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    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014

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    2

    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014

    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014

    faeriemag.com 3 faeriemag.com

    We hope this issue finds youon a coz y autumn day , perhaps near a re or asimmering pot of cider, watching the earth erupt into a riot of color. This is one of our favoritetimes atFaerie Magazine , and we hope youll nd this issue full of autumnal delightseven if

    you yourself are sitting on a beach or hanging out by an iceberg (as some mermaids will be doingin our winter issue, out in December!). Were especially excited to feature a gorgeous Baba Yagastory byWicked author Gregory Maguire, with illustrations by Faerie favorite Charles Vess.What could be more autumnal than Baba Yaga, riding about on her broom? (Also: watch our

    Facebook page for exciting news about Mr. Vess and one Neil Gaiman very soon!) Autumn is also a time for delicious, soul-warming scents, like cinnamon and cloves, both

    featured in The Spice Trail Leads to 12 Bottle Bar. Scents abound in this issue: newFaerie editor-at-large Laren Stover investigates woodland fragrances; Paul Himmelein talks to Karl Bradlabout pomegranate perfumery;Faerie columnist Lord Whimsy discusses the etiquette of faeriescent; and even glamorous interviewee Alan Cumming mentions his favorite perfume. Were doingour best to enchant you with each page, through each one of your sensesyou may even catch awhiff of cinnamon or two as you ip through.

    Some of you may be joining us atFaerie for the rst time. We hope youll consider subscribingand/or telling your friends about us. And that youll visit us at our ever-growing Facebook page,where we share the most stunning images we can nd, and on Faeriemag.com, where we shareour readers stories on the Faerie Blog and sell gorgeous, hand-picked items from talented artisans.

    If youre a long-time reader, we thank you for your love and support! This issue is, for the rsttime, in all Barnes & Noble stores in the US; at the same time, our international distribution isexpanding so that people all over can experience a little more enchantment, sprinkled in to the everyday. As always, wed love to hear from you. Send us a note at [email protected] or write to one

    of us individually.Were always looking for wonderful new stories.

    xoxo,Carolyn, Kim, and Anna

    [email protected]@faeriemag.com

    [email protected]

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    4 faeriemag.com 5 faeriemag.com

    96 From our ReadersWhats your favorite thingabout autumn?

    Home, Fashion, &Beauty

    4 Perfumed pleasuresby Laren Stover

    5 WearableenchantmentsStephanie Dosenof Tiny Owl Knits ,interviewed by Grace Nuth

    20 We love moss!by Carolyn Turgeon and

    Meredith Clarke

    26 make a magicalmoss tablescapeby Coriann Bright

    66 Forbidden fragrances:Pomegranate Perfumesfrom the Templeof Beauty by Paul

    Himmelein

    70 mori girl, child ofthe forest by Grace Nuth

    Fiction, Poetry, &Essays

    12 the lost dayoriginal ction by Gregory

    Maguire, illustrated byCharles Vess

    68 lady in the meadsby Grace Nuth

    80 fairy taleinspirationby Eliza Granville

    88 Spellboundby Anne Caston

    Issue 28 Autumn

    62 FORBIDDEN FRUIT, thetemptation of thepomegranate

    46 The SPICE TR IL leadsto 12 bottle bar

    82 Conversation with thePied Piper of Cabaret in HisYellow Dressing Rooms

    SPECI L FEatuRES

    18 the florencegriswold museum'swee faerie villageby Meredith Clarke

    40 The spice trailleads to 12 bottle barby David Solmonson and

    Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

    54 Talliston house,an Exploration ofFictional History byGrace Nuth

    62 forbidden fruit,the temptation of thepomegranateby Paul Himmelein

    82 a conversationwith the pied piper ofcabaret Laren Stoverinterviews Alan Cumming

    Columns

    17 Lord Whimsy,on Faerie Fragrances

    93 Faeries' talesan interview with Brian andWendy Froud

    70 MORI GIRL, child of the forest28 The Enchanted world ofkaterina plotnikova

    20 We Love Moss - Mossytips, ideas, and inspiration!

    FOUNDER aNd PUBLISHER

    Kim CrossEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

    Carolyn TurgeonCReatIVE DIRECTOR

    Anna Vorgul Deputy EDITOR

    Grace NuthEditor-at-large

    Laren Stover Editorial assisstants

    Meredith Clarke, Maria Landschoot

    office manager

    Michael Bowman

    VOLUME 28 | Autumn 2014

    CONTRIBUTORS

    Coriann Bright, Anne Caston, Brian Froud, Wendy Froud, Eliza Granville, Paul Himmelein, Gregory Maguire, David

    Solmonson, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, Lord Whimsy

    RTISTS A PHOTOGR PHERS

    Amaris Photography, Amarisphoto.deviantart.com Rebecca Beam, Ravelry.com/designers/rebecca-beam Lisa Grif n Photography, Lisagrif nphotography.com

    Margarita Kareva, Kareva-margo.com Freddie Ochoa,Vimeo.com/freddieochoa

    John Roger Palmour, Flickr.com/people/ugardener Erica Peerenboom Photography, Ericapeerenboom.com

    Mark Peterson, Markpetersonpixs.comSimon Raymonde, Amazingradio.com/shows/simonraymonde

    Redux Pictures, Reduxpictures.comCharles Vess, Greenmanpress.com

    Rebecca Barron John Campion

    Josh Cohen Kathleen Copeland

    Cheryl Prevost Steven Wilson

    Jessica Zeedyk

    contact us:[email protected] Oak Studios

    P.O. Box 26452Gwynn Oak, MD 21207

    FAERIEmagazine Want your ad to appear on the pages ofFaerie Magazine or on Faeriemag.com?

    Contact us at:

    advertising @faeriemag.com We can show you just how easy andaffordable it is to advertise with us!

    We offer ad space at every size and pricerange. We can even design your ad for you

    if you dont already have one!

    Advertise with us!

    Mention promo code Autumn14 and receive 10%off your first ad campaign

    with Faerie Magazine throughNovember 20th, 2014.

    On Ourcover!

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    WearaBle enchantMentSSTEPHANIE DOSEN'S TINY OWL KNITSg

    6

    Faerie Beauty Perfumed Pleasures with Victoria Frolova

    faeriemag.com

    I was thinking perhaps something green, with vetiver and irisnotes, because these notes can convey the scents of forests, dampearth, and roots.Parfum dEmpire Corsica Furiosa is a lush green scent that smells of crushed stems and leaves. Itis sharp and bright in the beginning, but it softens to a pistachio

    green. Azemour from the same house weaves mosses together withorange blossoms, and while the perfume is delicate, it has a strong,memorable character.

    Delicate, elegant, but not overdone or too demanding isChanel No 19 Poudr . Sheer green and iris notes in a soft cloud of musk.

    Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist smells like a winter gardenfrozen shoots, icy roots, and snow covered leaves. There issomething mysterious and compelling about this perfume, and while itis an acquired taste, if you give it time, it will certainly cast its magic

    spell.Parfumeur LArtisan La Chasse Aux Papillons

    for something oral and charming. A summery bouquet of all the prettiest owers in the meadow.Ormonde Jayne Woman for something darker. A faerie tale forest festooned with mosses andcreepers. Spicy owers. Smoky woods.

    As for single notesorange blossom, cedarwood, vetiver, and jasmine, for a mix of woodland and lush oral scents.

    f Victoria Frolova were a faerie, shed be a woodland sprite. They livein the woods and their eye color changes with their mood, and I like thatidea, she said. Ive always believed in faeries and sprites because they

    gure so much in our Ukranian folktales.Who better to ask about the preferred fragrances of these magical forest crea-

    tures than the perfume faerie herself? Shes the creator of the inspiring Bois de Jasmin: Perfume and Other Fragrant Pleasures blog, and studied perfumery at Interna-tional Flavors & Fragrances where she was mentored by the famous nose, Sophia

    Grojsman. (In her spare time, she embroiders. Her work is so delicate, its beensaid she has the ngers of a faerie.) Here, she tells Laren Stover the mossy,fougre, spritely perfumes, and single notes (you can nd organic essentials oilsfrom Mountain Rose Herbs or Young Living) that attract, evoke, and conjurethese elusive dryads, butter y-embellished wood nymphs and fauns.

    PERFUMED PLEASURES

    I

    FREDDIE OCHOA

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    tephanie Dosen was already an award-win-ning singer, with songs appearing on DawsonsCreekand Party of Five as well as in the movie

    Hanna, when she discovered that her love ofknitting could translate into the creation of extremelyunique and charming patterns. She formed her companyTiny Owl Knits (Tinyowlknits.com), and had immediatesuccess through Etsy and the knitting site Ravelry. She evenpublished a book of designs last year: Woodland Knits: over 20enchanting patterns. Faerie Magazine is proud to offer several ofDosens patterns, at Faeriemag.com now, too (look underSweet Little Gifts), for those of you who knit and/or arecharmed enough by her designs to learn. In the meantime,check out our recent interview with Dosen to learn moreabout the fabulous designs featured on the next few pages.

    FAERIE MAGAZINE: Can you tell us the story of Tiny OwlKnits? How did it begin? What resources did you use to spreadthe word about your work?STEPHANIE DOSEN: Once upon a time when I was strugglingto become a professional singer, I got a job working at a magicallittle yarn shop in Green Hills, Tennessee. The walls of the shopwere lined with old bookcases that were stuffed with soft woolsand cottons in every color you could imagine. Every day I wouldpull down a new ball of yarn and imagine what it could be. Whenthe workday was over, I would take the yarn home and makewhatever trinket I was dreaming of. Then I would return to theshop in the morning with a new little bag or scarf to wear. Beforelong, people were asking how they could make the things, too, soI began writing up the pattern instructions. I always think knit-ting is better when you can share it and its really fun when youcan get excited about something as a group. Several years wentby when I got signed to a record label in England and moved toLondon. I had to leave my shop, but I took tons of wool with meand continued designing on the side. I put my patterns up on Etsyand Ravelry so I could continue to share them with the knittersand crocheters around the globe when I wasnt on tour.

