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• Frequently Asked Questions •
• What are Fae/Faeries?
–– They are nature sprits/beings found on Earth and beings from another realm, known as Faerie. With a myriad of appearances and personalities like anyone else, fae are the universes' beloved contradictions rolled up into a ball of different life.
• What are Otherkin?
–– one who identifies with various mythological archetype as vehicles of spiritual evolution and self-expression, similar to Native totemism only with stronger level of self-identification; someone who believes in reincarnation, and not that all of their reincarnations were as a human; otherkin are "kin to the other" (Dreamhart.org, 2012)
• What is UPG?
–– UPG is short for Unverified Personal Gnosis. That is, they are personal beliefs that cannot be concretely proven through conventional research. Most of these beliefs are derived from such sources as past-life memory, meditation, journey work, peer collaboration, and even deeper insight inspired by conventional research. (OtherkinAlliance.org, 2012)
• So, you really consider yourself to be a faery?
–– Yes, I do! Not biologically, of course. It is more along the lines of I am [a] fae [spirit] born in a human body. Sometimes I do feel it is a really physical thing, but I have to take a step back and think "No, not quite." It's very spiritual for me, nonetheless, I still believe in wholehearted fae-ness.
• I don’t know a whole lot about fae, but I thought it was a Celtic based, European myth. It would be interesting to know, if there really are non euro centric myths about fae.
–– Fae are NOT something specifically of European background~ the knowledge, appearances, and likeliness of fae are found in human lore across the WORLD. Europe is not the world. There really are other cultural myths about Fae and not simply adaptations of Euro mythologies. In Japan, faeries are known as Yosei. They are most often seen as birds, cranes or swans. Yumboes are faeries of African mythology. They stand about two feet high and are white in color. In one Native American lore, The Little People of the Passamaquoddy - There are two kinds of fae: the Nagumwasuck and the Mekumwasuck. Raja Jinn Peri is known as the King of Faeries in Malay mythology. Tennin in Japanese Buddhism, is known as an angel or fairy, a heavenly, beautiful person who may appear on a mountain. To meet one, the pilgrim has to climb to the summit. In Filipino mythology, there too is the awareness of Faeries known as Diwata, dwarfs and goblins are known as Duwende and Nuno sa Punso, and lastly Kapre which are known as tree nymphs or dryads or ‘a tree-residing giants’.
• Are you pagan?
–– No, I am not? I do identify as a solitary (eclectic) witch, and I do practice magick! For now, I just consider myself spiritual because I do not follow any organized religion.
• Do you believe in God, other god/goddesses, magic?
–– Yes, yes, and yes.
• You some across as_________.
–– Usually when I am told this, it something along the lines of sassy or fiery. I apologize… I have my dislikes and my opinions just like the next person. I do try to be respectful and humble myself, but there still things that goddamn irk me. Stereotypes, ignorance in the Fae community, and the spreading of misinformation are the worst!
• Do you consider yourself more of a seelie? Do you believe that the Unseelie are purely malevolent?
–– Well, I do not really consider myself Seelie. I am a solitary faery (i.e. to not belong to any of the Faerie courts).
No, the Unseelie are not purely malevolent but they are stereotypically seen that way. Nothing of Fae is purely benevolent or malevolent– things are very grey. However, fae can most definitely lean to a more sinister or a more kind-hearted personality.
• OMG! I LOVE FAIRIES! THEY ARE ALL SO MAGICAL, GOOD, PRETTY, AND EARTHY! Rainbows.
–– Stop! Fae don’t fit into simple human concepts of good and evil. Sure, there are fae that adhere to those archetypes… sort of, but a myriad of fae do not! That is fine if you identify as the "Tinkerbell" type because humans function well with labels as they are a part of our social constructions of identity. Fae can do without. Don’t think that if fae are not nice to you or good, then you color us “evil”. Simply not true. To humans the way of the fae nine times outta ten is culturally shocking, which is fine. We're different. “Anyone who tells you they are a “Love and Light” faery …a good faery, pure, innocent, is lying. We all have a barrage of nastiness inside and it’s just itching to come out. Those that claim they are pure and contrite faeries are either roleplaying, or full of BS.” (Source: grovesofannwyn.tripod.com)
• What does Verde mean, how do you pronounce it, and why did you choose it as your alias?
–– Verde is a Spanish and Italian word the color 'green'. It is pronounced [VEER– day or vi(ə)r–dā]. I chose the word verde because I speak Spanish, green is one of my favorite colors, it resonates with me, and because it is unique!
• Do your parents or other family members know that you identify as such?
–– Nope! A few of my closest friends do, though.
• I feel _____, does that mean I’m Fae, Otherkin, Therian etc?
–– Your identity is not something that I can tell you, that is something that only you can figure out.
• …But, Verde. You're Fae, shouldn't you know who is Fae or not?
–– Yes, I am Fae– just not a psychic.
• How do you feel about Faery Wicca?
