Ep 59: The Burgundy Kingdom – Shropshire Fairies

This episode, full of childhood encounters, holds a particularly enchanting quality. As a sick child lies in bed, he is visited by pixies. On another occasion, at the end of the Second World War, a terrifying goblin appears at the end of his bed. A member of the same family later experiences a bedtime parade of magical wonders. Her resulting dream journeys to a ‘Burgundy Kingdom’ makes her wish dearly that she could return.

Some of those experiences are beautiful and wondrous while others are quite unsettling. A further reminder that this podcast is not suitable for children or for those who are sensitive to creepy content.

⭐️On the bonus episode we hear more about the history of the house including a particularly unnerving event which took place soon after the passing of its owner. In that same bonus we will hear about our guest’s experience at the famous 800 year old oak tree, Old Knobbly in Essex.⭐️

Main Image: ‘The Sleepless Child’ by H. Stratton from ‘Songs for Little People’ (1896)

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Warning: These are not fairytales. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for viewers and listeners 16 years and older. This show is unsuitable for children or anyone who might be sensitive to creepy content.

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If you enjoy the show, please consider sharing your favourite episodes with friends. Don't forget to rate and subscribe wherever you listen, and if you can, please support by joining The Curious Crew on Patreon

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Contact me at: scarlettofthefae@gmail.com
If you love the show and want support it and join our loving community you can find us at Patreon 

Ep 58: Professor Ronald Hutton’s Encounter with a Leannán Sídhe

Professor Ronald Hutton of University of Bristol

Professor Ronald Hutton, a leading expert on ancient and medieval paganism and magic, shares an Otherworldly encounter which took place near the Ring of Kerry on the west coast of Ireland, during his twenties.

We discuss his personal experience and he offers what traditional fairylore can tell us about modern encounters with the Unseen.

A video version of this interview is available on Patreon. An exclusive bonus episode will follow this coming week!

⭐️Join the Curious Crew to support the show and access bonus content on Patreon ⭐️

Please subscribe, rate and share this podcast 💚 

Warning: These are not fairytales. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for viewers and listeners 16 years and older. This show is unsuitable for children or anyone who might be sensitive to creepy content.

If you enjoy the show, please consider sharing your favourite episodes with friends. Don't forget to rate and subscribe wherever you listen, and if you can, please support by joining The Curious Crew on Patreon

Want to report a sighting?

Contact me at: scarlettofthefae@gmail.com
If you love the show and want support it and join our loving community you can find us at Patreon 

Ep 56: London Goblins Pt 2 “They Live Among Us”

Following Episode 55: Terrified by Goblins in my London Flat, in this second part of our interview, my guest reveals what was going on in her life at the time of the encounter. She describes the sense of trauma that these types of experiences can sometimes leave you with.

We also discuss her childhood and how home environment, family traditions and beliefs can encourage children’s imaginations to foster a sense of limitless possibility, which can continue into adulthood.`

⭐️ In the bonus episode on Patreon, we hear some further reflections from our guest about the location where the events took place. Join us there for just £3 a month and get access to the Discord group, Zoom chats and meet each other at exclusive events ⭐️

This episode features amazing FAN ART inspired by the previous episode by artist and listener of the show, Jonathan Dodd. Thank you Jonathan for allowing me to share your creation! Our guest said that she felt the artwork will either help listeners visualise the situation or give them nightmares! She said she remembers them, “looking a bit different to this (much more evil, dirty and intense) but the green bodies, angle and the window behind is really very good and it’s a wonderful picture.”

Main image: ‘The Goblins That Watch You Poo’ by Jonathan Dodd inspired by the previous episode.

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Warning: These are not fairytales. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for viewers and listeners 16 years and older. This show is unsuitable for children or anyone who might be sensitive to creepy content.

Show notes

Image Reddit: https://i.redd.it/mamehuq8as141.jpg

Hypnopompia

Our guest rising in the night to use the loo provides a potential hypnopompic aspect to the event. The state when we are still heavy with sleep and not quite awake is called hypnopompia relating to the Greek words hýpnos, meaning “sleep,” and pompḗ, meaning “a sending away”.

We may gain access to the unconscious mind during these times as we’re not fully integrated in the material world but hovering at an etheric level where we can access enlightening information and visions.

