Hi, I lurk here periodically but fairly seldom say much. However, I am in pretty significant need of your combined expertise right now. It's been a strange couple of days.

My boyfriend has always been into the general concept of faeries, though how he would internally spell it I'm not sure. In fact, one of our earlier interactions was him commissioning me to make him a silver Faery Star pendant. I always privately thought he didn't really know what he might actually get himself into, but since he never really did anything with the fascination, it wasn't much of a worry. However, I bought him the Brian Froud Faery Oracle as a gift, because he loves Mr. Froud's work. Tried to order it from Amazon in time for Christmas, but it never came, so they refunded my money and I found it in a store around here. He loved it, thought it was pretty. Put it in the box and went on with his life.

But wait-- turns out that for some reason the one I ordered from Amazon HAD gotten delivered, and was sitting in the office at his apartment complex for months. Serendipity, I thought. I guess that one's for me. So, going through my end-of-winter doldrums, I did a reading. And... what can I say? It actually made sense. I've never been able to get anything useful out of a tarot deck, even in a rorschachy sense. But this, the feeling-of-the-moment layout and all, went perfectly. I Learned Things, I went to bed, all was well.

And then there was yesterday.

First off, my alarm didn't go off. Not a real issue-- it happens. However, my friend's alarm hadn't gone off the day before, and we'd been joking about elves turning it off and back on. That set off a blip in my subconscious. I made it to work, I worked. I went to band practice. And EVERYTHING was wrong. Nothing with a speaker was working. And things kept mysteriously turning up unplugged, or plugged in wrong, when we explicitly remembered plugging them in correctly. We were all feeling well and not overly sleepy, and this happened to every one of us. We've done this a lot of times, and this has NEVER happened before. Nothing worked all night, and generally there's only minimal adjustment to be done before everything works. Things were falling over that shouldn't have been. It got pretty spooky. And it felt like something other than entirely random chance.

When we got home, I decided to poke about in the aether, as it were, and see if I could get any clue what was happening. There was definitely something going on, and while I got no impression of explicit malevolence, I did get the feeling of multiple Somethings hanging around. Fiery, fickle, amusement-oriented, amoral, silly Somethings. (They actually reminded me of less banality-bound versions of the two humans in the house, ahem, so none of that is insulting, though we do have human moral standards.) And the cat was acting BIZARRE while I did this. I talked to it/them, but I'm not sure how much communication actually happened.

So we tried to figure out what to do about this. We decided to leave out some food, so we shared a blood orange with it/them (we're low on food in the house, or I would have done something breadier). And we sat down to have a glass of wine.

I corked that bastard. I did. And we're sitting there on the couch talking, and it popped. Back. Out. And landed on the counter with a thud.

Okay, have some wine, guys. I poured some into a little silver goblet I'd made, took a sip to share and show good intent, and went back. After that I saw a white mist floating in the kitchen, which was odd as I VERY seldom see anything like that. He had apparently seen some sort of shower of light out of the corner of his vision in the studio, but he's a more visual person than I am, so that's less surprising.

This morning my alarm did go off, at 6:54. It was set for 6:10.

I'm entirely aware that this could easily all be coincidence. However, it doesn't much feel like it, and either way I don't think a better-safe-than-sorry approach to it is a bad idea. So, if it IS Someone Else, what should I do? I don't think it's anyone who wants to hurt us-- nothing that's happened has been harmful, just annoying, and if things were going to turn up plugged in differently I'm sure a way could have been found to destroy thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment last night. Oddly, it actually DOES sound like the sort of thing faeries are known to do, and what I 'met' last night felt a lot like the capricious creatures with totally different morals and ethics that they are supposed to be. I suppose my question is, how can I ensure that everyone is happy here? The boyfriend is unnerved and burned out on the whole thing this morning, and doesn't want to talk about it, but he'll no doubt help if something needs to be done.

Ideas? Again, it well may just be coincidence. But I'd rather look a bit of a fool for talking to something that wasn't there than get into some sort of trouble because I ignored something that was. I've never met anything that could be classified as individuals like this before, unless, say, the Santa Fe National Forest as a whole counts. This is... interesting.

Help me?

Thanks.

Ho hum. I had this for a while, in a different guise.

Ok, so you now have sprites as housewights. Or else you always had them but somehow the deck made them want to tell you they were there.

