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1. What are Elves?

Maybe the question should be "Who are the Elves?" In any case, we will cite Leonid L. Korablev's Excellent Article The True Elves of Europe because it really says it all!

Elves, or we will also use the name Quendi (what the original Elves named themselves, meaning "speakers") were the Firstborn to Arda (what the Elves call Middle-Earth) according to JRR Tolkien's Middle-Earth works, also known collectively as the Legendarium, and are immortal unless slain in battle. They can also be referred to by other names, such as the Eldar or Eldalië, originally meaning Star-people, but later the meanings changed to identify only the Quendi who saw the light of the Two Trees at Valinor. Please refer to the Encyclopedia of Arda for a more thorough understanding of any names or terms used in the Legendarium.

As Mr. Korablev points out, they are of the same size as humans and are beautiful and live beautifully, and the recent Lord of the Rings movies actually portray the Elves quite well. We will not confuse the Elves with the Fae here, as most people, including many authors, make this same assumption.

2. What are the differences between Elves and the Fae?

First, we need to consider the source of these beings. The Fae (also known as the Faeries and by many different spellings) are much older than the Earth (Arda) and are said to have been left from the Universe as they previously existed before Earth's creation. For many of us, our self-understood definition of Elves is actually more applicable to the Fae - for instance, the Santa's helper types, or tree spirits. As an example, the old stories about cattle being "elf-shot" are more attributable to that portion of the Fae rather than the Elves identified here.

Elves, or Quendi, on the other hand, were created of the Earth, as are the Afterborn - Humans, also called Atani or the Second People. Elves, like Humans, are a complete balance of elements, being air, earth, fire, water, and spirit. This is why the Elves, not the Fae, are deemed Firstborn - the reference is to the first-born of Earth, or Arda - and of this perfect balance of elements. The Elves adore, even love Arda and everything and everyone on Arda, and care greatly for all. The much older Fae are a huge variety of elemental combinations, but almost always unbalanced in some way, and many are of just one element - for instance, the Sylphs being of the element Air, Gnomes being of the element Earth, etcetera. Because the Fae were never of the Earth to begin with, and existed long before Earth, they are not attached to it. This is why the Fae tend to look at Earth, or Arda, and her inhabitants as a giant playground, and tend not to have love or adoration for Arda, and therefore have a reputation for being more mischievous than the Elves, who were friends to Humans and in fact had even loved and interbred with them (more on this topic in the "Elven biology/DNA" question below).

3. What is the relationship between the Elves, the Fae and Humans?

From all of Tië eldaliéva's studies thus far, it appears that generally Elves are friends with the Fae, and Elves are also friends with Humans - and possibly other creatures as well. Elves seemed to "bridge" with many entities and life forms, including trees, plants, and animals, with virtually no effort at all - likely because they were "between" many different energies and could likely "blend" more easily with what was at hand at the time (in some instances, for example in Tolkien's works, the Dwarves were an exception - but it didn't start out that way).

However, the relationship with Humans and the Fae can be rather tricky. Some Humans have great success in working with the Fae as there may exist within that particular human a resonation or at least an understanding of how the Fae operate. In any case, there is such a large variety of Fae creatures that unless you really resonate with this energy, it could be best to leave it alone. If you do decide to work with Fae energy, please be smart, read and understand/integrate as much as you can on this topic (see our links and resources) and use spiritual protection - and look it up if you do not know what this is and how to do this for yourself.

4. Can you provide a better breakdown of the Elves/Quendi within Tolkien's works?

Elf Types, or the Elves/Quendi in the Legendarium.

The above-cited article seems to cover the basics. For more in-depth questions regarding this topic, or for that matter anything related to Tolkien's Legendarium, you can view the very extensive Encyclopedia of Arda.

