We are the Fair Folk of the waters, and we live in sacred pools and holy
wells. Sometimes we are called by the names of the saints, and sometimes by
the names of the dead, but we are neither. We are the intermediaries
between the distant palaces of our people, and the lands of human dwelling.
We carry messages and bring healing.
We are the bright side of the spirits of the water. Sometimes we are called
nymphs or undines, or even mermaids. But we are not these beings, nor are
we the representatives of destruction, the sirens. We do not lure people to
their deaths. We bring peace and hope.
When people come to pools and wells, and bring offerings and say prayers,
we listen to their concerns. It is rare that people can see us, but
sometimes they can get a glimpse of our light. We are then seen through
the images of their faith - as the Lady of the Lake, or the Goddess of Land
and Sea, or Mary the Queen of Heaven, or the virgin or saint who lived in
the neighboring town. Light can take on any image projected upon it, and we
are open to appearing however people choose to see us. As spirits of ponds
and wells, we tend to be seen in female form, just as the gods of the sky
and deep water tend to be male.
We sing of bathing the soul in the light, eliminating fear, and bringing
holy healing. Our songs weave bands of light into a shawl of protection, a
blanket of bright warmth, or a cloak of rest and quiet. We heal the anxious
mind, the heart in fear, the enraged and desirous soul, and the person
caught in ignorance and confusion. Much illness is based on terror, and we
heal the fear of past and future. We bring insight into the vastness of
history, where the individual's fears and desires are tiny threads in a vast
tapestry. People are not alone. They are part of a greater story
encompassing all of life. We include all - their ancestors, heroes, and
gods. The pressure of being alone, and being totally responsible for their
own lives and the lives of others is dissolved when they can see themselves
as part of a greater whole.
People in distress are bathed in the light, of new hope and compassion.
They are shown that their problems are less important than they thought.
They are shown the vast story of life and death, and they can find
themselves a place within it.
People see us in the way that they choose. But who are we really? We are
members of Manannan's people, the Fair Folk of the waters, and we follow
the values of love, beauty, and creativity. We create treasures in the
waters of deep blue opal. We weave blankets of healing that look like
rainbows, and we dance in the form of young women with gracefully draped
robes. We bring the jewels of peace and insight, and leave them where
worthy people can find them.
We maintain connections over lives which may be seen symbolically as
long threads like those hanging from the man-of-war jellyfish.
These filaments brush against those who we heal in life after life. We have
touched them in previous lives, and we will meet them again. Each encounter
is new and different, and each brings growth and change.
Our blessings are subtle and not immediately apparent. We take on pain, and
it slowly dissolves into the waters. We listen to people's problems, and
their burdens are lightened. We bath souls in the light, and they shine
more brightly.
