As Christians we are all aware of the stories in scripture about people encountering angels and even warnings about encountering angels unaware. Did you know that in the Faerie Traditions, these encounters read one and the same? The answer of course is quite plain for those who are well versed in divine council worldview. The Faeries of the Otherworld are indeed a choir of Angelic beings often attributed to The Virtues. In their proper station they are the gears and moving parts of creation. They tend gardens, change seasons, carry the winds and the tides, tend to the orbits of celestial bodies and more. As mentioned in previous articles, the fall took a sampling of all Angelic Choirs, The Virtues included, this is where we get our fallen Faerie counterparts, the Goblins.
Just like the Angels looking very human like in appearance, in ancient traditions the Faeries of old looked very much the same. Images of pixies and sprites and little people were later manifestations but the closer you get to the events of Genesis 6 the more the Faeries resembled the Angelic forces that they truly are. It’s only now cloaked and clothed in the natural elements do we see the beings we know today.
Scripture talks about Angels walking among mankind witnessing the comings and goings of Earth and also being go betweens between Man and the Heavenly Realm. When Scripture talks about entertaining Angels unaware it speaks of a spiritual crossroads, a sort of “what would you do?” test. Say you come upon what looks to be a man asking for food or clothing or money, you’re judged on if you grant him hospitality or send him away empty. The man being an Angel in disguise. The same sort of encounters are prominent with the Fae!
Many stories speak of these human like beings sitting along roadsides and pathways, knocking on doors and showing up at odd times in the day asking for general help with a task or asking for food or a drink or a bit of change. Depending on how one would respond to these visits, they were either gifted tremendously for their hospitality or cursed for their selfishness and greed. Often whisked away to the otherworld forever in rare cases of punishment.
You can think of the choirs of Angels ascending from interfacing with humanity to interfacing with God himself. These ascending levels also bring appearances and manifestations that represent their relation and closeness to each end of the spectrum. The closer you work with humanity the more human like your appearance. The closer you work with God himself the more “otherly” your appearance. It’s why the Angels mankind are so familiar with resemble men and women with wings. They work with us, tend to us and therefore they look like us.
Stories still persist today of Angelic and Faerie encounters of this nature alike. I have a few stories of my own where I’ve been approached for food and agreed and a man smiled and disappeared right before my eyes at church. These kinds of encounters are very common outside the western church because they are seen for what they are there. Here in the west with all our distractions and eyes on our feet, how often do we encounter these beings without realizing it? Something to think about for sure.