    FM: Why organic and fey-inspired designs? Does this come froma personal interest in whimsical and natural elements?SD: I always try to design straight from the heart. I like to makethe things I love because then they have a special energy to them.My heart is close to the woods, deep under the moss and restingagainst the barks of old trees, and I, like so many, am inspired bythe animals and elementals that live freely in the forests. They

    know that our blessed Gaia provides everything we need here onplanet Earth. They have a symbiotic relationship with the wood-lands and do their natural best to brave the winters and survivethe summers. There is something so primal and magical aboutthat. My mind is there with them and so I think it naturally re-ects like a mirror when my hands get to work. Suddenly Imwearing squirrel tails and fairy wings. I do get funny looks whenIm on the bus, but Ive always felt right at home when Im wan-dering the woods.

    S FREDDIE OCHOA

    FREDDIE OCHOA

    FREDDIE OCHOA

    SIMON RAYMONDE

    It is really the mostmagical thing you can

    do, to create somethingout of nothing. o takesticks and strings andturn them into socks

    and wings.

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    FM: Is there a mythic or magical aspect to the design process,for you?SD: Yes, I de nite ly do rely very heavily on otherworldly inspi -ration. I have two main knitting guides that I work with mostof the time. One is a beautiful old crone who sits contentedlyin a rocking chair and teaches me about patience while knit-ting. The second is a wild faery maiden who has pockets stuffedwith ideas. She brings me posies, tassels, and bells and alwaysreminds me to have fun with my knitting. I rely heavily onthem for support as Im working. It is really the most magicalthing you can do, to create something out of nothing. To takesticks and strings and turn them into socks and wings. Its true

    alchemy! I absolutely love it, and am thankful for the help.FM: Do you have any advice to beginning knitters who mighthave fallen in love with your patterns and want to try makingone for the rst time? Are there any of your projects you'd es -pecially recommend as a rst project for a beginning knitter?SD: This is such a great question, and one many people havewhen they see my stuff. Knitting is actually very easy and likeany other hobby. You start simple; learn the knit stitch andthe purl stitch. Then you move on to learn to decrease andincrease. And thats really about it as far as the basics are con-cerned. The patterns are written in a language that will guide

    you step by step to creating your own project. I always say tostart with knitting a few scarves and then try knitting a hat.After that, you have enough knowledge to dive into any TinyOwl Knits pattern. Nowadays its amazing because if you getstuck, you can nd out how to do anything on YouTube. Thereare tutorials on everything youll ever encounter. My biggestadvice is not to fear your knitting. Dont fear having to rip it outand start over when you mess up. Thats just part of life andpart of knitting. The best knitters are brave and dont take anyof their mistakes too seriously. They know that like every skillit just takes a little practice!

    FM: Do you have any advice to advanced knitters who mighthave considered creating their own project patterns?SD: Yup, just go for it! You have literall y nothing to lose. Justbe sure you study some other patterns to be sure that your lan-guage is fairly standard. Also, you may want to have someonetest out your pattern to be sure youre communicating clearlyenough to take your knitter from cast-on to cast-off.

    FM: On your website, you describe yourself as living in the

    mountains with [a] unicorn, puffy cat & a hefty yarn stash rid-dled with gnomes. How much impact do you think the naturalworld around your home has on the designs you make? Have

    you ever been inspired by your travels to other places to createnew patterns?SD: Im always inspired by where I am. When I was living inEngland, the little cottages and magical roses climbing the gar-den gates inspired me greatly. I used to wander the ea marketsand get inspired by antique quilts, baskets, and loved-up velvet

    SIMON RAYMONDE

    REBECCA BEAM

    SIMON RAYMONDE

    FREDDIE OCHOA

    FREDDIE OCHOA

    FREDDIE OCHOA

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    animals. Now I live in a rugged tree grove at the foothills of theRocky Mountains. Things seem to be growing a little more wildlyaround here these days. The bushes and vines are winding them-selves around one another with abandoned bliss and freedom.I bring clippings inside and make little alters to celebrate their

    vibrancy. As long as I stay away from too much Earth-smotheringcement or asphalt, I feel alive and ready to chime along with thewild never-ending creation all around me.

    FM: Tell us about those yarn gnomes ... they sound like a lov-able if mischievous bunch. Are there any other faerie folk in yourhome or woods?SD: Ooh! The gnomes around here are a funny bunch. Theydont like to be bothered too much and they certainly dont like itif my yarn stash gets too tidy. They actually just love to hangout. They dont want to get too busy doing too many things thatwould distract them in any way from otherwise relaxing. I knownot all gnomes are like that but this clan has informed me thatthey are basically retired now so they dont like to be botheredwith too much ri ing about. I didnt know gnomes could retire soIm still not sure if theyre pulling my leg. Outside our new housewe have a pretty wild grove teeming with fae. Im actually a littleoverwhelmed by it to be honest. Sometimes I get nervous whenIm meeting new elemental neighbors. I want it to go well, and itusually does, so I dont know why I get so tentative about it. Mostof the fae Ive ever met have let me know that its really enough

    just to acknowledge one another in peace and love. Just seeingthrough the veil helps both sides and helps us grow more con-nected, which is a reality I think we are all looking to actualize.

    FM: Has anyone written to you with uplifting stories about creat-ing items based on your patterns?SD: One of my patterns is a Care of magical creatures charmbracelet. It has little charms like dragons tails, mandrakes, nests,and gnomes. The charms are actually like merit badges. For eachcharm you must complete a speci c task before you can knit it.For instance, before you knit the phoenix feather you must writethe name of a person you want to forgive on a piece of paperand burn it up. Then you rise from the ashes of your forgivenessame. Its a bit of magic and a bit of healing all wrapped up intoone. We have a thread about it on my message board and peopleare constantly posting stories about how their tasks went. Peopleare cleaning up trash around water, meeting gnomes, and lettingpeople go ahead of them in line as they bow like a polite hip-pogriff. Its good fun to hear how people are really getting into it!

    FM: Do you have any exciting upcoming knitting or crafting-related projects?SD: Im currently working on a second book of knitting patterns.Also, if you like music, you can check out my band Snowbirdwith Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins) on Itunes. We just n -ished our rst record called Moon and it features lots of guestartists including members of Radiohead. Its a little dreamy andwoodsy... a little moonlit and lacy and there are plenty of faeon board!

    REBECCA BEAM

    SIMON RAYMONDE

    SIMON RAYMONDE

    I always try todesign straightfrom the heart.I like to make

    the things I lovebecause then they

    have a specialenergy to them.

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    time but despite it. For one thing, sheendured only a sketchy relationship tothe calendar of the Russian Orthodoxchurch. Furthermore, she did her best tostay out of the way of nomadic tribes that

    crossed her path, so she was bereft of thedetails of historic incident with which therest of us mark time into epochs. She wasa hermit.

    Therefore, Baba Yaga was startledwhen, after tossing her reticule out thefront door into the gloom of four a.m.,and following it with a little skip to theground, she came across three soldierslounging in the indistinct ferns andmunching on small wild peaches. Theywere laughing at Dumb Doma, who washopping about as if possessed with St.Vituss dance. Generally only childrencould see Baba Yagas house, so the witchtook offense at this indignity. Oy! Youthree! Get off my property! she shouted,shaking her st at them.

    Oh, look, the hen-house has a chat-elaine, said one.

    Beat it, said Baba Yaga. Scram, vamoose, off with ye, toodle-oo and bon voyage.

    We cant, said the second soldier.Our horses have run away.

    Thats no concern of mine, saidBaba Yaga. The sun will be up beforelong, and you can follow their tracks inthe dew.

    Think again, said the third soldier.

    He threw a peach pit behind his shoulder.His insouciance was irritating and sugges-tive.

    Wait a minute, said Baba Yaga.Dont I know you?

    It was too dark to be sure, but in heralligator boots she minced forward andsquinted.

    The soldiers looked at her withoutterror. The nerve of them. The rst wasdressed in a rosy tunic belted with gold.The second wore a white jerkin and leg-gings and boots of ivory calfskin. The lasthad a close- tting waistcoat of blue-blackserge, nished with brass buttons shapedlike stars.

    Weve met before? asked Baba Yaga,playing for time.

    But of course, they replied, all atonce. Weve met everyone.

    Let me guess. Youre Winkin, Blinken,and Nod, who went to sea in a pea-greenboat, or something like that.

    We could answer to that, if you liked,said the soldier in red. Or not.

    Or youre the Three Musketeers,rather dramatically out of context.

    We carry no muskets, said the soldierin white. We have no need.

    You see, added the soldier in blue-

    black, we slay everyone in time, anyway.So sporting muskets would be redun-dant.

    Bother, said Baba Yaga, I dont careif you are Hither, Thither, and Yon. Imtired of this inquisition. Youre wastingmy time here, and I have places to getto today. As garden ornaments you aresingularly unsuccessful. Clear out of myprecinct before I hex you into tomorrow.

    But the soldiers seemed in no hurry tostir themselves into action. And the witchcouldnt leave them lollygagging here inthe gloom. She was afraid they mightransack Dumb Doma while she was gone.Though many of her souvenirs and bibe-lots were guarded with curses, it was pos-sible that the soldiers might make off withsomething precious she had forgotten toring round with a charm. For instance,her collection of bobble-head gurinesof the Tsars was second to none, and sheshould hate to lose a single one of them.

