Letter from Jenny

The business of stories is not enchantment. The business of stories is not escape. The business of stories is waking up. ~ Martin Shaw

Dear Springhouse community, 

This year I am writing my letters about what I often refer to as the source of life. There are many ways I have explored my relationship to the mysteries of life–spiritual practices, the rhythms of the Earth, and  several wisdom traditions to name a few. One of the most magical and fun ways I have explored my relationship to this source is through the whimsy and wisdom of fairy tales. 

As a child, I used to carry around a large white book of tales wherever I went. I still remember the smell of the pages. As an adult, I was in a fairy tale group led by a Jungian analyst  where we explored tales like dreams to explore our inner lives. Of all the stories, one of my favorites continues to be the old tale of Cinderella. Several years ago, I wrote an article for an education innovation network about this tale in relation to surrendering to the power of  life and the ways life  regenerates all things.  Here are some thoughts from that article. 

We cannot make regeneration happen. It is simply how life functions; in cycles that include birth, sustaining life, and death. Though we don’t make regeneration happen, we can take care of and support the process in ways that allow us to thrive. We can put ourselves in the way of regeneration by aligning with life; by taking good care of ourselves, each other, and this planet. This is a tall order in a...