Lesovik: Faemore's Patron Deity

Lesovik is a very ancient being, one who has been there from the very sprouting of the primal Russian forest - for in a strange way, Lesovik is the forest. Some say he rules it and all that live within it. Some say he looks like a man, and is small and covered with fur, while others have said he is tall, with the horns and hooves of a goat. I see him as above, very otherworldly in manifestation and manner, with a crown of antlers upon his head and a goddess spiral upon his brow. Lesovik's eyes are deep, discerning and a bright, brilliant green. He is bearded and his beard is of living vines and grass, ivy and foliage. His body is liminal, a tall and willowy torso joined at the waist to the withers of a horse. He smiles with a smile that is unfriendly, but never cruel.



Lesovik is a magickal creature as changeable as the forest, very similar to sunshine on a leaf. He is also as full of wily tricks as the forest is of leaves. Sometimes these pranks can be fatal. Sometimes he can be dangerous. He doesn't like hibernating in the Winter and breaks forth in the Spring with such violence, that no mortal would wish to encounter him, not even his devotees. Most of the time though, his pranks are not meant to be harmful. Not to anyone who does not harm the forest, that is. And he truly does enjoy a visit from any human who can tell a joke silly enough to make him laugh out. Lesovik, whom I fondly refer to as Leshy, is the male woodland spirit in traditional, pagan Slavic mythology, who protects wild animals and forests and is my Patron Deity.



Leshy is a strange creature, the very soul of the forest, with blue blood, a long, grassy beard, bushy eyes brows and bulging green eyes. Leshy appears as a man and is tall, but he is also a shape-shifting forest divinity and a changeling, and can change his form, height and size into any animal or plant at will. He can shift from being a small, thin blade of grass when moving through open fields to a very tall, imposing tree when in the forest, but either way he will have no shadow. His hair and beard are made from living grass and vines and he has antlers, a tail and cloven hooves. Lesovik's skin is pale white or blue and contrasts with his vivid, brilliant green eyes and beard. He holds close bonds to the grey wolf - the king of the beasts in Slavic folklore, and the owl, and is seen in their companionship often.



A traveller to the vast forest can hear Lesovik whistling, shrieking, singing or cackling somewhere in the distance through the trees. He is the Forest Lord and carries a club to express that he is the master of the wood. Leshy is the King of the Forest and Lord of the Slavic Wilds. He is like an old tree, green and tentacled with tendrils and colored earthen like its trunk. He is like a harvest mouse, passing unnoticed through the under growth. He is like a whirlwind, with leaves dancing in its core. He is like the owl, or the wolf, who is his constant companion, powerful and wise. Leshy has hair like ivy and a long, thin face, with a bright, cold look. He makes taiga sounds, sounds of the boreal forest, such as owl's call, wind howl, rain falling, leaves rustling and stirring in a breeze and echoes heard amongst trees.



Lesovik is the protector of all animals and birds in the forest. Mass migration happens at his instruction. When he is in human form, he looks like a common peasant but his eyes glow, his shoes are worn on the wrong feet and his coat is button on backwards. In some tales he appears to travellers as a large talking mushroom. Leshy will teach a person the secrets of magick if they befriend him, but he has many tricks, including leading peasants astray, tickling them to death and hiding the axes of woodcutters. If Lesovik crosses the path of a person in the forest, he can make them lose their way in an instant. To find the way out, you have to turn your clothes inside out and wear your shoes on the opposite feet. Leshy is a terribly mischievous creature, with a somewhat jealous spirit. He has a horrible cry, and imitates the voices of people familiar to wanderers to lure them back to his cave.



Leshy removes signs from their posts in his domain. Although he enjoys misguiding humans and kidnapping beautiful maidens, he is not evil, and is known to keep grazing cattle from wandering too far into the forests and getting lost. As one walks through the forest, Lesovik is the crackle of leaves one hears behind, and the presence one sometimes feels watching, from a small distance. He leads travellers astray in the woods, making them circle round and round until every tree begins to look the same and landmarks melts away. However, Leshy would almost always release them if they invert some aspect of their nature (such as their clothing), which is a sure way to break his enchantment. Sometimes a good joke just might persuade him to let you be. Still Lesovik has a temper and will not hesitate to send a person into the dark forest to their death, if they cross him.



Lesovik is linked to the life of the forest, dying in the fall, returning angry and vicious in the Spring, and always ready and rearing to make mischief. Hunters and woodmen knew they would be forced to abandon their original path, meeting grave and dire peril, if they carefully listened to Leshy's call. Every single noise could disguise an obscure danger. He often lives on branches, sleeping like a baby in a cradle. One can hear him laugh, cry or sigh in his sleep. At the height of his power however, Lesovik is a wild and capricious sovereign, as ambiguous and complex as the forest herself. Late in autumn, before he takes his underground refuge, all the animals run away from Leshy's destructive rage. In summer time however his temper improves a lot, and he would sometimes put the path-signs back in their places, help wayfarers to find their way and guide a lost child back home to its village.



