An Altar for the Fae

To show your devotion to the fae and to help attract them, you can set up a shrine to the faeries. This can be as large or as small as you want or need it to be. What is important is your care of this sacred space. By creating it you are saying to the universe that you wish to serve and honour faery. An altar provides a meeting between the worlds, for communicating needs and emotions, and to honour the faeries who choose to share with you. This also provides faery a place of focus, where they can feel safe in our world. This is where they can visit you privately and where you can give them gifts and other offerings.


Where and When to place an altar

Altars can be erected inside or outdoors, or even combined with other altars as long as the area set aside for faery is clearly marked.

An outdoor altar should be in a spot where neighbours are not likely to see it or walk through it. Your own garden is an ideal outside place. Everything you need is already there except an offering bowl. Another perfect location for an altar is in a clearing sheltered by trees and bushes. These are nature faery homes and making their living place even nicer will endear you to the faeries.

House faeries prefer to have their gifts presented indoors. A fireplace is the ideal spot because it has traditionally been the heart of the home. The modern hearth is the kitchen and food libations are often presented in this room.

If you have a nice basement well sealed against unwanted pests, this also makes a good place for an altar. Attics also work as do window gardens. Or the top of a dresser or an occasional table would work well.

What you will need:

Your faery altar should contain three main things:

1. a place to make faery offerings of coins, stones etc

2. a representation of one of the four elements for faeries to rest upon; a stone, bowl of water, or candle for example

3. a representation of faeries themselves such as plants that belong to them, scents they like, statues or pictures

After these elements are in place you can get creative. Flowering plants, shiny glass pebbles, reflective surfaces (faeries love to gaze at themselves), a candle dressed with essential oil. Yule tree lights, crystals, feathers and glitter. Seashells, bark and twigs.

As time progresses you will find other bits and pieces to add to your altar, or change with the seasons.

Have fun with it!
Tansy
x


Sources: The healing power of Faery by Edain McCoy & Faeriecraft by Alicen & Neil Geddes-Ward
Image of the fae: Brian Froud World of Froud website