    If you dont pick yourselves up off theground and haul yourselves away by the

    aba Yaga had been up most ofthe night. Toward morning,she turned from her hexes and

    potions. She readied herself to leave onan errand of secret signi cance. Gloves,I think, the lavender suede pair andWait till they get hold of my positionpaper on that; theyll suffer a sudden-onsetgroupthink migraine, and If you canthold an eyeliner brush any steadier than

    that, youre red. You look like a porcupine just in from a night doing the nasty with apot of bootblack. She was talking to her-self as the elderly do, to sharpen her focus.She had no need to cultivate a dulcet tone.She lived alone in a neighborhood withoutneighbors.

    Baba Yagas hut, which she called DumbDoma, woke up and began to scratch forgrubs in the crepuscular dust. Stand still

    before I cut off your chicken legs and stirup a fricassee! she screamed. The house

    jerked bolt upright for a moment, but likechickens the world over, Dumb Doma hadno capacity for obedience. It began to bowand kick again almost at once.

    It might be useful to know when in thecalendar of Russian history this episodetakes place, but Im afraid I cant help youthere. Baba Yaga lived, happily enough, in

    B

    illustrated by

    Charles Vess

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    The Knight of the Blue-Black Dusk was in no hurry. He buttoned his jacketlanguorously. In the future we shall try not to pause for our morning colloquyanywhere near your home, he said. But you did your job and rescued our startledsteeds, so nothing is lost but your lost day. He soothed his mount and grabbed thereins.

    Wait. The rest of the world might not notice a lost day here and there, but youre dealing with a highly seasoned professional crank. I demand that you cedeback to me my lost day. Now that I know where you stable yourhorses, I can steal into your stable on the moon any time I want.I can make off with them. Ill do just that unless you give meback my lost day.

    Youll just lose a few more days if you try that.I refuse to get a day older until you grant me my lost

    day! I demand restitution. Justice for lost time. Im in thisght for the long haul, you better believe it.As you like, said the Knight of the Blue-Blac k Dusk.

    He bowed prettily and then mounted his steed. He lookedas if he meant to say something more, but he thought betterof it. He saluted the old witch before his horse began to pickits way at a leisurely gait.

    The witch watched him go. The ferns were glisteningwith dew. The edges of the birch trees whitened. A smallbut lusty wind swept up. Birds began to comment uponthe quality of the morning. Somewhere in the deepwoods a wolf cub howled for its mother.

    The world was aright. I never wantedto attend that conference anyway, shemuttered. The coffee they serve would killtime itself. She went inside to unpack andto plan about what she would do with herlost day once it was granted back to her.

    But it never was. Time keeps all itspromises.

    So does Baba Yaga. She would notleave this vale of tears until she gother lost day back.

    And this is how the witch becameimmortal.

    Gregory Maguire is the author of eight adultnovels, includingWicked , which inspired the

    Broadway play. His childrens books include, mostrecently,Egg & Spoon . He has contributed to

    NPRs All Things Considered,The NewYork Times Book Review , and CNN.com.

    Find out more at Gregorymaguire.com.

    Charles Vesss award-winning work has gracedthe covers and interior pages of many publicationsincluding twoNew-York-Times -bestselling

    picture books penned by Neil Gaiman,BlueberryGirl and Instructions. Most recently, he col-laborated with Charles de Lint onThe Cats ofTanglewood Forest and Seven Wild Sisters .

    Learn more at Greenmanpress.com.

    Faerie Fragrances Lord Whimsy

    even years ago, I met a man who was wrap-ping a plastic bag around the white, camellia-like bloom of a Franklinia tree (Frankliniaaltamaha). Franklinias are extinct in the wild,

    and exist only in cultivation. This bag was attached to atube, which in turn was attached to an electronic devicewith the usual cryptic displays. He explained that inside

    this machine was a membrane that sniffedthis ower, and recorded its scent.

    This Swiss gentleman apparently

    worked for a European fragrancecompany, and his jobor

    rather, missionwas to y allover the planet and recordthe fragrances of every rareower in existence. Im surethat the gnarled look ofenvy on my face as I bade

    him a good day and walkedon gave him great satisfaction.Scientists have found that our

    sense of smell is the most powerfulsense we have, particularly in terms of

    jarring and preserving memory. No song or sightcan match the potency of the perfume of a long-lost love,or the aroma of our grandmothers recipe for lasagna.

    Ive certainly found this to be true: one whiff of a long-forgotten fragrance and I instantly nd myself awash in atorrent of memory. Fragrance is the minds escape artist:

    just as that of cious jailer Time nearly convinces us thata chapter of our previous life never actually happened,a scent skulks through the window and unlocks that verypart of our lives.

    And because memory is linked to reverie and dreams,it should come as no surprise that faeries are naturesgreatest lovers of fragrance: its common knowledgethat the faeries sense of smell is far more acute than ourown. Thus, fragrances have a far more powerful effecton their memories; in fact, some fragrances can have amind-altering effect on faeries, and are often sought outfor this purpose. Those of you who have ever swoonedupon inhaling a particular scent can understand why thismight be.

    So which fragrances do faeries seek? Well, Ive con-ducted some interviews, and, as one might imagine,their preferences will vary depending on region: faeriesin cooler, darker climates will most often seek out therefreshing local comfort scents like wet mosses or thebark of cedars, while those in sunnier, warmer regionswill seek out oral, fruity pro les. Its also common forfaeries to seek out olfactory novelties and rarities, whether

    it be a spice from the Far East or the drowsy aroma ofa owering vine that blooms only one night of the year.Ive also found that ones rather pedestrian scents aboutthe house will send faeries into paroxysms of ecstasy. Thesmell of toasting waf es is irresistible to them, in fact.(If you dont believe me, try making yourself breakfastaround a nearby colony of faeries. Be sure to have extraplace settings ready.)

    Now, this isnt to say that there isnt a cognoscentiamong faeriedom. There are without question a few

    connoisseurs of scent who are frequent iers, so to speak.You can tell by their drowsy expression and deliberategait that these are explorers of the faerie consciousness:shamans, for lack of a better term. Just as some humanoenophiles are blessed with an extremely acute sense oftaste, there seems to be a class of faerie for whom themost spectral of senses is nothing less than a vehicle intothe inner recesses of existence. These faeries are seekingthe ultimate whiff.

    The younger scent-seekers will start with your spicerack, so its best to keep it under lock and key, particularlythe cinnamon. (I cannot overstate how much faeries lovecinnamon: its the cocaine of the faerie world.) The moreadvanced, older Whiffers are far more subtle, and are suf-ciently sophisticated in their tastes to eschew the merelypretty for the perverse: motor oil, Windex, dirty socks, the

    musky notes in the dander of German Shepherds. (Itsbest not to ask how I know this: there is a shadowy, sordidside to this business that is perhaps best left unseen.)

    All that aside, most faeries tend to be of a more whole-some bent, and will satisfy themselves with the scentsfound in your garden and home. If you wish to exchangefragrances with faeriekind, you can leave out a tray ofperfumes, soaps, and spices in the hopes that they mightin turn share their own favorite scents with you.

    Ive heard rumors about faerie ointments derived fromthe ancient seeds of extinct woodland trees that hadpassed through the alimentary canals of giant sloths. Amedieval Franciscan monk named Anthony of Parmawas said to have been given a drop of this concoction,and was in a coma for twelve daysonly to awake to ndhimself writing the last line of an indecipherable codexwe now call the Voynich Manuscript . (He also discoveredthat hed transformed into a woman, so be careful what

    you whiff for.)

    WWhimsys latest tome isWhitman Illuminated: Song of

    Myself, which he wrote out and illustrated by hand. Learn moreat Lordwhimsy.com.

    S

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    could be made by one person, ve people,or in one case, an entire elementary school,so the number of contributors can rise to thehundreds. Artists lter in over the course ofthe set-up period with scenes theyve beenworking on for months and must prep theirlocations as well as set up their pieces. De-pending on the intricacy of the piece, ahouse could take anywhere from minutes tohours to fully set up. The area can becomequite chaotic, as dozens of media members

    buzz around the grounds in addition to theartists and museum workers.After instillation, the displays stand for a full

    month of exploration by curious wander-ers seeking adventure. Visitors range fromglittering toddlers in pink wings to whimsi-cal adults enjoying the display without anychildren. They really seem to drink in thecleverness, the wonderful workmanship,

    and the location. Of course, some of themcome wearing wings as well, says Rau. Inorder to attract more mature visitors, theMuseum also offers tours after dark andseeks high school students to work the eventas interpreters and role players throughoutthe Village. Last year, nearly twenty thou-sand people made their way through A Wee

    Faerie Village in the Land of Oz, and general at-tendance has risen over six-hundred percentsince the Villages debut.

    While the life of the Village may seem tooshort for visitors, artists and Museum facultyalike are ready for teardown once the monthis over. Visitors are less ready sometimes.The Museum often gets hopeful calls fordays after the Village closes from eager fa-erie lovers wondering if it has been extend-ed, but despite public demand, Rau wontspoil the magic of the Village by keeping it

    open for too long. I liken it to Brigadoon.We want it to appear and then disappear tomake it that much more special.After bringing the rst Village to life at the

    Museum, Rau became entranced by theminiature structures himself and continuedto nd inspiration in everything from tinyseashells to piles of rotten wood on the sideof the road. Hes been building faerie hous-es for the Village ever since, and his workcaught the attention of Schiffer Press, an in-

    dependent publisher based i n Pennsylvania,whose recent book, Faerie Homes and Gardens,features the work of several international fa-erie artists, including Rau. I really hope theevent, the book, and the special programswill inspire visitors to go home and beginmaking beautiful things of their own, faer-ie or not, he says. Theres nothing moremagical.