–– It is not my cup of tea, but to each their own.
• Do you think it’s possible to be a witch/fae hybrid?
–– No. Witches are human people; a practitioner in the arts of magic and energy manipulation by will and word. You can be faekin and a witch. Yes! I identify as a witch, too as I mentioned earlier. They are two separate aspects that an individual can connect to.
• How does one figure out what kind of fae they are?
–– Figuring out who and what you are is not an overnight phenomenon (this excludes one’s actual “awakening”). In my experience: research, meditation, and keeping record of any fae-related dreams are a good start. Remind yourself that no one else should tell you who or what you are. These are staples to self-discovery. It is a cool feeling when someone shares your UPG (Unverified Personal Gnosis) and that becomes an SPG (Shared Personal Gnosis). On the research aspect, do NOT bullet point yourself and follow Fae attributes off of some checklist. It something catches your heart or mind, dissect it and see how it molds into the greater schema of you. The same goes for meditation and dreams, try to go with the ebb and flow.
• Do you consider swan maidens to be fae?
–– From a Japanese folkloric point of view, there is indeed a possibility for swan maidens to be seen as Fae considering the cultural knowledge of yōsei and tennin in relation to western stories of [swan] transformation or shapeshifting. I think I would compare the ideology of swan maidens as fae to the knowingness of selkies seen as mermaids that are seen as fae. So, maybe yes and no?
• Do you think it's okay for fae otherkin to wear fake/costume wings? I feel like I was a winged fae in another life, though my soul is in a human body in this life. I miss having wings and I think I'd feel more comfortable wearing something resembling wings...but would they make me seem like a poser/wannabe?
–– Sure! You wear want you want to wear especially if it makes you happy! Cosplay is harmless.
I have bat wings, so I’m always tracking down pretty, realistically crafted bat wings! Mind you, not all Fae are winged. There are fine lines between posing and haters because their acts of dress-up are more often than not cruel and immature ignorance only to really hurt someone who believes themselves to be Fae.
• I portray a fae at the Ren Faires, a bogle, aside from trolls and some goblins, do you know of any other Unseelie fae?
–– Have I met unseelie fae? …I (would) err on the side of caution when it comes to socializing with unseelie. Some are wonderful folks… but some have common personality traits I don’t particularly want to mesh with. Oh, there are many Unseelie~ if you’d like to check out Compendium of Fae on this site, you can find different types. Do know that just because a Fae belongs the Unseelie regime, doesn’t mean they are automatically meanies or full of cruel badassery.
–– They are nature sprits/beings found on Earth and beings from another realm, known as Faerie. With a myriad of appearances and personalities like anyone else, fae are the universes' beloved contradictions rolled up into a ball of different life.
• What are Otherkin?
–– one who identifies with various mythological archetype as vehicles of spiritual evolution and self-expression, similar to Native totemism only with stronger level of self-identification; someone who believes in reincarnation, and not that all of their reincarnations were as a human; otherkin are "kin to the other" (Dreamhart.org, 2012)
• What is UPG?
–– UPG is short for Unverified Personal Gnosis. That is, they are personal beliefs that cannot be concretely proven through conventional research. Most of these beliefs are derived from such sources as past-life memory, meditation, journey work, peer collaboration, and even deeper insight inspired by conventional research. (OtherkinAlliance.org, 2012)
• So, you really consider yourself to be a faery?
–– Yes, I do! Not biologically, of course. It is more along the lines of I am [a] fae [spirit] born in a human body. Sometimes I do feel it is a really physical thing, but I have to take a step back and think "No, not quite." It's very spiritual for me, nonetheless, I still believe in wholehearted fae-ness.
• I don’t know a whole lot about fae, but I thought it was a Celtic based, European myth. It would be interesting to know, if there really are non euro centric myths about fae.
–– Fae are NOT something specifically of European background~ the knowledge, appearances, and likeliness of fae are found in human lore across the WORLD. Europe is not the world. There really are other cultural myths about Fae and not simply adaptations of Euro mythologies. In Japan, faeries are known as Yosei. They are most often seen as birds, cranes or swans. Yumboes are faeries of African mythology. They stand about two feet high and are white in color. In one Native American lore, The Little People of the Passamaquoddy - There are two kinds of fae: the Nagumwasuck and the Mekumwasuck. Raja Jinn Peri is known as the King of Faeries in Malay mythology. Tennin in Japanese Buddhism, is known as an angel or fairy, a heavenly, beautiful person who may appear on a mountain. To meet one, the pilgrim has to climb to the summit. In Filipino mythology, there too is the awareness of Faeries known as Diwata, dwarfs and goblins are known as Duwende and Nuno sa Punso, and lastly Kapre which are known as tree nymphs or dryads or ‘a tree-residing giants’.
• Are you pagan?
–– No, I am not? I do identify as a solitary (eclectic) witch, and I do practice magick! For now, I just consider myself spiritual because I do not follow any organized religion.
