Aladdin and Friends have something Life-changing to say…
The humble fairy tale: a concept which conjures up a sexist world of dragons being slain by knights and fair maidens being rescued by princes atop their valiant horses. But perhaps you didn’t know there’s a more purposeful revelation the stories of our childhood have held dear for us like hidden treasure all this time? And maybe the very best thing you can do for your own children is to regurgitate these tales of “predictability”after all…?
Still unconvinced?
Well, it turns out our fairy tales are far from hastily thrown together stories fabricated to ruffle the feathers of feminists far and wide. Instead many of the beloved stories from our more “innocent” years have valuable wisdom to impart about the magic that is the Universe and our connection to it.
Below are just a few examples of stories you won’t quite be able to read with the same pair of eyes again:
Aladdin
Our subconscious mind is the genie in the bottle from Aladdin.
Yes, really! Except, unlike being granted just three wishes as per the fairy tale we know and love, we are in fact bestowed with infinite and endless wishes in real life. Aladdin is a perfectly constructed story, handed down from generation to generation with the intention of passing on a great secret about the mechanism of the Universe – also known as the Law of Attraction.
The analogy of the lamp is a wonderful metaphor to convey this “secret”: Aladdin is our conscious mind (the decision maker, or ego) and the lamp is the subconscious (that part of our mind which is mysteriously connected to something greater).
So “your wish is my command” could not be more accurate.
And even in the fairy tale we see that every little thing is included, often with hilarious results – never more lovingly brought to life than via that spellbinding voice of Robin Williams. Which is why being careful what you wish for; being choosy about the kind of thoughts you think and the quality of the vibe you are putting out there, is probably the most important message from any and all of Walt Disney’s recreations combined!
Cinderella
As spiritual guru, Marianne Williamson points out in her book “A Return to Love“, Cinderella is a fairy tale with great hidden meaning. The Disney portrayal shows us this – intentionally or not… – when the Fairy Godmother appears:
“Oh Fairy Godmother, I thought you would never get here,” declares Cinders.
To which the FG in her metaphysical wisdom replies:
“That’s not true, or I couldn’t have come.”
Once again, we see a metaphor for the subconscious mind (the Fairy Godmother) and the conscious mind/ego (Cinderella).
What’s even more remarkable is the way in which the Fairy Godmother transforms current conditions (Cinderella’s pauper-like tattered clothes) by removing her attention from “what is” and placing it on what is wanted (something fabulous to catch Prince Charming’s eye). Whereas in the physical world, we run around like headless chickens assuming it’s the conditions we need to change by fighting against them, pushing against them and complaining about them.
Either that or we take the burden of (uninspired) action upon ourselves and strive and effort to make things different… in the case of a gorgeous new designer dress fit for a potential boogie with a Prince at a pending ball, that would mean somehow saving all our dollars, or hunting high and low for a haute couture designer who might just do us a favour because they feel sorry for our predicament.
But in the spiritual realm; the realm where the Fairy Godmother dwells, we don’t change the conditions, rather we change ourselves. We change our minds. And so, magically, Cinderella in the story finds herself in a beautiful pumpkin carriage with white horses and suavely uniformed footmen to pull it. Oh, and she is also now proud owner of a frock whose gorgeousness and instant manifestation would have Julien Macdonald and co in the tailspin of their fashion careers. Such is the power of our connection to the Universe.
Whether we’re wanting to conjure up designer gowns and a flotilla of Mercedes, the fare for a bus, or the resolution to a long-standing problem, the Fairy Godmother (our subconscious mind) is not the exclusivity of wannabe princesses: we all have our own private FGs. We all have that same access to our invisible inner world where everything is possible.
Snow White and Sleeping Beauty
“In fairy tales like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, an innocent maiden is walking through the woods with all the animals of the kingdom gathered around her, in harmony with one another and with her. Birds flock around her, as though to guide her, should she lose her way.
That image of the sleeping beauty that lies within us all, snow white in its innocence and purity of spirit – is a subconscious message to children and adults as well, that when we’re aligned with our own spiritual essence, the world is a safer place.”
Marianne Williamson, Everyday Grace
I love the above quote from Marianne Williamson’s “Everyday Grace“. It sums up in words I cannot quite find, exactly how our spirit is love and our ego is fear.
Now sometimes, of course, fear is essential. We have an in-built fear (fight or flight) which keeps us safe from lions and tigers, or from burning our hand on a hot stove. But often (all too often) we experience irrational fear – on a pretty much daily basis. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are essentially a reminder to us that when we see the world with a positive frame of mind (with rose-tinted glasses you might say), the apparent “dangers” that society has coaxed us into believing are a permanent threat to our existence, simply zig and zag around us. In other words, our paths never cross with them.
Naturally, the opposite is true. When we view our world as the place of nightmares, then crappy situations and the worst side of other people, is the reflection shining back at us.
We always have a choice.
In fact, make that we always have endless choices. All we have to do is rub that imaginary lamp and ask the genie, believe it is done, then wait patiently to receive our wishes.
