FAERIE FAITH By Linda Kerr Origins of the Faerie Faith Our background is a little fuzzy, but I will relate everything that can be backed up with facts, and leave out the nice little legends we have about ourselves, on the basis that they may or may not be true. The Faerie Faith as we know it is in no way connected to the gay men's group, the Radical Fairies, or to the Faerie Tradition which Starhawk is involved in. Our tradition, the Faerie Faith, was brought to the states in the early 1960's from Great Britain. Supposedly, Margaret Lumeley Brown, who was in a study group with Dion Fortune, gave Mark Roberts the essence of the Faerie Faith tradition as she understood it. He then returned to the States with a vision to start a path called Hyperborea. Epona met Mark Roberts in Atlanta, Georgia in 1979. Their paths split over the vision of Hyperborea, but the teachings of the Faerie Faith fell on fertile ground with Epona. After Roberts moved back to Dallas in 1981, Epona continued in her exploration of the Faerie Faith, developing greater insights into its mysteries. The Faerie Faith The most unique thing about the Faerie Faith is the fact that it recognizes the energies and impacts of the different times of the year. These energies can be correlated to the 13 lunar months of the Celtic Tree Calendar. We study the different properties of these energies, and have developed an understanding of them and how they affect us in real life. Although we gleaned our basic assumptions and information on the Calendar from The White Goddess by Robert Graves, the vast majority of our material is unpublished and based on personal understanding and enlightenment and our experience of the lunar energies. This understanding has developed from living the lunar energies, and we have seen its validity increase yearly. There are other groups who work with the Tree Calendar, but none that we have met seem to go beyond using it strictly as a calendar system. In other words, working with the lunar energies, harmonies, mysteries, etc., and how they affect our moods and lives seems to be a unique thing. (See Explanation of the Celtic Tree Calendar.) Other facets of the Faerie Faith include our interaction with nature spirits, devas, angels, fairies, etc. We follow a set of tenets and ideals, which say: Another main focus of the Faerie Faith tradition is the Huna philosophy from Hawaii. We also study Jungian psychology, particularly the anima and the animus, and how we can bring the two into balance in ourselves; dowsing; earth energies and ley lines; Native American spirituality; women's mysteries and spirituality. We place a strong emphasis on ethics and morality, as well as (or especially)personal transformation. New students are first `adopted' into our `family.' There is a High Priestess, and possibly a High Priest. Students have a long reading list of books, lots of handouts, and multitudinous other things to read. They must go through a minimum of one year's training and experience each of the 13 lunar rituals. After this one-year minimum period, and only if they are ready, having shown that they have advanced spiritually, emotionally, and personally, they can be initiated and become a priest or priestess. T his is similar to most groups' 2nd degree initiation rite. The initiates then begin to study the 5 solar trees, whose energies are much more intense than the lunar energies. After a period of a couple more years, if they have advanced, and show spiritual and emotional maturity and responsibility, they can go through their `Fifth Solar,' and become a High Priestess or High Priest. This is similar to a 3rd degree initiation rite. Epona is a High Priestess, as is Linda Kerr. The Garden Club Epona stayed in Atlanta, and formed a coven called The Garden Club in 1987. We were trained in the Faerie Faith tradition. With Epona as our High Priestess, we had 6 other regular members for a period of about 5 years. After we disbanded as a coven on Winter Solstice, 1992, the name The Garden Club became an umbrella /community name, encompassing both inner and outer court folks and other friends in Atlanta, GA and Auburn, AL. The Broomsticks A new Faerie Faith coven was started in Auburn, Alabama by Linda Kerr in 1991, who was still an active member of The Garden Club coven in Atlanta. At Winter Solstice, 1992, Linda received her 5th Solar; i.e., her 3rd degree initiation; and became a High Priestess in her own right. Since then, this new coven, called the Broomsticks, has evolved, and now has 4 regular members, with Linda as the High Priestess. As it is our tradition for a senior student to take on a student of his/her own when they feel ready, as Linda did in 1990, one of our members now has his first student. For more information, visit