On the contrary however, at other times Lesovik would amuse himself by carrying a traveller to the wrong track, leaving him in the middle of marshes and on the edge of fearful precipices. Now pleasant, then terrorising, Leshy's laughter was able to cross over forest borders. Walking in his woods are risky. You can try to get into his good graces by offering him bread and salt as a promise of eternal friendship. Bread is the symbol of life, and salt with its preserving properties, is a the symbol of eternity and the steadfastness of earth. Of course Lesovik is only one of the bewitching creatures living within wild, earthy places, and inhabiting my forest. I know he is weird and eldritch, scary and frightening, but the most dangerous quality of my Patron Deity is his alluring and captivating, enchanting and enthralling call to my soul ... through the trees.

Brightly-spun breezes,
Faemore Lorei.

The Otter

The very first time I laid eyes on an Otter that I can remember was on the cover issue of National Geographic World Magazine (the kids' version of the famous magazine - they now have NatGeo Kids and World is aimed at teens).

In April of that year, I got a large parcel in the mail, not knowing what it was - My dad had bought be the subscription as a belated ninth birthday gift. I opened the packet and there among all my membership papers, was the magazine that would be my lifeline for another nine years until I graduated to the adult National Geographic.

In September, I opened my envelope as usual, all excited to read that month's issue. The sweetest little face I had ever seen was staring at me from the magazine cover.

The lead story was covering the ravages of the Oil Spills on otters (there had been three major oil spill that year alone, and of course the infamous Exxon oil spill just a year and a half before).

The pictures on the inside made my heart ache - there were ducks and other birds covered in crude oil that clumped their feathers and thus made them chill to the point of hypothermia, and that poisoned them as they tried to clean their feathers of the muck; the dead fish washing up on the beach by the thousands; the sand stained black by oil.

But the images that just shattered my heart into a milion pieces were the title story photos: A little sea otter, covered from head to toe in oil, her eyes almost glued shut by the black muck.

She was freezing and almost dead because, like the birds, the oil clumped her thick fur, rendering her natural insulation useless and letting the freezing water all the way to her skin. She was sick from swallowing oil and was listless. There were photos of her being washed, as I remember it was a lengthy process because she, like most other survivors, had to be washed several times, dried in between washings to check for more oil and residue. She was handled carefully because they didn't know if she was cut or had anything broken from slipping around in the oil. And all throughout, the fire in her eyes burned bright, even when they were obscured by oil and she could barely move.

The image of the otter on the front cover of the World magazine is something that has stayed with me these past 20 years and burns brilliantly in my mind. It was the pivotal image that imprinted Otters into my brain. Ever after that I was always aware of them, whenever they were on TV or in a magazine. Sometimes I would just switch channels "absent-mindedly", for no particular reason, to the NatGeo or Discovery channels and there would be an otter or two, playing or eating or floating on their backs, soaking up the sun.

From the moment I first saw her, I felt an affinity for Otters. Their playfulness, their resilience, their friendliness and gentleness with each other and with other animals, and the sparkle in their eyes. It wasn't until earlier this year, when Faemore and I were on separate quests for our spirit guides and totem animals, that my mind turned immediately to the Otter, and then to the Cat, to whom I been connected on a deep spiritual level for as long as I can remember. I set about trying to determine what these animals meant to me, and I started with the Otter.

I believe that my totem animal is an animal whose general behaviour I can emulate, and which is a symbols of the elements, attributes and traits that should govern my life and spirit. I also believe my totem to be a symbol of my ancestors. I do believe that a person can have several totem animals, but I believe that one or two will have prominence for you general life. I also believe that we both choose our totem and it chooses us. We can be aware of our totems for a very long time and not realize that it is actually the symbols of our existence. The Otter is a perfect example of this for me: I have always loved her, she chose me long ago from the minute I laid eyes on her, but it is only recently that I chose her too.

Through meditation, I have come to understand that the otter is my totem animal. Completely separate to that, in Native American folklore, I was born under the sign of the Otter.

The Otter is a symbol of Joy, of primal feminine energy. She is both an earth and a water creature, and embodies the qualities of these two elements. Because of her balanced feminine and healing energy, the hide of the otter was the material of choice for a Native American Medicine Woman's pouch.

The otter teaches us that balanced feminine energy is not catty or jealous, but it is sisterly and generous, She has no fear of replacement and feels no envy at the accomplishments of her sisters. She teaches us to go with the flow, to be curious, to enjoy Life's tide, the play in the waves and revel in the water's rush, until we find a steady spot of land to rest.

