’m free to do what magic I see fit, so long as it doesn’t interfere with or harm the Locals in any way – I strive for peace between their Folk and mine.
In these wanderings, I’ve been building a sort of network of friendly-inclined groups, with my understanding of (or best guess about) their territorial boundaries. In my home region, I’ve been finding that a lot of the territories seem to be tied to watersheds: the Chesapeake Bay watershed being something like a High Court, with the smaller streams being smaller territories, and the rivers being a sort of in-between space, belonging to the river deities themselves and home to all the indigenous spirit beings of that river’s watershed. This kind of overlap confused me at first, but then again – the Otherworlds and Spirit Worlds are plural, so maybe it makes sense that they’d be enmeshed and yet distinct.
This network-building, particularly within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, is a huge part of my personal practice, but it’s hard to talk about openly. Both because it’s Very Woo and unsubstantiated UPG, and because there’s a lot of stuff I’m just plain forbidden to share! But I’ve been trying to share more of what isn’t explicitly forbidden, in what will hopefully become a semi regular blog series!