Visionaries such as Salvador Dali, Mary Shelley and Thomas Edison enlisted these states for inspiration, by holding objects in their hands while relaxing. When their hands became limp as they fell into a sleep state, the object’s falling clattering noise would arouse them. That altered state allowed them to access ideas and visions from deep within their consciousness.

Here’s a nice article on hypnogogia (altered state when going into sleep): https://lonerwolf.com/hypnagogia/

Old Maps Online

I mentioned this website https://www.oldmapsonline.org/ which can overlay historical maps with contemporary ones.

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If you enjoy the show, please consider sharing your favourite episodes with friends. Don't forget to rate and subscribe wherever you listen, and if you can, please support by joining The Curious Crew on Patreon

Want to report a sighting?

Contact me at: scarlettofthefae@gmail.com
If you love the show and want support it and join our loving community you can find us at Patreon 

Ep 55: Terrified by Goblins in my London Flat!

In 2018, after months of unusual phenomena in her London flat, a woman finally came face to face with the troublesome culprits. During a night time trip to the bathroom she was horrified to see two goblins, stacked one atop the other, peering at her from the threshold of the door. 

Since that time, she has struggled to come to terms with the reality of what happened.  In our western society, people are wholly unaccepting that these experiences take place, least of all that they could ever happen in urban areas. 

We discuss the events that finally led to that night, her relationship with the flat, which had always unnerved visitors and how the decision to share her story was not taken lightly. 

Is it purely location that invokes these visitations? What other factors are involved? We discuss aspects of liminality including thresholds, stages of life and geographical landmarks. 

In the bonus episode on Patreon, I narrate several other modern encounters which bear a striking resemblance to our guest’s experience. Join us there for just £3 a month and get access to the Discord group and regular events.

Main image: Created by the guest as a close likeness of the one of the goblins she saw in her flat.

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Warning: These are not fairytales. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for viewers and listeners 16 years and older. This show is unsuitable for children or anyone who might be sensitive to creepy content.

Show notes

Briggs, K. (1976) An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies and Other Supernatural Creatures. New York: Pantheon Books.

Bathing Fairies of Ilkley on Boggart and Banshee Podcast (Simon Young and Chris Woodyard)

Bord, J.  (1997) Fairies: Real Encounters with Little People. London: Michael O’Mara Books

Goblin Market, Christina Rossetti (composed in 1859 and published in 1862)

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If you enjoy the show, please consider sharing your favourite episodes with friends. Don't forget to rate and subscribe wherever you listen, and if you can, please support by joining The Curious Crew on Patreon

Want to report a sighting?

Contact me at: scarlettofthefae@gmail.com
If you love the show and want support it and join our loving community you can find us at Patreon 

Ep 53: Dartmoor Gnomes and Seer Lineage

Another delve into the original interview recordings I made in early 2017 when the Modern Fairy Sightings Project first launched.  Mark Norman and I were at the time researching for the Devon chapter in Simon Young’s book Magical Folk.

One particular woman responded to a poster I’d pinned up in Dartmoor, calling for people to contact with their fairy encounters! We spoke about her family history with fairies and her own understandings of the Otherworld. 

Later on in the show, I share more reported fairy sightings on Dartmoor featured in Janet Bord’s book, Fairies: Real Encounters with Little People.

In the bonus episode on Patreon, we explore  20th century Dartmoor folklore by Theo Brown, which mentions a few stories of sightings in Postbridge, not far from Bovey Tracey, where our guest had lived.

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Warning: These are not fairytales. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for viewers and listeners 16 years and older. This show is unsuitable for children or anyone who might be sensitive to creepy content.

Shownotes

Janet Bord’s Fairies: Real Encounters with Little People (1997)

Theo Brown’s Tales of a Dartmoor Village: Some Preliminary Notes of the Folklore of Postbridge (1973)

Susan Chittenden’s A Romance of Two Worlds (2021) (pls email me for Susan’s contact)

J. R. W. Coxhead – Devon Traditions and Fairytales (1959)

Edward L. Gardner: Fairies: A Book of Real Fairies (1974)

Marjorie T. Johnson’s (Simon Young ed) Seeing Fairies: From the Lost Archives of the Fairy Investigation Society, Authentic Reports of Fairies in Modern Times (2019)

Dermot MacManus Middle Kingdom: The Faerie World of Ireland (1980)

Simon Young’s Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies: 500AD to the Present (2020)


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If you enjoy the show, please consider sharing your favourite episodes with friends. Don't forget to rate and subscribe wherever you listen, and if you can, please support by joining The Curious Crew on Patreon

Want to report a sighting?