She awakens our inner child, beckons us to frolic and delight in the gifts of the water. She is a symbol of sensuality: long, sleek and graceful, otters are natural flirts and courtship is an engaging and exciting exercise. She is referred to as coquiettish and fun. She is mischeivous and boisterous. She is innocence and joy.

Though she is non-confrontational, the otter is a fierce protecress of her young. She understands the beauty of nurturing others and sharing their joy. Otters form strong familial bonds and large family groups, travelling together and usually remaining together for life.

She teaches us the freedom and wonder of love without jealous or fear.

As a Birth Sign, the otter is influenced by Air, and she brings many of her totem attributes, plus a few more. According to Native Americans, whose wisdom and lore I love and respect, I am an Otter, born on February 9th.

The Otter born is an Air Child, which accounts for her flexibility, communication, intelligence, creativity and wealth of ideas. She belongs to the Clan of the Butterfly (another animal I have long been fascinated by). This explains her free spirit and verbal skill, but also her indecision and the tendency to waste her energies.

An Otter is born under a time when the North Wind Blows and the ground is frozen, but underneath the ice there teems vitality. The sun's power is increasing and the promise of renewed life is invigorating.

Knowing intuitively that nature will soon bring forth new and splendid life, the Otter Born is full of hope and confidence. She is intellectually active, well-liked and alruistic. She has a very keen sense of justice and cannot tolerate the fact that very priviledged people exist side-by-side with people who are poor and suffering. Otter borns are revolutionaries and rebels.

The Otter born is cooperative and capable of positively influencing the team spirit in groups and organizations. Friendship and solidarity are very important for her. She will share or even give away her last shirt when a someone is in need. She is sociable and playful.

Otter borns tend to to be idealistic and fond of utopian ideas, but they embody the things they would like to see come to pass. They are proud and unconventional, loyal and loving, brilliant and often misunderstood.

In Love and in Life, the Otter born needs freedom to express her romantic nature as well as her practicality. The Otter born is faithful and free-spirited in love, and loves with her whole heart.

She is represented by the colour silver, the mineral turquoise, and is at her best in the middle of the day and the middle of the night.

I am an Otter Born, and the Otter is my totem.

Faeries: Part 1

Faeries have forever been my fascination. From the time I was a young child they
were family and friends, adversaries and lovers, home and the world. I listened to their whispers in the green rustling of sunlight-dappled leaves. I looked at their faces in the gnarled roots and gnome holes, in the twisted trunks and canopied branches. My eye espied them in earthen cracks and caverns and cannons, and in deep, dark, nether places, desolate places where human eye would never dare to fall. I heard their song wafting through the tinkling warmth of pearlescent breezes. I heard their songs wafting through the gentle shadows and mists of my dreams. I felt them in my heart because we shared the same heart. They were not Other kin. They were My kin. They still are. And to this day I still listen and look, espy and experience, learn and live and love the secrets they share with me even now.



Faeries are children of Earth and they are as myriad-faceted as Nature herself. They are differentiated in shape and size, character, form and personality. They are utterly unfettered to corporeal manifestation, through which they may reveal themselves when they so wish to. The origin of their name, like their being, is incongruous and obscure. Faerie derives from the Latin fatum, acknowledging the talents faeries have for divining and influencing human destiny. Faerie encompasses both their art of enchantment as well as the entire realm in which faeries have their being. The Good People as they are at times called, held a significant place in a world where each tree had a name and every deer was recognised, known and even called to. They were countless and very powerful. They played a pivotal part in daily living. Now however, the realm of faerie is not so frequently found or so easily explored.



The shadow lands still lie veiled in the heath. Children, poets, psychics and healers oftentimes unearth them without even realising it. Those gifted with the second sight and humans at one and attuned with nature will have these realms and the beautiful being within revealed to them. Although the doorways and gateways to Faerie are elusive, they can be still discovered. The world and ways of Faerie are so fathomless I cannot wish to write an all-inclusive article. However I hope to touch on enough to expose you reader to the entrances of Faerie. Whether or not they open the door and let you in, whether or not you step over the threshold and enter in, is up to you. I will speak of signs and times, places and habitats, and the nature spirits of the earth. Take from it what you will.



