Álfar, the Hidden folk and Midsummer Night (from the series personal feasts)

 

Introduction

The Midsummer Night is an interesting feast for me, not only because of the customs from the land of my childhood but also because of the various wonderful stories about the hidden folk.  There were occasional stories about encounters with the hidden folk; interestingly, these stories had some commonalities. Sure, we might say, these people got drunk at night and that was all story. It is just that the narrative, which I heard with my own ears several times, was not from a drunk. 

I am not able to guarantee that all the stories I was referring to took place on Midsummer's Night. Some stories may be, but my story certainly did. So, my witness was returning home at midnight on St. John's Night through the boonies and met a big bonfire and people in historical costumes. They invited him to join them. There was merriment, dancing, singing... all a good time. He felt awfully comfortable there and after what felt like 10 minutes, he asked if he could bring his wife. Of course, he could. He woke her up saying they were going to a wonderful Midsummer's Day bonfire in good company. She quickly got dressed and off they went....only the place was empty, no sign of any fire or people. More men had had similar strange encounters on Midsummer Night, only not with so many people, in the more distant past. Usually, ones who used to make fun of folk magic... After such an encounter, it passed them by. This story took place less than 50 years ago, and these people were real, not a dream, not a vision... It's just that someone without magical experiences met a group he did not care about, so he had fun with them and didn't find it strange that he did not eat or drink anything. 

Despite the various rumors that have survived thus far across the Middle Ages and beyond,
I can say to have had a very good experience with these beings. They are not exactly easy to work with, as they tend to be as secretive as we can imagine secrecy to be, and perhaps that is why we find references that vary somewhat (especially when it comes to size and other physiognomic features). Understandably, these are humanoid beings, for whom it is theoretically debatable to what extent they are equal to the gods or somewhere below them.
I just want to say that, contrary to the notion in Slovak folklore, what I am describing in this article are not miniature beings that you would eat if they appeared in your salad. 

Who is who

The hidden folk

It is worth making a few things at least briefly clear. By the hidden folk, I mean the elven folk, represented by their king Oberon (sometimes Oberion), yes the one from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Its queen is Mab, sometimes called Titania. These beings are also found in Le Chansons de geste. Let's just say that medieval and Celtic influences were mixed into this concept. Mab may, according to some theories, be King Arthur's evil sister, the fairy Morgana. 

These beings are generally described as fairies and elves who are interested in humans and sometimes mix with them. They are interested in luring usually young people into their dwellings where humans become their captives. Elves often steal people's children and have a habit of exchanging them for their own children. The motif of how they can create illusions that make one feel like a king can be found in Susanna Clark's novels.

These beings can be worked with magically with certain limitations. The Elizabethan Grimoire discusses this. However, you will find more prayers in vulgarized Latin than about these beings, so if you are not really passionate about the subject, you will spend not very little money on a crude book that will take up space in your bookcase. 

Various concepts close to the Hidden folk are preserved in Scandinavian folklore from later times. Something like a bridge between álfar and the elves is represented by the álfar according to the Faroese legends. There were the good and extremely clever dwarves and the evil álfar, who exhibited traits such as sexually abusing humans, stealing human children, and trying to breed demi-alfar and demi-people, although, on the other hand, they kept a rather harsh distance from humans.

Tolkien's conception

Tolkien's elves represent a special chapter, because Tolkien has created a homogeneously consistent species of beings, for in the Eddas we encounter a somewhat ambiguously enigmatic approach. Tolkien created his elves, dwarves, and orcs with the understanding that he was a great expert in Norse and Celtic mythology. However, his conception, as far as the elven folk or álfar are concerned, cannot be relied upon. I think it was thoughtful of him to create his own creatures for the stories he wrote, rather than using existing mythology. 

You can only work magically with these beings based on a paradigm, like when you decide to work magically with Harry Potter. 