So they like wine? Fine. why not bargain with them? [it]this[/i] [specify] behaviour is unacceptable. You beahve within decent boundaries and you'll get some wine from time to time. Step over the line and you won't - and you'll maybe get something worse (mind you, evicting housewights is a painful business on both sides - they've usually been there longer than you).

We had a similar thing in our old place. They would move things, and generally misbehave, but it wasn't malicious - they were just trying to get our attention and say "hi". We laid down two ground rules. 1. We don't mind what you do but don't break anything and don't move anything important, and 2. Once we are in the bedroom of an evening, it is out of bounds. To their credit they have happily bided by these rules ever since. We call them The Lads.

Good to see that there are other people with similar... issues. I think ours may be a little more mobile than yours, and attached to our persons (or something) rather than our residence, because the studio we practice in is several miles away from where we live, and something was decidedly up in both places last night. So eviction as such wouldn't do any good, but I believe I could make things a lot more unpleasant for them should I so choose, regardless.

I could probably get rid of them, but I don't really want to. If they're around, I figure they probably want to be for some reason, and their presence is nearly guaranteed to make my life more interesting. Given that I work in an office ordering lab supplies, I rather selfishly think that's a pretty nice idea. I just want to make sure their Interesting doesn't make my life at all shorter. Or drive my already-twitchy boyfriend to serious extremes of anxiety, thereby significantly shortening my relationship.

The wine is a good idea. I think I'll ask them if they'd like me to make them a special cup. Hooray, Projects!

Oh, The Lads moved with us when we moved house two years back. Some of them come with us to work or when we go out. Talk about Me and My Shadow!

Why don't you ask them what they want? It might be quite harmless. The Lads simply stuck with us because they like us and we actually noticed them and talked to them.

I did ask, but I think I'm going to have to do so again. I strongly suspect it's that we noticed them, then apparently stopped paying attention (they have a sense of time like I do-- if a pleasant thing hasn't happened in the last two or so days, then it's never going to happen again!). I just need to figure out a way to... converse more effectively.

I feel rather better about this now. Thanks.

yup, like with any other spirit or creature thereof, you either get along or you don't- so either way you simply have to come to terms with it, as everyone here suggests from their own experience.

You could try the "talking to the bees" approach that's been said here already. They're nosy wee buggers, need told whatt the groundrules are, but like the bees, they want to be kept informed about what's happening. And like the bees, a bit of sustenace is appreciated too!

Ditto!

I have mentioned this in other posts but ive been living with an elf like creature for practically 20 years, and ive moved about 10 times, and he always shows up eventually, at first it was annoying as i was the only one who could see him in a solid material form, thought i was going bonkers! Since then ive met 2 other people who see him as solid as i do and about another dozen who see him as a fleet or shadow! I think he likes it best when he cannot be seen! Hes wrecked at least 4 of my relationships playing at poltergeists turning Tvs, radios, kettle on and off, telling new loves about him is something I dont do, maybe i should! he has several annoying habits, Give him an inch and he'll take complete advantage, he drinks far too much, never puts the milk back in the fridge, collects things which belong to other people and he watches far too much tv. I sometimes wish hed never turned up! But hes obviuosly attached himself to me for some reason, so ive kinda learned to live with him!

I have a German/Algerian friend, who was plagued for the longest time by a dwarf wearing a Fez. It would drive him absolutely bonkers because the sneak always turned up in the midst of pure chaos. Somehow I came upon the impression that this was a trickster trying to make him aware of the sufi side he had tried to oppress in himself by trying to be so totally "German". As it is that he's a highly talented guitarist of the jazz and blues scene here, I suggested he display his Arab side in all its full regalia in the forthcoming concert performances. I assured this would go over well as he certainly does look the part. Indeed this turned out to be a real hit with the public, and increased his popularity a hundred fold. As for the dwarf in the Fez, it seems he fulfilled his purpose, thus never seen again.

lovely story!

It took us a while to figure out our housewight, as she wasn't run of the mill. She let down the lilos of the guests who slept on the floor of our kitchen/dining room, gave them dreams and smashed glasses. She didn't seem to move out of the kitchen and certainly never went upstairs. Eventually we figured out, with the help of friends, that she's a pouca and she thinks the house is still a stable. So, for her, there is no 'upstairs', and the living room is the storage area, whereas the kitchen ought to be the stable proper, so is where she lives. The problem was that it had a breakfast bar across the centre of it, which meant it was cut in half. All wrong, to her.

