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Many of us will recall the comfort we took in the fairy tales of our youth. They provided hope and consolation, along
with kernels of truth and wisdom, though we may not have realized that was their true “magic.” We read many stories (some
many times), not conscious they were feeding something deep within us, only that we enjoyed them so much. They became
part of the child that went forth.
But in our post-modern culture, fairy tales are often thought of as childrens stories, and given little
consideration by adults. In fact, fairy tales are rife with transcendence, and they present to us a real
grounding in the essential problems and possibilities of psychological development. Especially meaningful
is the awareness that the fairy tale is a story of what can happen within the individual personality, told
metaphorically, much like the events in a dream. But unlike dreams, whose actions Jungians typically regard
as part of myself, this type of tale is wider-ranging, often appearing as a metaphor for the conflicts,
perils, failures and triumphs of spiritual existence.
Classic fairy tales are filled with symbolic images of thresholds, gateways, ravines and bridges that must be
crossed if the traveler is to move out of inertia. To refuse the Call to Adventure, the fairy tale teaches, is
to risk stagnation, even spiritual death. Of Later Life, cultural anthropologist and folklorist Angeles Arrien
states: We must learn to live in the formidable middle ground of our nature, where depth and character reside.
This is no easy task in a frenetic and youth-oriented culture!
In our lecture and workshop, we will have an overview of the dynamics in popular fairy tales.What do the similarities
and differences have to teach us about the tasks of the journey into mid-life and beyond? Key fairytales to be
discussed Friday and Saturday include Hansel and Grethel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs, The Handless Maiden, and The Water of Life.
Through discussions and journal writing, you will be encouraged to explore the images that are calling for you
to bring them to the light. What do the tales now say to us about mid-life and beyond?
A native of the Southeast, Irene Blair Honeycutt is a long-time resident of Charlotte. At Central Piedmont
Community College, she received several awards, including Teacher of the Year. She founded and subsequently directed
the colleges annual Spring Literary Festival from1993-2006. In 2006 the college established the Irene Blair
Honeycutt Distinguished Lectureship in her honor. She leads creative writing workshops around the region, and
teaches classes in mythology and classic fairy tales through the Haden Institute. Irene also has written several
books of poetry, including Waiting for the Trout to Speak (Novello Festival Press, 2002).
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Friday Lecture:
$15 members
$20 nonmembers
Registration begins at 7 p.m.
Saturday Workshop:
$35 members
$45 nonmembers
Registration begins at 9 a.m.
Location:
Myers Park Baptist Church, Cornwell Center,
1931 Selwyn Avenue
To preregister,
contact Bruce Elliott at
(704) 554-8448 or email
bce82@bellsouth.net
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n myths and fairy tales, as in dreams, the psyche tells its own story...
