There is a tiny little door in furthest the corner of the garden, a tiny little wooden door with a teeny tiny knocker; we know it must belong to the fairies even though we haven’t seen them use it. The door sparkles when the morning sunlight catches it, but for the rest of the day the shade of the overhanging tree branches and the leaves of a dandelion help to conceal it, any child could spot it, children know best how to search for fairies! Sometimes the door isn’t there at all! It seems to come and go with a reason only known to the fairy folk. We have never seen it open. Very close by there is a patch of moss, which even the falling leaves don’t lay upon, soft and springy, perfect for dancing by moonlight if you are very small. If you leave your window open on the night of the full moon and you can keep yourself awake until the witching hour, you may be lucky enough to hear the soft music and bells of the tiny fairies as they spin their magic circles and dance with the shadows cast by the moon, but you have to be very very quiet and still or they will be gone in the blink of eye! Leaving behind only threads of gold and silver and the petals of wild roses alongside other treasures to prove they were ever there at all. “And above all watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, for the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places”. Roald Dahl We have been watching with glittering eyes and searching in the most unlikely places and we are finding magic everyday in many, many places. I love to see the excitement and wonder on the faces of my daughters when we peep into the hedgerows looking for the little folk, we have left offerings of fruit and honey in seashells at the fairy door and even a piece of cake at the request of my youngest. I am currently working creating some incredible memories and with this in mind, on three fairy dresses, two for the girls and one for me (I offered to make a pixie one for my husband but he isn’t keen) so we can have a dance in the sunset when the weather allows. I love to revisit the things I used to do as a child especially dressing up and spending time outdoors! Hedgerows, woodlands and wild spaces to me were always teaming with otherworldly life that was just out of sight, I was convinced there would be little doors made of threaded twigs, windows framed with cobweb curtains and spiral staircases made with the skeletons of leaves if I could but just find them at the right time. I always believed it was only a matter of patience and quiet until they showed themselves and let be into their secrets. Perhaps this was my Mothers clever way of getting me to sit quietly for long periods of time at the bottom of garden while she got the household chores done, sounds like a clever plan to me! Joking aside, this game of make believe (or is it?) has helped to drive on my inspiration, it fills me with the hope of magic and feeds my inner child who craves this sort of adventure, There was a part of me who gazed upon the last full moon as it hung in the sky above Truro cathedral, low, golden and draped in wisps of cloud that felt the pull of the magic attributed to it by ancient people and I understood how it was so revered. I believe that once you start, it is easy to find magic in your life if you open yourself up to searching for it, let it spill over into everyday life and you can be forever young! |
AuthorI am a stay at home Mother of two very energetic little girls, the eldest is currently aged 4 years and the youngest is 3 years. Archives
November 2014
Categories |