 They are everywhere we walk, everywhere we turn. In the very elements surrounding us. They are nature spirits, guardians of the earth and all her splendour. Some are more powerful than others; some are kinder and more compassionate; some have greater magic. But all the beings who live in the Hidden Kingdom are available to us. They do not fear or despise us. They desire our presence – our true presence – as much as we deeply desire theirs.
Absolutely everyone who walks and breathes on this planet has already had an important experience with faeries in some form. These powerful beings live in the towering trees of primitive rain forests, in the manicured hedges that shade our suburban homes; they live in the soil of our well-kept country gardens; in the window boxes of our crowded urban landscapes.
They are the kings and queens of our seasons; they are the knights and princesses of our wind, rain and weather. There is no part of this globe that they do not preside over; there is no country small enough or poor enough to be passed over by them. There is no city too large or too wealthy to lack their ever-presence.
The mission of these special sentient beings is threefold. To inspire growth, to encourage true presence, and to support love. It is literally their inspiration that makes the acorn grow into a giant oak; it is literally their shining encouragement that makes the eagle, the wolf, and the whale blush with awesome beauty. It is literally their eternal support that makes earthly humanity fall head over heels in love.
We can no longer afford to ignore this Hidden Kingdom. Our planet is in need. At a time when the environment has become such a great priority, so must our relationship to these outstanding beings. The kingdom of the faeries needs our help, just as we need theirs. We are not simply solitary victims on a troubled planet waiting for the intervention of some super-being's strength. We are all interconnected on this glorious journey called Earth – and that means mankind and womankind and animalkind and spiritkind. Contrary to what many wish to believe, we all must share in the solution – humans and faeries alike. Each has something unique and extraordinary to offer. The time has come to activate this wondrous alliance.
‘LET THE SPIRIT OF EARTH SOAR’
What is this Hidden Kingdom? Where is it? How do you find it? And exactly how does someone ‘get in'?
Simply put, the Hidden Kingdom is a grand, immense, powerful, spectacular, sprawling, stunning, subtle, expansive, enchanting, extraordinary, delightful, delicious, down-to-earth-sort-of place. It exists within Nature. The beings that live in the Hidden Kingdom are intricately involved with the natural world. Are the Hidden Kingdom and Nature then the same place? Yes and no. While the Hidden Kingdom represents the expansive nation of spirit-beings we are calling faeries, and while Nature represents the expansive nation of beings we are calling (simplistically) plant and animal, and while these are two different places, they are so closely related that to speak of their difference is almost an error. Got it?
In other words, the stunning pink hibiscus bursting on the stem is so deeply and profoundly involved with the faery presiding over it that we cannot really talk about them as separate entities. Are the singer and the song truly separate? Are not the dancer and the dance one and the same? Isn't the boundary between mother and newborn infant invisible? The best explanation possible is to say that the Hidden Kingdom is the singer and Nature is her glorious song.
As for entering or finding the key to unlock the door – it's really much easier than you might imagine. Offered in Believing in Faeries are seven unique ways to ‘walk through’, or seven doorways of perceiving the special beings that live there. Each doorway is different from the other, utilizing different sensory systems, depending on which you personally prefer. Some doorways begin where others end. And some doorways require a deeper, more expansive understanding.
But look at these seven doorways as lanterns to guide you, as seven different melodies to inspire you. Perhaps more entrances exist – find out for yourself through your own discovery and exploration. Understand, however, that one doorway is not ‘better’ than another. All the varied ways of meeting these powerful beings called faeries are available to you. Instead of thinking of these doorways as being on different levels, think of them as surrounding you, all the time; as if you lived inside an enchanted forest with seven shimmering entrances beckoning to you. Depending on your mood, depending on your body, depending on your degree of focus, you can choose to walk through any one of these entrances at any time throughout your life.
The process of entering the Hidden Kingdom is ongoing. The journey itself becomes the destination. By reading and listening, by wondering and pondering, you are already shifting your consciousness into a welcoming one. And that's the key, that's what will ultimately open the door. You do not have to know anything special. You do not have to be gifted or psychic. You simply have to have a sincere desire to walk through. Whichever doorway you choose (or whichever doorway chooses you), once you arrive in the Hidden Kingdom, become both a guest and a student, both an observer and a participant. But above all, relate as a friend. Because that's what the Hidden Kingdom is all about – relating with kindness and joy to another, whether that ‘other’ happens to be a faery, a flower, a fern or a fir tree. Relating is the very fabric of the faeries’ domain. Enter the Hidden Kingdom as a true friend and the beings there, all of them, will gratefully offer themselves back to you.
From Believing in Faeries, © Marcia Zina Mager 1999, published in the UK by C W Daniel.
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