Contact me at: scarlettofthefae@gmail.com
If you love the show and want support it and join our loving community you can find us at Patreon 

Ep 52: Interview with Kate ‘Hare Girl’ Ray

I speak with paranormal investigator, Kate ‘Hare Girl’ Ray from her excellent YouTube podcast show, Hare in the Hawthorn.

Originally hailing from Nottingham, Kate has a particular interest in the Wollaton Gnomes case, and is a published author on the subject. She also writes for Haunted Magazine and creates magnificent mushroom-related art pieces in her spare time!

Kate shares a gnome encounter that took place in her teens at the Uffington White Horse and describes the time she acted as a mediator between a troubled home owner and an angry French Fae being, for the TV show Help my House is Haunted.  We also discuss the strange potency of this time we are living through. 

A video version of this episode will release on The Modern Fairy Sightings YouTube channel next weekend. 

 
In the bonus episode waiting for you on Patreon, Kate shares a shocking experience which left her terrified but offered a greater understanding and respect for the Fae.  Join us there for access to a whole back catalogue of bonus episodes.

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Warning: These are not fairytales. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for viewers and listeners 16 years and older. This show is unsuitable for children or anyone who might be sensitive to creepy content.

Shownotes

In the main episode, Kate describes a being she saw on the way down to Wayland Smithy from the Uffington Horse. Here’s what she created in its likeness:

Likeness of a Fairy Being seen by Kate Ray in the bushes near Wayland Smithy
By Kate HareGirl Ray of Hare in the Hawthorn

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If you enjoy the show, please consider sharing your favourite episodes with friends. Don't forget to rate and subscribe wherever you listen, and if you can, please support by joining The Curious Crew on Patreon

Want to report a sighting?

Contact me at: scarlettofthefae@gmail.com
If you love the show and want support it and join our loving community you can find us at Patreon 

Ep 51: The Brazilian Ent Fairy

A multiple witness sighting of a walking tree trunk in the grounds of a university in Brazil, in around 1999/2000.

A Brazilian man and his companion simultaneously observed the tree trunk walking along the side of the road. They caught up with it after losing sight and felt certain he had changed into an old man with leathery lined skin “like the tree trunk“.

It’s a fascinating share. I describe my own sighting of one of these beings, which I also witnessed with two other people. A further example of these stick men/Ents/tree men is described in Episode 4: Mysterious Illuminations, which again, was a multiple witness sighting. From reported observation in all three instances, these beings appear to have a notably strange or comical gait when they move.

This interview is from the archives. I began interviewing people about their fairy encounters in 2016 when folklorist, Mark Norman and I were researching for our Devon chapter in Magical Folk: British and Irish Fairies: 500 AD to the Present.
In those days, I conducted interviews on Skype, took notes and audio-recorded on my phone. I have since contacted this man and he is happy for his story to be shared on the podcast.

Main image: by MuddyColours.com at pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/1900024835299433/

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Warning: These are not fairytales. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for viewers and listeners 16 years and older. This show is unsuitable for children or anyone who might be sensitive to creepy content.

Show notes

This submission of a gnome appearing to change into a tree trunk, was made to The Fairy Society’s Fairy Census 2014 – 2017 collected by Dr Simon Young.

