"Sometimes happiness is a blessing, but generally it is a conquest. Each day's magic moment helps." Paulo Coelho

Be - ing the editor...

Merry meet friends,

I warmly bid you a cozy welcome to our winter issue of the Enchanted Folk Faezine. Here in the UK we have had more snow this past month than in the past thirty years, and such a delight it has been. Many days when we were 'snowed in' our family went over the fields and had great fun sledging together, laughing till our bellies ached ~ I hadn't felt the thrill of tobogganing since I was a child! Joyously trudging back to log fires and hot cups of tea, I gazed in wonder at the sheer loveliness of everything sparkling white, etching our familiar surroundings in an enchanted wonderland. I was feeding our garden birds continuously, watching them for hours as they rewarded me with some fantastic photographs. We were living in the magic, utterly and completely ~ very happy memories indeed.

This issue, our fourth edition, beautifully brings us full circle. Our Faezine journey has taken its first complete step, and I couldn't be more proud. This initial chapter in our history has been a great honour and real pleasure for me to be a part of.

When gathering these articles through the winter months, I was fascinated as to how this cyclical change in our weather, through the darkest time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, effects and interests our amazing columnists. Although we're all squirreled away in a more hibernating mood, I am deeply appreciative of them sharing such captivating thoughts, feelings and stories that bring light and enlighten our open enquiring minds.

Once again, we have some special new writers joining our talented team, and I sincerely thank all the generous Enchanted Folk for their much valued and engaging contributions.

This wintry season we were thrilled to Welcome our first Faezine baby, as Louise Miss MerFaery joyfully introduced us to her beautiful Freya Fae. Blessings on this enchanted family.

Sadly we have also had to say our farewells to dear Merrie Fae Tresses, who though very ill has been writing and inspiring us with her Faery Fields and Forests, & Bringing up Baby Fae columns. Merrie is sorely missed, her wisdom and knowledge on subjects of Folklore and Mother Nature's teachings have been a very important and integral part of our EFzine.

Marianne has kindly set up a Group on EF 'In Memory Of' for us to visit and share if we'd like to. By consensus of opinion, I am keeping Merrie's columns in Faezine, beginning with adding my tribute, and then reprinting some of the treasures she so willingly wished me to keep for her. It will be my honour to do so.

I hope that these imaginative musings and wonderful contributions by our inspirational thinkers will warmly keep you company while we watch carefully for signs of spring...

Wishing you a merry time in their enchanted company -

We appreciate you subscribing, and thank you always for your belief,

Be

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable." Helen Keller

"We want to be poets of our life - first of all in the smallest most everyday matters."  Nietzsche

To recap: EF Faezine follows my vision for a free enlightening and interesting initiative to take you on an inspirational journey through thought provoking, reflective remarkable and positively wonder-full articles.

Every columnist has been personally approached by me and asked to please just write from their hearts, just like we, and many members of the Enchanted Folk social network have been doing for more than two years now.

The wisdom joy and energy on EF comes from us normal folk who, like you, just look at life a bit differently *grin* Most of us have regular jobs, hectic commitments and aspire to be creative in our spare time... Merely by going for a walk, doing the chores, caring for our children, completing our work, and helping others: each of us finds something enchanted to smile about.

Consequently these Faezine columnists kindly offer their thoughts ideas and experiences for your enjoyment, encouraging me and embracing our EFzine with enthusiasm. I am deeply appreciative and grateful for each columnist's care dedication generosity and humour!

Everyone involved with EF Faezine understands that this place is not about advertising, marketing, selling or celebrity ~ it is simply our gift to those who believe, and wish to believe, as we go about our ordinary daily lives hoping to make the everyday extraordinary and a little more magical...

Have fun,

be@faezine.com

Founder of Faezine and the Enchanted Folk community

(We invite you to read the full Faezine story in the inaugural Spring 09 issue)

THANK YOU once again to All the marvellous Faezine family for their great gifts, and to dear Paulina Cassidy for her exquisite drawings gracing our logo and each page, sweet Susan Schroder for her superb Cover images, kind Marianne Mathiasen for her charming botanical and cartoon illustrations, and Drew for his much-needed technical help!

