Faerie faith
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- See Fairy Faith for traditional beliefs.
Faerie Faith is a Wiccan tradition that branched off from the "Old Dianic" tradition (later renamed McFarland Dianic) through the work of Mark Roberts and his high priestess, Epona.[1]
The Neopagan Faerie Faith founded by Roberts and Epona is often confused with other traditions of similar name, including:
- The customs practiced among the ancient and modern Celts, which survive in the Celtic nations and the diaspora as "folklore" and "folk customs". The "Fairy Faith" as it is known in traditional Gaelic culture does not resemble Wicca.[2]
- The Feri Tradition, founded by Victor Anderson.
- Radical Faeries, a nature-worshiping, spiritual and political group, primarily consisting of gay men.
- Faery Wicca
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[edit] History
The history of the Faerie Faith begins with "the Dallas Dianics," founded by Mark Roberts and Morgan McFarland in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas (in 1999, the name of the tradition was changed to the McFarland Dianic Tradition). McFarland, Roberts, and a third member together formed the Covenstead of Morrigana.[citation needed] According to the McFarland Dianic Homepage, "It was Mark who pointed out to Morgan the reference to "Dianic cults" in Margaret Murray's The Witch Cult in Western Europe. It spoke to their beliefs and practices, and they adopted the name "Dianic" for their tradition. Later that year, Morgan began writing down the rituals handed down orally through the Old Dianic tradition. McFarland went on to initiate several high priestesses who hived off to start other covens. In 1979 she withdrew as high priestess, and now serves as matriarch and advisor to the Council of High Priestesses of the McFarland Dianic Tradition.[3]
In 1979 Roberts moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he met a woman named Epona. Roberts taught her the lessons he had learned while with McFarland, and Epona became a high priestess and the founder of the "Eponian" branch of the McFarland Dianics - what is now known as the Faerie Faith.[citation needed] Roberts most likely took the name for this new tradition from The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans-Wentz, published in 1911 . This book is an oral history and describes a variety of folk beliefs and practices, many still extant at the time the book was written. Though Roberts's "Faerie Faith" may draw inspiration from some of the customs practiced among the ancient and modern Celts, it shares more with other modern Wiccan traditions than with the "Fairy Faith" as it is known in traditional Gaelic culture.[4]
In 1981, Roberts returned to Dallas and started a new tradition, called Hyperborea.[citation needed] Epona continued to teach the Faerie Faith tradition she and Roberts developed, and today there are members of the Faerie Faith spread out across the Southeastern United States.[citation needed]
[edit] Beliefs and practices
The distinguishing characteristic of Faerie Faith is the use of the Beth-Luis-Nion "Celtic tree calendar", invented by Robert Graves in his book, The White Goddess. The system is based on Graves's controversial re-interpretation of the Celtic ogham alphabet; however, Graves's invention is not based on any actual Celtic calendar.[5] In the Faerie Faith, specific lessons are associated with each lunar month, and students experience personal transformation in connection to each tree/letter.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Landis, J. C. (2002). The Faerie Faith and the Beth-Luis-Nion Celtic lunar tree calendar. Thesis (Honors)--Auburn University.
- ^ Evans-Wentz, W. Y. (1966, 1990) The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries. Gerrards Cross, Colin Smythe Humanities Press ISBN 0-901072-51-6
- ^ The McFarland Dianics: A Chronology. [1]
- ^ Mac an tSaoir, Iain and Dawn O'Laoghaire. Why Wicca Is Not Celtic v.3.2
- ^ Ellis, Peter Berresford (1997). "The Fabrication of 'Celtic' Astrology". The Astrological Journal vol.39 (issn.4).