Signs of Faerie Approach and Presence

A whirlwind or dust devil
An unexplained loss of time
The bending of grass blades with no perceptible cause
Extreme silliness and times of uncontrollable laughter
Sudden unexplained trembling or whispering of the leaves
Sudden unexplained chills or goose pimples when alone in nature
The feeling of an insect walking through your hair, when there is none
A rippling of the water when not caused by fish, a breeze or something tangible

The Best Times for Faerie Approach - All of the "tween times"



Dawn
Dusk
Noon
Midnight
Equinoxes and Solstices

The Best Places for Faerie Approach - All of the "tween places"

Islands
Lakeshores
Thresholds
Tidal pools
Glades in woods
Bends in the Road
Where streams divide
Beaches and Seashores
Intersections of roads
Fences and Border Hedges
Any opening in sea or land
Stairwells, landings and hallways
Grates, Portals, Doors and Gateways



Habitats of Nature Spirits

Faerie cannot be seen by the vulgar eye. However the eye of the child can see Faerie naturally. This is why it does me well to keep my inner child alive and happy. Faeries live everywhere and nowhere. They are always in woodlands, forests and fields, and living within hollow oak trees. They can be found between bushes, in caves and under water, around lakes and streams. They can be found beneath human dwellings and even within them. They are always found wherever there are manifestations of nature. Faerie mounds, raised areas upon the ground, indicate their underground habitats. Faerie rings, areas of grass marked by a circular perimeter of some kind, indicate the places where they play.



The spirits of nature talk to us oftentimes without us ever realising it, as they exist within all elements of nature: earth and water, air and fire. When you take a walk in nature and catch the whiff of a pine as you pass the tree they talk to you. When you catch the fragrance of a flower while those you are walking with do not, they talk to you. When a tree rustles on a still day while you pass beneath it, they talk to you. When there is a ripple in a pond or creek just as you sit down beside it, they talk to you. When a bird comes and sings especially to you, they talk to you. Their presence and touch are soft and subtle. They teach us how not to take anything for granted. They teach us to appreciate them and to take joy in all things. They will make their presence known and your bonds with them will strengthen with constancy. I will leave you here for now. In Faeries: Part 2 I will write about the nature spirits of the Earth.

Merry meet again and blessed be,
Faemore Lorei.

Faeries: Part 2

Nature Spirits of the Earth

Nature spirits of the earth include tree and wood elves, flower and field faeries, dwarfs who inhabit rocks and caves and mounds and all of those of the faerie realm who live close to the earth. It includes the leprechauns of Ireland, the brownies of England, the kobolds of Germany,the nisse of Scandinavia and the Vilas of Russia.

Appearance of Nature Spirits

They are often reclusive
They have a stunted nature
They hoard great treasures
They are often master craftsmen
They are masters of incantation
They have a strong kinship with the Earth
They are the masters of the mundane elements
They have a great understanding of the primal forces of nature
They often provide mortals with assistance and gifts, both of which are usually touched with magick



Nature spirits often take on the customs and appearances of the local environment. They are masters of all the elements, and the tiniest of creations upon the Earth are part of nature spirit magick. From the colouring of a simple flower to the creation of great caverns, the nature spirits are overseers of much of the natural world. Faeries and elves are linked to their natural locale, and thus rarely travel far from their home tree, herb, hedge, plant, shrub, flower, brook or mound. They are as varied in their sizes and appearances as they are in their tasks. There are many kinds of faeries and elves working with the Earth and its various elements. Most of them that we encounter work in assisting things to grow. Most still hide themselves from humans, and will often take the shape of butterflies and birds to do so.



Sometimes the fertility of the land falls under the domain of field faeries and elves, who are its guardians. They resent not being asked to make changes in the landscape, and they can teach some tough lessons as a result. Another part of the earth spirit realm is the flower faeries. These are always present in areas where there are flowers, both wild and domestic. Rock and stone spirits are also common, more so than what is often imagined. Every stone and crystal has its very own faerie or elf. Most of the rock spirits have a great antiquity about them, and great stone devas can be found in major rock formations. These beings hold the keys to prophecies and magick. Trees not only have their own individual spirit, but they also serve as homes to whole communities of faeries, elves and dwarfs. Different faeries, elves and dwarfs attach themselves to different trees. Elves are often born directly into a tree and will take on the energies and characteristics of that particular tree into which they were born.



Those beings and spirits of the Earth, no matter where they manifest, are crucial to the evolution of humanity. They maintain the Earth and everything upon it so that we may have a place to grow and become. They are here to aid us in our initiation into the earth element. Anything of the Earth implies form, shape, weight and matter. Part of what the faeries and elves of the earth element can teach us is that matter is not dead, but very much alive. They can teach us to be practical builders of life. They can teach us how to make things grow properly and in harmony with each other. They can teach us about our feminine energies and how we are connected to the Earth through the things that are growing upon and within it, just as a child developing in the womb is connected to its mother through the umbilical cord. The faeries and elves of the earth element can teach us how to place people before things. There are many gifts and rewards to learning how to connect with the faeries and elves of the element Earth.



There is so much more to the realm of Faerie than these words here. Some knowledge and truths cannot be taught and told, but must be learned and experienced for oneself. I hope these articles have aided in illuminating the entrance of Elphame for you, and in the very least has directed you towards the doorway to that magickal place. May their magick be with you as it is with me - for my world is Faerie, and faeries are my world.

Blessed be,
Faemore Lorei.