The magic of Autumn's leaves

There are several scientific explanations of Autumn's leaf color change, including this one from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. While we understand and respect the scientific story, we've decided we much prefer attributing color change to flocks of fall fairies frisking fantastically each night. Different colors are due to the fact that fairies' magic wands have different powers that work sort of like paint brushes or felt tip markers.

a single red maple leaf

Photo by J. Harrington

We became believers in the fairies theory when we noticed this morning a single leaf in a maple tree in front of the house. Over night it alone had turned from green to red. Now, we find it difficult to impossible to believe that the red leaf had received less sunlight or rain over the course of this year's growing season than any of its immediate neighbors. And yet, this single leaf had turned red. How else to account for it except the magic of fairies?

oak leaves in bronze, copper and gold

Photo by J. Harrington

Further supporting evidence comes from the oak leaves on one of the trees behind the house. Most of them are still very green. A couple of patches, however, have turned metallic copper, bronze and gold. That's attributable to a fairy flock with wands of similar, but not identical, capabilities. The fairy flock arrived and got into a mild competition to see who could do the most metallic-looking leaf. By the time the contest was settled (it was a tie) several branches full of oak leaves had been turned from green to metallic hues. How else to account for the speckled, spattered patterns that emerge as Autumn briefly brightens our days before we enter the monotonous world of widespread whites? If there were more fairies, the color change would happen everywhere at once. This world can support only so many fairies, humans, elves, trolls, goblins, etc., so the colors move from North to South as the fairies migrate to warmer climes for the Winter.

A Celtic Miscellany

By Thomas McCarthy

Magic rain magic mist magic dew magic hail

Magic darkness magic sea magic waves magic

River magic fountain magic well magic spring

That bursts forth when a magic spear pierces

Rock magic oak tree magic ash magic lime tree

Magic bough magic yew magic hawthorn magic

Tree to make you young again magic tree to

Prevent hunger magic thorn magic ivy magic

Fern magic blossom, mistletoe and mandrake

Magic wild grasses magic wheat magic breath

Magic blood magic feather magic dung magic

Piss magic mantle magic trousers magic veil

Magic hat magic chain magic sword magic

Shield magic hearth magic bench magic door

Magic cry of a deer or cry of a magic deer;

Seven as a magic number magic the human

Head for divination magic also the head of

A dog, magic too vessels that burst in the fire

To uncover disobedience magic the river

That rises to drown liars magic the stone

That causes silence magic the deep lake

That causes forgetfulness magic the hazelnut

That makes a lover foolish magic the stone

That banishes sorrow magic the charm bought

Cheaply in the form of small poetry books,

Or nine the magic number and the magic

Number seven again and the magic twelve also

And green as that magic color violet as magic

Red as magic black as magic white as magic

Purple also as a magic hue and also red again;

Magic also the felling of two oak trees in a wood

And the magic wand used by the Druids to

Find your beloved carried away by fairies—

And, when all else fails, magic the new-fangled

Blessings of Christians swarming into our oak

Wood now, making even the disappeared speak.

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