Quite a few things.

First, there is the wishing. People ask for healing or prayer support, and we do that at the same time as a stone is chosen to "hold" their wish on the cairn (notice that I don't say that I choose the stone). Then, as I focus the energy requested toward them, I write their name on the stone and perhaps a word or two about their request, and I place the stone on the cairn.

When the stone goes on the cairn, I feel the others join in - the fae, the land herself, the Sun and Moon, whoever is present. Sometimes there are also "human" spirits present. Then we all stay with the energy for a while - focussing, filled with expectant gratitude. And the energy radiates out into the world to do what is for the highest good of the people concerned, insofar as it is allowed to do so.

You may send requests for stones to be placed on the blessing cairn on your behalf to jesamac@pobox.com.

People occasionally send small stones of their own choosing for the cairn. If you want to do that, please use water-soluble ink to write on them. (Any felt-tip pen that does not say "permanent" is water-soluable.) That way, the ink melts in the rain and runs into the earth. The fae like it to do that - they say it fills the earth with colors and helps transform the energy. I think it has to do with letting go, and trusting the process. If you would like to send your own stone for the cairn, please write to the e-mail address above, and I'll send you a postal address to send it to.

Sometimes, stones on the cairn are requested for people who are making their passage into the next worlds. The names of some of these people are on The Memory Page. The fae and the singers both are experts on that journey, and willing to help. Some of them are even the gatekeepers to the other realms.

Once, someone was about to begin a training course in psychic and spiritual development. She asked for a stone to be placed on the cairn to bless her learning process and for the fae to help her along the way. When I went to choose the stone, the fae insisted that we should have "the biggest one you can carry." They were happy with a large grey stone, so I started to write her name and the initials of the group she was studying with on it. "No, no!" they said. "Do a different color for each letter! And write them big!" I did, and placed the stone, as directed, on the southwest side in the sun. That night it poured down rain, and when I returned in the morning, all of the ink had washed off into the earth, leaving just the faintest tint of color on the rock. It seemed like that request for a blessing had been very enthusiastically received.

Sometimes people aren't sure what they can ask the fae for help with. There are a number of things really. Their best help is often with things like gaining wisdom and insight into issues in our lives so we can live more lovingly and happily. However, they are also good with a lot of practical things - helping us to notice opportunities that we might have otherwise missed in our daily lives or putting a generous helping of faery dust where energy needs harmonizing and lifting, as sometimes happens in human relationships or activities. Mostly they help us to help ourselves, but sometimes surprising, miraculous things also happen. Healing often happens, too.

The problem we often have with asking is that we usually try to be too detailed. The fae folk are very creative, so it is usually best to give them room to work their magic. Tell them your real goal rather than how to get you there. They often have better ideas and insights than ours. If you aren't quite sure what to ask for, it usually means you are trying to be too specific. Just think about your real goal - a job that brings you satisfaction and provides for your needs, a fulfilling and joyful relationship, wisdom in making a choice about something, whatever. Remember: they cannot change us, but they can help us to change ourselves and help us to be aware of the options we have.

I hope that some of the people who have been here or asked for stones to be placed on the cairn will tell their stories about what happened. I'll put a couple of letters I received and happened to save on a "thanks to the fae" page now. Perhaps there will be more stories later on.

When I feel perplexed or confused or distressed, I just go and sit on top of the cairn. I look out at the trees and the glimpse of the bay and the San Juan Straits that shows between the trees. I don't exactly "think" or "meditate" but I let myself gradually fall into a quiet, peaceful state. Just breathing. And I listen.

To listen, we need to be still. We need to stop talking at ourselves in our minds. We need to just breathe. So I sit there and breathe. The pines and cedars rustle. The birds sing. The squirrels chatter imperiously. A bee may buzz past. I might hear a foghorn in the distance, but probably not. There may be a soft whoosh of tires as a car passes on the road. But when I'm really listening deeply, I don't notice those sounds much. They fade away into the background, and I hear "nothing". This "nothing" is full of content - the silent voices of the fae, the wisdom of the trees, the ripening of Earthmother.

These are things that can only be heard with our deepest ears. Once we have heard them, it may take a while for these understandings to surface, so continuing to sit quietly is important. Sooner or later (depending on how chattery my mind is) insight comes. That insight may bring clarity about what I need to do, or perhaps just an understanding that enables me to let go of my angst about something and be peaceful. Or it may make me aware that things are wonderfully all right, the fae and my spiritual friends have things in hand, and I really can just stop fretting about them.

Sometimes other people come to visit the cairn in person. They feel a need for a time to really listen to and to interact with the fae. This can be arranged. The Blessing Cairn is located in Western Washington state, a few miles from Port Townsend. If you are going to be in the area and would like to come, please e-mail me at jesamac@pobox.com to make arrangements. While you are here, you might want to spend a little time in one of the meditation gardens as well.

Back to the first page
How the Blessing Cairn Came To Be
An Lios - the Garden
Creating Your Own Sacred Space
Friends of the Blessing Cairn
How You Can Give to the Fae
Thanks to the Fae
Jesa's Coracle Pages with boatloads of stuff,
including more on Faery and the Faeries' Oracle.
Jesa's Faeries' Oracle readings by phone