Free Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm by Emily Carding Page B

were first called elementals by the medieval scholar and occultist Paracelsus, but the recognition of spiritual beings of the elements dates back to ancient history. The elementals are not part of the Faery races as such, but connection and awareness of them and the interaction of elements both around and within you are important parts of Faery Craft, as they are an intrinsic part of the natural world. Awareness of the elemental beings, who are immanent and active in our physical realm, can lead to greater awareness of our mutual Faery cousins.

    Laura Daligan, “The Lady of the Lake”
(www.lauradaligan-art.com)
    Sylphs
    Sylphs are the elementals of air and are often described as taking a beautiful, winged humanoid form. In fact, sylphs are closer in appearance to the popular idea of Faery beings than most faeries themselves! The energy of the sylphs can be most keenly felt in high places, where the earth meets the sky, or in the great winds of a storm. Keeping personal safety in consideration, standing in a storm and allowing the elements to rage around you is a powerful way to feel the presence of these elementals. Sylphs enjoy the sound of woodwind instruments and the human voice, so this is one way you could try to attract their energies. Morning is the most favourable time of day to contact this elemental.
    Salamanders
    The elementals of fire are known as salamanders, yet they should not be confused with their physical amphibian counterparts. Though they have been known to take reptilian, almost draconic, form, they can appear in various guises. You may experience them as sparks, tongues or balls of fire, or even as I once did: as incredibly ornate wings with beautiful patterns of fiery colours.
    Open your awareness whilst standing in the presence of a mighty bonfire to experience the power of these elementals. One way of attracting the attention of salamanders is to sing or play a stringed instrument whilst sitting by the fire or in the midday sun. Something simple, like an Appalachian dulcimer, can make lovely sounds even if you have no musical training. Sometimes simple is best!
    Undines
    Undines, also known as nymphs, are the elementals of water. Like sylphs, they take the appearance of beautiful humanoids (though wingless) and are generally female and seductive in nature. In folklore there are many tales of their kind interacting with and even marrying humans, this romantic element seeming appropriate for a being that consists entirely of the element associated with our emotions. Since most of the human body is water, perhaps this is why we can relate so intimately with them?
    If you can find time to sit by a rushing river or a waterfall, listen and pay close attention to feel the presence of the beautiful undines. If you can sit by water at sunset and play bells or perhaps a singing bowl, this is a good way to attract the attention of undines. Like sylphs, they also love song.
    Gnomes
    Gnomes are the elementals of earth, and in my experience they are the closest among the elementals to Faery beings, sharing many of the same qualities and in practice being often indistinguishable to the point of wondering why we try to distinguish at all between them. Theirs is the underground realm of soil, stone, and minerals, as well as the roots of growing things. You may experience their presence when spending time in peace and stillness in the roots of a tree surrounded by woodland, or on the side of a mountain where the heartbeat of earth can be most profoundly felt. To attract the attention of gnomes, try playing a drum out in the woods at dusk or at night.

    Connecting with the Elements
    When seeking connection with the Faery realm and its elusive inhabitants, it is important to keep the perceptive qualities of the mind grounded in the reality of the world around us, in order that we open ourselves to the deeper levels of that reality and not create a substitute illusory reality through excessive, unrooted mental