I tried offering her apples - nope. Chocolate - nope. Cider - yes (this is the main cider growing county in the UK, and there are lots of farms making their own). Calvados was even better. I found a small image of a carthorse and kept it in the kitchen with a bowl for her drink. We got by, but if I ignored her for a while the glasses broke again.

Eventually, when I had the kitchen redone last year, I did away with the breakfast bar. I also removed the carpet and put down tiles. the handles on teh cupboards are the sort of thing one might see in a stable. Our housewight has gone very peaceful and quiet. I've given her somewhere that's the right shape for her needs, it appears. Relief all round!

I'm hijacking my own thread to turn it a bit more theoretical based on some thoughts I had on yesterday's commute.

Reading the responses to this thread and also an older one about Someone Else In The House caused me to wonder. It is, I believe, acknowledged that poltergeists are often found in the vicinity of tumultuous adolescent emotion. Whether that causes or attracts, and where the theoretical discussion on that has previously gone, I do not know. Either way, it occurs to me that in my particular case, and also the case of at least one other poster above, the faeries in question have been attached to a "we" rather than an "I". In my very particular case, the emotions involved in that "we" are also somewhat tumultuous and complex at the moment. As I'm not dead sure what precisely would have attracted the faeries, or whoever they are, to begin with, does it make sense to anyone that these spirits might also be attracted to strong emotion, or that it might simply be phenomena caused by such?

I should, I know, get at least halfway through my first cup of coffee before posting, but this is what we get.

Ideas?

Hmm, heightened emotional stimulus=more neurons firing=heightened perception?

We came home from a long weekend to find the gas cooker merrily spouting gas all through the house. We definitely didn't leave it on, and my lovely cat-feeding friend Nanny Ogg said it definitely wasn't on when she came in at 2 pm.
I suppose the cat might have jumped up and knocked it, but in 30-odd years of owning cats I've never known one do that before.
Here's the thing: my christian gremlin that sits in my head muttering about hell, damnation and demons is telling me something nasty has got into my house as a result of my paddlin' in the occult and it's possible that this time it's right.
I've never had any kind of manifestation in this house (although I believe there are some in my parents house) and this was a very dangerous thing. It put my child at risk and that I will not put up with from anyone or anything.
Any suggestions?
Badger's Moon
xx

Your child/ren being threatened by unwanted "thingies" I can WELL understand gettiny you raging mad! Which is EXACTLY as it should be, and also what you must USE (channelled) to get the bugger out!
I had similar recently - I knew all about the odd stray elemental coming for a nosey, but my younger daughter began to be very freaked out by an unpleasant shadow in her room. It had her in tears (she's level headed enough about this sort of thing - accepts it for what it is, but this thing WAS "different") and she felt very frightened.
Time for the Big Mammy to produce her trusty psychic claymore and release her inner bastard!
I'd heard her worst freaked out fears whilst driving her home from a pal's house. And it made me soooo angry. When I got in, both girls were sent out of their room, and mum got down to some immediate talking - TELL it to go to wherever it came from, that it is NOT welcome, you wish it no harm, etc but it IS going. That it is YOUR HOME. Be extremely firm and positive and CLEAR about all of this.
I basically grabbed one of my working tools for this, acting very much spur of the moment. This can be FAR MORE effective than allowing thought to muddy the waters - use instinct!
I then went into my room, and made a sock poppet for protection, using one of her dirty socks, stuffed with Dill, Peppermint, salt and Sage + some white feathers. I added a shell and a nut. I made an incense of above herbs and cleansed the room, ushering "it" out.
The sock poppet was placed in the corner where "it" had manifested, as a protection from future visits as this may be some sort of opening for unwanted "its".
Then I made us all a nice cup of tea.
And as I went to get the cups, guess what I saw? A shadow "scuttling" down the stairs!!!
No bother since.
The strongest way to get rid of these is often the simplest and INTENT is a very very powerful tool. The word "NO!" spoken using entire body/soul and vibrated out in complete denial that anything should even contemplate approaching you or yours is alone sufficient to make "its" hesitate! Just remember - don't mess with the Mammy!
Hope this helps.

i have something similar in my car, i only notice it at night when i'm alone.
it turned up around 8 months ago.
i usually try and ignore it but at times it feels very strong so i shout at it and tell it to get out, i open a window and order it to go. it seems to be ok for a while, like say a week and then it is back again.
its female i think and just sits there, i see it in my rear view mirror and over my shoulder. i dont think it means me any harm but i dont like it, i often get very scared.

i dont do any sort of magic or ritual so i would have no idea where to start with anything like you did Tas.

i suppose i do use a kind of protection imagining a force field around things but i have tried this and doesnt sem to work on this one.