    Each year, hundreds of dedicated peoplecome together to create a magical autumnwonderland in Old Lyme, Connecticut:the Florence Griswold Museums WeeFaerie Village, a collection of themedscenes along a path on the Museumseleven-acre campus. This years Villageis more magical than ever, featuring theshenanigans of none other than LewisCarrolls Alice in over two dozen faerie-sized Victorian-era-inspired installations

    in a Steampunkd Wonderland . While Aliceherself is absent, evidence of her ventur-ing is all around. Two dozen faerie-scaledinstallations based on Alices Adventures inWonderland and Through the Looking-Glassand What Alice Found There line the paththrough the Village, and wanderers followwritten guides containing descriptionsthat correspond to the scenes like Down

    the Rabbit-Hole, Alice Cries a Pool ofTears, or Alice Encounters the Duchessand the Cook. For the latter, Wee FaerieVillage founder David D. J. Rau wedgeda vintage shoe shine box into a piece ofdriftwood to create the Duchesss house,where a tiny pot lled with peppercornsglints from a tiny stove.Filled with such intricate details, the Vil-

    lage takes months to put together. Workstarts at the beginning of the year, with

    artist, story, and scene location selections.Since the Museum staff is smallonlynineteen full- and part-time employees the Village relies on volunteer artists tocreate and assemble each of the twenty-ve to thirty stations on the Village path.It takes a Village to create a Village,says Rau, who created the event in 2009,and hes hardly exaggerating. A station

    FLORENCEGRISWOLD

    MUSEUMSWee Faerie Village by MEREDITH CLARKE

    The

    JESSICA ZEEDYK JOSH COHEN STEVEN WILSON CHERYL PREVOST

    JOHN CAMPION REBECCA BARRON KATHLEEN COPELAND JOSH COHEN

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    During the short-lived rainy season in the arid climate of California,where I grew up, I was drawn to quiet walks in the woods. Te naturalworld outside my back door would come alive with rich textures and amyriad of greens from the rainsa forest full of moss and lichen, dormantand patiently waiting to spring back to life. Tis was the beginning ofmy passion for moss. I also started to notice how moss would willinglyvolunteer itself in the cracks of sidewalks, lling the space betweenconcreteits adaptable and thrives where other plants dont grow. Ibegan intensely working with plants when I was seventeen, apprenticingand studying their medicinal uses conventionally and in the wild. I thendelved into landscape design and also worked in other mediums such as painting, murals, and graphic design. I have now come back to workingwith plants full time, but in a new wayvertically. I love designing bothtiny worlds of moss and ferns or massively large moss vertical green walls. Moss is a perfect and versatile medium, complementing other natural

    elements and plants so beautifully. Moss doesnt have roots and the soilis easy to remove. Its lightweight, making it ideal for displaying on a wall.In nature you can nd moss growing in a similar fashion on the side ofrocks or up a tree. A moss-covered landscape signies age and maturity.When you place moss indoors, youre bringing in a new dimension, withits soft and soothing textures. Moss has a way of opening my senses.Its stunning both at a distance and up close, with its intricate detailwhen you see it under a microscope, it looks like a little forest itself.

    Erin Kinsey of rtisan Moss Artisanmoss.com

    22 faeriemag.com

    Growing your own moss can be very satisfyingand allows for exibility in your creative process. Moss grows best in damp shade on porous surfacessuch as brick, wood, and certain kinds of concrete,but you need to do more than place some in a crackand hope for the rain to do the rest. Mix moss withbuttermilk, beer, yogurt, or anything with some

    acidity in a blender until you create a g reen paste,then paint the mixture over whatever surface youwish to decorate. Occasional watering, either fromrain or a spritz bottle, should spread the sporesand in due time, youll have a m ossy-whatever!

    When most people think of moss,they conjure images of cascading green forests in Western Ireland,those occasional blots of chartreusebetween the sidewalk cracks, orthat gooey stuff at the bottom ofthe lake you always slipped on everysummer. What you may not know isthat moss is easily cultivated even inurban settings, and can be utilizedas a decorative accent to bring anyhome or yard into vibrant life. Youcan incorporate moss into outdoordecoration with relative easeall you need to do is grow it there!

    ALL PRESERVED, CARE-FREE, ZERO-MAINTENANCE

    PIECES AVAILABLE AT ARTISANMOSS.COM

    ALL PHOTOS ON THIS AND THE

    PREVIOUS PAGE ARTISAN MOSS

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    Spring 2014

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    Te moss I use comes from deep within theforest I live next to. I enjoy working withmoss because its so versatile and works witheverything. Tere are so many different typesand textures of moss and lichen that no pieceof jewelry I make is ever the same!

    Sarah Smith of modern flower child

    Etsy.com/shop/modernowerchild

    My advice to those working with moss (or any typeof botanical) is to make sure you thoroughly test yourmedium. I tested something like seven varieties of mossbefore I found a couple that remained unchanged oncecured in resin. I suggest making a test piece, puttingit away for about a month, and then coming back to

    it. If the moss is just as gorgeous as you left it, thencongratulations, you've found a winner!

    Christina llen Page of Sihaya DesignsSihayadesigns.com

    AVAILABLE AT Faeriemag.com!T T26 faeriemag.com

    Street artist Edina okodi foundedthe NYC-based collective Mosstika toevoke the call of man back to nature by

    creating havens of unexpected greeneryon city streets. Imagine turning a cornerand nding this enchanted deer amongstthe concrete! She also does the occasionalindoor installation, like the enchantingmoss chandelier above. See more at Mosstika.com.ALL IMAGES THIS PAGE EDINA TOKODI

    W L M !

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    how to makean elegant Moss tablescape If you want your guests t o feel

    like theyre in a magical wood-land setting even on the coldest,dreariest day, whip up someenchantment with this gorgeousidea from Coriann Bright ofBright Living Organization +Design. Find more of her ideasat Brightlivingnow.com!

    heres how to do it 1 Gather a bunch of owersand candlesanything you like!

    2 Place a layer of wax paperon the table where you want th emoss arrangements to go.

    3 Soak blocks of orist foamin water and then place them ontop of the wax paper. Make sureaccess water is drained rst!

    4 Arrange your owers andcandles into the foam.

    5 Use bags of real moss thatyou can nd at a craft store ororist. It comes in pieces andyou can gently pull it apart tomake it more full. Warningthis can get messy! Place themoss in between the gaps of theowers.

    6 Spray with a light mist ofwater to keep fresh.

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    We Love Moss! Make an Elegant Moss Tablescape

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    interviewed by Carolyn Turgeon

    E nchanted W orld

    I would love for anyonewho sees my work to

    understand that even thoughthe world has retreated further and further fromnature, we still have to

    nd a balance. We shouldalways remember that

    nature is primary.

    On the CoverFaerie Magazine

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    On the Cover Katerina Plotnikova

    33 faeriemag.com

    Faerie Magazine: Can you say somethingabout who you are and where youlive?Katerina Plotni kova: I was born in asmall town not far from Moscow, andstill live there. But for the last few

    years, it is very dif cult to say that I just live in this city. I travel constantly.Last year I traveled throughout myhomeland. Russia is very large, sothe full round trip took three months.This past winter I visited the countriesin Southeast Asia, and I plan to visit

    several more countries in Asia andtake a trip around the world. So toanswer your question, I myself amfrom Russia, but I live on planetEarth!

    FM:How do fairy tales inspire you?KP:Form inspires me more than fairytales do. I nd inspiration in the mostunexpected places. For example, Irecently did a photo of a girl anda time machine. The inspirationwas pretty random: I went to theDIY-store, saw showers for sale, andrealized that if I added a few details Icould make something that looks likea real time machine. Thats how theinspiration came, from the materialitself. The very next day I bought thecheapest shower, a bunch of wires,bulbs, and beautiful bronze paint.It often happens like thatI see amaterial and am inspired to present itin a different form. I'm often inspired

    by walks through the ea market, too.Almost all of the dresses in my photosare from second-hand store or eamarkets.

    As for the images of animals, I oftennd an animal that inspires me froma chance meeting with the owner oras the result of a web search. If youask me what inspired me to create thisseries of animal photos, its dif cult forme to give a good answer. This seriesemerged from the main theme of allof my workthe unity of man and

    nature. Ive always wanted to showthat man and nature are one, one bigwhole. And that we should be friendswith the animal world as well as theplant world.

    FM:Do you consider your work to beindicative of new stories and newmyths? What do you hope people takeaway from your images?KP:I would love for anyone who seesmy work to understand that eventhough the world has retreated furtherand further from nature, we still haveto nd a balance. We should alwaysremember that nature is primary, andthat animals are our friends, not ourfood. I am not a strict vegetarian, Ieat sh, but I haven't eaten meat forseveral years. I believe that everyonemust make these kinds of decisionsfor themselves but I would like toshow that a fox is not a fur coat, but afriend.

    Moscow-based photographer Katerina Plotnikova is one ofthe most exciting artists out there today, with her breathtaking,astonishing images that imagine a world in which animals cavortwith humans in enchanted forests. Were thrilled to be featuringsome of her most dazzling work on the next eighteen pageswecouldnt narrow it down any further!as well as to present theinterview below, conducted in and translated from Russian withthe help of our own Ukraine-born creative director Anna Vorgu(and her very patient mother Valentina Grinberg).

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    Faerie Magazine

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    The bear I photographed is a real sweettooth and gourmet, and throughout his

    entire shoot he was fed Norwegian salmonand eclairs (I was even slightly jealous)!