Long ago, in the Starlight before the Sun or Moon, the Quendi, "The Speakers", awoke on the shore of the great lake Cuviénen ("Water of Awakening"). According to a children's tale preserved among them, the first "Elf Fathers" were named Imin, Tata, and Enel. From them descended the first three Elf-tribes: the Minyar ("Firsts," who later became known as the Vanyar), the Tatyar ("Seconds," most of whom became the Noldor, and some of whom became the Sindar), and the Nelyar ("Thirds," most of whom became Teleri or Silvan Elves).

Shortly after their Awakening at Cuiviénen, the Quendi were discovered by the Vala Oromë and invited to relocate to Valinor (the land of the Valar across the great western sea). This the Valar did because of their love for the Firstborn, but there was also a pragmatic and exigent reason: one of their number had rebelled and become violent, and was directing his malice at the newly Awakened Elves.

So began what the Elves referred to ever after as The Separation. All of the Minyar desired to go to Valinor, whereas in the clan of the Nelyar most desired to remain by their lakeside homes - however the Nelyar were also very cohesive and conscious of the separate unity of their clan (and continued to be) - so that when it became clear that their Chieftains Elwë and Olwë were resolved to depart and would have a large following, many who had at first decided to remain changed their minds and joined the Great March. The Tatyar, however, were evenly and deeply divided. From this division arose much bitterness that endured long afterwards between those who joined the Great March to Valinor and became known in later histories as the Eldar...and those who refused to leave and became known as the Avari ("The Refusers").

5. What of other types of Elves that are definitely not of the Fae but are not described by Tolkien - for instance, the Tuatha de Danaan, the Elenari, or other Star-Elves?

There is still much study on this topic, though there seems to be a connection between the Elves of Tolkien and other Elves that cannot be classified as the Fae, and many seem to have galactic connections, thus for ease, Tië eldaliéva will collectively call them Star-Elves. Unfortunately, we do not yet know what the connection is - but when anything new is known, it will be posted!

It has been suggested in the Elven Community that Elves may be more achetypal in nature, rather than a race or species. It seems that no matter what type of Elves or Elven energies are presented, there seem to be many common traits, origin mythos parallels, beliefs and vibrational energies, regarless of origin or appearance. Again, the common theme is the respect of nature and life, and the role of creative caretakers rather than destructive consumers of our planet and its resources - and even our universe.

It has been said that Elves originated here on Arda (Earth) but had later traveled to space and inhabited other areas of the galaxy. Others feel that Elves may have galactic origins, in particular via the realm of Pleiades and very far beyond, though there are other systems as well. As another viewpoint, it is said that there is no connection between the Tolkien Elves and the Star Elves, but this seems like a rare viewpoint. This is something that cannot be answered at this time, although time has a way of having the right information fall in your lap at the right time, so Tië eldaliéva awaits this event (or events) and will post when more information arrives.

6. What are the Valar and how do they play a role in Tië eldaliéva?

The Valar are really to be considered the "pantheon" of this path, but without the worshipping aspect, so therefore they can also be likened to Angels if you will, the ones that come down to Earth (where the remaining Ainur would be compared to Angels that do not come down). As explained below, the Elves, like the Celts, the Teutonic as well as other European peoples did not worship as if deity were separate from them, but believed they themselves were the divine (and thereby connected directly to the Source) and regarded the Valar as helpful spiritual or archetypal "brothers and sisters" they called on when they needed help. For more information on all 14 of the Valar, names and qualities, visit the relevant page at Valaquenta.com.

7. Did Tolkien's so-called "Arda" or Middle-Earth ever exist?

Good question! Along with reading our answer here, please visit our Beliefs section for more information. Some believe that in fact Tolkien had attempted to "record" much history of Earth and the origins of the European people, but in a mythic mode. This was due to the eradication of these important origin stories, as much has been lost during various invasions and conquests (mostly through the so-called Christianization of these lands). And these believers have begun to "string" together proof of this belief with the hope that more truth will be discovered, and thereby permit new revelations of this truth.