§18) England (Cornwall). Female; 1970s: I was on holiday in Cornwall with my family. I think I was about thirteen. We’d been on holiday in Cornwall before, and had joked about the ‘Little People’ who lived in the tin mines etc. I think we’d also bought souvenir Cornish Piskies in the past. The first proper day of our holiday we went for a walk on a clear sunny day. It was very rural; I remember we were walking down a grassy track with large banks of wild hedges running alongside. It could’ve been somewhere near Polperro. I am not sure. I was walking a few steps ahead of my mum and sisters, excited about having a whole week off, when I saw a gnome sitting by the side of the path. It was so unexpected; I think I remember feeling scared – or wondering if I was seeing things or going mad? I took another couple of steps and I saw his nut brown wizened face in detail. He was cheekily grinning at me. He had a mossy brown beard and dark brown shining eyes; he was wearing a peaked hat (brown) and a shiny jacket and trousers in shades of brown and ochre. I’d say he was about twelve- to fourteen-inches tall. I (literally) could not believe my eyes. I was even too amazed (dumbstruck is apt here) to turn around and tell my family to ‘look at the gnome’ by the path. Then the gnome cocked his head (again, cheekily), turned his back on me and kind of changed/melted (transmogrified??) into an old tree stump. This must’ve all happened in a second, just as I found the breath to say ‘Mum! Look…!’ But, of course, there was nothing to see but a tree stump. I felt really stupid then, so I ‘muttered something non-consequential as we walked past. I was almost panicking, trying to make sense of what I had just witnessed. I was quite shaken. It was a breathtaking experience. It seemed so silly, (and I felt so silly) that I didn’t tell anyone what I’d just seen. Yet I really believed I had witnessed a spirit of nature, or a gnome, or something… but I also felt stupid. Like a trick and been played on me, and I had fallen for it. I felt like the joke was on me and the gnome was having a laugh about it.’

The Fairy Census 2014 – 2017
http://www.fairyist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/The-Fairy-Census-2014-2017-1.pdf
An Ent from Lord of The Rings

This one is a similar description to our guest’s observation:

§39) England (Devon). Female; 2000s; aged 41-50 ‘Was sat on my stairs on the telephone looking out of the hall window that
looks across my front garden (no hedges), and onto the second main route into town. Time would be approximately 10.30 pm but visibility is good on the road as it is the secondary main route into the town centre. The road was quiet as it is a seaside town
and it was out of season. The road is well lit by streetlights. As I was talking on the telephone I watched a ‘tree-man’ walk slowly down the road. There were no hedges in my field of vision and I could clearly see any foliage that is across the road in the
gardens opposite as ‘he’ walked past them. This tree-man took so long (approximately up to two minutes) to pass I actually had time to mention it to my husband on the telephone and describe what I was seeing. The figure was approximately seven-foot tall, slim, I could clearly see a trunk like body from the waist up, branch-like arms and a quite haggard face with short branches coming from the top of the head and sides, but not like a true tree, they didn’t seem to taper to twigs. It walked in a measured way, as though putting one foot down and then making effort to pull forward, arms swinging. The figure was slightly leaning
forwards. It passed my field of vision and I stood up to look down the road, but next door’s hedge blocked my view. I did not feel it was threatening in any way, but it just seemed to be going about its business.’

The Fairy Census 2014 – 2017
http://www.fairyist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/The-Fairy-Census-2014-2017-1.pdf

Subscribe, rate, review and share the wonder ❤️✨

If you enjoy the show, please consider sharing your favourite episodes with friends. Don't forget to rate and subscribe wherever you listen, and if you can, please support by joining The Curious Crew on Patreon

Want to report a sighting?

Contact me at: scarlettofthefae@gmail.com
If you love the show and want support it and join our loving community you can find us at Patreon 

Ep 49: Artist, Brett Manning discusses dreams, inspirations and magic rabbits

Brett’s book is available on Etsy

A beautiful in-depth chat with Brett Manning – a well known and much admired artist of the strange. Her new book, One Foot in the Green presents insightful and characterful interpretations of the Fae and cryptid beings. 

Brett’s sense of the Otherworld is inspired by her own dreams and personal experiences.  This chat is a really generous and open hearted discussion about her relationship with these beings and their realms. 

Connect with Brett’s work on Instagram at BrettManningArt and BrettisaGirl on Etsy. 

Hop over to the Patreon BONUS EPISODE to hear excerpts from Brett’s book, One Foot in the Green.

Brett Manning’s Art

Content warning: These are not fairytales and the content is unsuitable for children. Some episodes may contain details which some may find unsettling or frightening. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for listeners 16 years and older.

Please do subscribe, rate and share this episode and support the podcast by joining Patreon if you can. Thank you 

Podcast intro music: Transmutate by Snowflake (c) copyright 2020 Licensed. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Modern Fairy Sightings Green Man Artwork: Peter Hall Studios

Ep 48: Santa is Real and he landed in Washington State!

A man from Washington State describes hearing Santa’s Sleigh land on his roof complete with the sounds of sleigh bells, hooves, a heavy sack and footsteps!

