It’s interesting what you say about your attitude towards age... my grandparents were fit and healthy in their early 90’s too and my Mum is a very young 80 year old so I also think of ‘old’ as being 95+ 😅
Shows how much our experience influences our perception of time and age. How lucky we are to have had these remarkable people in our lives for as long as we have!
I am always looking for examples of celebration and joy and growth in old age because that hasn't been the experience of what I've witnessed around me. My grandpa did live to 98 but he often said, "stop at 80 because it's miserable after that." My grandmothers were in their eighties when they passed and had severe health issues and very limited activities in their lives for many many years before that. It's not the way I want to move into aging so I appreciate these other stories.
thank you for your kind words Kathryn. I think what we see and experience from our elders influences our perception of this later time in life, so much. My Poppy died suddenly at 60, and my Gran was like your grandmothers, making it to mid 80's but with severe health difficulties for a good 10 years prior and a very anxious and emotionally difficult exit from this mortal plane. Were they to be my only experiences I think I would feel very differently too. But I was so close to my (paternal) Nan and my (maternal) Pa, and their transition was peaceful, but their time, and I am so thankful for that.
Loved your thoughts Natalie. And the drawing of the beautiful old woman and the doe reminded me so much of my grandmother, it brought some gentle and much needed tears. Thank you.
Oh Carri, I am holding you in my heart. Thank you for your kind words, and I hope there was some happy memories in those tears too. Our grandmothers can have such a big impact on our hearts xx
My heart goes to you with the passing of your Pa in June, Natalie.
It’s an unsettling rite of passage, moving ‘up’ the family tree.
I recognise the urgency as you write of your work. A wise old dragon told me recently the urgency has no ‘to do’ date, but is a ‘to be’ vocation.
You are already the being writing that book, creating those oracle cards, the urgency is vocational, not a demand for ‘now’. I think as humans with a desperately short life span in our age of authentic contribution, it’s easy to get caught up in the product, in feeling we are behind, or not where we want to be... and bypass the present that living and breathing and embodying our vocation is - the communal heartbeat of humanity in embodied presence.
I’m sure I’m teaching Baba Yaga to suck eggs but it’s good to be reminded - the right timing for you IS the right timing for your creations*. There is no other way.
*writing this as much for me as you! Having stepped back from being ‘productive’ for the best part of a year and continuing to receive messages and signs of ‘rest, recharge’ you BET I’ve been living this existential crisis! 😬😂
Thank you my dear Sally. Talk about existential crisis! It has been a very grief filled year - my sweet kitty passed in April after months of me giving her 24/7 care trying to prevent that happening, and it was so much more grief than I anticipated. Just started to come through that and Pa passed, it was bloody Covid that got him in the end. Broke out hearts. I have spent so much of this yar in scarcity and fear, so I have spent the last couple of months trying to find my sea legs again, and writing here has been such a big piece of that regrounding.
Now, Sally, I want to just have you follow me around all day and tell me all the truths. I am so appreciative of these words- they are just what needed to hear, and I have printed them out to have in front of me as a reminder.
I love reading that you have been listening to those messages received, even if with only half an ear. You are a true gem
Grief is such an exquisite shape of tortuous love. Sometimes when I think I’ve rubbed the sharp edges of it down to a soft throb, an unexpected shard pokes out and pierces my lungs. Holding space for you, dear Natalie
Oh, the oracle deck sounds divine!!!!! I had never heard of Baba Yaga until I was in my 30s but the older I get the more I resonate with her, to the point that I recently purchased 4 books about her. I do remember being intrigued with Hansel and Gretel as a child (mainly for the house made of gingerbread) but I also wanted to know more about the witch... why was she in the forest, why did she eat children, who was she and what was her story? Last month I listened to a fascinating episode about Hansel and Gretel on The Folklore Podcast (http://www.thefolklorepodcast.com/season-3/episode-35-the-truth-about-hansel-and-gretel-written-and-presented-by-mark-norman). The podcast describes a folk tale about the fairy tale, which claims that the witch was actually a baker from a small town in Germany who was famous for her gingerbread. A man in a nearby town began to court her in earnest but she was not interested and repeatedly declined his offers of marriage. The man, 'Hans', was desperate to own the woman and her gingerbread business, and hounded the woman until she had to leave town and disappear. She ended up setting up her shop in a forest a long way away from Hans and once again became famous for her gingerbread. Hans eventually tracked her down and with his sister 'Greta' stole the gingerbread recipe and murdered the woman by shoving her into her oven. It turns out to be a fabrication rather than a real historical occurrence but I love this re-imagining and it probably resonates with a lot of women considering the lived experiences of women through history and now.
Genevieve! I love the Folklore Podcast! But I don't recall listening to this one - I am going to go find it for my walk tomorrow. Slightly aside this, not really the same, but I freaking love it, is Grimm Readings - have you listened to them? Matt and Adam retell a Grimm tale and then analyse it. It is so brilliant, and ALWAYS makes me laugh. It is a perfect little dose of fairy tale and humour and never fails to get me out of a poor mood! Tell me about the books you bought about our Baba, I would love to know!