Others feel that these are outright fantasy stories. This can be true, but in any case, it seems that not only did Tolkien state that the Middle-Earth stories had written themselves - a most difficult task when one examines how complicated the Legendarium is - there are also still many threads of mythological truth in Tolkien's known sources as exemplified via the Sacred Texts' site. And this does not reveal his unknown sources! As a well-reputed Linguist and Professor at the prestigious Oxford University, he likely had access to examine, and translate, many ancient documents that would not be known to the general public. There are some texts that are speculative and yet quite convincing - a great example being the Tresco Manuscripts, from Middle-earth Reunion's site. Please also consider the scholarly works of Sir Laurence Gardner, and in particular his online lecture Realm of the Ring Lords. His book of the same title, as well as his others that are related, are well worth reading!

Still, others feel that Tolkien's Arda or Middle-Earth works were of some type of a parallel existence or alternate "universe" if you will. There exist many connections that could be viewed in this fashion, for instance the attention-grabbing coincidence of Atlantis stories with those of Númenor in the Legendarium.

The way that some Tië eldaliéva founders, as well as others, seem to view this is that Arda is likely a parallel plane now, but at one time these planes had co-mingled, much like an intersection of two paths would appear; please see this image as a visual reference.

Whether they are of Tolkien or of other origin, these old stories mention that the Elves and the Fae began to "fade away" and it is now the time for Men. The truth is that Humans became more industrial, technology-heavy and scientific, separating everything for categorization rather than concentrating on unification or the whole, dissecting down to the last atom as to how things "work" - and in the process have inadvertently destroyed much of nature (deforestation is one of the largest ways this is expressed) and have lost regard for unification and our connection to Spirit or All That Is through this process - and because of our now-skewed viewpoint all these thousands of years later - we in fact "changed" the plane in which we exist to one that is more dense and material, and have thereby lost the ability to recognize nature and magick. It naturally follows that we are not able to see the Elves and Fae anymore.

The Elves, on the other hand, had balanced technology/science along with nature and magick; and worked with this blend very well and therefore did not transform their existence into a more "dense" one the way that Humans have. This is not a bad thing, as experience is experience, we are all learning from this process (well, at least we HOPE we are)!

8. Why practice Elven Spirituality as a path or tradition?

Well, the first thing to be said here is that you don't have to! As a matter of fact, the only reason to follow ANY spiritual path is because it helps us to connect with Spirit, the Universe, All that IS. Whatever system (or non-system) works for you is the best. Tië eldaliéva does not believe that this means "worship" by the way. As explained above with the question about the Valar, the Elves as well as the Celts and Teutonic peoples view their respective "pantheons" as spiritual and archetypal "brothers and sisters" as they believe that they are not separate from the divine, but rather are themselves part of the divine. Because of this non-worshipping aspect, many Christians (and Christians are defined here as being followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ) who deeply resonate with their ancestry via Tolkien's works will feel comfortable blending their Christ-centered spiritual practice with this path (or elements of this path), no doubt due to Tolkien's own Catholic belief and practice.

However, many others will also likely be drawn to such a path for various reasons. Here are a few:

There are those who resonate or feel a deep connection with the Elves as they are portrayed in Tolkien's works (and in some opinions, Tolkien had corrected the misinterpretation between Elves and the Fae that happened long ago). This is reason enough in itself.

Also, some practitioners of Faerie Craft in its many forms and paths may be drawn to work with the Elven energies, as they are actually more accessible, much easier to work with and less unpredictable. This path may also be for those who hesitate to work with the energies of the Fae for these very reasons - please see FAQ #3 for more information.

Very commonly, there are also those who resonate with the Legendarium's "Valar" as a valid pantheon, and the Legendarium itself as a valid mythology. Please notice we did not say a "true" mythology but used the word "valid" instead. That is because there cannot exist a definition for "true" mythology, as mythology itself is a collection of STORIES... stories that were passed down by many generations orally before being written down - and thereby likely exaggerated every time they are retold.

