One of my granddaughters is sure that she has discovered a Faerie Circle! She’s been corresponding with faeries for some time now. She writes a note and puts the note in a faerie house in her room. The next day or so, almost by magic, a reply from the faeries appears in the faerie house. She is very fascinated with faeries and really wants to visit the faerie world.

Of course, to visit the faerie world, one must find a faerie circle. She has been searching the neighborhood and is certain that she’s found a faerie circle in the neighbor’s back yard. After some discussion with her mother, she decided that she needed to go stand in the faerie circle at twilight and the faeries would invite her into their land. The other night, with a favorite stuffed animal in hand, she went out to stand in the circle. Daylight turned to twilight. Twilight turned to darkness. Finally her father had to convince her to come in the house. She was devastated!

For my part, I’m glad she didn’t visit the faerie world. The definition of a faerie circle found on a website says:

Faeries often dance in circles in the grass which are called faerie rings and this spells danger for the human passerby. The wild enchantment of the faerie music can lead him inexplorably towards the ring which can lead to captivity for ever in the land of Faerie. If a human steps into the ring he is compelled to join the faeries in their wild prancing. The dance might seem to last only minutes, or an hour or two, or even at most a whole night but in fact the normal duration would be seven years our time and sometimes longer. The unfortunate captive could be rescued by a friend who, with others holding his coat-tails, follows the faerie music, reaches into the ring (keeping one foot firmly outside) and pulls the dancer out. (Faerie Rings)

Now that sounds like a particularly dangerous place for one of my granddaughters! She’s far too fun to loose forever into the world of the faeries.