All contributions and images remain the copyright of each Faezine columnist

"Our treasure lies in the beehive of our knowledge. We are perpetually on the way thither, being by nature winged insects and honey gatherers of the mind." Nietzsche

My dear enchanted friends,

It is with a heavy heart and many forlorn tears that I have to share the truly sad news of the passing of our dear friend Merrie Fae Tresses. This wonderful lady will be sorely missed, a true and sincere believer, one who honestly lived and breathed Faerie. Merrie just simply, and willingly, Knew.

Our Faerie GrandeDame.

I have been regularly corresponding with Merrie these past eighteen months and feel deeply privileged and honoured to have gained further insight into this amazing woman’s enormous depth of knowledge and extensive research into our mutually beloved subjects – through history, tradition, legend and folklore I found my dear friend to be a source of immense intelligence and reason. I know that many of you here on EF will also know of her talents and clever mind from personal experience, as well as the joy of first hand advice and comment from our fairest of friends.

My tears continue to fall, especially as when I heard of this news (through a mutual friend who didn’t know any more) I realised that the consequent challenges of friendship through the Internet meant that of course I did not know Merrie’s family. Carol spoke of her son who was living with her, and I have written to him in the hope that he is maybe picking up her emails. I have also sent him a letter requesting permission to keep Merrie’s lovely pages here on Enchanted Folk as a form of tribute, like we have done for dear Prince Orchar. I will keep you updated, and in the meantime will continue to do this in good faith.

When Merrie began to feel very poorly last year, she made our expectant mum Louise an administrator of her wonderful EF Faerie Fledglings Group. I am grateful to lovely Louise for taking on such a precious task, as this Group is a special source of the most magical information for mums-to-be, new mothers, grandmas and so on. As we happily know, Louise now has her very own Freya Fae, and hopefully this Group will continue to enlighten and encourage those who may be curious for ideas on bringing up baby the faery way. Blessings on both of these wonderful women for their valuable and much appreciated contributions, caring for the health, wellbeing and imaginations of our precious younglings.

Merrie Fae very kindly and enthusiastically supported our EF Faezine from the beginning, even though she bravely informed me that she probably wouldn’t even see the first year of our magazine through. Her two columns: Faery Fields and Forests, & Bringing up Baby Fae were testament to her appreciation of the natural beauty and gifts Mother Nature continues to bestow upon us. Each article was written with intellect, perception and comprehension, which she was naturally able to share on a level readily accessible to all. Merrie was clear from the start as to what she would include and entertained us with her wholehearted commitment to education and development by having fun, however old we are! She continued to urge us to try new things, get out there in nature and relish all the wonders so freely available. To celebrate.

Having received a gorgeous card through the post recounting her recent particularly enjoyable day out, Merrie also emailed me in November (with an equally upbeat positive message) to say that her two latest columns were written and ready for the winter issue, together with photos of her Faery Trekking! This was my last mail from her and unfortunately these treasures never reached me. Gosh, I just can’t stop crying and am so, so sorry to be the unwilling bearer of this news.

I thought you might like to know that last summer, Merrie Fae Tresses generously sent me one of her favourite childhood books in order to use some of the illustrations for her Faezine columns (as they were out of copyright). She also assured me that she would then know that the volume was in good hands. The Turned-Into’s by Elizabeth Gordon, published in 1920, is a true wonder of old. Not only was I stunned and completely overwhelmed to receive such a precious out of print book, but it served as a fascinating window into the wondrous girlhood influences of my treasured friend. (I am considering maybe actually using some of these utterly charming written tales by including them in Merrie’s Faezine column?) Through those warm months I read and reread The Turned-Into’s with pure delight, continually joyously sharing with Merrie the interesting differences in our creatures here in the UK. Often a tiny hoverfly would be near me, or a ladybird, or butterfly as I revelled in my unexpected gift, and you can imagine my excitement when one day I even found a perfect empty cocoon on our path, left by a real Turned-Into! All through those balmy, peaceful days, sitting under our White Mulberry tree surrounded by birds, I discovered and learnt new things and am honoured to say that I felt even closer to dear Merrie as a result ~ who was amused to hear that I called these my Merrie Moments. This was a real turning point for me as this unique gift also reminded me to finally take more time to pause, reflect and read some, while the weather was warm enough to do so outside. Like many of you I’m sure, the cold wet winter often catches up with me before I have invested the time to make the most of sitting outside for a spell. I have very many things to thank Merrie for.