In fact, Humans are more subjective than objective in nature (whether we like it or not); an example of which can be easily demonstrated by reviewing the testimonies of 10 witnesses of a particular event - for instance, a sequence of events at a wedding, down to who tossed, attempted to catch, or even caught the bouquet - everyone will have a different story! If we are unable to get an objective viewpoint of what happened at a wedding, how can we be expected to "record" thousands of years of history exactly as it was? We cannot. And all of us can do the deductive reasoning here, and figure out that history as we know it is the collective viewpoint of all of the past wars' winners, i.e. those in power.

So to get back to being a "valid" mythology, Tië eldaliéva feels that Tolkien collected many mythological threads of "truth" and retold the stories so masterfully as to be not only repeated, but actually duplicated through publishing (something that didn't happen with the great storytellers of prior ages) in which there now is a worldwide audience - all of which are enthralled and deeply touched to our very cores by these stories. In other words, he brought these stories to LIFE! Because of this, Tië eldaliéva considers the Legendarium as a valid mythology, and a very deep, detailed and thorough one at that; one that Tolkien spent 56 years of his life attempting to perfect.

9. What differentiates Tië eldaliéva from other seemingly similar Elven groups?

Tië eldaliéva is aware of the numerous other Elf groups and Elf sites in which they (more or less) explore the qualities of being Elven. These can sometimes include the study of past-life memory, but mostly it is becoming aware of the connection with Elvenness in whatever form it comes to the person, and in some ways, can seem quite shamanic in nature. Many of these groups are also for community, to meet others of like kind and to feel supported and not alone. They usually do not emphasize a particular spiritual path so all spiritual and religious backgrounds are embraced.

Tië eldaliéva also aware of Wicca practitioners (mostly solitary but there are a few that are defined as a tradition) in which their spiritual practice is based upon Wicca, and then Middle-Earth elements (via characters from LOTR, Elvish names in place of their regular language, etcetera) are added afterward. These practitioners were likely exposed to Tolkien before the ancient mythologies that Wicca more commonly embraces, and feel they resonate with Legendarium elements better than elements of other mythologies and pantheons. Also, some practitioners just wish to change their routine a little to experience a part of the energies they work with, and then move on to something different later.

Tië eldaliéva differs significantly from these categories. Like the second-mentioned category above, Tië eldaliéva is a spiritual path - the difference is that this path is actually based on the Legendarium - then Tië eldaliéva adds spiritual practice elements that "fit" with the very deep Legendarium experience. This is not a scholarly work, as there are many Tolkien scholars out there dissecting every word Tolkien ever wrote - but rather attempting to find unification with the Legendarium with these other spiritual practice elements - and the inclusion factor is that the addition has to "work." This means that the addition needs to intuitively "feel" right within the scope of the entire Legendarium experience. There is much that needs to be re-done as some pieces "almost" fit and need modification, other pieces fit nearly perfectly (rare), and still others cannot be incorporated at all (most). This has taken a long time and it is easy to see why no one has attempted such an undertaking in the past - but with Tië eldaliéva's founders serendipitously having the perfect blend of talents in various areas, the really hard work is getting done NOW. It is though the Valar themselves are guiding this process! When these spiritual practice "bugs" are worked out, ANYONE should be able to practice this path if they so wish (with sincerity of course!).

As a matter of fact, it has been pointed out that the Elves just ARE and do not need to "perform" or "do" ritual or magick. Tië eldaliéva absolutely believes this to be true, although the Elves did put great magickal intention into their craftwork, most notably their swords and other metalcraft. However, when creating the Elven Path, Tië eldaliéva did not create it for Elves (as they certainly don't need anyone to do that), but rather for People that have varying levels of Elven connectedness, from none all the way to high levels. The great part here is that anyone can practice this path, or parts of this path if they so wish. Tië eldaliéva does NOT claim to have the only Elven path. However, with the information available to date, Tië eldaliéva is believed to be the first to base an Elven path so heavily on the works of Tolkien. Structure may be frowned upon by some, but it is a necessary component of spiritual practice for others. Choose as you will.

