MURIAS
To read firsthand accounts of experiences in the Water Realms of Faerieland - please study " The Book of Water - Vol. I".
To see a wealth of videos/music/books/art specifically connected with the Water Realms:
Please Click HERE.
The Water World is one of the most hidden and secretive places in the faerie worlds. Accessing it requires the shedding of our past selves and shrinking our consciousness down to a pinpoint size so that we might get through the ancient doors. Without a guide to help us navigate the very confusing seas we would also have great trouble in finding our way.
The land found on the other side of the depths is filled with such a magnificently peaceful beauty that one could quite easily remain contentedly lost there for a great many years.
Stories of Undines, Mermaids, Secret Palaces, Spells of the Moon, Atlantis, Sea Creatures, Sirens, Underwater Cities, and Rainbow Bridges are all associated with this divine realm.
Once you have passed through both " Findias" and " Gorias" - then you will be ready to start upon your journey into the Hidden Underwater Realms. Although you enter by traveling under the ocean, when you have made it to the central destination it is found on the land - though surrounded by the most wondrous jungles, hills, seashells, ships and sparkling seas.
There is quite a process involved in shedding the old layers, going far beneath the ocean, swimming through horribly stormy and uncomfortable seas - dramatically changing shape and size, growing a mermaid tale, and being guided into these hidden underwater realms, before one can finally make it through to the other side. It is very worth all of this and more when you reach the destination - for there are few places one could say are more beautiful.
According to Bernard Sleigh, there are certain times of year when these conditions are made much lighter for the traveler, as he explains in his " Guide to the Map of Faerieland" to: "Go, if you can, always in the early Spring, for then the whole land is blushing with wild roses, shimmering with golden, thornless broom, or white with wild waving lilies; the waterways are safer too, the dangerous Western currents going to sleep and leaving the quiet seas as peaceful as a mountain tarn. "
The blue line marks out some of the beautiful Murian City one reaches after these travels.
I give some descriptions of this landscape in my " Book of Water - Vol. I" in which I write: "Eventually this straight path leads to a most magnificent giant city, surrounded by great rolling hills, large trees with leaves blowing and falling from them in the thousands, and the bluest glistening ocean all around the outside, which is especially visible from the tops of the hills, or out the windows of the towers on a huge palace-like building. There are all numbers of ships and sailing devices upon the sea, and several people wandering all around, through everyone is quite spread out over the vast amount of space in this land. There are little sacred areas of space which feel very meditative, that are also spaced out along the hills, such as giant shells that are upright on the land which are used as dwelling structures that have been lined with cushioning surfaces. Inside these, beings will sleep, relax, read, communicate, meditate, and so on. (...) A bridge leads to the main entrance of the great palace which is known to some as being part of the City of Murias. There are huge round pillars and a large gateway with a smaller opening to the left of it which anyone can easily pass through into the dark and very tall halls and echoing chambers. I can hear the echoes from each step, or even from breathing. A little further ahead is a huge open hallway, decked with shells and beautiful jewels, with a giant king or emperor seated upon a large throne."
On the map, the water realms extends all the way around from the top right of the map, across to the center and along the bottom left and bottom center too. There are portals between these two realms found at the depths of the ocean.
I explain about all of this in much more detail in the " Water Realms" resources section.
The Water World can have a similar climate to the feeling of Autumn/Fall - though still was particularly warm and summer-like when I was there with very blue skies (and golden leaves flowing in the wind). The people in this land live in great peace and freedom and relaxation, and there are also very beautiful firework displays and other such magical things as these.
Within the palace, beyond the king/emperor - can be found an ancient wizard/teacher of this land called "Semias". You can hear how to pronounce his name in this file here.
The symbol/item associated with the Water Realm is the cauldron/cup and is associated with the Western Direction.
The giant who is associated with the cauldron is "The Dagda" who is Ogma's brother, who I have gone into further in the Fire Realms section. There are many giants that can be found in this city, and the bridges and details of the buildings themselves are sometimes so large for this reason that ordinary-sized beings will have to leap and jump across the steps.
Fiona Macleod captures some of the magic of Murias in the words: "In the city of Murias,
Long, oh, so long ago, Our souls were wed when the world was young..."
She describes the palaces as being " pale " and that the symbol of Murias is a " hollow that is filled with water and fading light ". She further hints at how the " waves hides Murias ".
If one wishes to meet with the mermaids or learn of the ancient mariners and seafarers - then this is the world to explore. There is also an ancient device in this land created by Ilmarinen, which can be found in the jungles before the palace. This was the ancient cause of some disputes with the Earth World and can be used to open portals into other magical locations which can only be accessed at specific astrological moments with the right codes.
Fiona Macleod