Through her last months, Merrie also added a lot of enchanted information to her own personal group on the website Multiply: The TrilliumTradTradition, a new faerie tradition for the solitary believer of Woodland and Field Fae. At her personal request I also joined this site to ensure that the treasures within would be kept safe, and was wondering whether I should also maybe reprint some of this special material through her Faezine column to reach a wider audience, or does this seem inappropriate? Or I could repost the dozens of different links in her EF Group? I am not sure of the right thing to do, and would welcome your feedback on these ideas ~ please do leave a comment here (or contact me on my email address be@faezine.com as my numerous messages on EF can often get in a bit of a muddle). Thank you in advance dear friends for your thoughts ~ the main thing is that the wonderful TTT work Merrie was eager to share remains available to all who wish to access it. If you visit Multiply, you will need to join ~ Carol is known on there as Lady Bridget.

Goodness me my lovelies, what an emotional and distressing blog. My heartfelt love to all of you dear folk who are similarly upset by these very sad tidings. I feel greatly proud and privileged to have ‘known’ Merrie Fae Tresses and to have had her enchanting and brilliant company here in our community. Her legacy is beautiful and much valued by each of us who feel similarly blessed by this special lady. Her delightful tales of the daisy bower (and its visitors both seen and unseen) that she nurtured so sweetly in her magical garden will remain with me each time I see my favourite flower (Merrie often referred to me as Daisy Be) and of course our precious bees. Her wisdom and words will reside in my heart every time I find or hear a Turned-Into. Merrie’s Belief and respect for traditions will echo as part of my spirit while I attempt to tread a similar path ~ knowing my friend is still here within the very essence of our gentle community...

I have pleasure in including here the very pretty photo that Merrie kindly arranged on my behalf, especially to use in her Faezine column, This lovely image holds great magic for me; so many gifts from Mother Nature will remind me of Merrie’s shining light, and our mutual love of fantastic forces even when unseen, known to be essential to our existence on this amazing planet. Merrie was an example to us all.

These tears will not abate, so I will sign off now and light a candle in the memory of a beautiful spirit who honoured and truly blessed us with her very being. Thank you for reading my little tribute, and for making our dear lady Merrie feel so welcome as she courageously reached out to us with her intuitive awareness, understanding and wisdom of everything enchanted. Our Faerie GrandeDame will be much missed.

My love to you all,

Be

When Merrie kindly agreed to become a Faezine columnist I asked her for a magical quote, and it seems fitting to also share this here…

“Truth is like the diamond on the ring we have every day of our lives at hand.  It isn't until the Light touches the diamond --JUST SO!-- that its many facets of splendor are revealed.”

Treasured friends,

On this special night, delightfully sharing our recent winter solstice sunrise ~ in sincere appreciation and happy celebration of all our dear enchanted folk here in this gentle community ~ you make EF and Faezine truly wonder-filled and we are grateful indeed **beams** With love from Be

"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen." Goethe

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  Maya Angelou

On this most befitting of days, one of the things I give thanks for is all my dear enchanted friends who delight, inspire, comfort and care for each other within our community and throughout their daily lives. I feel truly blessed to be part of such a kind and giving place, my haven in this sometimes-challenging mortal world, a constant source of beauty shared through the wonders of Mother Nature, interesting insightful blogs, encouraging comments and thoughtful messages.

Saying hello to each new member of EF is such fun, I am often impressed by the courage of gentle folk when they join our happy band and always thrilled to see longstanding members continuing their warm-hearted welcomes. Thank you to all who reside in EF, those who are active and supportive, those who are unspoken and quiet, and those who maybe just needed our company for a while. I do believe that every good deed done here reverberates a hundredfold…

I have recently been writing to thank each of our forty Faezine contributors, which is one of my favourite tasks as another Enchanted Folk zine is published. This Autumn’s issue is a glorious mythic journal of articles from members of EF, and it is fascinating to see how this special season has influenced thoughts, sparked reflections and kindled creativity. (I now just need to finish my own rather delayed ‘Tea with Be and the Bean’ oops =)

Throughout this whole year, our unique Faezine project has been an immense honour and joy for me to collate and edit. Once again we have some new columnists kindly joining our talented team, and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s generous and gladdening contributions - inspirational thinkers and imaginative musings indeed.

