Fairy Tales

Marie-Louise Von Franz argued that fairy tales are ‘‘the purest and simplest expression of collective unconscious psychic processes.’’ Fairy tales provide us with direct insight into the workings of the human psyche because they aren't complicated with cultural material. They are timeless—from "Once upon a time". When we consider them metaphorically, we can see our lives in the characters' experiences.

Often, fairy tales show the feminine being rescued from masculine suppression, which is a problem in modern Western culture. In her book, Women Who Run with the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes uses fairy tales to show how women can reconnect to their deep, powerful feminine natures, including their instincts, creativity, and bodies.

I engaged with a more contemporary fairy tale, the film The Shape of Water, to explore our current relationship with nature and how we might redefine our engagement with the natural world.