 At the time he was a 20 year old college student. He had never held any strong belief in Santa and his family generally took a skeptical view on strange phenomena. To this day, he hasn’t told his family but like many others, he is sure of what he heard.

 We all have a ‘boggle threshold’ –  where the idea of extraordinary phenomena is repelled by our brain’s filter of improbability, based on our beliefs, experiences and willingness to consider what has previously remained outside our knowledge and level of understanding. 

I had heard stories of people seeing and hearing Santa before but this is the first time I’ve spoken to someone about their experience.  It turns out that many people have had similar experiences, either in childhood or as adults.

 This was an enlightening chat for me and it has brought a sense of unexpected magic to this holiday. For that I am very grateful. I hope you enjoy it too.

 Merry Yuletide One and All  ✨🎅🎄❤️

Content warning: These are not fairytales and the content is unsuitable for children. Some episodes may contain details which some may find unsettling or frightening. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for listeners 16 years and older.

Shownotes

Looking for more Father Christmas / Santa Claus experiences? You will love this article

The two links that our guest shared are here:

https://610kona.com/this-area-has-the-most-ufo-sightings-in-washington-why/

https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2022/07/28/washington-state-ufo-sightings

Some further shared encounters:

I didn’t hear the sledge hitting the roof but I definitely heard the sleigh bells and so did my two children. It was Xmas eve and I was putting them to bed, it was just after I said you better get to sleep quickly as Santa will be here soon, at that exact moment we distinctly heard sleigh bells on the roof. My two children who were around 3 and 6 years old at the time went wide eyed and said ‘he’s here!’ and closed their eyes tight to go to sleep. It was very magical for us and only happened the once.

Anonymous member of The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast Facebook Group (Nov, 2022)

I did see him once. My mother had mentioned him coming to visit us that night and I looked out of my bedroom window. The moon was high in the sky and I saw what looked to me like a sleigh and reindeer fly beneath the moon at a very fast speed.

I told everyone about it, but they never believed me. I learned quickly to keep my experiences to myself.

Anonymous member of The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast Facebook Group (Nov, 2022)

Want to report an extraordinary experience?

Contact me at: scarlettofthefae@gmail.com

Upcoming Events for Patrons and Listeners of the show:

Join us for a Fairy Tea Ritual Workshop with Todd Grube, experiencer and ‘mystic mover’ on January 7th or January 14th



Todd is also offering a six-week Shamanic Qigong workshop to aid connection with nature spirits, starting at the end of January.

This event is exclusive to members of the Patreon group. Join the community for just £3 a month to support the show, get bonus episodes every fortnight and take part in events.

Become a Patron!

Podcast intro music: Transmutate by Snowflake (c) copyright 2020 Licensed. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Modern Fairy Sightings Green Man Artwork: Peter Hall Studios

Main image featured: Vintage illustration of Santa Claus and his sleigh landing on a roof, 1940s-1950s.

Fae Connection Tea Ceremony Online Workshop with Todd Grube

Saturday 7th January 2023 19:00 – 20:30 (GMT) and
Saturday 14th January 2023 09:00 – 10:30 (GMT)

Tickets £25.00 Book your space on Eventbrite

☕️Tea meditation or Cha-dao is a ancient form of Shamanic meditation practice from south China which uses the plant medicine, Camellia Sinensis or tea!

🧚‍♂️It has been used by shamans, healers and Taoist for around 20,000 years as a tool to communicate with gods, Fae, elementals, guides, Star people and power animals.

🌱Tea is a plant teacher and medicine which helps open you to receive messages and even communicate with different Fae and light beings.

Todd Grube – Tea Ritual Teacher and Mystic Mover

🌟In this workshop Todd will talk about:
the history of tea : how to do a tea meditation : which teas to use for tea meditations : philosophy of tea meditation : how to use tea as a medicine and to connect with the Fae and light beings.

✨We will run a ritual ceremony during the workshop followed by an opportunity to share our experiences and ask questions. The whole workshop will be 1.5 hours

☕️ 🧚🏻‍♂️✨🧚🏻‍♂️✨🧚🏻‍♂️☕️

Todd has previously discussed his extraordinary experiences with Fae and other non-human beings on The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast.

You can hear Todd talk about tea in this episode:

Book your space on Eventbrite

For more information contact scarlettofthefae@gmail.com or
https://www.facebook.com/todd.grube.3