Through these past few years I am thankful for my involvement with Faerie Magazine. Writing for this elegant and charming magazine is something I greatly value and treasure, together with the privilege of getting to know some amazing people and places. I am very proud to be part of something so lovely and uplifting.

I give heartfelt thanks for my family. Although we are Brits, my beloved boys and I celebrate a day of thanksgiving because we feel that it is a wonderful way for us to count our blessings together (maybe a midweek roast has something to do with it too ;o)  I am sure our little island would do well to honour this tradition just for its own sake. We have so many things to be grateful for and I will keep in my thoughts all good folk around the world, wishing for a brighter light where there may be shadow. As I breathe I hope.

Thank you Always for your Belief,

Be

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."    Mother Teresa

I am thrilled that here on Enchanted Folk we have reached our second birthday, Drew and I feel deeply honoured that this special place has gathered so many beautiful souls making friends and showing kindness and care like nowhere else I know of on the net. It is a real privilege to be on here each day, checking on everybody, reading such wonderful blogs and witnessing the encouragement and hope so freely offered and given. This unique community has blessed me more than I can say, and even inspired our very own magazine! Faezine is a constant delight to collate and publish and spreads our gentle spirit even further afield... I am so proud of all the fascinating columns by EF members, and even personally trying to rise to the challenge of documenting a nature-packed year in the life of a mad Cotswold mother *grin* I am deeply grateful to all those involved in this EF project, especially as many have been here with us since EF began! We're looking forward to the Autumn issue of Faezine as this season seems to have especially inspired our contributors!

Thank you from our hearts for all your precious time and energy here on Enchanted Folk dear members, and for all the lovely comments and Magical Mischiefs which truly make my day ((hugs)) A lot has happened within the EF community over the past two years, much like in our own family which always feels like a natural extension of this blessed place - the ups and downs of life, mourning the loss of dear friends, rejoicing in precious new births and continuing the legacy of living in the magic as we go about our everyday lives. I enjoy welcoming the brave newbies, seeing folk celebrating the happy times and still finding comfort in shared, sometimes sad moments. I am honoured by your patience when life's commitments and responsibilities keep me from answering emails and messages as quickly as I'd like, and am constantly uplifted and heartened by all that transpires here (finding it hard to express my gratitude without becoming tearful) Many of you sweet folk have often restored my faith in human nature and I find the energy to continue as a result, you have created and sustained a magical haven and have my heart.

We especially thank those of you who have generously donated to the running of this site. When we first began EF in 2007 there weren’t many other social networking sites out there and finding a platform to use was quite a task. Over the past couple of years this site has cost us more than twelve hundred dollars to rent and we are therefore extremely grateful for any help given, especially as we try to keep EF an uncommercial place of refuge as far as is possible. There now seem to be many free platforms available, but we are still in two minds about moving due to the upheaval for everyone and all the wonderful content already on here. If you have any thoughts on this, please message Drew as we continue to welcome your comments and suggestions.

In the UK we are celebrating EF’s second anniversary by attending the Northwest Merry Meet on Monday the 21^st of September 2009. To be held in Cheshire and very kindly hosted by Louise, this will be a special opportunity to enjoy the Autumn Equinox in the company of kindred spirits as we raise our cups of tea to all our enchanted friends around the globe… I hope that wherever you are on that day, you will be able to do the same and know that we are thinking of you too. For any of you able to attend the Northwest Merry Meet in person, please contact Louise who will give you directions and details. There is also information on Louise’s blog and of course on the UK Merry Meet Group  As usual, this informal gathering is just for fun and we are very grateful to our dear friend for delightfully treating us to an enchanted Tea Party at her home after our afternoon adventures, yay *big smiles*

Hoping to see some of you lovelies on the 21^st, wishing my beloved Enchanted Folk a very Happy second Birthday and offering our appreciation as always for your treasured friendship,

Thank you for living in the magic with us,

Be and Drew