Sally, you would love Grimm Readings too. Most episodes get a snort out me.
As for folklore vs fairy tales, my understanding is that folklore are stories that are passed down orally, and generally involve 'real' people, circumstances etc though not necessarily set in a particular time, often but not always have a quite literal or historical lesson. Fairy tales usually have some sort of supernatural or magical element, are not really considered 'true stories' and often, but not always have a 'happy ending' (though some are so bizarre, I don't know that they are 'happy', haha!). Myths are their own thing, literally world building, sacred, distant in time, often religious, part of a cultural belief system. And Legends have a basis in reality, but then other stories get woven in and they can become something else altogether - eg Arthurian tales.
Me too, it did resonate with me so that I was disappointed to find out it wasn't actually true. Your question was a good one, I didn't think hard when I called it folklore, thanks for answering it Nat. I think the story around the fairy tale might be more appropriately called a legend rather than folktale.
I think we all use those words interchangeably, colloquially, and I think there is often sooo much cross over that a single term may not be fully encompassing! I think mostly all of these tales - myth, legend, folklore, fairy tale - are just **wonderful** :)
I am so excited and honored to be alive on the planet now when there are people like you, Natalie, who celebrate wild women in such a beautiful way! I have chills thinking about that oracle deck. 💖💖💖
Ahh elders and wisdom and taking up space in it all. Our next door neighbour is 93 and she is very happy sitting still in her last chapter.
We just walked with an 86 year old mystic... people come from all over the world to meditate with him and on the walk even though he walks with a stoop and a stick he was as young spirited as the youngest among us. The backdrop was timeless and as he parted four lanes of traffic to guide us safely across the road he almost winked at me as he said; “it wouldn’t do to run down an old man, come on!”
It’s interesting what you say about your attitude towards age... my grandparents were fit and healthy in their early 90’s too and my Mum is a very young 80 year old so I also think of ‘old’ as being 95+ 😅
Shows how much our experience influences our perception of time and age. How lucky we are to have had these remarkable people in our lives for as long as we have!
Absolutely!
I am always looking for examples of celebration and joy and growth in old age because that hasn't been the experience of what I've witnessed around me. My grandpa did live to 98 but he often said, "stop at 80 because it's miserable after that." My grandmothers were in their eighties when they passed and had severe health issues and very limited activities in their lives for many many years before that. It's not the way I want to move into aging so I appreciate these other stories.
thank you for your kind words Kathryn. I think what we see and experience from our elders influences our perception of this later time in life, so much. My Poppy died suddenly at 60, and my Gran was like your grandmothers, making it to mid 80's but with severe health difficulties for a good 10 years prior and a very anxious and emotionally difficult exit from this mortal plane. Were they to be my only experiences I think I would feel very differently too. But I was so close to my (paternal) Nan and my (maternal) Pa, and their transition was peaceful, but their time, and I am so thankful for that.
I am really glad that you had that experience, saw a different way, and can encourage others to find that as well. <3
Loved your thoughts Natalie. And the drawing of the beautiful old woman and the doe reminded me so much of my grandmother, it brought some gentle and much needed tears. Thank you.
Oh Carri, I am holding you in my heart. Thank you for your kind words, and I hope there was some happy memories in those tears too. Our grandmothers can have such a big impact on our hearts xx
My heart goes to you with the passing of your Pa in June, Natalie.
It’s an unsettling rite of passage, moving ‘up’ the family tree.
I recognise the urgency as you write of your work. A wise old dragon told me recently the urgency has no ‘to do’ date, but is a ‘to be’ vocation.
You are already the being writing that book, creating those oracle cards, the urgency is vocational, not a demand for ‘now’. I think as humans with a desperately short life span in our age of authentic contribution, it’s easy to get caught up in the product, in feeling we are behind, or not where we want to be... and bypass the present that living and breathing and embodying our vocation is - the communal heartbeat of humanity in embodied presence.
I’m sure I’m teaching Baba Yaga to suck eggs but it’s good to be reminded - the right timing for you IS the right timing for your creations*. There is no other way.
*writing this as much for me as you! Having stepped back from being ‘productive’ for the best part of a year and continuing to receive messages and signs of ‘rest, recharge’ you BET I’ve been living this existential crisis! 😬😂
Thank you my dear Sally. Talk about existential crisis! It has been a very grief filled year - my sweet kitty passed in April after months of me giving her 24/7 care trying to prevent that happening, and it was so much more grief than I anticipated. Just started to come through that and Pa passed, it was bloody Covid that got him in the end. Broke out hearts. I have spent so much of this yar in scarcity and fear, so I have spent the last couple of months trying to find my sea legs again, and writing here has been such a big piece of that regrounding.
Now, Sally, I want to just have you follow me around all day and tell me all the truths. I am so appreciative of these words- they are just what needed to hear, and I have printed them out to have in front of me as a reminder.