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    Ive always wanted to show that man and nature areone, one big whole. And that we should be friendswith the animal world as well as the plant world.

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    gSpring 2014

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    If a photo does not havesincere emotion in it, thenno one will believe it, not

    even the artist himself.

    Faerie MagazineWe took a hedgehog and a

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    Spring 2014We took a hedgehog and asnake and went to explore

    the neighborhoods of the city.We stopped at a chamomile eld and took a few shots,and this was one of them.

    Faerie MagazineOn the Cover

    The animals I photograph

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    Katerina Plotnikova

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    with was rejected by its mother;she was also adopted and caredfor by humans. Its thoughtless tosay that these animals should bereleased into the wild. If you pickup an animal, save it and care forit, then you are then responsiblefor it until the end. It's dif cultto remember which animal I rstworked with. One of the rst was

    an owl, and then my interest grewand I began nding more andmore animals and their owners.

    FM:Can you share any stories withus from those shoots? What arethe biggest challenges?KP:There are many storiessomeare funny, some are more crazy.For example, when taking apicture with the tiger, we had theidea to give the model long hairmade out of ax. It turns out thatthe tiger has a strong aversion tothe raw materials very speci cscent. We had to abandon the ideaimmediately, but the tigers moodhad already been spoiled. Theshoot featured a nude model whorepeatedly had to quietly crawlup toward and away from thetiger while the tigers trainer keptcalming the tiger down. That waspretty funny. And then the bear Iphotographed is a real sweet toothand gourmet, and throughout hisentire shoot he was fed Norwegiansalmon and eclairs (I was evenslightly jealous)!

    FM:Whats been most surprising to you, working with these animals?KP:In general, working with

    animals is amazing. They goabout their businessthey eatand walk and dont care aboutwhat youre doing at all, and thentheres the model running aroundand trying to pose or crawlaround or hold the animal. Deer

    and camels eat constantly, so youhave to capture a shot with themin that rare fraction of a secondwhen they turn away from thefood.

    FM:Can you tell us the story ofour cover shot? The girl with thesnake moving down her face?How did this idea come about and

    how did the shoot happen?KP:This photo is very random. Icame to visit a friend in the cityof Novosibirsk, which is over twothousand miles from Moscow, inthe center of Siberia. She offeredto call her model friends for aphoto walk. We took a hedgehogand a snake and went to explorethe neighborhoods of the city.We stopped at a chamomile eldand took a few shots, and this wasone of them. The model was onlythirteen years old when the photowas taken, but she had a decentexperience as a model.

    FM:What is next for you?KP:I have a lot of new series inmind. First I want to make a seriesof evil spirit photos. But I love toexperiment and improvise. So asthey say in my country: , (orwell play it by ear).

    FM: Is there anything else youdlike to share with our readers?KP: Just that in this work thereshould always be a place forcreativity and play. One of themost important parts of a photois the mood of it, and this cannot

    be predicted. Nothing can bepredicted in advance, otherwisethe result will not be sincere. Ifa photo does not have sincereemotion in it, then no one willbelieve it, not even the artisthimself.

    The animals I photographare never completely wild.

    They all have ownerswho love them as if theywere their own children. Ialways look at the way anowner cares for an animal

    before we do a shoot.

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    Spring 2014Spring 2014

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    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014 Dreams have always

    been the mainmotivation for absolutelyall generations of people,and me too. Dreams areour clues. Without them

    life would be routine.

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    or the Western world,one could say that the Age of Explorationchanged the way we eat.

    Until the fteenth century, salt andpepper were essentially the onlypalate pleasers we had. Ten, as ifpulled from a magicians hat, theSpice Islands revealed themselves tocurious traders, including the vora-cious Dutch East India Company.Suddenly, commodities like cinna-mon, nutmeg, and allspice were asprecious as powdered gold; to thisday, the gifts of avor they provideare still priceless. At 12 Bottle Bar ,we fully understand the power ofwell-used spices for making seasonalautumnal cocktails that conjure thecrispness of an October breeze or thewarmth of a November re.

    Tis time of year is particularlyspecial to us because it was during

    the fall season that 12 Bottle Bar wasborn. Some years back, we foundourselves frustrated again and againwhile trying to make the many se-ductive sounding cocktails featuredin magazines. Despite the drinkspromises of undiscovered avors,there were also promises of fty- toseventy-dollar dents in our pocket-book for each obscure spirit required.More than that, the results were of-ten disappointing and we were stuckwith bottles that we would never useagain.

    So we came up with our own ap-proach: the 12 Bottle Bar . Simplify

    the spirits list, make syrups and in-fusions at home when possible, andtry not to employ more than four orve ingredients in a drink. Are th edrinks we discovered (and created)the wild ights of fancy available intodays craft cocktail bars? Not by along shot. Nor are they supposed to

    be. 12 Bottle Bar was a solution tothe basic problem of how to makeeasy and inexpensive craft cock-tailsthat tasted greatat home.

    Te collection of drinks on thesepagesthe Brown Betty, the BlueHarvest, and the Autumn Sourisnot only exemplary of the 12 Bottle Bar philosophy, but each of them is asatisfying embodiment of the seasonwith its balance of chill and warmth,sweets and spices. Before you getstarted, there are a few simple rulesto abide by when making autumnalcocktails. First, dark spirits likethose in our cocktail pantryamberrum, rye whiskey, and brandyrule at this time of year. Dont getus wrong. We adore the 12 Bottle Bar stable of recommended lighterspiritsdry gin, white rum, andvodkabut they are generally meantfor the bright promise of spring and

    summer. Our darker, or brown,spirits offer a richness that the bodyand soul demand in the midst of thismore contemplative and cozy season.

    Also remember that the secondaryavors in these drinks should taketheir cues from the natural avors ofthe seasonapples, cinnamon, nut-meg, and anything else that mightend up on the holiday table. It s onlynatural that the avors of fall withtheir warmth and spice immediatelyconjure home and family, safety andcomfort, whether we nd ourselvesin this setting or not. Tese emo-tional ties are the ones we hope to

    tap into with these drinks, just ascocktails for other seasons mightawaken other feelings.

    When you consider the idea ofawakening feelings, dont just thinkavor. Tink scent, sight, evensound. Drinks are a sensory experi-ence. Tey can trigger memoriesor

    create them. Tey can, like a singlebite of an exquisitely executed dish,freeze time, if only for a moment.Te aroma of a rosemary sprig, thecrunch of an apple slice used asgarnish, the golden glow of a drinkscolor can all evoke the autumnalspirit. And, in doing so, add to onesessential enjoyment of the drinkingexperience.

    Once you know the avors youwant to use and the sensations youwant to evoke, you can start thinkingoutside the box. For autumn, thinkrich, toasty, satisfying avors. Usemaple syrup as a sweetener. Make apersimmon puree to add to a drink.Infuse your spirits with herbsrose-mary, thyme, sageand spices (addthe ingredients to the liquid and letit steep, checking it every hour forthe avor you want).

    Hopefully, one or all of these

    drinks will accompany you throughyour autumnal journey. Each standson its own, yet all t hree would makea perfectly complementary groupof festive offerings for ones nightlyrevels. Whether youre sipping yourBrown Betty after a walk in thewoods, enjoying a Blue Harvest bythe re, or toasting the equinox withan Autumn Sour, these 12 Bottle Bar recipes celebrate the season and allits magic, creating new memories forthe misty, cold months ahead.

    F

    David Solmonson and Lesley Jacobs Solmon-

    son are the husband-and-wife publishers ofthe popular website, 12bottlebar.com. DavidSolmonson has written for lm and televi-sion and Lesley Solmonson, cocktail and winewriter forL.A. Weekly , is also the author ofGin: A Global History and the forthcomingLiqueur: A Global History . Teir rst booktogether, 12 Bottle Bar , is available now.by DAVID SOLMONSON and LESLEY JACOBS SOLMONSON

    LEADS TO

    THE

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    1 Dissolve the brown sugar in the water. Add sliced lemon to mixture.

    2 Let stand fteen minutes.

    3 Add the brandy, ale, and spices, stirringto combine.

    4 Chill well.

    5 Garnish with a lemon slice and asprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg.

    Serve with or without ice as desired. Te recipe may be scaled as needed.

    Te three drinks we offer here will hopefully take you ona sensory journey that is all your own. In the case of the Brown Betty, a punch that traces its roots back to OxfordUniversity of the early nineteenth centuryif not much,much earliertime travel is as close as a s ip from the glass. Featuring the warmth of brandy and the toasty bit-terness of a classic English ESB (Extra Strong Bitter) ale,this is a drink once shared by scholarly comrades; our recipeis essentially unchanged from the original. Te alcoholicelements here, while they might seem strong, are balancedby brown sugar, lemon, and spices. Make it a day ahead, al-lowing the avors to commingle seamlessly. And, perhapscounterintuitively, its served cold, which is actually alovely counterpoint to an evening by a crackling replace.

    cup rmly packed brown sugar

    4 ounces ltered water

    lemon, sliced

    1 pinch each ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger

    2 ounces cognac-style brandy

    4 ounces ESB (Extra Strong Bitter) ale

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    nce upon a time there wasa little house in the middleof a row of houses. It was acompletely unassuming build-

    ingin fact it looked almost exactly like allof the other houses on the street. The paintwas a dull grey that could have once beenblue or brown or green, and the greenery

    had been neglected and allowed to growup around the building. But this house hadonce been home to a special boy who wasmore unique than he ever even dreamed ...

