finding ourselves in fairy tales

A three-part self-study course

‘Finding Ourselves in Fairy Tales’ is a three-part self-study, on-demand course with videos, written, audio and web resources.

Course description

We are storytelling animals, hard-wired for story. We begin to perceive, explain and make sense of the world through the stories we find in childhood – or the stories which find us. They are the stars we navigate by. Stories teach us everything we know, and their lessons are deep and rich. In fairy tales, for example, the tasks which must be undertaken are the stuff out of which souls, not just shirts, are forged. These stories help us to reimagine ourselves, because at the heart of them is transformation: they help us to believe in the possibility of change. We come to see that there are other ways of imagining the world and our place in it – and of living more intensely, and more richly, in a world that is often filled with challenge, and sorrow.

I’ve worked in this way – as a psychologist, academic folklorist, writer and teacher – with European fairy tales now for more than two decades. Join me to explore the ways in which, even as adults, we can find ourselves in fairy tales.

Course structure

SESSION 1

What are fairy tales, and how and why do they change over time?
How do they help us?
Where does their magic come from, and why are they so memorable?
Working with images and narrative elements in fairy tales
Reimagining fairy tales for our lives and the times
Homework: rewriting a fairy tale

SESSION 2

Discussion and sharing: rewriting a fairy tale
Archetypal patterns in fairy tales – what are archetypes and wjy are they so important?
The fairy-tale heroine’s journey – how does it differ from other models?
Writing life as a fairy tale
Homework: rewrite your own life as a fairy tale

SESSION 3

Discussion and sharing: writing our life as a fairy tale
Other ways to work with stories: dreamwork and active imagination work
Creating your own inner imaginarium

HOW IT WORKS

Our gatherings took place via Zoom. A considerable collection of additional resources – written material, an audio journey, reading recommendations and web links – are available to download.

Once you have signed up (below) you’ll be taken to a welcome page for this course, where you’ll find all the material.

How TO JOIN

The fee for this self-study course is £50. Please follow the link below to make your payment using any credit or debit card. (For those of you in other countries: currency exchange rates change by the hour, and so we’re not able to tell you what the cost of this course is in your currency. This currency converter offers you live rates, though they may or may not reflect the rates actually given to you by your bank or credit card provider. It will, however, give you an indication.)

IMPORTANT: While paying and registering, if you do not already have an account on this website, you will be asked to create a username and password which will allow you to log into the Members’ Area, select ‘Bone Cave’ from the dropdown members’ menu, visit this event’s ‘Welcome’ page, and so access the video and other material. It’s important that you make a note of these details; you won’t be able to access your resources if you do not have them. If you already have an account, please make sure you use the same username and password to ensure you can see all your courses in the same place.

Price:

£50

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