I love reading that you have been listening to those messages received, even if with only half an ear. You are a true gem
Grief is such an exquisite shape of tortuous love. Sometimes when I think I’ve rubbed the sharp edges of it down to a soft throb, an unexpected shard pokes out and pierces my lungs. Holding space for you, dear Natalie
🤗
I’ll happily do so!
Never more content than when I can pass on wise words of wisdom that I am stoically ignoring myself... 😂♥️
🤣🤣🤣
Oh, the oracle deck sounds divine!!!!! I had never heard of Baba Yaga until I was in my 30s but the older I get the more I resonate with her, to the point that I recently purchased 4 books about her. I do remember being intrigued with Hansel and Gretel as a child (mainly for the house made of gingerbread) but I also wanted to know more about the witch... why was she in the forest, why did she eat children, who was she and what was her story? Last month I listened to a fascinating episode about Hansel and Gretel on The Folklore Podcast (http://www.thefolklorepodcast.com/season-3/episode-35-the-truth-about-hansel-and-gretel-written-and-presented-by-mark-norman). The podcast describes a folk tale about the fairy tale, which claims that the witch was actually a baker from a small town in Germany who was famous for her gingerbread. A man in a nearby town began to court her in earnest but she was not interested and repeatedly declined his offers of marriage. The man, 'Hans', was desperate to own the woman and her gingerbread business, and hounded the woman until she had to leave town and disappear. She ended up setting up her shop in a forest a long way away from Hans and once again became famous for her gingerbread. Hans eventually tracked her down and with his sister 'Greta' stole the gingerbread recipe and murdered the woman by shoving her into her oven. It turns out to be a fabrication rather than a real historical occurrence but I love this re-imagining and it probably resonates with a lot of women considering the lived experiences of women through history and now.
Genevieve! I love the Folklore Podcast! But I don't recall listening to this one - I am going to go find it for my walk tomorrow. Slightly aside this, not really the same, but I freaking love it, is Grimm Readings - have you listened to them? Matt and Adam retell a Grimm tale and then analyse it. It is so brilliant, and ALWAYS makes me laugh. It is a perfect little dose of fairy tale and humour and never fails to get me out of a poor mood! Tell me about the books you bought about our Baba, I would love to know!
The most chilling stories for me are the ones that ping of ‘it could happen’ ... this certainly (sadly) fits the bill
I love the happening of a folklore, around a fairy tale... a story about a story... I’m wondering what the difference between the two is, do you know?
Thank you for including the podcast, it’s now my next listen!
Sally, you would love Grimm Readings too. Most episodes get a snort out me.
As for folklore vs fairy tales, my understanding is that folklore are stories that are passed down orally, and generally involve 'real' people, circumstances etc though not necessarily set in a particular time, often but not always have a quite literal or historical lesson. Fairy tales usually have some sort of supernatural or magical element, are not really considered 'true stories' and often, but not always have a 'happy ending' (though some are so bizarre, I don't know that they are 'happy', haha!). Myths are their own thing, literally world building, sacred, distant in time, often religious, part of a cultural belief system. And Legends have a basis in reality, but then other stories get woven in and they can become something else altogether - eg Arthurian tales.
That is my understanding anyway!
Brilliant Natalie, thank you for this.
Totally subscribing to Grimm Readings too, thank you for that!
Thanks for the Grimm Readings podcast tip, it's on the 'must listen' list now.
Me too, it did resonate with me so that I was disappointed to find out it wasn't actually true. Your question was a good one, I didn't think hard when I called it folklore, thanks for answering it Nat. I think the story around the fairy tale might be more appropriately called a legend rather than folktale.
I think we all use those words interchangeably, colloquially, and I think there is often sooo much cross over that a single term may not be fully encompassing! I think mostly all of these tales - myth, legend, folklore, fairy tale - are just **wonderful** :)
Agreed :)
Oh, here is the link (Spotify) https://open.spotify.com/show/4mc0XQP7HvdbG8ZRxJ9AaW?si=06d4a7c2fd22476b
I am so excited and honored to be alive on the planet now when there are people like you, Natalie, who celebrate wild women in such a beautiful way! I have chills thinking about that oracle deck. 💖💖💖
Jenna, I so appreciate your very kind words - you made my day! I am so honoured to be walking this wild world with you xx
I love the direction your work is taking you. I look forward to seeing it unfold.
Thanks so much dear Debs!
Ahh elders and wisdom and taking up space in it all. Our next door neighbour is 93 and she is very happy sitting still in her last chapter.
We just walked with an 86 year old mystic... people come from all over the world to meditate with him and on the walk even though he walks with a stoop and a stick he was as young spirited as the youngest among us. The backdrop was timeless and as he parted four lanes of traffic to guide us safely across the road he almost winked at me as he said; “it wouldn’t do to run down an old man, come on!”
Oh Claire, I loved reading this! What an incredible being, and what a gift to spend time with him!