Fairy tales for children of all ages
Published: Fri, 04/16/21
Just fairy tales? Or tools with which to understand the world we are living in at the turn of ages?
Life is a cycle of many cycles working together to sustain a beautiful and hospitable world in which souls can incarnate into many living forms, experience a life cycle, and return to continue the journey. There are cycles of water, of carbon, of the seasons and weather, and every living creature has a cycle of birth, life, and death which is the full experience of consciousness in this universe. There is nothing to be afraid of and everything to celebrate once we realise that the universe is an expression of creative love. We too are both an expression of that love, and since we are made in the image of our maker, our purpose is also to demonstrate expressive love in whatever ways we can.
However, human beings are caught between the material world and the eternal spiritual realm. When we can remember that we are incarnated souls here for a purpose we can simply ask for guidance in fulfilling that purpose and all the resources of the world are provided to help us on our way. It is also possible to forget that there is anything other than the material world and physical death then seems like a terrifying prospect. For many the reality of death means despair and a clutching at any straw which promises to alleviate the terror of mortality. It is really no wonder that intoxicating substances, trivial entertainments, and meaningless sporting events are so popular. Anything to distract us from the meaningless oblivion which awaits us all.
Yet, as soon as I write this I know that a glass of wine, a popular song, and a well played match between skilled sports men or women are also celebrations in our journey of life. Everything is transformed when awareness shifts from the mundane to the sacred, the material to the spiritual, from fear to love.
Some people who are blessed with particular gifts of influence and ingenuity also forget their spiritual nature. People with extraordinary amounts of money, and all the property and influence it can buy, are still afraid of the cycles of life. Even the richest person cannot buy another minute of life when their time comes to pass on. Yet, with all that power and money at their disposal it is not surprising that the materialistic super rich will come to believe that they are capable of freezing the cycles of life. They reason that if the wheel of life stops turning then they will not have to accept death and the continuity of change which death brings.
The witch in Snow White simply cannot accept that as she ages she will no longer be the ‘fairest of them all’. She could have celebrated who her step daughter was becoming while simply enjoying the privilege of being the king’s wife and Snow White’s mother. Instead she sees the seven year old child as a rival and makes her first attempt at having Snow White killed. In spite of Disney’s best efforts The tale of Snow White is a frightening story of power combined with fear of just accepting life for what it is.
Just a fairy story? If only such behaviour only happened in children’s stories. The James Bond films are fairy tales for grownups (‘grownup’ is an elastic concept) and the 21st 007 adventure has still not been released. The storyline probably involves a megalomaniac billionaire who is determined to destroy the world so that he can live for ever in some form or other. We used to watch Mr Bond in action and enjoy the fantasy. Now we may be living a Bond film and the only fantasy element is that Bond himself will rescue us.
Some may dismiss the New Testament as fairy stories too which cannot be proven to be true. Who knows? Not worth arguing about when the hero asks the question:
‘What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’ Mark 8 v 36 (NIV translation). The Havamal expresses the same warning as: ‘It is better not to ask, than to sacrifice too much.
A gift always looks for a gift. It is better unsent, than over sacrificed.’ Stanza 145 (Chisholm translation).
We are currently enchanted with a fear of our own bodies, even of breathing and contacting other people. We are made afraid of the carbon and water cycles which sustain life on this planet. Some countries are apparently evil and so we continue to live under the threat of nuclear war and arms manufacturers get massively rich.
The fairy stories primary purpose is to remind us that enchantments can be broken if someone has the courage to wake up and take the necessary action.
regards
Graham
PS I am not exaggerating about the danger the world is in, check this out from the Iron Age Farmer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT4lY6HWdfA
PPS I have updated websites at last, here is link to calendar page http://iceandfire.org/calendar.html