Álfar

Álfar or the beings of the Nordic worlds. For the purposes of this post, only briefly. We have álfar dark and light, each group inhabiting its own world. For the dark ones, there exists a description of the origins, we have a first ancestor mentioned, and there exists a name list of álfar, which overlaps and differs in parts in both Eddas. Occasionally in the sagas, we find
a name that is not on either of these lists. The dark álfar are also spoken of as dwarves at the same time as they are spoken of as gnomes, the consensus being that they were of male polarity only. However, we also find them named orcs because they could harm humans so effectively that they earned this name. It is assumed that when one speaks of the Alfheim, one is not referring to the dark álfar.

The light álfar do not have a similar list of names, in fact, we know nothing about them. However, there is a very interesting controversy as to whether it is a synonym for Vāns. Occasionally, there is a light alf in literature, but these beings are of both female and male polarity. Personally, I agree with that part of folkloristics that sees the Ases, Vāns, and Álfar, as distinct beings. In the light álfar we also encounter the label of gnome.

These beings can be worked with magically, for they have their inalienable place within the Yggdrasil system, which is ultimately why I see Álfar as necessary as the Ases and Vāns. The tradition speaks of álfarblótts at the very least.

My own experience

I have been working purposefully magically for three years with álfar and one year with Oberon, and I am extremely pleased with the results of working with these beings. Its strength is its immense practicality from a Midgard perspective. Midgard is the center, and within the axis, the álfar´s worlds are extremely close to it. Their cooperation leads to manifestation in the material plane and also to the sustainability of such an outcome and its refinement. The Old Norse system, however, requires working not only with the álfar but with the system in general. Let us say that my focus on these beings can be seen as a specialization. 

I will only briefly outline that the contribution of this work is manifested in aspects of practical life in particular, be it the setting of protection (e.g. before the energy field was tuned up a bit, cyclists were being thrown off their bikes and threatened to run into me), the viability of the ecosystem type garden, house plants, the good progress of various craft work, the regeneration of tissues, the strengthening of metabolism, the correction of various defects caused by time and gravity, the manifestation of the affairs of the other Nordic worlds in Midgard, as well as the securing and fixing of their influences. In terms of magical transformation, these are more than suitable beings. 

Understandably, cooperation with them does not work according to the goldfish model. Respectively, I have found that it is possible with the help of the more worthy ones to temporarily (less than 2 years) provide a stable environment with the prosperity of the harvest and of animals. It's just that they need a stable environment to do so (which they have failed to create due to fear of certain risks, as the more worthy ones are not in charge of this) and they also expect that whoever benefits from their influence is comprehensively dedicated to the North. So, they moved into my garden and have changed its character since spring. My lawn suddenly contains quite a few medicinal plants.  

The manifestation of the álfar´s worlds into matter consists in recognizing them in terms of altered states of consciousness, establishing good relations with their beings, and finding a place where the conditions are right for it. To say that the álfar are attached to the Czech landscape is illusory. It was on the day before Midsummer Night that I got to know what it is like when álfar decide to manifest in the environment. We chose the place unconsciously, only later did we appreciate its egregor. That otherwise accessible place became less accessible because of the storm. There were many people around, but no one was in that place. Then came the same feeling as in visions and dreams of álfar´s worlds. The feeling that something that doesn't seem feasible suddenly becomes a reality is very significant for one's own transformation, for getting closer to one's own etheric body.

It is not about time, about place, it is all about our personality. To choose the right time is to choose a time we trust. To choose the right place is to choose a place that is both fascinating and unfamiliar to us. Choose very carefully who you spend that time within that place. And last but not least, it is about our relationship with what we are working with. Understanding comes from getting to know each other, getting to know and being known. It's like a relationship. You can be with the wrong person and you will wither. Once you discover the right person, the real you will emerge. It's just a matter of whether you are willing to change yourself, sacrifice something, take a risk for that knowledge, and at the same time trust that it will all work out in your favor because you will find Yourself.