Playing with the Fairies
My heart filled with joy as I stood in my backyard earlier this month and looked at the expanse of Queen Anne’s Lace along the river. What a blessing it is to live next to a fairy playground!
I’m sure they’re in there. I haven’t seen them, but I can sense their presence – inviting me to play, dance, sing, and cherish Mother Earth in all her beauty.
Children here in Newfoundland were taught to fear fairies who would turn babies into changelings. Folks carried hard tack bread in their pockets for protection. But this was just another way to keep children from wandering too far at night.
I see fairies as keepers of the land. They connect us to our earthly roots and teach us the wisdom of nature. They’re healers – a big part of why we feel so much better after spending time in nature.
I’ve been more aware of fairy energy these days than usual. Maybe because it’s finally summer here.
Fairy Tea Party
Just a few weeks ago, during Summer Solstice, a group of us gathered in Bauline to celebrate the occasion with a Fairy Tea Party.
My new friend Maggie Power hosted it and longtime friend and collaborator Regina Wright led our fire ceremony.
We ate, danced, sang, laughed, and drummed.
It felt sooooo good to reconnect with Regina’s Destiny Drum. Of all my painted drums, I resonate most with the voice of this fire horse.
We then blew our concerns, troubles, prayers, and wishes into magic bubbles that we released into the Universe. Oh how I love bubbles!
And with reverence, we infused our thanks and wishes for Mother Earth into a beautifully crafted prayer stick that we added to the fire.
As Regina guided us in a musical fairy meditation, my visions came streaming in. I knew they held messages for the group and was welcomed to share a mini- Divine Storytelling Time to support them on their journey. The fairies had an unmistakable hand in that!
The whole afternoon was magical. It was playful. We radiated with joy.
I need to play more. Believe it or not, I’m way too serious!
What about you?
When was the last time you let your inner child out to play?
Trust me, it’s such a happy healthy thing to do.
Ask your heart: “How can I reconnect to that childlike joy today?”
Invite the fairies to relieve you of your troubles and to tickle your fancy so that you too can laugh and play.
EnJOY!
Hi Dominique, I love your painted drum. Is it a Remo? I have a remo I use for journeying and I want to paint on it, I am wondering how to go about that; does it need priming in some way, can I use acrylics, will it need sealing? etc. Any tips you can give would be appreciated. thanks <3
Hi Lucy, Yes indeed. It is a Remo – one of the 6 I painted a couple of years ago (see https://www.dominiquehurley.com/the-painted-drums-series/) . I sold them all so this was a good chance to see how they’re holding up and they’re doing great.
I did a lot of research before painting them. The company recommended I wipe them down with isopropyl rubbing alcohol to get rid of any dirt / manufacturing dust. I then used fluid Golden acrylics, the highest grade of acrylic paint and thin enough to apply in very thin coats, like glazes. I also used High Flow (almost like water, but the highest grade of acrylic, also by Golden), but only if I would glaze on top because I find that fluids seal in better. I wouldn’t use the heavy body paints or any of the cheaper paints with fillers because they’ll cake off – or have a higher risk of doing that.
Good luck and have fun. I so enjoyed that project and told myself I’d paint myself a Remo drum one day. It’s so humid in Newfoundland that skin drums have a hard time. I was super impressed with the sound quality of these.
P.S. I was advised against varnishing as that may affect the sound quality. Primer would be the same.
Thanks Dominique, I feel really inspired to paint on my drum now, especially as i now have some technical knowledge…and luckily a good selection of Goldens 🙂 xx