why I work with fairy tales

I'm a woman in America. This means that my life has been defined by certain outside forces.  I'm a queer woman in America, in a relationship with a woman. We have a child. I'm white, middle class, educated.  We live in a house. Somehow, the bills get paid. 

All of these facts contribute to my experience of the world. 

It would seem that I ought to work from a "modern" understanding, that I ought to relate mostly to stories of "modern" women.

Where I find my deepest resonance, is with fairy tales.

Perhaps, to you, fairy tales are unrealistic, misogynistic tales, told to keep little girls in their place, emphasizing making a good marriage and giving up agency.

I find them to be the opposite. Perhaps it is the fairy tales I choose, but my heroines are brave, resourceful, kind, and adventurous. They do not wait around to be saved. They save their loved ones, trick giants and kings, weave shirts of nettles, create worlds. 

They are invincible in their vulnerability.

Recently, I worked with a woman with the tale of Tatterhood. For her, on first hearing, the story was of how the brave and exciting Tatterhood gave up what and who she was, became acceptably beautiful, in order to marry the prince. "Wow," I thought. "That is so far from my reading. Why is that?"

Together, we explored questions of what it is that is being unveiled when Tatterhood removes her hood.  What conditions have to be in place for us to remove the veils we use to keep ourselves safe from others? What is the question we  need to hear in order to take that step? And how do we get someone to ask when we need it?

Shift. Change.

I love these stories.  I love the depth that I can get to so very quickly through their wishing-well of images and archetypes. I would love to share them with you.  

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