Springtime with the Fairies

Spring is the time of fairies.

Okay, every time is the time of fairies, they’d have me remind you. But spring is a time when those of us inhabiting the mortal world can most easily see their effects. And as liminal creatures, fairies are certainly comfortable in the spring, the transition time between the cold gray winter, and the warm, bright summer.

Not all pagans work with fairies, but those of us who do find them to be powerful, if capricious, allies. I will admit to being rather besotted with the fae. They reflect the wildness, chaos, and passion of nature in an anthropomorphic way that makes them relatable to this particular anthropomorphic homo sapien.

But I’ve never met the Cicely Mary Barker, sweet little angelic Victorian fairies, if they exist. We live in a world of Brian Froud and Amy Brown fairies—grumpy, seductive, gnarly, bawdy, coarse, grotesque, and probably quite naughty. Actually—a lot like us.

Working with the fair folk is a bit like working with a trickster deity. They are unpredictable and not all of them have great intentions towards humans. As creatures of the earth and elements, they have seen what we do to this planet. Can you blame them for being a little resentful?

Singing with the Fairies

Because this is Pagansong, I cannot fail to mention that fairies love to sing and dance. (Hmmm, like Crow Women?) You are likely aware of the many tales told of fairy celebrations, full of music and dancing around the fairy ring. Unsuspecting mortals throughout the ages have been pulled into the dance, only to spend the rest of eternity trapped in that dance in the fairy realm.

Traditional fairy songs in Ireland, England, and Scotland were often cautionary tales of what would happen to you if you fell in with the fairies, or at least didn’t pay them their due respect. Unfortunately, though the lyrics to these songs linger, their tunes are mostly lost to this realm of existence (although I suspect some smug little creatures still hum them behind the veil). However, these are fabulous lyrics, and it is well worth your time to look some up and read them. But they probably aren’t the best choice if you are trying to entreat the fair folk to join in your magick.

There are also lots of lovely fairy songs out there, often with a New Age bent and some from our favorite pagan musicians. They are beautiful, inspiring songs full of harps and lyres and glockenspiels and lovely, haunting voices. Gary Stadler and David Arkenstone are fairly renowned in this genre, and not without good reason.

Yet you’ll find many of these modern fairy songs are either fully instrumental or have complex lyrics that will take some time to learn. And I’m not just a fae-afficionado. I am a pagan witch, and I don’t just want to sit and listen to a nice CD (well, sometimes I do). 

Mostly, I want to SING to the fairies. I want fairy chants that I can belt out to invite the fairies to ritual with me.

Chants to the Faeries

“Faery Song” by Lisa Thiel on Invocation of the Graces

Dance, dance in the month of May
Dance, dance for the Queen of Faey
Oh my sisters, dance and sing
Dance around the faery ring

Celebrate the return of life
Dance, dance in the warm sunlight
Oh my Brothers, dance and sing
Dance around the faery ring

Dance, dance when the moon is bright
Dance, dance in the pale starlight
Oh my Sisters, dance and sing
Dance around the Faery ring

“Full Moonlight Dance” by Karen Beth, recorded by Libana on A Circle is Cast

Under the full moonlight we dance
Spirits dance, we dance
Joining hands, we dance
Joining souls rejoice

“Spirit of the Plants” by Lisa Thiel on Journey to the Goddess

The Spirit of the Plants has come to me
In the form of a beautiful dancing green woman
Her eyes filled me with peace
Her dance filled me with peace
The Spirit of the Plants has come to me
And has blessed me with great peace
Her eyes fill me with peace
Her dance filled me with peace
The Spirit of the Plants has come to me
In the form of a beautiful dancing green woman

Update: When I can’t find enough chants, I just create my own. Here’s my own take on fairy magic, from the Crow Women’s album Pantheon: Honoring the Pagan Divine.

“Lady Titania” by Tara Kreauweaumonn

The fairy bells are ringing
The sparkling lights dance in the air
There’s music all around us
And magic everywhere

Circle with the queen of the fairies
Dance of dreams that come in the night
Sing of songs that beckon the magic
Soaking in the pale moonlight

     music & lyrics © Tara D. Kiene (ASCAP) 2021

Other Great Fairy Songs (according to Tara)

• “Fairy Nightsongs” by Gary Stadler with Stephanie on Fairy HeartMagic
• “Dance of the Wild Fairies” by Gary Stadler with Wendy Rule on Deep Within a Faerie Forest
• “Deep Within the Forest” by Gary Stadler with Wendy Rule on Deep Within a Faerie Forest
• “Fairy Queen” by Kenny Klein on The Fairy Queen (acknowledging Kenny’s faults, this is still a good song)
• “Faerie Queen” by Blackmore’s Night on Village Lanterne
• “Faerie Tale” by Spiral Dance on Magick
• “Tam Lin” by Sj Tucker, recorded by Tricky Pixie on Mythcreants
• “Daughter of the Glade” by SJ Tucker, recorded by Trixie Pixie on Mythcreants
• Wonders an entire CD by SJ Tucker based on the Fairyland novels by Catherynne M. Valente (see below)
• Faeries: a musical companion to The Art of Brian Froud—the whole thing. It’s like spending 55 minutes in a faerie grove.

Want more? Check out Alane’s fairy song list on Spotify.

Best fairy movies and novels (according to Tara)

Another good way to commune with fairies is through the many tales told about them. These are perhaps most accessible through movies and fiction. There are innumerable stories and movies about fairies out there. My criteria for this list is either that they portray fairies in a way that is authentic to the traditions of the British isles and Europe), or the fairies are shown in a way that is interesting and complex.

Books about Fairies

• The Fairyland Series by Catherynne M. Valente, beginning with The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (I mean come on, the title alone deserves accolades!)
• Lord of the Rings Trilogy and companion The Simarillion by JRR Tolkien
• Spiderwick Chronicles (books and movie)
• The Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis
• Any book by Holly Black
• Most of the Terry Pratchett Discworld series, especially the Tiffany Aching series featuring the Nac Mac Feegle, the best Scottish picts on the planet
• The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm, Ellen Ditlow and Terry Winding, Eds.

Movies with Fairies (or movies with fae-like creatures)

• Legend
• Labyrinth (with designs by the incredible Brian Froud!)
• Song of the Sea
• Secret of Kells
• Willow
• The Secret of Roan Inish
• Spirited Away
• My Neighbor Totoro
• Darby O’Gill and the Little People (Which has the added distinction of introducing the banshee that was the recurring nightmare of three-year-old Tara. Thanks, Disney!)

Best Faerie Resources (once again, according to Tara)

• Brian Froud’s World of Faerie by Brian Froud
• Faeries by Brian Froud an Alan Lee
• Good Faeries, Bad Faeries by Brian Froud (can you tell I like Brian Froud??)
• A Complete Guide to Faeries and Magic Beings by Cassandra Eason
• An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bodies, and Other Supernatural Creatures by Katharine Briggs
• Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes
• Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies by Robert Kirk (The true history of this Scottish clergyman’s 17^thcentury wanderings into the Scottish moors and forests to commune with the fairies is fascinating in itself.)

There are also a ton of witchy guides to working with the fae, and Edain McCoy and Morgan Daimler are probably a couple of the more notable of the authors in this space. I find it more rewarding to learn as much as can about these creatures myself; they tell you exactly how to befriend (or avoid) them in your spiritual and magickal workings.

So, curl up in a wild space with your cakes and ale (with plenty to share) and a good fairy book and chant a while. Whether you see them or not, they’ll be there.

To see Tara’s collected articles here on Pagan Song, visit her author page.

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