10. What are similarities, and differences, of Tië eldaliéva when compared to other spiritual paths?

Even though Tië eldaliéva has some structure; in practice, there appears to be more similarities with earth-based paths that rely on nature and cycles of Earth. Native American Shamanism and Druidism are two examples that seem diverse; but upon closer examination, the connecting element is nature.

As mentioned in FAQ #8, because of Tolkien's own Catholic practice, many Christian followers can feel comfortable with any portion, or even all of the Elven path, as there is no moral conflict between Christ's teachings and the Legendarium. Tië eldaliéva is not a religion and does not require worship - it is simply a path for those wishing to explore their spiritual and ancestral roots, while following Christ's teachings (optional of course), and make connections as the pathworkers themselves see fit.

What is somewhat different is that there is less of what would be called High Ceremonial Magick, which is based on the Kabbalah and many esoteric, highly symbolic ideas. High Ceremonial Magick is absolutely connected to the Source, no mistake about it, but it seems to go through a very different route.

In making your choices regarding a spiritual path, if you are drawn to a path that wishes to go against nature and command the elements to cooperate with your will, then the Elven Path is likely not right for you. That doesn't mean that you cannot set intention for your wishes, but it must be in the correct balance with the Universe and flow with nature, rather than resist it. It should also be mentioned that Elven consciousness seems to have excellent foresight and a wider, clearer scope on responsibility, which is defined as the results or outcome of prior intention, thought, deed or action of the individual. This is why the Elves do nothing flippantly, as the smallest gesture can create something much larger later on, just as a pebble is thrown into a still pond to create waves throughout the entire pond; or a butterfly wing flap could eventually cause a hurricane. Everything is affected, so choose wisely.

11. Can the symbolism in Tie eldalieva's artwork and logo be explained here?

Tie eldalieva has actually created a separate area for this, under Symbols and Numerology. We will update this area when more artwork and materials are available.

12. Is Tolkien really the original source for the words "Wicca" and "Litha" rather than Gerald Gardner?

Yes, in fact he is. You can read more about this on our Forum by clicking this thread http://51.freebb.com/tieeldalieva/tieeldalieva-article175.html.

13. Why is much Elven "awakening" happening now?

There are those who have been "awakened" or embraced Elvenness in the fashion that fits them best over a period of years, but larger numbers that happen all at once are usually due to a specific event, for instance, when Tolkien's works were first published - and this can also count the release of the Arda and Elven origin stories in the Silmarillion in 1977, which spurred yet another awakening. However, the awakening that is definitely operating now is the release over the last few years of the Lord of the Rings movies, as they really brought Tolkien's works to life, even if they didn't follow the books exactly. Experience shows, NO movie ever follows the book, yet Peter Jackson, et al. did manage to make it very close. More importantly, the Spirit of Tolkien in these movies remained intact. In particular, the Elves were in almost everyone's opinion, Tolkien fans included, portrayed very well, and it is no wonder that this event has inspired a "blanket" Elven awakening. It cannot be counted how many times on various forums that a post will be similar to this: "When I first saw the Elves and Rivendell/Lothlorien, I wanted to cry as I was so deeply moved, even to the deepest core of my cells." Of course, this event is usually innocuous enough, but other events that follow later may really point toward the individual looking to integrate Elven energy in their spiritual practice. This can be viewed as a bad thing by noticing that everyone now wants to be an Elf! However, Tië eldaliéva chooses to see the positive expression of this, because no matter how many become Elf role-players, if even just one individual is truly awakened, all of Tië eldaliéva's efforts are worth it!

