If you had to define the word fantasy without looking it up, what would your definition be? I'd be willing to guess that many would say "something that is not real." Creatures like faeries, mermaids, and dragons come to mind. But aren't they real? Someone shaped those creatures into life. If you look at creation stories, someone brought our planet into existence along with all of the creatures on it. Who can look at a butterfly or a bird and believe they are anything other than magical? Even The Big Bang Theory or the concept of evolution suggest that some force created us. It makes sense to me that whatever we create is real too. We, the created, are also the creators. There are infinite possibilities. Endless truths and dimensions. And we are much more powerful than we know.
Even if faeries and mermaids come only from someone’s mind and soul, it doesn’t make them any less real. Real is not about form.
Spirit is more real than material can ever be.
Every time I walk in the woods, I look for faeries and I shall never stop. As time passes, I have come to see more things. Look with new vision. In fact, the Old French word origin of fantasy, is vision. I haven't seen a faerie yet, I believe that someday I may. I just need to keep strengthening my vision. What’s the saying? If you don’t believe in magic, you’ll never find it? I’m sticking to that. It’s kind of like the song Imagine. The belief in something that can't be seen. Simpy put, it's faith. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one."
Fantasy is one of my favorite genres of reading because every time we fall in love with a story, we bring these things to life a little more. The way the velveteen rabbit was loved into being real. Like whatever form of the divine you believe in created bumblebees and ladybugs.
I think The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was my first love in the fantasy world. You don't know how often I have visited Narnia in my mind when I needed to escape. My all-time favorite fantasy book is Wicked. How Maguire could do what he did to fantasy, is beyond me. I also like the Golden Compass series, and though it’s technically sci-fi, I can’t forget The Hunger Games. Some of the others on my TBR (to be read) list are Alice in Wonderland (I know, I know, how is it that I have not read that one?), The Hobbit (tried to read it 3 times so far…each time I get further), Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Return to Oz (all by Maguire), and The Mists of Avalon.
I know that my fellow fantasy nerds can relate to that feeling you get when you fall into a new world. There's nothing like it. I think everyone should experience that feeling at least once. Hell, we might have a more peaceful world if everyone had a place to escape once in a while. If you haven't connected with fantasy in the past, I challenge you to give it another try. Pick up a title that has a world that you want to believe in and see it with a new vision.
Keep believing - you can manifest your reality.
If you like, tell me some of your favorite fantasy titles in the comments below.
~ Peace and Love, Tracey
And Dude, If you fellow word nerds are wondering about my spelling of faerie, you might be interested in this page that tells you why there are multiple spellings of the word: Which Is The Correct Spelling: Fairy or Faerie? If you like etymology, check out the other word origins of fantasy here at The Online Etymology Dictionary
© Tracey Love, 2018. All rights reserved.
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