Brownies and the 'T' Word

[cairngorn]

Has anyone ever accidentally thanked their Brownies?

I returned from the bathroom and almost thanked my brownie for waiting for me.

"Thank yo-oh. THANKFULLY-" Then I apologized but while I was doing that I seemed to see a movement away from the vessel to the left. The vessel's felt a bit different since, less energy? I've never had trouble picking up the energy from his vessel before.

I believe that I got a throb from it while asking in meditation: "YES" I'm still here. "NO." I'm not gone. But the vessel continues to feel subdued. I have to focus to separate the energy I feel from my own so the surges could be my own wishful thinking. Or the lessened/gone energy could be from my worry.

[Lewk]

Has anyone ever accidentally thanked their Brownies?

I returned from the bathroom and almost thanked my brownie for waiting for me.

"Thank yo-oh. THANKFULLY-" Then I apologized but while I was doing that I seemed to see a movement away from the vessel to the left. The vessel's felt a bit different since, less energy? I've never had trouble picking up the energy from his vessel before.

I believe that I got a throb from it while asking in meditation: "YES" I'm still here. "NO." I'm not gone. But the vessel continues to feel subdued. I have to focus to separate the energy I feel from my own so the surges could be my own wishful thinking. Or the lessened/gone energy could be from my worry.

Well, I've continually had to guard and guide my reflexive thinking pattern around the T word and the P word. I've been fairly concerned myself about unthinkingly offending my Brownie.

I think it may help if you can ask the conjurer the Brownie came from whether avoiding thanking or saying the T&P words is part of the binding agreement. That is, whether it is part of the care that the keeper should exercise.

If that kind of considerate behaviour is expected, then it may well be that a Brownie could feel unhappy if it is not kept to. And perhaps that may lead to a feeling of subdued presence or energy.

https://www.creepyhollows.com/faq/index ... ht=brownie

"If you reward them or give them an offering they will vanish forever." and
"If you mistreat a Brownie they will leave and take the good luck with them."

But I don't think a spirit from CH will leave and I thought I read that CH says Brownies were far more unforgiving of bad behaviour when they were alive. More tolerant now they are spirits. I don't know for sure. If you do ask CH, I'd be interested in reading their answer.

Mystic Morning Treasures' Brownie binding is done is such a way that a Brownie is allowed to leave their keeper if mistreated and the requirements around offerings are different from CH but still strict. And Lisa of MMT thinks of many of her beings as living entities, not spirits of those who were formerly alive.

As usual, the best thing to do is what the conjurer recommends.

[cairngorn]

I'd heard that spirits were usually more forgiving in general but not about Brownies is particular. Taboos can be powerful with sidhe, I've heard, so I don't whether them being forgiving would matter.

As much as I hope mine won't leave, I think it's probably better if they can leave if they need to.

I hadn't heard of "please" being offensive, so I've just been saying it. Hm. My hunch is that "thanks" can be seen as payment or offering, which would imply you think they're servants. Also "thanks" might be seen as trying to pay with words. Doubly insulting. But I'm not good enough with the pendulum to confirm or deny. I may actually do a help ticket.

[Lewk]

I've found that earlier thread that discussed the issues around please and thank you etc.

viewtopic.php?p=701078#p701078

You'll need to read the whole thread. One key post explains that the origin of please and thank you seems to be transactional and can imply some kind of debt or credit and that the good deed is not good in and of itself or appreciated on its own terms. Imprecision of language is also touched on: does 'thank you' mean I will thank you; what is thanking - how will you thank - and so on.

So you've intuited that correctly.

In this thread, one post states that Brownies are among the WA Sidhe - Sidhe are apparently more concerned about this particular form of courtesy.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=81314&p=818634&hil ... nk#p818634

[shiningshadow33]

With Brownies avoid making any kind of offerings, as making offerings to/for them specifically is seen as a type of payment for their services, any form of payment angers them. Making offerings like the ones I listed in the thread linked above to other sidhe is fine, but brownies specifically see any offering specifically for them as a form of payment. With brownies remember the saying ‘work is its own reward’ is to be taken literally.

As for steps you can take to make up for the faux pas you made; avoid the T and P words. Ask your brownie about their culture, how they lived, what it was like, etcetera. If you can not easily ‘hear’ your companion then ask them to, if they are comfortable with it, show you their life in dreams.

To show care to a brownie one thing you can do is share your life with them, talk about your troubles, your hobbies, what brings you joy, what brings you sorrow. They in general love chatting with/interacting with humans. Very sociable if treated with proper respect.

[shiningshadow33]

The lessening in energy may indeed be simply due to your worry getting ‘in the way’ as you say.

[shiningshadow33]

Have I accidentally thanked my brownie? If memory serves I have made the mistake once early on, and profusely apologized for it. She is still around, though that mess up took time to fix. I work with the sidhe a lot so now I reflexively avoid the ‘T word’ like the plague. Do not have to think about it as much, I just do.

The fact that you caught yourself as you were saying the word and (I assume) sincerely apologized for the accident, in itself goes a long way in showing that you are genuinely apologetic and meant no offense by it

[cairngorn]

He seems to be back. I meditated with him for a while and felt the same familiar sense of happiness. Though I don't see him in my mind's eye, he feels like a presence near my heart.

I don't know how much talking about him here would bother him, Brownies seem fairly private from what I've read. But I have asked him about his life without getting much.

He seems chatty, both from his description and because his vessel has pulsed slightly before, in a conversational rhythm. Like if you couldn't hear a TV that was up full blast but you put your hand on it while someone was talking and felt vibrations. Poor guy, I'm sure he wants to be heard and I'm working on that.

[ASTER]

There is a reason I won't keep a Brownie! I have a thankful heart and graceful words lives my lips easily. But I have a High ELF. I could not found much info concerning stuff like this.

[cairngorn]

I also have a high elf binding. I believe that there are posts about them in Creatures.

Mine feels almost Vulcan-like (like the fictional aliens). Stoic, but not without emotion. It may be because he's older and doesn't have many emotional ups and downs. He's usually quietly happy. He loves the outdoors (I think most elves have that in common.) Also he tends to send soothing energy my way when I get irritated over stupid things.

More confirmation the brownie's here: He might have been nudging me to clean my room into the night yesterday. I think the withdrawal might have been my own block but no real idea. He didn't seem to move away until I apologized kind of intensely.