14. How does one go about discovering one's own Elvenness?

There are an infinite number of ways to go about this, some of which can be found through exploring Tië eldaliéva's Elven links, from websites by individuals reporting their own stories, to Elven cybergroups created for the purpose of connecting with others that experience what they do. Much can be learned here, and your own experience will likely be quite different; and yet similar themes appear when compared to the group that most closely resonates with your experience.

In order to begin discovery of, or even enhance, your own Elvenness, Tië eldaliéva has noticed four activities that can help you reach your goals. The first one, and it seems the most important, is to connect with nature. Whether you go camping in the woods or recognize the grass struggling to grow from cracks in the sidewalk, the important part is to notice how beautiful and powerful nature is. Nature is also the very best teacher of balance, as well as fluctuation within the balance. As you travel the Elven path, you will notice you stay away from life-stealing, sterile chemicals and processed foods, medicines, cosmetics and household products and opt for those that have the organic element of life. You may even decide to go as far as learning herbology. You may start an organic garden. The possibilities are almost endless and can feel overwhelming, but just start small - more comes, well, naturally!

The second of these is connection with Spirit. This is obviously related to the first one and it is difficult to separate the two. However, we give this its own category since the methods are somewhat different. Meditation is an excellent example and something that you need to find your own "system" since we are not all the same, and remember to be thankful when you are in a spiritual space, as that is what brings even more gifts into your life. This process doesn't happen overnight any more than the first one, but again, start small.

The third activity is generating creativity through craftwork. Whether it be textile needlework, metalsmithing, cooking, woodworking, painting, music, writing - it really doesn't matter. Pouring through your hands excellent intention of love and healing, or if needed protection, into your chosen craft brings those things into manifestation - and you are likely having a good time! Hopefully, you have a job where you can be creative, but if not, don't just absorb other people's creativity by watching television (mostly via advertising for things you do not need) - unless this inspires you to be creative yourself! And maybe one day, you can manifest a way to be creative at work and love what you do, and feel good about the service you provide to the world.

And the fourth, and last, action to implement is more difficult but worth the effort - widening your scope of responsibility and foresight. It was mentioned above that the Elves made decisions with serious thought, and they were quite adept at foreseeing consequences of action. After practicing the prior three suggestions for awhile, this actually may start to happen automatically. You see the results from integrating nature, spirit and creativity and you know these desired results would never happen if you didn't implement these decisions by action. You may then also see how choices of a less desirable outcome can be avoided. You recognize that widening your scope means widening your senses, and that may mean examining decisions with your heart and even your body, as well as your mind. If you ever had your stomach get upset at a decision that ended up being bad later on, you will understand body wisdom - your stomach didn't "digest" that decision for a reason! You discover the ebb and flow of life. Using all of your newly discovered wisdom, you then see yourself make much better choices. Selection of better choices means better outcomes and results - and pretty soon, your life will be in a place where you want it! Claim responsibility for your actions and do not expect others to carry your load. Also, have the wisdom to allow others to reap their consequences for themselves - it is the most loving thing to do, as they will then have an opportunity of education from their experience. Saving anyone from their own consequences not only damages you, but even the person you wish to save. And examine carefully your motivations for "saving" another from their bad decisions in the first place!

After following these four actions to move toward your Elvenness, you may wish to explore the above-mentioned groupings further. Tië eldaliéva has noticed these groupings can be roughly divided into three groups. Each group would have a division between the Quendi (or the Elves of Tolkien) and other Elven energies we will for this purpose collectively call Star-Elves (again, not related to the Fae, and mostly having a galactic element):

14a. Elven Soul or Past Life Memory

The first of these to be explored is the discovery of a person knowing they had a past life or even many past lives as an Elf. For those that do believe in reincarnation, and experience this by having past-life memories surface, it seems pretty self-explanatory. However, sometimes, these memories can feel like you are "making it up" - but the way to tell is after awhile, some memories will surface that will not coincide with an event in your life, and sometimes the event will happen afterward in order to get your attention. Journaling is a great way to record this, and will likely open the gates to allow more information of this sort to flow in more easily with less effort.