    Its a fairly standard start to a rather en-chanting story: the reminder not to judgean object or a person by its appearance is atale as old as time. And yet, like so many as-pects of magic, its aneasy lesson to forgetin real life. The plac-es where we spend somuch of our time our homesare of-ten chosen out ofpractical necessity,and very rarely dowe ever know thefull history of thebuilding's existence(whether centuriesold or a decade ortwo). One way of en -chanting your home, even if you do think

    you know its story, is to do what any goodstoryteller would do: make it up.

    Many quotes out there speak to how c -tion and truth can blend and merge, oneturning into the other. Perhaps my favoriteis by Richard Bach: If you will practice be-ing ctional for a while, you will understandthat ctional characters are sometimesmore real than people with bodies andheartbeats. If this is true of people, thenwhy cant it be true of a place, too? Whycan't your humble little condo, built two

    years ago as one of any number of smallticky-tacky buildings, actually be a portal tofaerie, built on an ancient ley-line? Perhapsthe wood used to build your A-frame cabin

    was recovered from a Viking shipwreck,and its ghosts haunt it still today.

    What, then, would be the point of thisexercise? Why should we imagine the c -tional stories our homes might tell us if theycould speak? That's well demonstrated bya scene from the magni cent Ingmar Berg -man movie Fanny and Alexander . Its Christ-

    mas night, and the children of the familycan't sleep. A loud noise echoes from thenursery, and the father comes to the room.Instead of chastising the children, he takesa small old nursery chair, chippy and paint-ed a worn green, and sets it on the table.He proceeds to tell the story of this magicalchair, how its actually a three-thousand-

    year-old Chinese reliconce used by a tinyempress. He adds twistupon twist to the storyand, as he does, the lit-tle chair becomes moreand more dear. Even ifon some level we knowthat the chair isn't re -ally imbued with allthe history and magiche shares, in some wayit really doesn't matter.The chair is more pre-cious than it was just a

    few moments ago. We believed, if only fora moment.

    This is precisely what homeowner JohnTrevillian did almost a quarter centuryago when he bought a row house in GreatDunbow, Essexan entirely ordinary andperfectly normal abode, but he saw some-thing greater in its nitty gritty essence. Eachroom of the house, now named TallistonHouse, has been reimagined to t a dif -ferent theme. Walking from the hallway tothe bedroom is like traveling in an invisibletime machine that projects you to differentlands and ages. Theres a 1950s New Or-leans kitchen, a Victorian dining room, aCambodian treehouse loft, a haunted Scot-tish bedroom ... and many more spaces. No

    I created Tallistonbecause I needed a housethat was beautiful and

    functionaland allowedme to go on wild adventureswithout ever leaving home.Somewhere I could write

    and dream. JOHN TREVILLI N

    O

    faeriemag.com

    An Exploration of Fictional History

    By Grace NuthPhotography Giles G Photography

    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014

    detail is too small for this project, andTrevillian and his team have chosen and

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    continue to choose each object meticu-lously, giving each piece a story if nonealready existed for it.

    Trevillian writes speculative ction,too, and has an interest and a knack fornding and seeking out magical placesworldwide. Despite coming from a self-described fairly ordinary family livingin an ordinary house on an ordinarystreet, he wanted to live in one of theextraordinary places from his favoritechildhood stories. Places like that, how-

    ever, were either nonexistent or far be- yond his price range. So he decided tobuild his own version, a a living breath-ing fantasy world where he could goon wild adventures without ever leavinghome.

    Talliston now holds over sixteen hun-dred objects from twenty-seven coun-tries, treasures Trevillian discovered ontrips to the countries that inspire eachroom. In Scotland he found an Arts &Crafts-era metal Viking ship. In Cambo-dia, he spent three hours bartering in amarket for a set of hand painted crock-ery for the bamboo treehouse. So eachobject is special in its own way. Eachpiece has a story to tell, a memory at-tached to it.

    For Trevillian, each room representsa moment in time, chosen to mirror theoriginal use of that particular space inthe original house, and then reimaginedin a different place and time. When ap-proaching each new room, he and histeam strip the room entirely and thenask a series of questions. For the of cethe question was: What place/timewould be the perfect and most inspira-tional place to write? Trevillian left thespace untouched for six months, duringwhich time he and a team of other Tal-liston members sorted through inspi-rational images and ideas in search of

    just the right combination to create themoment. This experience of the mo-ment is one of utmost importance ineach spaceand Trevillian is careful tobring together as many disparate sights,smells, sounds, places, and times as pos-sible to form one cohesive experience.

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    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014

    One room might smell like cut woodin a musty keep, and echo with the

    d f l d Ti h

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    sound of moorlands. Time has nomeaning in this place, and there areno clocks and no televisions in anyof the rooms. But the rooms have asense of logic, too, forming a con-centric path based on the walking ofa labyrinth.

    Trevillian is humbled by the re-sponse he's received from othersenthusiastic to help with his project.I do not feel I own any of it. I feelmore like a curatorone who de-lights in being fortunate enough tohave lived in a place that inspiressuch wonder and happiness. He isquick to note, too, that he couldnthave done it alone. People are anintegral part to the project. Fromthe outside it may look as if this is aproject of one man (and a growinggroup of craftsfolk, volunteers, andhelpers) transforming a house, but itis in fact about one house transform-ing everyone it touches.

    Talliston is set to have its twenty-ve-year anniversary next year, andTrevillian has resolved that the enddate for the project will coincide withthe anniversary of its beginning. Itwas always important to see Tal-liston as a work of artand just asthe artist needs to know when to putdown the brush, I set a deadline tomake certain I focused on complet-

    ing the project, too Soon it willbe time for me to step back and letTalliston take on a life of its own.

    Im a great believerthat places hold memoriesof past events, just like ink

    written on paper. Like aresidue that certain peoplecan feel and interpret . JOHN TREVILLI N

    Grace Nuth is a blogger, artist, and model liv-ing in central Ohio with her husband, black cat,and a garden full of faeries. To follow her proj-ects, please visit Gracenuth.com.

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    inda Blacker ALUK, a creative photographerfrom Essex, UK, was elated when she heardabout Talliston House. It was the perfect

    location for a series of photographs she had in mind. Thestory goes like this, she says. When children are sad, a

    magical house appears at the end of the street where theylive. Unbekown to adults it has a magical, warm, andwonderful energy that draws in children in need. Andwhen a young girl nds herself no longer believing inmagic, the house refuses to allow her belief in magic to betaken.

    So one ne morning, the young girl comes across thehome. Her senses tingling from the magical spirit of thehouse, she goes inside. On entering, she nds a world ofmagic and wonder, so much so that her belief in magic isignited once more.

    Linda felt lucky to shoot in this incredible location. Forme, walking into Talliston, and spending just half an hourof my time there, allowed me to return home and createa story for the images. I feel any artist who comes acrossthis house will be as inspired as I was. Learn more aboutLinda and her projects at Lindablackeraluk.co.uk.

    L For me, walkinginto Talliston, andspending just half an

    hour of my time there,allowed me to returnhome and create a story

    for the images. LIND BL CKER LUK

    ALL IMAGES LINDA BLACKER ALUK

    ear open the pomegranatesleathery crimson skin and itT

    by Paul Himmelein

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    leathery crimson skin and itresembles a pouch of glis-tening rubies. Cut it and it

    seems to bleed. The temptation to taste itis so great that even goddesses cant resist.Eat of it and you can never go home again.

    Just one seed is all it takes.What is it that makes this large round

    berry so tempting? Perhaps the pomegran-ates allure is due to its paradoxical na-ture; at once it is a symbol of beauty anddestruction, innocence and desire, fertility

    and death, seduction and displacement.But how did this reputation begin? Onestory has it that the great ancient hunterOrionbefore the gods placed him inthe heavens as a constellationmarried abeautiful woman named Sid (see-da). Herbeauty was so extreme that she began tothink herself more irresistible than Zeuswife Hera, the queen of the gods. Herawas known to be a bit touchy when it cameto mortals and when she heard of Sids

    vain boast, she couldnt help but put her inher place. For her hubris, Hera threw Siddown to the Underworld where she wasturned into a pomegranate tree. Indeed,Sid () is ancient Greek for pomegran -ate. So it would seem the fruit was born outof the sin of vanity.

    As an attribute of Hera, the pomegran-ate symbolized those things sacred to thegoddess such as marriage, fertility, andchildbirth. Ancient Greek women used toeat pomegranate seeds to help recover aftergiving birth. As a symbol of fertility and fe-cundityjust look at all those juicy seeds

    you might want to be careful how you han-dle this fruit. The vegetation god Attis wasconceived when his mother placed a ripepomegranate between her breasts. Pome-granates are still served at weddings inmany cultures in the hopes that the unionwill be fruitful.

    The voluptuous pomegranate is also

    infamously entwined with one of mythol-ogys more nefarious marriages: the well-known abduction of Persephone by Hades,Lord of the Underworld. While the youngmaiden picked owers along the shore andplayed with her sea-nymph friends theOceanids, Hades rose up from the nether-world in his chariot and grabbed the young

    T

    Forbidden Fruit

    the temptationof the

    pomegranate Detail ofProserpine by

    Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874

    Frontispiece to Oscar Wilde'sA House of Pomegranates ,1891, illustrated by Charles Riketts

    Persephone, stealing her away from hermother Demeter, the goddess of agricul-ture. Once she discovered her daughter

    a resurrection god and the pomegran-ate becomes associated with life afterdeath. Centuries later, this symbolism

    Market (1859) wherein wicked, quaintfruit-merchant men do their best totempt two sisters into buying their fruit:

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    ghad been taken, Demeter withdrew herlife-giving force from the world. Theelds lay barren and winter blanketedthe earth. Zeus nally ordered Hadesto relinquish Persephone lest us mortalsperish. The dark lord acquiesced thoughhe was much in love with his young wife.

