So this morning as I was waking up – you know that liminal space where you’re not quite asleep but not fully awake yet – I was talking with someone whose face was surrounded by autumn leaves. They were beautiful leaves; reds and oranges, perfect looking with no holes or rips. Her face was almost extremely young and perfect, almost like a mask with alabaster skin and a still, calm face.

We were talking about my style of wyrd weaving. I can’t recall if I was defending my approach, explaining it, or if we were comparing notes. That happens a lot in those half-dream states – at least to me. I’m often lucky to recall an encounter at all with as much detail as I have from this one.

When I fully woke up my friend was there, and I told her what had just happened. Then I thought was “Wait, was I just talking to the Green Man?”

We rolled our eyes. I’ve been seeing a lot of entities through the past several months – actually not unusual for me but it’s more pronounced these days – and we both thought perhaps it was over. After all I’d figured out the mess I was in, spoken the name out loud, and everything had disappeared. Yet here I was, being visited again… story of my life really. But with all that happened I’m not sure if I should be worried or not.

Also, this was a woman. I figured maybe I was just interpreting the Green Man in a more feminine way, or maybe it was because we’re heading into autumn and the leaves reflected that.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

After doing some digging, I discovered that the Green Man DOES have a feminine counterpart in European folklore traditions. She’s supposedly known by various names – the Lady of the Leaves, the Green Woman, the Forest Queen – depending on the region and language.

I had NO idea she existed before this encounter. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Which is how I prefer it. It lends credibility. For me. I don’t care if you believe me or not.

Resources for the Curious

If you’re interested in learning more about this fascinating figure, here are some accessible resources:

• The article “Into the Woods, 5: Folklore” explores the history of the Green Woman.
• The Sacred Texts Archive has a collection of Celtic folklore that includes references to leaf-faced women in oral traditions.
• “The Sacred Heritage” by Paul Broadhurst mentions female counterparts to the Green Man.

Living Traditions

As I said before, this kind of thing happens to me a lot – discussions with various entities – but this is the first time I’ve encountered her specifically. And the fact that I met her without having any prior knowledge of her existence makes the experience that much more authentic to me.

It’s also a reminder of something I’ve always believed: you don’t need to read about something in a book to have an authentic spiritual experience. Sometimes the experience comes first, and the understanding follows. That’s how living traditions stay alive – through direct encounter, not just through studying what others have written.