A Witch's Guide to Faery Folk is a superb piece of literature about the faeries. In the introduction, the author states: "No anthropologist, ethnologist or student of comparative religion has been able to find any culture which does not believe in the existence of a race of beings who live in a parallel world somewhere between the realm of deities and that of humankind, a realm which is often referred to as Faeryland. What's more amazing is that modern psychology and philosophy are now willing to give credence (albeit grudgingly) to the existence of this realm."

This excerpt from the introduction should tell you that this book is a must-read for anybody that has an interest in folklore of any group of people or from any country. It is a fantastic reference book or just for pleasure reading. You will find it hard to put this one down until you have read it all the way through. It also tends to hold your attention when you look something up. You get caught up in reading and end up going through the entire book again.

This book is divided into three major sections: "All About the Little People," "Working With Faery Beings" and "A Dictionary of Faery Folk of the World." The first section is packed with folklore about faeries from throughout the world, grouped by the countries and regions. It tells you where to look for faeries and how to call them into your area. It provides vital information on protecting yourself from the harmful effects of faeries. There is a lengthy explanation of how to take a guided meditation into Faeryland.

The second section provides instructions for spells and rituals and how to seek the assistance of faeries. There is a list of deities and their known faery sidekicks. The most intriguing part is the chapter on creating your own faery beings.

The final section has an alphabetical listing of the known faeries of the world. Each listings contains land of origin, other origins, other names, element, appearance and temperament, time most active, lore, where to find them, how to contact them and what magick and rituals they assist.

- Rambles
written by Alicia Karen Elkins
published 5 July 2003