Artist John Bauer drew trolls. And he drew them in such a way of inner truth that his work is still recognized a century later as inspiring modern faerie artists. But by the time he died in a tragic boat accident in 1918, he had given up on painting any fey subjects. 

And so Christmas is past, or will be very soon even to those who celebrate all 12 days. The warm fairy lights are stripped off house facades, living rooms thick with greenery are cleaned and restored to simplicity. We remove so many comforts against the dark of winter, and we are left feeling a bit bewildered why seasonal depression is a thing.

Not every tale in the history of Santa and Mrs. Claus is one of victory.

Last weekend, I ran away to Faerieland: the Kingdom of Evenmarch, to be specific. The New York Faerie Festival is held during the last weekend of June each year, and this was the 17th year since it was founded. I am not new to faerie-themed events, but this was my first festival instead of a convention. Although both are in celebration of the same sort of magic and faerie faith, their energy is quite different.

The Yule season has Father Christmas. Easter has the dapper rabbit with a basket of eggs on his back. Winter has golden deer and candlelight. Autumn has Halloween frights from the vintage 20s. But for the longest time, I was perplexed what sort of decorating I could do in summer time.