2. The Spirit of Folleterre

Folleterre is not only a place — it is a spirit. The sanctuary rests in the Vosges mountains of France, but to those who come, it becomes much more than land, forest, and buildings. It is experienced as a living presence, a being with its own breath, its own rhythms, its own ways of holding those who arrive.

When faeries speak of Folleterre, they often describe it in the language of relationship: the land welcomes, the forest witnesses, the meadow sings, the fire teaches. This is not metaphor for many — it is lived reality. Folleterre listens, speaks, and remembers.

The sanctuary was founded in 2005 by faeries who wished to root the Radical Faerie spirit in European soil. Since then, it has become a permanent home for gatherings, retreats, rituals, and quiet visits. Yet it is not only human will that sustains it. Many faeries believe that the land itself called them, chose them, and continues to shape the destiny of the sanctuary.

To enter Folleterre is to enter into a pact. Visitors do not simply come as guests — they become part of the living dream of the land. Each action, from sweeping the temple floor to sharing food in the kitchen, becomes part of this dream. Every ritual performed, every circle held, feeds the relationship between humans and the land’s spirit.

Stewardship here is not ownership but devotion. To care for Folleterre is to listen: to notice how the water flows, how the trees grow, how the earth responds to our presence. Maintenance, cleaning, and practical care are not chores but rituals of respect. Folleterre thrives when we treat it as a living partner.

This spirit also carries memory. Those who return often feel that the land remembers them, even after long absences. The sanctuary holds the imprint of countless circles, songs, and tears. It is a container for the lineage, but also a participant in it.

And yet, Folleterre is never static. It evolves with each gathering, each generation, each new faerie who arrives. The Spirit of Folleterre is not frozen in time, but grows with us, teaching us that sanctuaries are not built once and for all — they are continually re-enchanted.

To recognize Folleterre as spirit is to shift from using the land to listening to it. When we do this, every stone, tree, and breeze becomes part of our community. The land becomes kin, and the sanctuary becomes a sanctuary not only for faeries, but with them.

Message from the Spirit of Folleterre

I am not the background to your rituals. I am the ritual.
Every fire you light is my heartbeat. Every tear you drop is my rain.
When you lie in the meadow, you rest in my arms.

You think you arrive here by choice, but it is I who call you.
I called you before you knew my name.
I will call you again when you have forgotten.

Do not treat me as property. I am not your land.
I am your kin, your elder, your mirror.
If you listen, I will teach you. If you care for me, I will hold you.
Together, we dream Folleterre into being.