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A Witch's Guide To Faery Folk: How to Work With the Elemental World
Work magick with help from the little people
All over the world, people have reported encounters with a race of tiny people who are neither human nor deity. This book reclaims that lost, rich heritage of working with faery folk that our Pagan ancestors took for granted.
Edain McCoy teaches how to work with faeries in a mutually beneficial way. Practice rituals and spells in which faeries can participate, and discover tips to help facilitate faery contact. These capricious creatures can help with divination, past life recall, scrying, and spiritual quests. Also included is a dictionary of more than 230 faeries that include goblins, gnomes, elementals, seasonal faeries, and angels.
All over the world, people have reported encounters with a race of tiny people who are neither human nor deity. This book reclaims that lost, rich heritage of working with faery folk that our Pagan ancestors took for granted.
Edain McCoy teaches how to work with faeries in a mutually beneficial way. Practice rituals and spells in which faeries can participate, and discover tips to help facilitate faery contact. These capricious creatures can help with divination, past life recall, scrying, and spiritual quests. Also included is a dictionary of more than 230 faeries that include goblins, gnomes, elementals, seasonal faeries, and angels.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
75 people are currently reading
1296 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 29, 2009
Positive: It contains an in depth encyclopedia on types of fey which includes the location the lore originates.
Negative: Contains a chapter on "creating your own fairy". I, personally, see this is highly disrespectful of the fey and feel it is a practice that should not be encouraged.
Negative: Contains a chapter on "creating your own fairy". I, personally, see this is highly disrespectful of the fey and feel it is a practice that should not be encouraged.
April 23, 2011
First and foremost, this is not a book for beginners and newcomers to witchcraft, who will likely be lost without a basic understanding of magick and the workings of the craft.
The subject matter covered here is, to say the least, going to be unusual from the view of an outsider. Faeries though have a place in the world of witches, and Edain McCoy does an excellent job exploring it. The book not only provides an excellent account of a great number of faery beings (and there are too many to be documented truth be told) but provides sound advice on working with them, dealing with them, and, most importantly, respecting them.
McCoy's work is one of my favorite books in my collection of witchcraft related reading material. Again, it is not for the beginner, but a book to read after a firm basis and understanding of other principles have been established. Once that has been accomplished though, it is a must read.
The subject matter covered here is, to say the least, going to be unusual from the view of an outsider. Faeries though have a place in the world of witches, and Edain McCoy does an excellent job exploring it. The book not only provides an excellent account of a great number of faery beings (and there are too many to be documented truth be told) but provides sound advice on working with them, dealing with them, and, most importantly, respecting them.
McCoy's work is one of my favorite books in my collection of witchcraft related reading material. Again, it is not for the beginner, but a book to read after a firm basis and understanding of other principles have been established. Once that has been accomplished though, it is a must read.
September 21, 2013
Despite the asinine title and supposed "purpose" of this book, it's become an important part of the mythology/folklore section of my personal library. Not because of some desire to "reclaim [my] working relationship with individual helpers," but because, due to its informative encyclopedia-type format, its been an amazing tool when writing a lot of the fantasy/fairy tale type stories I enjoy writing. Hence, all the sticky notes on the pages.
April 17, 2015
I use this a lot as a reference to fairy myth and lore.
June 27, 2008
In my opinion this is the best book on the market on the fey. I reviewed a few books on the topic and this is my favorite, and the one I purchased for my own library upon discovery that my urban apartment is home to a troupe of fairies!
McCoy goes over history and information on the fey, as well as several species, this is your one stop guidebook and encyclopedia to the fey.
Are you a fan of the fey? Do you see or work with the wee folk? Look into this fairy field guide.
McCoy goes over history and information on the fey, as well as several species, this is your one stop guidebook and encyclopedia to the fey.
Are you a fan of the fey? Do you see or work with the wee folk? Look into this fairy field guide.
February 13, 2017
This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to work with the Fae. To outsiders of the pagan community, this book may seem like whimsical nonsense. To the adept in magick, this is a valuable resource. Edain McCoy has done a fantastic job at researching the various Fae, including their land of origin, other origins, other names, appearance, element, lore etc. This is an awesome book, love it!
Read
July 28, 2011Fairies used to play a more central role in magicackal ritual. Over the last several centuries their role has gotten smaller and smaller. Many pagans do not have the specific knowledge of fAERIES AND who they are as did the Pagans of old. Their specific identities and roles have been forgotten. In many of our rituals they are reduced to mere spirits or elemental. Edain McCoy would like to revive the knowledge of Faeries and start using them more in rituals.
