The Flitting of the Faeres

The Flitting of Faeries

"The Faeries remove to other lodgings at the beginning of each

quarter of the year.....being impatient of staying in one place and

find some ease by sojourning and changing habitations."

   ____Robert Kirk, "The Secret Commonwealth"

   The removal of the faery folk from one place to another is traditionally called 'flitting' in Scotland. The faeries of any religion - and every region has its faeries - have a variety of homes that they use at different times of the year. In Irish traditions, this movement was usually observed at Beltane and Samhain, when the doors of the si (SHE), the faery realms, were opened. Among humans, the spring and autumn equinoxes and the winter and summer solstices were times when the quarterly rent on property was paid to the landlord. Those who could not pay their dues also flitted.

   Cleaning and cleansing through movement is the pattern of the earth's nomadic peoples. They do not remain long in one place for many reasons, but chief of these is that the land on which they have rested becomes 'worn out' or 'dirty'. The act of moving on, then, is for them an act of renewal and care, allowing the earth to rest and recover from their occupation.

   The spring and autumn cleaning of the house that many people favor is but one side of an orderly life. The visible clutter in our homes reflects a corresponding clutter in our internal life. The wise lesson of the faeries and nomadic peoples is to leave little trace of our passage upon the earth, to leave no mark that mars the wider world. By cleaning up after ourselves, w help lift the impress of our presence upon the earth.

"With attention and intention, clean at least one room of your house this week. As you restore cleanliness and order, be aware of the corresponding spaciousness within yourself, so that your autumn cleaning becomes a meditation in itself."

[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]