Fairy or Angel? Here’s a Quick Way to Tell the Difference.

I was working on a miniature garden for the Miniature Garden Society‘s outreach program and a fellow miniature gardener brought out an angel statue to see if it would fit into our plan. I said, “What a pretty angel.” and she quickly said, “I thought you didn’t like fairies** in your gardens?”

Shortly thereafter, a fellow MG commented on a photo of a miniature praying angel statue on my Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Facebook page, photo is shown to the right. She said, “Oh, what a cute fairy!” That made me realize the difference between fairies and angels aren’t that obvious to some folks – yet.

So, how do you tell? Let me bring to light the differences and similarities between fairies and angels that may help you distinguish between the two. And no, you won’t find this kind of reporting anywhere else. Lol!

How Fairies and Angels are the Same:

– Every culture has some type of fairy.

– Every religion has some type of angel, aka spiritual being, deva, or cherub, generally speaking.

– Fairies are sometimes regarded as spiritual beings too.

– Fairies and angels can be guardians or guides

– They both have wings.

How Fairies and Angels are Different

– Fairies seem more ethereal than angels. (Ethereal means extremely delicate and light.) Fairies are small and angels are usually our size. Cherubs are usually shown as human babies or young children.

– Fairies are of the earth and angels are from the heavens.

– Angels are religious and fairies, not so much, although some do regard them as spiritual beings. (It’s optional for druids, apparently.)

– Fairy wings look like insect wings, similar to dragonfly or butterfly wings. Angel wings are bird’s wings and feathered. They tend to be bigger and more dramatic than a fairy’s utilitarian insect wings.

– Fairies are usually clothed in bright colored naturals: flower petals, leaves or some sort of plant. Angels are usually shown in soft, pastel-colored cloth robes or gowns.

Whether you believe in fairies or not, either way, you are right.

Henry Ford’s Fairy :o)

When I envision angels flying, I can see their powerful feathered wings swooping, soaring and gliding. When I picture fairies flying, they are buzzing and darting around like a hummingbird. Disney captures this feeling with how they make Tinkerbell flit around so fast that she becomes a blur.

So, there you have it – that, and about $4 will get you a cup of regular coffee just about anywhere. Lol! Leave any comments, compliment, complaints or concerns below.

Hey, I do take a break from the realistic miniature garden to enjoy some fantasy fairy gardening from time to time. Here are just a couple blogs about fairy gardening from this blog:

Decorating Your Fairy Houses

Fairy Garden Moss: What They Won’t Tell You But I Will

Fairy Gardens Vs. Miniature Gardens ~ What’s the Difference?

Faith, Hope and Pixie Dust

How to Get the Garden into Your Fairy Garden

VIDEO – Design Ideas for Your Fairy Garden

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(** I don’t do any figures of any kind in my miniature gardens because then it becomes the fairy’s garden – or the figure’s garden. It’s no longer my own little world if there is “someone else” in the scene. I’m a bit selfish that way. Lol! Note that this is a constant debate in the dollhouse miniature world and in the model railroad world as well. It’s a personal preference.)