    Persephone, just before she was re-turned to her mother, saw a ripe pome-granate. She had refused to eat anythingsince Hades brought her to his kingdom,having been warned that she would nev-er be able to leave if any food from theUnderworld passed her lips. The gar -net fruit from the tree of Sid beckonedand at last she gave in. The number ofseeds Persephone ate varies from mythto myth; one, three, six, seven, half thepomegranate or the entire fruit. Regard-less, she suffered the consequences.

    Eating the seeds symbolized the con-summation of her marriage to Hades;hence sexuality becomes linked withthis fruit. The sweet yet tart seeds, in an-cient times, as today, are celebrated asan aphrodisiac, a little something to helpget your seduction on. After one taste,Persephone was bound to return to herhusband. An agreement was brokeredwherein half of the year Persephonecould dwell above with the living; theother half she, as Queen of the Under -world, would return to Hades while hermother Demeter mourned and coveredthe world in winter. And so the seasonsare accounted for. In this respect, thepomegranatea symbol of marriageand even lovebecomes as much a sym-bol of death and rebirth.

    An even earlier story of pomegranatesand rebirth concerns a myth where Zeus,disguised as a serpent, seduces Perse-phone. The goddess gives birth to Dio-nysus, the god of wine. Hera, in another

    rage, this time because her husband hascheated on her, sends out a couple ofthugs, two Titans, to destroy the child.Heras henchmen succeed and as theboys blood soaks into the soil up springsa pomegranate tree. Zeus miraculouslymanages to return his son to life andhenceforth, Dionysus is looked upon as

    yendured. During the Middle Ages, theVirgin Mary is often depicted holding apomegranate as it contains the seeds ofresurrection and is equated with life overdeath.

    Its interesting to note that the treeof knowledge of good and evil in Edenwas originally a pomegranate tree, thepopular fruit tree of the Middle East andnot the Eurocentric apple tree of coolerclimates. Its also curious that a serpentgures in the temptation of E ve as well.Similar symbols appear in various my-thologies with similar results, being castout of paradise or the world of light intoan Underworld of darkness.

    All this powerful symbolism has workedits magic and inspired artists across themillennia. The Unicorn in Captivity (1495-1505)the last in a series of exquisitetapestries that illustrates a hunt for theelusive creature and plays upon paganand Christian symbolismshows themythical beast resurrected in an Eden-like garden, tethered to a pomegranatetree. The trees swollen fruit has burstopen and trickles down upon the whiteunicorn, leaving stains that symbolize thewounds the unicorn suffered while it washunted. The tapestrybelieved to com-memorate a weddingbrings togethermedieval and ancient symbols of mar-riage: the unicorn and pomegranate.

    Two Victorian poets, the Rossetti sib-lings, were inspired by the allure andintrigue of the pomegranate. DanteGabriel Rossetti painted the renowned

    Proserpine (Roman for Persephone), in1874. In it, the young goddess brings thetempting pomegranateits red interiorrevealedtoward her lips. Her otherhand makes an effort to restrain herselfthough her mind seems lost in thought,perhaps contemplating her fate. Dante

    has inscribed a sonnet on the canvas inthe goddesss voice after she has eatenthe fatal fruit. Of the pomegranate,he writes: Dire fruit, which, tasted once,must thrall me here.

    Dantes sister Christina Rossetti alsotaunts us with forbidden fruits in herfamous faerie tale of a poem Goblin

    p y g

    Morning and evening Maids heard the goblins cryCome buy, come buy:Our grapes fresh from the vine,Pomegranates full and ne.

    The sisters recall a friend who had tast-ed the goblins fruit and how she grewwithered and grey, dying during the rstsnowfall. Heedless of this warning, onesister succumbs and for the price of asnippet of her golden hair she devoursthe succulent fruit of the goblins. Ofcourse, this doesnt go well.

    In Oscar Wildes collection of f aerietales, A House of Pomegranates (1891), ref -erences are made to the storied fruit, butthe pomegranate becomes a metaphor,not just a source of temptation. In thefour tales, characters are pulled out oftheir element much like Persephone andenter another world of sorts. In one tale,a sherman is tempted by a mermaid torelinquish his soul so that he may livewith her beneath the waves. In another,a hunchback dwarf is taken from hissimple woodland home and thrust intothe intrigues of a royal society, believinga beautiful young princess loves him. Inthe end, its the pomegranates paradoxi-cal symbolism that takes center stage.

    Birth, passion, beauty, love, separation,destruction, and death; the pomegranateis a metaphor for life with all its posi-tive and negative associations; we takethe good with the bad, come what may.It is an enigmatic fruit with equal partsdanger, allure, sin, and seductionwhatcould be more enticing? Wed be wise tolisten to Oscar Wilde who reminds usthe only way to get rid of a temptationis to yield to it.

    Paul Himmelein is co-author ofBohemian Mani-festo: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge. Heis currently completing his rst novel. Set in the late-eigh-teenth century, it uses only vocabulary presented in John-sons Dictionary of the English Language (1755)and Francis Groses dictionary of slang,The VulgarTongue (1785).

    Persephone isnt the only one who couldnt resist thepomegranate. Perfumers have been seduced by the tarttempting fruit as well, especially for its complex oth-

    ldl f I i i d K l B dl h di

    Qel Amour! by Annick Goutal

    Enticing, succulent, juicy. This mustve been the tempt-

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    erworldly fragrance. I visited Karl Bradl, the eruditeco-owner of Aedes de Venustas in New York Citys WestVillage, to nd out what he thinks are the most exquisitepomegranate perfumes. Entering Aedes de Venustas (Latinfor Temple of Beauty) is like entering into another world;deep aubergine walls, baroque bouquets in voluptuous

    vases, a snowy white peacock perched overhead, its acabinet of f ragrant curiositiestheres even a still life ofdried pomegranates around a candelabrum atop a gildedtagre. What better place to explore the perfume of theforbidden fruit?

    The use of the pomegr anate in perfumery, Mr. Bradlexplains, can either bring a subtle, green, powdery effectfrom its skin or a tangy, bittersweet, fresh burst if the seedsare used. The three fragrances Mr. Bradl shows me playwith the fruits dual olfactive nature. When combined withother ingredients, the pomegranate notes in each of theseperfumes tempt in their own mysterious way. Tree nymphsknown as the Rhoeae are said to inhabit pomegranate treesso perhaps a little faerie magic has also worked its way intothese enchanting potions.

    Graine de Joie by Eau dItalie

    This intoxicating scent represents the part of the pome-granate that says eat me, though you know the troublethis may cause. The ripe pomegranate top note mixes withfruity red berries and sparkles like Champagne as it dancesover a cedar-wood/musk base. It captures Sids beauty toperfection and has an unsuspecting allure that promises toseduce. May the wearer live up to its olfactive invitation.

    A wonderful side note: I met the creators of Eau dItalie,Marina Sersale and Sebastin Alvarez Murena, last yearat a launch party for their newest fragrance and asked howthey came to create their collection. They said that it grewout of a search for a unique scent for their elegant bou-tique hotel La Sirenuse in Positano, Italy, where Ms. Sersalespent her summers as a child. Once they created their ho-tels signature scent, their passion for perfume was ignitedand Eau dItalie was born. Other scents, inspired by storiesand memories, followed. I noticed that the fragrances sharethe same logo as the hotel; a pair of facing mermaids. It

    just happens that Persephones playmates were turned intosirens by Demeter as punishment for not protecting her

    daughter and allowing Hades to abduct her. Persephone,as queen of the Underworld, tasked the sirens to bring ap -proaching travelers before her by luring them with theirsweet singing.

    Eau dItalie also offers a fragrance diffuser in an upliftingcombination of pomegranate and freesia. Its a scent thatheralds the return of Persephone to the world above andthe awakening of spring.

    ForbiddenFragrances

    pomegranate perfumes from the

    temple of beauty

    by Paul Himmelein

    Enticing, succulent, juicy. This must ve been the tempting scent of the goblins bounty in Christina Rossettispoem Goblin Market. Pomegranate, red current, cherry,and peach blend with rose and amber. Seemingly innocentat rst, the fruity fragrance unfolds, becoming increasinglyheady and irresistible untillike the poemits nearlydripping with sexuality. This disguised sweetness that blos-soms into an addictive bouquet is similar to the effect thegoblins fruit had on the poems protagonist Laura

    She suckd and suckd and suckd the moreFruits which that unknown orchard bore;

    She suckd until her lips were sore...Plums on their twigs;Pluck them and suck them,Pomegranates, gs.

    This fragrance is not to be worn frivolously.

    Melograno by Santa MariaNovella

    Melograno, Italian for pomegranate (from the LatinMlum grntus or apple with many see ds), is sexy, earthy,and mysterious. This scent embodies the sensuality ofthe pomegranate and its aphrodisiac-like qualities. Its fardarker than the previous perfumes and would most likelybe the fragrance Persephone would wear on the throne of

    the Underworld or the Lord Hades would wear when hedeigns to come above ground. Its a unisex scent that seemsto have one foot in the darkness of the netherworld andone in the light of the world above as mirrored by the pow-dery green scent of the rind and the rich tartness of theseeds within. Further depth is added with the resinous bassnotes of opoponax, labdanum, and amber. One can alsoimagine the Unicorn Tapestries exuding this heavy yet light-feeling scent; its reminiscent of dark stone corridors punc-tuated with occasional bronze shafts of afternoon sunlight.