• Do you believe in God, other god/goddesses, magic?
–– Yes, yes, and yes.
• You some across as_________.
–– Usually when I am told this, it something along the lines of sassy or fiery. I apologize… I have my dislikes and my opinions just like the next person. I do try to be respectful and humble myself, but there still things that goddamn irk me. Stereotypes, ignorance in the Fae community, and the spreading of misinformation are the worst!
• Do you consider yourself more of a seelie? Do you believe that the Unseelie are purely malevolent?
–– Well, I do not really consider myself Seelie. I am a solitary faery (i.e. to not belong to any of the Faerie courts).
No, the Unseelie are not purely malevolent but they are stereotypically seen that way. Nothing of Fae is purely benevolent or malevolent– things are very grey. However, fae can most definitely lean to a more sinister or a more kind-hearted personality.
• OMG! I LOVE FAIRIES! THEY ARE ALL SO MAGICAL, GOOD, PRETTY, AND EARTHY! Rainbows.
–– Stop! Fae don’t fit into simple human concepts of good and evil. Sure, there are fae that adhere to those archetypes… sort of, but a myriad of fae do not! That is fine if you identify as the "Tinkerbell" type because humans function well with labels as they are a part of our social constructions of identity. Fae can do without. Don’t think that if fae are not nice to you or good, then you color us “evil”. Simply not true. To humans the way of the fae nine times outta ten is culturally shocking, which is fine. We're different. “Anyone who tells you they are a “Love and Light” faery …a good faery, pure, innocent, is lying. We all have a barrage of nastiness inside and it’s just itching to come out. Those that claim they are pure and contrite faeries are either roleplaying, or full of BS.” (Source: grovesofannwyn.tripod.com)
• What does Verde mean, how do you pronounce it, and why did you choose it as your alias?
–– Verde is a Spanish and Italian word the color 'green'. It is pronounced [VEER– day or vi(ə)r–dā]. I chose the word verde because I speak Spanish, green is one of my favorite colors, it resonates with me, and because it is unique!
• Do your parents or other family members know that you identify as such?
–– Nope! A few of my closest friends do, though.
• I feel _____, does that mean I’m Fae, Otherkin, Therian etc?
–– Your identity is not something that I can tell you, that is something that only you can figure out.
• …But, Verde. You're Fae, shouldn't you know who is Fae or not?
–– Yes, I am Fae– just not a psychic.
• How do you feel about Faery Wicca?
–– It is not my cup of tea, but to each their own.
• Do you think it’s possible to be a witch/fae hybrid?
–– No. Witches are human people; a practitioner in the arts of magic and energy manipulation by will and word. You can be faekin and a witch. Yes! I identify as a witch, too as I mentioned earlier. They are two separate aspects that an individual can connect to.
• How does one figure out what kind of fae they are?
–– Figuring out who and what you are is not an overnight phenomenon (this excludes one’s actual “awakening”). In my experience: research, meditation, and keeping record of any fae-related dreams are a good start. Remind yourself that no one else should tell you who or what you are. These are staples to self-discovery. It is a cool feeling when someone shares your UPG (Unverified Personal Gnosis) and that becomes an SPG (Shared Personal Gnosis). On the research aspect, do NOT bullet point yourself and follow Fae attributes off of some checklist. It something catches your heart or mind, dissect it and see how it molds into the greater schema of you. The same goes for meditation and dreams, try to go with the ebb and flow.
• Do you consider swan maidens to be fae?
–– From a Japanese folkloric point of view, there is indeed a possibility for swan maidens to be seen as Fae considering the cultural knowledge of yōsei and tennin in relation to western stories of [swan] transformation or shapeshifting. I think I would compare the ideology of swan maidens as fae to the knowingness of selkies seen as mermaids that are seen as fae. So, maybe yes and no?
• Do you think it's okay for fae otherkin to wear fake/costume wings? I feel like I was a winged fae in another life, though my soul is in a human body in this life. I miss having wings and I think I'd feel more comfortable wearing something resembling wings...but would they make me seem like a poser/wannabe?
–– Sure! You wear want you want to wear especially if it makes you happy! Cosplay is harmless.
I have bat wings, so I’m always tracking down pretty, realistically crafted bat wings! Mind you, not all Fae are winged. There are fine lines between posing and haters because their acts of dress-up are more often than not cruel and immature ignorance only to really hurt someone who believes themselves to be Fae.
• I portray a fae at the Ren Faires, a bogle, aside from trolls and some goblins, do you know of any other Unseelie fae?
–– Have I met unseelie fae? …I (would) err on the side of caution when it comes to socializing with unseelie. Some are wonderful folks… but some have common personality traits I don’t particularly want to mesh with. Oh, there are many Unseelie~ if you’d like to check out Compendium of Fae on this site, you can find different types. Do know that just because a Fae belongs the Unseelie regime, doesn’t mean they are automatically meanies or full of cruel badassery.