The danger here is that as important as memory can be, the idea is NOT to "live" within these memories and claim you were famous "so and so" when no one in this incarnation would care. The idea is to live here, now, in the human body and in the human family and environment that you have chosen this time around, and BE YOURSELF, not someone else. However, if any memories point to patterns that are being repeated and that are undesirable, this is the right use of memory - make sure you do something about it if you do not like what you see! There are many ways to go about this: it may involve seeing energy healers like those who practice anything from Spiritual Counseling to Shamanic Soul Retrieval to Reiki to Astrology and Tarot to Massage and Acupuncture, even Herbal, Nutritional, Homeopathic and Naturopathic treatment. If you cannot help yourself in changing a long-standing pattern, get help!

As we mentioned above, one can have a Quendi soul or a Star-Elven soul, or maybe just a portion of one's soul, and even both of these Elven types can be present in part this way.

14b. Elven Genetics, Biology or DNA

This exploration of Elvenness can actually take us by surprise at first, but upon closer examination of this idea, it makes perfect sense. The Elves are said to have not only loved Humans but in fact had children together (thus the stories of Half-Elves in Tolkien's works as well as others) and there are even stories about certain ancient peoples being partially genetically Elven - for instance the Picts of Scotland, the Tuatha de Danaan of Ireland, or even the Star-Elf origins of the Egyptian pantheon. Many other people-origins may have a similar history. This is also the classification for those who do not believe in reincarnation but experience instead ancestral memory that is possibly inherited through the genetic line - most likely thousands of years back if they experience Elven ancestral memory. This also encompasses physical traits that seem to differ from others, an example of which there seems to be a slowing of the aging process, becoming more noticeable as the person gets older.

As discussed above in the question about Arda's existence, we spoke of Elves "fading away" and the actual event is that the planes had shifted due to our respective activities. So it only makes sense to carry this idea further and realize that at this time, there is no physical concrete way to measure Elven DNA within us because this information, although there, exists on a different plane as well.

The danger zone with this category is that some think Elves are superior to Humans and thereby have an aloofness or "I don't care" attitude. This information can also be wrongly used as an excuse to think you are better than others. The position that Tië eldaliéva takes on this topic is that there is already enough racism in the world and do not wish to add to it. Elves and Men are equal in the eyes of Ilúvatar. However, discovering if you have Elven ancestry can be an empowering experience as long as you do not exercise this newfound inner power in a fearful way to attempt to control or intimidate others (known as force). Being Human is one of the hardest things anyone can do and no one does it perfectly. We are all here to learn through this chosen set of circumstances - so it is important we do not forget our collective Humanness. Besides, the Elves believe that death is the "gift" of Men.

Again, Elven Biology or DNA can be of Quendi nature as well as Star-Elven nature. And it is also possible to have an Elven Soul and Elven Biology or DNA - and for these to even be from different sources. For instance, let's say someone discovers they have a Star-Elven soul, yet biologically, they resonate with part of the Quendi (again, see FAQ #4 for the different types of Quendi); or vice-versa. It is even possible to have both types in one area and one type in another, or both types across the board, and to even have those types differ between both areas. The combinations are seemingly endless.

14c. Elven "Friends" (Elendili)

This category is for those who may not have an Elven Soul or Elven DNA and yet resonate highly with the Elven energy. There may be a variety of reasons for this, including the fact that Elves are friends with Humans, yet another way that this has been discovered is that these individuals may be of different "otherkin" - which is defined as a person feeling like they have a soul and/or biology that is not all human (for more information, see Otherkin.net). The types and blends of otherkin can seem endless, but many of these types that are drawn to Elven energies just happen to resonate also with energies of the Fae - and we talked about the Elves and the Fae being friends early on in this FAQ page. As a matter of fact, even resonating with Elven energy can be considered a form of otherkin energy itself. However, it appears most individuals that resonate only with Elven energy and not other types of otherkin energies (including that of the Fae) feel immensely more comfortable with others of the Elven energy alone (and go as far to identify themselves as Elven or even as Elves), and have a very hard time connecting with others that identify themselves as other types of otherkin.