I always wonder just why these "its" decide to come along -are they lonely? Malignant? Stupid and misguided - as in blissfully and selfishly unaware of the upset their presence can generate?
They are prevalent around me at the moment, but I know it seems to be partly due to a friend of mine who is suffering, and that this can - and IS being dealt with.
But they aint nice. Bothersome is one thing - freaky/dodgy is quite another ball game!
I have gone aover all the obvious things - first being, had I ever , even inadvertently left anyplace open for "its". Nope. So, back to the old drawing board...

The woman in your car though - she sounds lonely/confused more than anything? Have you tried telling her gently it's time to go elsewhere? With love and kindness?
Also, make an equal armed cross from Rowan twigs using red thread to bind. Hang this in your car. This is an old country charm and powerful as protection.

This kind of thing worries me too, no wonder you were freaked out Badger!
I had an experience a few months ago where I woke up in the night to feel something pressing down on me. My impression at the time was it was pretending to be nice (well at the time I was in Christian mode and got the impression it wanted me to think it was the Holy Spirit and invite it in- it felt similar but not as yummy) and wanted me to welcome it in. But I knew it didn't feel right somehow and I shouted "Jesus, Jesus" and it whooshed off me (very weird feeling) and went away.

I wonder if my confidence and intent was what made it go rather than what I was actually saying? Still creeps me out though.

WARNING- HEAVY METAPHYSICS RANT HERE!

The real problem I see here is fear. Fear is a very powerful neural state. Mind numbing but powerful, lots of rampid energy that's not sure where to go. It is the stuff that Kobolds feed on.

From what I've read here so far, I see a number of possibilities. There is the "Fata Morgana" which rather like a mirage, arises from static space-time distortions. This kind is not a real problem.

Then there is the will of someone or something that became disembodied by death, but continues to manifest itself in a static state because it could not find "closure" for whatever reasons. This kind keeps hanging around until it finds it.
If its one of those soul-sucking omnipotence-seeking parasites, then the curse of "sod-off-you-stupid-git" definitely applies. It also helps to remind them what pain feels like.

Then there is the will of someone living, either consciously or unconsciously projected into some telepathic form (servitor) or action (poltergeist)... Yes, these are a real problem, therefore, it is necessary to make a positive ID of the originator. Once having achieved that, then apply the heavy duty psychic "sod-off-you-stupid-git" at 100 decibles through a suitable pain amplifier, directly to source.

None of these are to be confused with things like house wights or Nature spirits, but the bottom line is that no mojo is going to help you if you don't overcome your fear of the unknown. Don't get mad, get even!

Get even as in get a mad mammy person - did the trick for moi - whatever the hell it was!
Re the energy though - if you apply YOUR energy strongly (or angrily) enough, it won't have a chance! As in "I aint afraid of whatever you are, nor am I particularly concerned, so piss off NOW!"

There are things out ther, though, Quas, all fear aside.

Some friends of mine have a garden that I really don't like. On previous visits I've tried to do what I can to alleviate matters but, on my last visit, on the first night, it pissed me off big time. I go out alone to smoke there and I didn't like it.

Now, in my part of the world the sky is indigo to black, with stars or not, and shadows are really dark. This gardne is in a city, often with an orange or lilac coloured sky, even in the early hours of the morning. It isn't a matter of fear of darkness; it's something about tha sodding garden.

So I asked for advice and...um...shall we say 'tweaked' something, following the advice I was given. A couple o days later one of the inhabitants of the house stepped in the garden, stopped, and said "What have you done?" which brought me out in apologies, because it's not really good form to interfere in someone else's property without their permission. "No", he said, "I've always felt uncomfortable in the gardne and suddenly it's bright and cheerful and ...bigger".

So it is possible to alter things. Tas's take with things that might be, er, amoral, seems a very good one. it's always best to assume (unless you have evidence otherwise) that these things aren't malicious - just different to us. So tweak. Or lay down the law. Make things comfortable for you and those you love.

buggers, aren't they.

resort to bribery. it seems to be the only way to bump along okay with them.