Irish Celtic mythology seems to be the richest source of knowledge and folklore when it comes to Faeries. Indeed their are places in Ireland, Scotland and Britain where the people still see the faerie folk and hear them and their music. Feiries who live primarily in Summerland and Faerie land exist in the astral realms which are separated from our world by a few psychic layer. Most faerie sighting are in forest, the sea shore and by the rivers. Around the oceans of Ireland and Scotland sailors still report seeing faerie Island that are there one minute and gone the next.
In magical workings fairies are grouped with one of the four elements which are in turn connected with one of the four cardinal directions. West is with land, North with Water, south with fire and East with air. When a magician works with faeries or the fae they have to be very careful. Not all of the fae like humans in fact there are many who have an ambivalent attitude towards human folk. A good number hate humans. Faeries are often pranksters who enjoy a good laugh so they play lots of tricks. Still faeries can add lots of energy to a ritual and many of them are allied to specific deities which can even be more helpful. Gremlins are noted to have a strong hatred for humans while the Tuatha De Danan are very helpful.
There are several things to keep in mind when working with the fae. One is that when working your rituals it is always wisest to stay inside your circle and keep the fairies outside of your circle. You can place your offering outside the circle for the fae to enjoy and they can add energy to your ritual outside of the circle. When working with the Fae in gratitude for their assistance you are supposed to leave them an offering but do not thank them profusely as they do not like that. When visiting the land of the Fae one should not eat or drink anything they offer but politely decline. Dancing can be a bad idea if you get caught up and become unaware of how much time has elapsed. For visiting the land of the fae in your astral travels you should set up your own Astral temple that is stocked with an altar and magical supplies. Even when doing your rituals their when requesting assistance from the fae stay inside your circle. In working with the fae your astral temple should be right on the edge bordering the land of the fae.
Edain McCoy offers several tip in her book on working with faeries. The most valuable information is on protection against malevolent faeries and how to create your own thought forms. The book does have a glossary of over 230 faeries many of whom do not have any magical value or have a negative value. The helpful ones are in the minority. I have also found some listing that maybe spiritual but to me do not qualify as faeries. Dybuks in Jewish lore are disembodied spirits not faeries neither are Golems for that matter yet they are in their. The book does sport a good bibliography for future reference and further reading. I would give this book 3.5 stars out of five.
Protection against malevolent fairies
1. Iron is their enemy as is smoke and ashes. Sleep with Iron or keep some Iron in your breast pocket to drive away malevolent fairies. Smoke can be used for banishing and ashes can be used for a protective circle.
2. Certain herbs are very helpful. Besom can be kept by a hearth to drive away the fae or keep them out. Mirrors and broken mirrors keep the bad fae away. Put a fully intact mirror at your entrance as faeries don't like to look at their reflections in the mirror. Broken mirror shards in a container at the foot of your house also keeps them away. Making a satchel with Rowan in also effective in keeping them away.
Creating Faeries
1. Rubs your hands together for twenty minutes ass this creates the energy next visualize the faeries form and give it a job. they have to be recharged from time to time,
Irish Celtic mythology seems to be the richest source of knowledge and folklore when it comes to Faeries. Indeed their are places in Ireland, Scotland and Britain where the people still see the faerie folk and hear them and their music. Feiries who live primarily in Summerland and Faerie land exist in the astral realms which are separated from our world by a few psychic layer. Most faerie sighting are in forest, the sea shore and by the rivers. Around the oceans of Ireland and Scotland sailors still report seeing faerie Island that are there one minute and gone the next.
In magical workings fairies are grouped with one of the four elements which are in turn connected with one of the four cardinal directions. West is with land, North with Water, south with fire and East with air. When a magician works with faeries or the fae they have to be very careful. Not all of the fae like humans in fact there are many who have an ambivalent attitude towards human folk. A good number hate humans. Faeries are often pranksters who enjoy a good laugh so they play lots of tricks. Still faeries can add lots of energy to a ritual and many of them are allied to specific deities which can even be more helpful. Gremlins are noted to have a strong hatred for humans while the Tuatha De Danan are very helpful.
