Femme Faetal

by Andy

article

It was the Reclaiming Collective's Witchcamp '96. We were recreating the story of Tam Lin, a faerie tale about a woman who finds happiness by defying the Fae. It was dark and Starhawk had just told us to go out into the woods and "meet the Fae."

"I hear a call... It comes from far away... I'll follow where it leads, beyond the Gates of Night and Day."

The words of our invocation ran though my head I walked down the path letting the mostly full moon light my way. I wandered off the main trail into the underbrush, always listening for the call. After a time I heard the sounds of a woman, obviously in the throes of passion. Never one to let such mysteries go unsolved, I followed the sounds through the brush.

Soon I came to the edge of a small ravine. About 20' below me was the creek and its rocky beach. In the moonlit shadows, I could dimly see a mossy log spanning the ravine to the opposite bank. The sounds were coming from across the river. The log was thick but slippery looking and I wasn't sure I wanted to try crossing. As I pondered what to do, our invocation went through my mind: "I hear a call... I'll follow where it leads..." OK, clearly I was meant to cross. I climbed up onto the log and steadied myself against a tree that the log was lying beside.

I've always had an affinity with trees. As I leaned against the tree, it seemed to tell me that I didn't have to cross. Then I heard the sounds again and I knew I would try. Cautiously I started across the log. The moon had continued her journey and now there were more shadows and less light. I was about 3' from the tree when the log rolled. I made a mad, turning dive for my tree. I barely reached it and held on to the tree for dear life. As my heartbeat slowly went back to normal, I realized that the tree had been trying to warn me before. I thanked the tree and went back to the circle, having had enough of the Fae and their glamours for one night.

In the morning I went back to look at the log in the light. Without difficulty, I found where I had been the night before. The log I had started to cross ended about 6" (or one step) from where I was when it had rolled....

Copyright © 2006 by the article's author

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