2. The Spirit of Folleterre

Folleterre is notmore onlythan a placesanctuary. — itIt is a spirit.being, a spirit, a partner in our gatherings. The land does not simply host us; it co-creates with us. Every tree, every stone, every bird song is part of the circle.

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.

kin
When faeries speak of Folleterre, they often describe it inas theif languageit ofwere relationship: the land welcomes,alive: the forest witnesses,that listens, the meadow sings,that embraces, the fire that teaches. This is not metaphoronly forpoetry. manyMany who arrive here feel the presence of a living spirit — itsomething isthat livedholds, reality. Folleterre listens, speaks,teaches, and remembers.

TheA sanctuaryland that called us
Folleterre was founded in 2005 bywhen faeries who wished to root the Radical Faerie spirit in European soil. Since then, it has becomesought a permanent homesanctuary forin gatherings,Europe. retreats,But rituals, and quiet visits. Yet it is not only human will that sustains it. Many faeriesmany believe that the land itself called them, chose them,us, andcalling continuesthe first stewards, guiding their hands. From its first gatherings to shapetoday, Folleterre has shaped our ways as much as we have shaped it.

Stewardship as devotion
At Folleterre, caring for the destinyland is not a burden but a ritual of love.
– Sweeping the temple is a way of tending to spirit.
– Chopping wood is an offering to the fire.
– Cooking meals is feeding not only bodies but the soul of the sanctuary.

community.
–

ToCleaning, enterrepairing, Folleterre is to enter into a pact. Visitors do not simply come as guestsmaintaining — 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 carethese are not chores but ritualsacts of respect.devotion.

To treat Folleterre thrivesas whensacred wemeans treatto see practical work as prayer.

Water, fire, forest
The elements here are teachers. Water reminds us of flow and interconnection — to protect it asis ato livingprotect partner.ourselves. Fire is our eternal hearth, the center of ritual and celebration, reminding us of transformation. The forest is our temple, teaching patience, diversity, and resilience.

ThisMemory spiritof alsothe carriesland
Folleterre holds memory. Those who return often feel that the land remembers them, even after long absences.them. The sanctuary holdshas absorbed the songs, tears, and laughter of countless circles. It carries the imprint of countlessrituals circles, songs,past, and tears.it It is a container forwelcomes the lineage,stories butyet alsoto a participant in it.come.

AndSanctuary yet,as evolving being
The Spirit of Folleterre is nevernot static. It evolves with each gathering, each generation, each new faerie who arrives.voice. The Spiritsanctuary ofis re-enchanted every time we arrive, every time we open circle, every time we step barefoot into its meadow. Folleterre is notalive frozenbecause inwe time,are but growsalive with us,it.

teaching

Entering usthe thatpact
To sanctuariescome to Folleterre is to enter into a pact. You are not builtsimply oncea and for allguest — theyyou are continuallypart re-enchanted.

of

Tothe recognizedream Folleterreof asthe spiritland. isEvery action, every word, every silence contributes to shiftthat fromdream. The sanctuary thrives when we remember that we are not 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,land, but living with them.it.

Oracle 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.