And even if you highly resonate with the Elves and are not of Elven soul or biology, and not defined as otherkin - you can still be an Elf-Friend. After all, remember that Humans are friends of Elves too!

14d. Test Your Resonation Via Dowsing

For those of you who do not know what Dowsing is, it can be defined as a very kinetically centered way to measure energy. It works like a spiritual telephone at times too. This method to measure Elven resonation has been chosen because, when performed properly, dowsing can pick up these subtle energies with an acceptable level of accuracy, where attempting to search on a physical level will not reveal these energies. For the best information found so far on how to dowse, visit Letter to Robin by Walt Woods.

For Pendulum Charts

For the Yes/No Chart

For the Percentage Chart

First, if you do not have a pendulum, you can use a necklace, or pendant on a chain, or even a key tied to some yarn or string. The way to see if it will work correctly is that it should swing freely in all directions. You may wish to smudge it with herbs like sage or juniper first to cleanse away any vibrations that can interrupt what you are doing. As for the Charts, if you cannot print these out, you can draw something like these with excellent results. Then, hold the pendulum (or pendulum substitute) to swing comfortably (usually about 6-10 inches between fingers and the weight) and then hold it over the chart at the center toward the bottom, or even a bit lower than that if you find that more comfortable.

After you "ground" and center, check the accuracy level of your pendulum skills with the percentage chart. If the percentage is under 90 percent, there is likely a problem - there are a variety, but most of the time, it is because a person is not grounded and centered enough, or the person's mind has pre-determined results they wish for, and having such a strong desire for a certain outcome (likely emotionally driven) will not provide an accurate reading. If you cannot get past this, have someone else who is grounded and unattached to the results do this for you.

If your accuracy is above 90 percent, you can then ask Spirit if you are in the highest good with no harm to yourself or to others. When the Pendulum says Yes, you may then proceed to the next chart with these questions:

1. What percentage of Quendi Soul am I?
2. What percentage of Star-Elven Soul am I?
3. What percentage of Quendi Biology am I?
4. What percentage of Star-Elven Biology am I?
5. What percentage of Elven-Friend Soul am I?
6. What percentage of Elven-Friend Biology am I?

Hopefully, the answer to Number 6 should be pretty high, as most Humans are friends with Elves. Write down your answers for future reference. You can then dissect your answers into further categories; for instance, you may wish to determine which of the Quendi types you resonate with most. Or you may wish to find out if you have a type of otherkin energy (in particular of the Fae) along with your Humanness that builds your Elven-Friend level and then even measure what amount that is upon discovery. And have fun!

15. If I have reviewed these FAQ's, the Homepage, the Links Page, and the Forums's Page and still cannot find what I am looking for, how do I contact you?

You can email your question, making sure you SPAM-proof your question by placing in the "Re:" line "Elven Spirituality Inquiry" or something that lets Tië eldaliéva know it isn't SPAM to ElvenPath-owner@yahoogroups.com. Tië eldaliéva cannot guarantee to answer everything - in any case, Tië eldaliéva will do its best and perhaps even provide resources through books and website links that can help with your question. However, Tië eldaliéva CAN guarantee NOT to read or respond to your email if it has no subject line or resembles SPAM in any way. Tië eldaliéva will also not entertain any questions on non-relevant RPG matters or abrupt questions without signature that have not been thought out well or not researched through this site or other sites before emailing - and of course, bashing or bad-mouthing or otherwise fear-based emotional responses to what Tië eldaliéva is doing will not be tolerated - there is room for all paths and all points of view. Overall - it will apparently depend on how badly you wish for your emailed question to be answered! Please give it some thought beforehand and Tië eldaliéva will most likely extend a most gracious response!