Faeries Oracle

Card 65 - The Fee Lion

Getting it right. Delayed completions. Tidying up loose ends.

Brian notes that this is the accusing, offended expression we see on the cat's face, saying, "You know I have my dinner at five o'clock." Brian adds that the Fee Lion is also known as a Slight Accusation or an Accusation of Slight. One of my cats, That Maggie, is the Fee Lion's first cousin, and has mastered the family expression. She uses it for all sorts of things, but I have often seen it elsewhere as well. I may even have used it myself, once or twice.

We know the Fee Lion is near, nodding his head, when we hear remarks like "I thought you'd have my shirt ironed for me, "You said you'd get the brakes fixed," or "You mean that report isn't done yet?"

The Fee Lion speaks to us when we know we deserve it but are pretending we don't. His is the voice that whispers in our ears just as we try to settle down with a good book, a new computer game, or our favorite leisure activities, and we experience that old, familiar guilty feeling. Alcohol only drowns him out temporarily and gives people hangovers as well, so it is not a useful remedy, although it is widely used. In fact, that particular avoidance tactic usually causes the Fee Lion to raise his voice even louder the next morning, in a particularly piercing tone.

He makes lists of things we haven't done, shaking his head over them and muttering, "Tsk, tsk" These are the things we could and should have taken care of by now, but haven't. This is his job, and he does it well. Sometimes, though, he just wishes we would do our jobs so that he could go play First One over the Hill Gets to Kiss the Faery Maid Or munch chocolate-covered thistles with his friends or take naps in the heather, instead of having to work overtime, nagging at us.

Starter Reading

The Fee Lion looks out of his card accusingly, reminding us of things undone, promises unkept, and duties unfulfilled. He says that we can't expect to have things go right when we are trailing so much unfinished business behind us. Dragging that stuff around tires us; it uses up energy that we need for other things. If we would just take care of these things that cause so much mental (and sometimes physical) clutter, we would suddenly find that we have a lot more energy at our disposal to do the things that we really want to do - and probably much more cooperation from others as well. He especially suggests that we take care of the little things that matter to others. We will feel so much better when we have done that, and so will he.

Reversed

The Fee Lion reversed says, "Wait a minute! Whose idea was this anyway?" He asks us to consider whose "oughts" and "shoulds" entangle us with feelings of guilt. Have we taken on a lot of unrealistic or unfair or plain silly demands from others? Are these old, irrelevant emotional programs we carry around from the past? The Fee Lion turned upside down suggests that we need to make a careful accounting of our guilty feelings and to decide just how many of them actually are our duty and how many are simply the result of other people making unfair or unrealistic demands of us - and we collude with this by acquiescing to such demands.

He also suggests that we take a look at how many of these unfinished tasks actually belong to others but have been taken on by us in a misguided attempt to be helpful or to appear obliging. Are we trying to make martyrs of ourselves? If so, it may well be that one part of us says (aloud, the foolish thing), "Oh, let me do that for you" while another part says silently (and mostly ignored), "It would be better all around if they did it for themselves." This sets up a conflict within us, and these conflicts use up a lot of energy, leaving us drained and unable to get on with our lives. These feelings can even be the cause of serious depression.

The way to resolve this one is either to do the job and then be smart enough not to make any more promises like that, or to give notice to the other people involved that we hereby hand them back their own responsibilities. This is hard stuff, but well worth the effort in present relief and future peace.

The Fee Lion would like to be our friend. He would like to read over our shoulders while we curl up with those good books. He'd like to dance in front of the computer screen while we play those new games or ride the golf balls we happily hit. "Have you any idea of how much fun it is to ride a golf ball as it makes a hole in one?" he asks. He can't do this until we can play with a clear conscience. The longer we put these duties off, the grumpier and more demanding and more shrill-voiced he gets. But when our tasks are done, he becomes a Free Lion, and no one is more magnificent than that.

I must go now; That Maggie says it's time for me to do my duty of tossing the catnip mouse for little cats to chase so that we all get some of our daily exercise - and this is the third time she's had to remind me already. Anyway I've finished these "starter thoughts" for you now. I do hope they give you pleasure and other wonderful things!

"In Faery, secrets
are whispered
in the shape of a
wing or a faery's hue."
-Brian

The Faery Challengers