As we stand at the threshold of our own Faerie adventure, we may have a few questions to explore about the nature of the Faerie beings we are hoping to connect with. So, let''s begin at the beginning. What is a Faerie? Faeries are shapeshifters, they balance on the edge of defining, they are beings of the in-between, sometimes sensed yet rarely seen. As humans, we do our best to categorise them and put them into pleasing boxes. To some extent this works, but in other ways we can get ourselves tied up in logical knots, which in turn causes the Fae hours of amusement. All Faerie beings have deep roots and ancient origins. What we know of as Faerie covers a myriad of meanings including Nature Spirits, Elementals, Ancestors, Deities, and even divine sparks of the Soul of Mother Earth. The word Faerie, Faery or Fairy derives from the Latin ''Fata'', meaning the Fates, plural for ''Fatum'' - Fate, also from the Old French term ''to enchant''.

Here we have two strands of Faerie magic. One, that they are entwined with our fate and the fate of the world; to connect with them is to connect with the threads of life force that runs through this Planet and beyond. The other strand is that they can enchant us. Their magic shifts our perceptions, allowing us to see visions of beauty, wonder and perhaps the true heart of nature. Of course, if we offend them, then the things we see may not be quite so pleasant. We can''t know exactly with our rational, logical minds exactly what Faerie is, for if we could they would hardly be the beings of myth, magic and enchantment that we know and wish them to be. But here is the magic, we can know and feel them with our hearts. Sometimes if we are lucky, we may actually see or hear them, but more often than not we sense them through the eyes of our soul, feeling the magical energy and connection they bring.

Faerie is really an umbrella term for countless vibrations and types of beings. I believe there are as many types of Faerie creatures as there are different forms of life on Earth, maybe more, all with their different energies, purposes, and characteristics. We have the Elementals of the Earth who embody the spiritual essence of the world around us, the Mermaids and Selkies of the Sea, the Trooping Faeries with their Queens and Kings, the Dryads of the Trees, to the myriad of Fae beings who can steal our keys, trip us up, or inspire us to greatness, magic and love. Faerie lore always has been a global phenomenon, each culture with a plethora of nature spirits who protect the land, appear in the wild and sacred places and cause their fair share of mischief and magic. From the Aluxob of the Mayans, the Irish Leprachauns, to the Scottish Urisk, the Romanian Z'na and countless creatures in between, the Faeries of the world have many stories to tell if we are inclined to sit by the fireside and listen. Some believe Faeries to be a race of beings predating humans, others feel they are diminished Pagan deities and some Christians say that Faeries are demoted or fallen Angels. Whatever you do, or do not believe, it is my belief that Faeries have been around longer than humans, for as long as there have been elements and life, the elemental spirit guardians have been present, wonderous and watchful. What do Faeries look like? Faeries are shape shifters, their form isn''t fixed like ours is, and they can often play with their form to suit our dreams, perceptions and reality, and more importantly - to suit their moods! They can be invisible, watching from other realms, or they can be a shining light or mist, barely perceivable but hugely present.

They can also take on the appearance of animals, trees, rocks as well as humanoid forms. Often, they seem to be a pick and mix of all the above. They can be as tiny as a flower petal or a vast mountain spirit. The appearance of Faeries usually befits the environment in which they dwell, for example the Gaelic Selkie''s Seal skin, the Mer-folk and their fish like tails, the Gnomes who can blend in with the stumpy roots of a tree and the sylph like spirits of Air. Commonly known as the Little People or Hidden People, we can see that they are shy of human company and that they can be diminutive in form. Faeries often appear with something slightly different about them, for example they may have too many or too little fingers, pointy ears, backwards feet, no nose, animal ears, or simply something otherworldly about their appearance. The Brazilian Curupira is seen as the size of a small boy, with flame red hair, who protects the Amazon forest and sometimes confuses hunters with his backwards feet, whilst the Scottish Brownies, who, if treated well, performs domestic tasks and chores at night whilst the household is sleeping, are described in various accounts to have a hole in their face where noses would normally be. The Brownies are also commonly described as small in form, but this was not always the case, many Faeries diminished in size over time.

Brownies, amongst other fair folk were originally seen as human sized, and sometimes taller. The Celtic warrior race of the Sidhe (shining ones) are tall, noble, and usually far from cute in appearance. As people drifted away from the natural world and the followers of the Faerie faith diminished, Faeries also diminished in stature. This once mighty race of magical beings became the sugar-coated stuff of children''s tales and parlour stories, with only the gossamer and delicate aspects of the Faerie Realm being celebrated. It is, however, funny how magic survives and transpires. Just as the Industrial Revolution began tearing up the earth, moving people away from their rural communities to urban life, the Faeries found a way to survive in the collective consciousness! The Victorian era was a calamitous time of social and economic change, raging hypocrisy and supreme repression. Respectability and reason were all. Women were either seen as divine, virginal and meek wives, or prostitutes.

There really was little to nothing in between. We could write a whole other volume on a Woman''s lot in Victorian times, but for now let''s just say that escapism into the Faerie Realm was a blessing for many of the corseted and confined. Whilst Darwin was revealing our ape-ish ancestors, artists, theologians and writers drank deeply of the shimmering delights of the Faerie Realm. The result is the Fairy Painting Movement, and these paintings created a standard for how we visualise Faerie, even today. This longing of the body and soul allowed the Fae to thrive in our hearts and minds in rather unfavourable environmental times. It is interesting that now as we stand on the precipice of environmental disaster, the Faerie''s song is being heard again, loud and clear. Are Faeries Real? In my mind there is no question about this, yes Faeries are real. But if you are currently not feeling sure about this or sitting on the fence then that is absolutely fine.

(And yes, to the Faerie sitting on your shoulder reading this, it is fine. they will get it in time!) Follow your heart, and be open to experience, this is all the Faeries and I can ask. We live in a world where we won''t believe in anything we can''t catch, put in a cage, poke and dissect. There is no space for the mists, the myths and the in-between, for things experienced with our inner eyes and open hearts. It can be easy to dismiss the existence of Faeries whilst sitting on a packed Underground train, checking your emails in the office, or when meeting friends in brightly lit coffee shops. But perhaps a little tougher if you find yourself alone in the woods at sunset, or when watching the full moon rise over the sea. We have built walls around us which shield us from all that is wild, but that does not mean we do not have access to regaining the kinship, trust and love of the Faerie Realm. We only need to see the smiling faces twisted in the bark of a tree, or the sprites dancing upon a bonfire to see the innate personality of all of Mother Nature''s creations.

Do the Faeries wish to connect with us? Yes. and No! For various reasons, including some stated above, not all Faerie beings have an interest in connecting with humans. Some will not even be kind to us, which we discuss in the next question. In this book we journey to meet our very own Faerie Guide who will help us traverse Faerie in the safest and happiest ways possible. But of course, there are many Faeries who would love to dance and play with their old human friends, and some who, like some of us, are sitting on the fence about the potential of the human race. As a rule (and as we will find there are very few human rules which work in Faerie) Faeries mainly wish to connect with those who love nature, who are passionate, compassionate and those whose hearts still burn with a bright spark of innocence and wildness. If you have this spark inside you (and yes, you do!) with an open heart and mind, it''s practically impossible not to feel the presence of the Faerie Realm. Remember that the Faeries are the spirits of nature, they are hoping we are awakening from our destructive ways enough to remember them and feel our sacred connection to the planet.

Many of them are ready to walk and work with us as soon as we invite them in to our lives.