The Singing Groves

Within a forest lies a secret way, untraveled by any but those who love the forest and all who dwell therein. Those who are allowed to tread here are the few who truly know beyond mere concept that the forest does not exist to serve them, but is there to dance in joy with all creatures. The forest's cleansing breath refreshes the air and water and gently cools the surface world, allowing the creatures to live and partake freely of its essence. Deep within the heart of this forest stand the Singing Groves. The Groves are irregular circles of trees surrounding small, sunlit clearings. The breeze in their branches, the laughing of nearby streams, and the melodies of a multitude of birds combine to create an elusive symphony. Those who frequent the groves often bring musical instruments and create harmonies with the songs they hear, encouraging each grove to grow in its own unique way. Shrines are fashioned in this way for the Lady of the Wood and the Stars, and for laughter, love, and unending life: forest and singers together may create an infinite array of groves...

This forest does not exist on the surface world any longer, because the ravages of the very many have taken their toll. But if one Walks slightly sideways, few degrees between, and just beneath the surface, another realm comes into view. This realm is quite near to the one in which we now dwell, but has been long hidden. Some of the residents of the forest look very similar to humans, but they are not the same -- they relate to time and matter differently from humans, and make choices on a very different basis. For example, in spite of the fact that vast areas of the planet have been wrecked by the more unscrupulous specimens, they have made the choice to not (yet) wipe humans out. It is possible that this is because they love some of the residents of our realm. It would be difficult for me to fathom why they bear those in human form any affection whatsoever, except... There is a theory that some of us are considered to be their children by direct descent, by reincarnation, or by contact. Contact... I have heard that it is possible for certain denizens of the between realm to come here, and for some of us to go there, and for marriages to take place and for children to be born of such a union. I'm not sure how any of this happens (I wish I knew, so I could visit the Singing Groves often). I fear that I am unworthy to tread those realms except in imagination, though, and the Sidhe scarcely ever come here unless they have a reason. If they are discovered, the reception is generally not good. So it would seem that it is mostly fear that keeps us apart...

It has been said that some who are incarnated here in this realm were once of another realm, perhaps the one I described above. I wonder what happened that ended their lives there, and caused them to incarnate here as mortals? From what I have heard, this seems to occur in greater numbers when a realm is entirely destroyed (the same reason that fox spirits and other animal forms have been incarnating as humans). Another reason occurs to me, though -- one of paving the way for the realms to become less dissonant. I hope the Singing Groves are able to hide long enough so they will still exist when the fear is nothing but a distant memory...