This web site is a description of a modern person's spiritual journey into an ancient Celtic world.

I traveled to Irelandwith an interest in pre-Christian Celtic religion and folklore, andreturned with a gateway to the gods of the Fair Folk. It was a surpriseencounter since I was neither pagan nor Wiccan, and much of my previousreligious experience had been Buddhist.

I explored the west coast of Ireland,visiting sacred wells, abandonedchurchyards, the stony Burren, assorted passage tombs, stone circles,and ancient dolmens (ritual markers), and the reconstructed beehivehuts of the coastal dwellers. These western areasmaintained more of the older traditions that had died off in easternIreland.

I met with a story-teller (shannachie)of the old tradition who proceededto drink heavily as he described an event that occurredon alonely dark road when he was in his early teens. He was captured byFair Folk and brought to a faerie wake, but he refused to eat anything,knowing that taking their food would pull him into the faerie world fortheremainder of his life.

He went on to tell of Biddy Early, awise woman with a magic faerie tincture that could heal any ailmentwhenthe prayers for healing done by local Catholic priestsdid little.

There are not as many storytellers asthere once were, and it is hardto find older sacred sites. They are generally notmarked unless they are on the tourist routes, and few of the localpeopleknow the history. I looked for a hill dedicated to a Celtic goddess,andeventually, someone could point the way there.I crisscrossed rural roads in the car though woodsand pastures, making my way upward.

I stood on the side ofthe sacred mountain in the rain, where once there were processions forthefaerie queen, and now there were only cows grazing.

But the Fair Folk were still accessiblethrough that place, though the connection was a bittenuous. The queen appeared to me with her mages and nobles and greetedme.We spoke of the material world, and its relation to the Fair Folk, andshetried to find a role for me in relation to her people. She first triedbardsince I had written poetry and played music, and then artist since Ihadbeen a painter, but neither quite fit. The final decision was that Ishouldbe an emissary or perhaps publicist for their tradition, and in theyears since thatgray, rainy day, I have been learning about their culture.

There are different lineages among theFair Folk. The members of theselineages are not sentimentalized glowing children, and they are notpersonifications ofcuteness or sweetness, or even playful tricksters. Nor are the FairFolkthat I know the dangerous, dishonest and volatile characters of Irishfolklore, who steal maidens and children away to their worlds for theirownselfish ends.

The lineage that I am familiar with isthat of King Manannan and his QueenFand. They have an impressive paradise composed of ocean imagery, forManannan is the old sea god of Ireland. They were hesitant aboutcreating this web site initially, but Manannan decided that publicitywasgood for gods and could serve to unite the ancient and modern worlds.Themages agreed more hesitantly, being concerned that no confidentialinformation should be included.

Thus, this site will have more generaldescriptions of deities andenvironments, but the more personal aspects of contact with thesupernatural worlds will not be included.

This site is divided into the followingareas.

Magiciansand Wizards - The Fair Folk versus Harry Potter