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

poets and bring them otherworldly inspiration. However, this gift is said to shorten the life of the gifted individual, as if the inspiration of the muse somehow uses up their life force. This can been seen as a malignant act on the part of the Leanan Sidhe, but from another perspective the poet gives up his earthly life to be with his Faery lover. This is most likely a form of Faery pact, with the poet producing beautiful work for a while in his earthly life, and then being taken to the otherworld to dwell with the sidhe.
    People of this sign are gifted visionaries who seem to have an inexhaustible well of inspiration at their disposal, as well as the gift to inspire others. However, the constant activity of their minds can exhaust them, and they will often need time and space away from others to recharge their batteries. They can be entertaining in a group, if baffling and eccentric at times, but Leanan Sidhe people only let a few become close and see their true character. Whether through science, religion, or a combination of the two, people of this sign are most concerned with finding a universal truth and with expressing the beauty of truth to the world.
    February 20–March 20
(Living Water—Rivers and Streams)
    Ondine the Nymph
    Ondine was a beautiful nymph from a French tale of love, magick, and loss. She fell in love and married a mortal man, giving up her immortal life and beauty. He swears on his breath that he will be loyal to her forever, but once she bears his child, her looks begin to fade, and he soon betrays her. She finds him sleeping in the arms of another and curses him that if he should ever fall asleep again, he will lose the breath that he swore by. Nymphs are beautiful female spirits of water and are purely emotional creatures. This emotion becomes vengefully and lethally motivated when they are given cause.
    People of this sign are highly emotional and intuitive individuals. They are extremely generous with their energy; they love to please others and make them happy, often sacrificing their own happiness and even health to do so. As long as people are appreciative of them, they do not begrudge their sacrifices, though they may have slightly martyred tendencies. However, if they are disappointed in the subject of their emotional investment, they are quick to revenge. They are natural healers and are highly empathic, but they have little control over their empathy, so they often get the emotions of others confused with their own. Ondine people find most happiness through the happiness of others, finding it difficult to pursue their own needs and ambitions. They can be highly creative, as they have wonderful imaginations, but this is also something that is often sacrificed for others.

    Exercise: Faery Zodiac
    Consider which sign you fall under within the Faery zodiac and how your personality is reflected in the elemental qualities of that sign. You may wish to do further research into the stories behind your sign, and make notes of any personal significance. If you know your time and place of birth, you can easily get a full birthchart drawn up; there are many free programs online that can do this for you. Consider where your elemental strengths and weaknesses lie, and how you may seek to find elemental balance through your alliances with the Faery realm. Look at the influence of the planets and consider how they have manifested so far in your life. What does this information tell you about the challenges you face in this life? What gifts do you manifest and what still lies latent and in potential? How can you uncover and develop this potential? What lessons are you here to learn? These are all questions that are worth exploring with the aid of your Faery allies.
    Suggested Activities
    Practice
    Take time over the course of a month to perform each of the elemental contemplations in turn, doing as many of them as possible (preferably all) in appropriate outdoor locations. Do not rush by trying to do