There are several things to keep in mind when working with the fae. One is that when working your rituals it is always wisest to stay inside your circle and keep the fairies outside of your circle. You can place your offering outside the circle for the fae to enjoy and they can add energy to your ritual outside of the circle. When working with the Fae in gratitude for their assistance you are supposed to leave them an offering but do not thank them profusely as they do not like that. When visiting the land of the Fae one should not eat or drink anything they offer but politely decline. Dancing can be a bad idea if you get caught up and become unaware of how much time has elapsed. For visiting the land of the fae in your astral travels you should set up your own Astral temple that is stocked with an altar and magical supplies. Even when doing your rituals their when requesting assistance from the fae stay inside your circle. In working with the fae your astral temple should be right on the edge bordering the land of the fae.
Edain McCoy offers several tip in her book on working with faeries. The most valuable information is on protection against malevolent faeries and how to create your own thought forms. The book does have a glossary of over 230 faeries many of whom do not have any magical value or have a negative value. The helpful ones are in the minority. I have also found some listing that maybe spiritual but to me do not qualify as faeries. Dybuks in Jewish lore are disembodied spirits not faeries neither are Golems for that matter yet they are in their. The book does sport a good bibliography for future reference and further reading. I would give this book 3.5 stars out of five.
Protection against malevolent fairies
1. Iron is their enemy as is smoke and ashes. Sleep with Iron or keep some Iron in your breast pocket to drive away malevolent fairies. Smoke can be used for banishing and ashes can be used for a protective circle.
2. Certain herbs are very helpful. Besom can be kept by a hearth to drive away the fae or keep them out. Mirrors and broken mirrors keep the bad fae away. Put a fully intact mirror at your entrance as faeries don't like to look at their reflections in the mirror. Broken mirror shards in a container at the foot of your house also keeps them away. Making a satchel with Rowan in also effective in keeping them away.
Creating Faeries
1. Rubs your hands together for twenty minutes ass this creates the energy next visualize the faeries form and give it a job. they have to be recharged from time to time,
July 25, 2018
An encyclopedia for faeries from all over the world. In addition, this book contains folklore stories, spells, elemental fae and other Pagan goodness. McCoy's book is like a modern version of Andrew Lang's fairy books that come in different colours.
August 21, 2007
VERY interesting book if your into faeries like me.
June 6, 2009
This book made my life so much easier!
So much of the info contained in these pages has helped me shape my own book.
Almost every page is flagged.
Good read and super informative!!
So much of the info contained in these pages has helped me shape my own book.
Almost every page is flagged.
Good read and super informative!!
October 19, 2012
Loved it!
September 5, 2025
Ongeoordend en verre van praktisch: onderwerpen die er niet toe doen worden groot behandeld en andere onderwerpen die mij wel nuttig lijken of mijn creativiteit prikkelen worden luchtig benoemd zonder er verder op in te gaan.
De almanac aan de achterkant van het boek is leuk, maar veel te algemeen en incompleet als je in de lijst van specifieke landen kijkt. Doe het goed of doe het niet.
De enige categorie dat mij nog een beetje aansprak was hoe elfen gezien worden in verschillende culturen. Dit heb ik ingescand (fiks moeten bewerken om er een fijne tekst van te maken) zodat ik het boek weg kan doen.
One thing. The inns of journeying it got right.
De almanac aan de achterkant van het boek is leuk, maar veel te algemeen en incompleet als je in de lijst van specifieke landen kijkt. Doe het goed of doe het niet.
De enige categorie dat mij nog een beetje aansprak was hoe elfen gezien worden in verschillende culturen. Dit heb ik ingescand (fiks moeten bewerken om er een fijne tekst van te maken) zodat ik het boek weg kan doen.
One thing. The inns of journeying it got right.
Want to read
May 6, 2011I picked this up at a thrift store and it looks interesting except I'm not sure I can get into the "faery's aren't fiction" idea.. Good thing all that private schooling made my mind want to rebel and thus, it is open to new things. We'll see.
July 31, 2011
I have (somewhere! ;) the 1996, purple cover version, one of the first (if not the first) paganism book I found.
February 25, 2019
A Witch's Guide To Faery Folk: How to Work With the Elemental World might sound like it's pretty out there, but it's actually very informative and chock full of mythology and fairy lore from around the world. I love how the author points out different lines from well-known nursery rhymes, folk songs, and old wives tales and examines the fairy lore behind them... It's so cool to see how these old legends and superstitions have survived the ages. I was also happy to see a lot of information about the domovoi (the "gods" of ancient Russia that guarded households and stables and play such a big role in one of my favorite trilogies-- Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy).