    Santa Maria Novella, the centuries-old fragrance man-ufacturer started by Florentine monks, also has a Melo-grano-scented pillar candle and terra-cotta pomander inthe shape of a ripe, splitting pomegranate. The heavilyscented pomander resembles the clay pomegranates foundin certain cemeteries of ancient Greece and are thought

    to have played a part in the religious cult of Demeter andPersephone through the secret rites known as the Eleusin-ian Mysteries, which dealt with afterlife, resurrection, andimmortality.

    There is a mystery about the pomegranate, Mr. Bradlsays, with its antique color and weathered appearance,no wonder the fruit has appeared in still-life paintings forcenturies.

    PHOTO COURTESY OF AEDES DE VENUSTAS

    JULIA GAGGIA

    PAUL HIMMELEIN

    Aedes de Venustas boutique, 9Christopher Street, owned by

    Karl Bradl and Robert Gertsner

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    My feet leap in the world of FaerieMy body dances in my sacred grove.In my eyes, you see something wild something you cannot tame and takeback home to your castle to meet your king.But you will surely still try.My hands will never tie a scarlet favorupon your armor as you joust.(My lips murmur words in the undergrowth.My tongue feasts on dew and honey.)You pull my feet from their dance on earth,and set me on your pacing steed.But I am no wilting ower to be plucked.No distressed damsel to be saved.I make us wander in circlesback to my grove.You think to rest in a copse of treesbefore arriving hometo share your newest conquest.You wanted the primal,You just wanted it tamed.I gave you what you wantedBut now how.I stroked your hair and lulled youinto a deep sleep(with words you never understood, yetconvinced yourself you knew).I sent you companions in your dreams other princes and knights who alsodreamt of conquering the wild in me.You awoke on the hill where I left you,and Ive heard you never left stillbraiding nooses from your growing hair,

    weaving prison bars from branches,unwilling to believe that you areno master in my world of wild.La Belle Dame Sans Merci, you call me.And indeed, you never thanked mefor the lesson I tried to convey.In return, I sayYou are not welcome either.written by Grace Nuth Model Grace NuthPhotographer Erica Peerenboom Photography

    LADYin the

    MEADS

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    Mori GirlChild of the Forest

    Te Mori Girl lives on theedge of, or in, a forest,

    nestling down for the nightin a cozy cottage or cabin.

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    apan: culture of both Miyazaki'smythic forests and trend-settingokyo. Its a land of creativeexpression, and one very vis-

    ible outlet for this expression is fashion.Over the last few decades, Japanesestreet fashion has developed a number ofdistinct and unique styles: Lolita, DollyKei, Ganguro, to name a few. Mori Girlstyle, or Mori Kei, developed in the late2000s, and is of particular interest toour forest-loving Faerie readers. Moriis the Japanese word for forest and keiis the word for styleso the nam e of thefashion is literally forest style. A MoriGirl, like the one photographed on thesepages, might have just walked out of awoodland fairy tale.

    It all started on a Japanese social sitecalled mixi. Inspired by a friends com-ment that she looked like a forest g irl, asite user named Choco founded an officialMori Girl community in 2006. She alsowrote a list of sixty-two rules for a MoriGirl to follow. Te list includes lovely,whimsical items like: you like ponchos

    and boleros, you like pocket watches,your shoes are basic and at-soled, andyou like uffy hats. Since then, Chocohas quite literally written the book onMori Style, with a Japanese-languagefashion and style book featuring styledMori Girl photo shoots and additionalwardrobe suggestions.

    Te Mori Girl dresses in loose layers oforganic materials and colors. She dressesfor comfort, and to blend in with theforest to which she belongs. But Mori isnot only a type of fashion; its a lifestyle,with an idealized persona at its center.Te Mori Girl lives on the edge of, or in,a forest, nestling down for the night in a

    cozy cottage or cabin. Te forest animalsare all very dear to her. You can nd h erpicnicking among the shadowy trees orlooking for owers in a meadow to weavein a hair wreath for her long (worn natu-ral) hair. She loves creative pursuits andhobbies, and takes a camera with her on

    Jin a cozy cottage or cabin.Te forest animals are allvery dear to he r. You cannd her picnicking among

    the shadowy trees or lookingfor owers in a meadow toweave in a hair wreath for

    her long (worn natural) hai r.

    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014her jaunts to the woods as well as her for-

    ays to the city for its bookstores, antiqueshops, or cafes. She also loves anything

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    antique, and is fascinated by histor y.She prefers the colder months of the

    year, because she gets to b undle up ineven more layers and scarves, warm andcozy and comfortable. Indeed, she alwaysseems to be cozy and comfortable, organic,and very innocent. Te cares and worriesof the adult world and the big city nevereven seem to enter her mind. She enjoysgoing on adventures on her own, and sheloves to notice the small things in life, tiny

    moments or little objects in nature thatmost people would walk right by. Imaginea girl who has taken so many walks in herforest that she has lost all sense of time orurgency. She exudes the sweet naivet of afairy tale princess. Eventually her love forthe forest can make her transform into apart of it, and more enchanting elementsenter her wardrobe, like antlers or (faux)fur. She loves fairy tales, and dreams ofbecoming part of one.

    One major Mori Girl character in Japa-nese pop culture is Hagumi Hanamoto, orHagu, from the anime Honey and Clover ;many claim that Hagu was the originalMori Girl. A quiet character, she is drawn

    in soft pastel colors, with pale blond hair,rosy cheeks, and wide eyes. In the mostidentiable image of her (and thus theone cosplayers tend to use as inspiration),she is holding a large leaf ab ove her headlike an umbrellamuch like Miyazakisotoro, for those who are familiar withthe well-known Japanese character. Shelives a sheltered life, but she sits on h erfront porch and draws the view she seesthrough all the seasons. Her innate artisticability eventually brings her attention andacclaim.

    Tough Mori is associated with theKouenji district in okyolargely becauseof its clusters of vintage and second-handshopsFI professor and fashion expert Yuniya Kawamura, author of FashioningJapanese Subcultures, visited okyo a fewyears ago and did not see any Mori Girlsat all. Mori is a marginal culture, she says,compared to other fashion trends thathave taken up the spotlight. And one thats

    Spring 2014

    faeriemag.com

    Imagine a girl who has takenso many walks in her forestthat she has lost all sense oftime or urgency. She exudesthe sweet naivet of a fairy

    tale princess. Eventually herlove for the forest can makeher transform into a partof it, and more enchanting

    elements enter her wardrobe,like antlers or (faux) fur. Sheloves fairy tales, and dreams

    of becoming part of one.

    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014developed and thrived online, spreading

    to other parts of the worldand now toFaerie Magazine. Austrian Natalie Neu-

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    mann, for example, embraced the cultureand even offered her own online classes onMori Girl at her Vanillery Garden website(Vanillerygarden.com). Neumanns onlineclasses included illustration lessons forMori Girl character designs (along withbunnies, foxes, deer, and other woodlandfriends); basic sewing lessons for skirts;lessons in dyeing fabrics with naturalingredients at home; tips for creating Morihome decor, practicing calligraphy, bookbinding, and felting; and discussions onother ways to live a Mori Girl life in thecity. Te internet is HE place to go forMori Girls in order to connect, she says.As we like to read and write anyway, it isvery easy to socialize and meet up. I lovethe combination of love for antique things,but all of us still taking advantage of mod-ern technology and social media.

    Te Mori Girl may in truth actually livein the middle of a busy city, and never havea chance to visit the countryside. She maynever actually manage to live up to ever ysingle one of the ideals her st yle embodies.If, however, in her deepest heart of hearts,the above descriptions sound like what

    she truly wants to be, then she is indeed aMori Girl. And perhaps so are you.

    Te Vietnamese photography group Amaris Photography, who created all theMori Girl photos on these pages, was cre-ated in 2013 by model Zing Ruby and pho-tographer HaKaryo. Tey work on fashion,cosplay, and conceptual photography, anddescribe their main style as gothic punk.But they have a deep affection for MoriGirls. As they explain: Being born in smallhighland town of Vietnams northern mid-lands, we also have a great interest in Moristyle. In our Mori photo shoot, we want tobring the pure emotion to viewers. It mustbe fresh, wild, sunk in the sunshine, andblending with the forest background. Allwe want to bring to viewers is a peacefulfeeling every time they see our photos.Learn more about Amaris Photography at Amarisphoto.deviantart.com.

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    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014

    Faerie MagazineSpring 2014

    Mori Girls are very

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    Mori Girls are veryappreciative in their nature.

    Tey marvel at the world. Teymarvel at nature and good

    books, they marvel at the waycats make them feel when they

    curl up on their laps and startto purr. Tey marvel at thebirds that greet them in themorning. Mori Girls have a

    silent heart. Tey enjoy peace-ful conversation. Te stillnessof a forest. Te way the wind

    touches their cheeks.

    Natalie Neumann

    the Welsh Marches. The characters wereas real to me as any of the local people Imet during my stays with her.

    Cinderella slept among the cinders of an

    ism and infanticide. Severe food shortagesrecurred for the next ve centuries, but itwas 1816, the year without a summer,that once again brought most of Europe

    tool for survival when she insists the littlegirl attends the secret camp school. Life ishard, she says, but knowing about otherpeople, other civilizations, other ways of

    M y mothers family came fromthe Welsh Marches, that nar-row strip of green countrysidedividing England from Wales.

    ff b d f

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    inglenook replace similar to ours and tothose found in many of the ancient neigh-bouring houses. Hansel and Gretel wereabandoned in Brocks Wood and came outat the edge of the village whereonceupon a timelived a real witch, old asold could be, and twice as nasty. As for thecastle where Sleeping Beauty lay in herenchanted sleep, why it was just down thelane, though all that happened so long agothat only traces of its great stone walls canbe seen nowadays. There a