📷
Did you know that May is, in fact, fairy month? May 1st, also known as May Day, is when fairies bring presents to the fairy queen and have a giant celebration. Often, people associate fairies with summer and warmer weather, but fairies actually love this in-between time – when it’s not quite yet summer, but winter has finally gone to rest. Fairy babies are also born in spring. If you want to try to spot one, be on the lookout for little pearls or tiny glass bubbles in any new flowers that bloom this time of year. Pay attention to the other elements in nature, too. A sudden gust of wind could actually be a royal fairy parade on their way to a celebration. And listen. Bend down close to the ground and you just might hear their ethereal music. This time of year is also a great time to provide your local fairies with a fairy house.
In my newest book, Fairy Houses All Year, I celebrate the differences of each season, and provide lists of things to gather, projects specific to the time of year, and ways to take care of the fairies all year long. Every day can be a fairy house building day whether there is snow on the ground or a light rain is falling. One of the very best things about fairy house building is that it pulls you outside. So even in fall as the weather gets cooler, be on the lookout for rainbow colored leaves and acorn caps. Fairies love houses made in pumpkins and apple trees; in winter, bundle up and build fairy igloos or knit tiny mittens for your fairies to help them keep warm. Regardless of the time of year, buy or make a book with blank pages to be your Fairy House All Year journal. As each season passes make lists of the materials you find in your yard or on family walks to the park. Note the differences that you see each season and how your houses change throughout the year. Then draw every fairy house after you build them. Or take photos, print them out, and glue them into your book. Maybe the fairies will write you letters and you can keep them in this journal.
Along with some stunning photography by Amy Wilson, this book also includes both general rules and specific steps for fairy house building. As you read and build, remember that one of the most important things for you to do in this fairy house work is to believe in fairies. And another thing is to follow this basic rule of fairy work: if you take care of the world around you and are gentle with nature, the fairies will trust you. There is nothing fairies like more than watching kids delight in the treasures of nature. And you better believe they are watching you! Because as you finish each masterful fairy house, they most likely are climbing through the tiny door and taking a little nap, happy as can be! As you build them a house, no matter whether it is cold, hot, or rainy, they might flutter by. You will know their presence because the hairs on the back of your neck will rise or you might develop a slight case of the goosebumps. You might even hear bells, faint wind chimes, the grass might bend or you might even see tiny footprints in the snow. And don’t forget to write down the signs that fairies have visited in your journal. Despite the potential sighting of a fairy, and the importance of making our world better by keeping joy and creativity in your heart, you must understand that this is work that needs to be done often and in all types of weather and places.