This book is probably half-encyclopedia of the fae and half-instruction manual for how to include the elemental world in your meditative and ritualistic practices, but the whole thing is really, truly an interesting read and will have you seeing magic around every corner.
This book is probably half-encyclopedia of the fae and half-instruction manual for how to include the elemental world in your meditative and ritualistic practices, but the whole thing is really, truly an interesting read and will have you seeing magic around every corner.
July 11, 2024
It was okay
I finished this after soft DNF'ing for years now. I guess I don't know what I expected. I guess I was expecting something more grounded. Its difficult to read as non fiction. I am giving it 3 stars because as a solitary witch I really learned about certain things. Like revisiting energies and building upon it. Adding energy by visualization segments that are meant to last long term help me with my energy work. I will be referring back to this if I ever feel the need to work with Fae.
I finished this after soft DNF'ing for years now. I guess I don't know what I expected. I guess I was expecting something more grounded. Its difficult to read as non fiction. I am giving it 3 stars because as a solitary witch I really learned about certain things. Like revisiting energies and building upon it. Adding energy by visualization segments that are meant to last long term help me with my energy work. I will be referring back to this if I ever feel the need to work with Fae.
April 11, 2022
mucha hada por hoy 🧚♂️
broma jsjs
pues no estuvo mal, los primeros capítulos hablan de una vista introductoria al mundo de las hadas, y los últimos de los trabajos que se pueden hacer con ellas
tiene bases new age (🤮), pero no pierde de vista lo esencial...
broma jsjs
pues no estuvo mal, los primeros capítulos hablan de una vista introductoria al mundo de las hadas, y los últimos de los trabajos que se pueden hacer con ellas
tiene bases new age (🤮), pero no pierde de vista lo esencial...
March 30, 2018
One of the worst books ever published. In this book the word faeries is interchangeable with the word psychosis. Never buy. Never read.
April 28, 2019
an entertaining read
March 1, 2021
There are some good things in here-- guided meditations and an awesome encyclopedia. A lot of it is just a faery version of every other witchcraft book on the market. Not sure the first half of the book coincides with traditional faery lore very well. 4 stars because of the encyclopedia, which is thorough. The rest of the book would be 3 stars at best.
September 30, 2021
Well that was typical izzy wizzy lets get bizzy incoherent drool.
January 2, 2022
Live this very imformatiomal
March 5, 2023
Buena información
September 28, 2023
Another of Edain's books which I have had for many years. Her knowledge was expansive and I am very pleased to have a copy of this.
April 11, 2019
You want to know what I was not pleased with? This book. I’ve read my fair share of how-to’s and guides and what have you concerning faeries. When I was first beginning Mason, I put a crap ton of work into the lore. Granted, it still needs a lot of work and should probably just be redone entirely, but the research done for the faery lore for Mason’s novel is more than I’ve ever done for something I was writing. This didn’t help one iota. It read more as a spiritual guide for Pagans, and for anyone that isn’t a Pagan who believes in faeries, then you’re doing it wrong. I hate that. No one’s faith is right. As long as you believe in something, then you’re doing it right. This whole idea that if you don’t believe in faeries, then you’re just going to get kidnapped and killed by them? Boring and untrue.
To be fair, I did give this three stars, so there had to have been something that interested me in this book. And there were. I really enjoyed the glossary in the back. It took up a good portion of the book, and outlined more types of faeries than I’ve ever seen. There were little nuggets of gold throughout, too. Things faeries didn’t like, some of which I’d never heard before, or ways to invite faeries in. Some of it was informational. Most of it was religious propaganda, but alas. I’m not upset I read it.
To be fair, I did give this three stars, so there had to have been something that interested me in this book. And there were. I really enjoyed the glossary in the back. It took up a good portion of the book, and outlined more types of faeries than I’ve ever seen. There were little nuggets of gold throughout, too. Things faeries didn’t like, some of which I’d never heard before, or ways to invite faeries in. Some of it was informational. Most of it was religious propaganda, but alas. I’m not upset I read it.
February 17, 2010
LOVE this book!
August 16, 2010
I have the 1996 edition.
March 21, 2015
Light & fluffy as usual. Nothing new, nothing all that interesting. I liked the directory in the back - there were a lot of familiar names. Fantasy writers sure like to mine old myths for names!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews