Solstice Faeries and Grandpa Faerie Santa, the sparkle of the season within
This is the story of a woman called Morrigan and her young daughter Katara. Morrigan and Katara lived in beautiful place of large trees and mountains close to the city. They had friends that came and went and Katara’s father Lugh who filled their house with laughter and games. Every year on Solstice eve, Morrigan and Katara would wait excitedly for the Solstice Faerie to arrive. Katara knew that Solstice was a special time. A time when the sun stood still, high in the sky on the longest day, then began its journey back across the horizon again. Her mother had told her stories of plants, animals and coral that wait for these special moments in the earths rhythms. Summer Solstice wasn’t just special to them, all of nature celebrated when the natural heart beat and rhythms of the earth turned.
After Beltaine had finished they had decorated up their home with golden tinsel and round orange borbles that looked like the sun. Special orange silks, orange lanterns and faerie lights filled their home. They decorated a big tree in oranges and yellows and hung tinsel and lights to remind of the sparkling sun. Morrigan also hung some snowflakes, to remember her ancestors and where she had come from and to recognise the deep winter happening on the other tilt of the earth.
Last year they were playing in the red room, the gathering place for community and ceremony, when they had heard the bells on the Solstice faeries feet ringing. At first Katara was too frightened to meet a real faerie, she didn’t know what to say. But when she opened the door, the faerie came into their home. Golden faerie dust flew in the air and the joy and magick that flows from the sun faeries filled the room. Katara gasped in wonder, as this beautiful sun faerie with long flowing orange hair gave her crystals from the sun and danced and sang of light and joy. It was that time of year again, and she would be looking for the solstice faerie again. ‘Why does the solstice faerie not come to everyone’s house mumma? Katara asked. Well said Morrigan…the Solstice Faerie comes to homes that ask for her, and to people who are looking after the earth, not everyone invites the fae to come into their lives, not everyone cares for the earth the way you do with such love”. When you work with the faeries and the earth that magick is circular, you give and look after them and they give and look after you. We decorate the earth outside and we let the sun faeries know that we welcome them here during this special time. A time when the fae are so close, a time when the light of the sun and joy of the season is celebrated by all here and within all faerie realms.
Katara was excited; she knew she cared for the earth. She always thanked the plants when she picked food from the garden, never hurt the trees or insects and somehow the bees, dragonfly’s and butterfly’s seemed to follow her everywhere. Despite being so young Katara was already very skilled at mixing up water blessings full of love to give to the earth. On this day they decided to go for a walk through a forest near their home. A beautiful forest on top of a hill called echidna magick. This is a strong place for the old people of the Dreaming Law Morrigan said. What do you mean old people mumma?” said Katara. Well…said Morrigan, the old people are the ancestors of this place, the people’s who’s magick and Dreaming help the earth here. We have old people too, the ancestors that came before us and walked the way of the Earth Mumma. Our old people’s stories are different to here, and come from many places in the world. Your grandparents travelled long ago and people from all over the world bring their stories and magick with them. All cultures of the world have their own way of connecting to the earth in some way, even when their stories come from far far away lands. That’s the learning from the old ones.
Morrigain called out to the forest as she walked in the entry as she always did and let the forest know she was passing through. It’s always good to be polite to the old ones of these special places. She also knew never to take rocks or other things from the mountain. They belonged to the forest and were not ours to take. Suddenly her mother gasped and spun around looking into the forest. What is it mumma? Katara’s mumma smiled, its OK just an old fella, don’t worry. A man was there, that disappeared into the air, just someone who belongs to the forest. Katara knew her mother sometimes saw things that others didn’t, she sometimes saw things too. Was he that man with the dark skin from just before mumma, he touched my shoulder, then ran away really fast, is he ok to follow us? Morrigan looked down surprised by her daughters response. Yes Katara that was him, and he means no harm, he just looks after this place. Katara said people tell me ghosts are scary and wear sheets and frighten people. Katara’s mum knelt down and said they say that because they are a little scared sometimes of what they can’t see, there are also just old people who look after the country and special places, just like the fae do.
Katara’s head started spinning with memory’s of the Solstice Fae….she was so excited. She had built a big orange and yellow stand, with wool, ribbons, flowers and yellow buttons. She also hung a lantern in the middle of it to light for solstice night. It wouldn’t be long until the sun Faerie came again and filled their house with laughter, love and presents.
Later that night Morrigan tucked her little girl into bed. Oh no said Katara, I forgot to brush my teeth and Santa comes too this time of year, he will know and just bring me a stick or coal instead of presents, he will know I have been bad. Morrigain shook her head, no honey, Santa is part of the fae too. He works with elves of the earth, just like the solstice faerie works with the light faeries. They know you have a beauty in your heart, they feel it, they know it. They are not mean to little kids, that’s just something people say. Parents get scared sometimes and worry about how their kids are behaving. We all want our children to be nice and caring. They just say things like that. But you ask the naughty kids at childcare, I bet they get presents too. Because it’s OK little people are still learning how to be in community and take care of each other and be caring and kind. Sometimes kids make mistakes, the faerie people know that. Katara said like you said if a little kid hits me at childcare the teachers talk to them and shows them the right way to be kind, but if a grown up did it is assault and they are in big trouble with the police? Morrigain smiled, yes it is exactly like that, with children the old ones of the Dreaming, and the Fae would rather show little ones the proper way of being in community and country rather than hurt them. But adult’s deliberately harming community and country may not be treated the same way. So do your best because you are awesome, because you want to help your family and community, because you love nature, not because you think anyone is checking on you. It’s so much more important to just be an authentic awesome you.
But let me ask some of my magick friends some more questions and I will find out more about this Santa fella and where he comes from. That night Morrigan stayed up late sending messages to friends. She had always worked closely with the faeries and knew the solstice magick well. But she didn’t know much about Santa of where he came from. She stayed up late into the night…she found out that at the Winter Solstice time that had blended into Christmas time that Father Winter gave gifts this time of year and has done for many thousands of years. Some told stories of him carrying gifts, mistletoe and holly plants and carrying a cauldron of plenty. Other parts of the world told stories of him gifting mushrooms that grow under the evergreen trees in stockings by the fire to offer deep visions at solstice. In some cultures he was father time, others he rode chariots of horses across the sky to the sun and others he was a cheeky grandpa fae in the forest. In fact many of the old gods had their birth celebrated at midwinter. It was a time when the great earth mother laboured through the longest night and birthed her child at the light of dawn. He was associated with many wise old father earth gods or faery folk and always celebrated at midwinter (even when their birthdays where at different times of the year) they were changed to suit celebrating their birth at the point of the great midwinter festivals of solstice.
Morrigan remembered that it is winter in the countries in which they came from, when it is summer in Australia. She had looked into this years ago when she found out that decorating a tree with light was an ancient midwinter ceremony of the Celts to welcome back the Sun mid December as the earth tilted out of the dark half of the year into light. But here in this land the Sun was fading and was moving to the dark half of the year, the quiet time after the joys of summer light have faded and stillness and peace remain. She found out that he used to wear big green cloaks with fur and was considered one of the fae people that came out this time of year to offer presents and food. Like the old grandmothers and ancestor women that have taught us so much in their wisdom, he too was an Elder and wise man of the community that lived in faerie time. He was a great grandpa faery that worked in faerie time. This explained how he lived so long, and also how he could move through the lay lines and song lines of the earth in seconds just like the fae do, in order to do his magick. His community responsibility under the old ways is to bring love, gifts and connect and nurture community, like so many of the old people in our community do.
Sometimes at the shopping centres Katara would see people dressed as the Santa. Playing a joyful game of dress ups. Other times the real spark of the Santa would be there and she knew that somehow the real magick one was there…like a cheeky puck faerie moving in and out of our time, even just for a moment, moving through human realms like a cheeky shaman. His faerie magick was particularly linked to children and many people as they grew up where unable to see the spirit of this elder and grandpa faerie or experience his joy anymore. They forgot to look past the now red suits and mad shopping frenzies at this time and see that spark in his eyes, the magick that connects him to unseen worlds of mystery, the ancient traditions of our sacred past. But some adults did see the magick of the cheeky grandpa faerie, and just like the Solstice Faerie they too became filled with joy in his presence.
Katara now just before solstice watches sparkles of the fae in the trees then for the white lines of cloud in the sky to show where the grandpa faerie man Santa comes through the ley lines on his sleigh, while decorating the garden and house with gold, yellow and orange ribbons and tinsel to welcome to joy of summer. On the Solstice eve we make a sun circle with flowers, milk and honey and in the morning the solstice Faerie comes with gifts and celebration to follow. Two days later the cheeky grandpa fae follows with Christmas gifts and feasts. The sparkle of lights and joy of the fae flow and if the humans can get out of the way long enough, stay away from shopping centres and personal dramas, then underneath it all is an ancient magickal thread of light, sparkling with the cheekiness of the fae, yet connecting community to the divine in us all. The wild fae that is our spirit unleashed from work, from time, from space, the sparkling light and the sweet honey and milk that dances in each of our souls. Like the fae we drink, we feast, we dance and music plays. If we step outside of the artificial creation layered over this time of year and listen carefully, the sparkle of the fae is right there under our feet.
