Soulful Love November 2003 Rev. Laurie Sue's Newest Book: A Goddess is a Girl's Best Friend by Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Even In Midlife,
We Can All Use A Fairy Godmother

"Bibboldy … Bobboldy… Boo."
--The Fairy Godmother, Cinderella

As far as I am concerned, we can all use a Fairy God Mother. At any age, at any stage, in any situation involving the heart and soul, it’s so reassuring to imagine there is a special being whose there just for you.

If you’ve lost hope in finding your prince or princess … If you are feeling you need a change in careers … If you are looking in the magic mirror and hearing "you could use a little freshening up" instead of "you are the fairest in the land" … if you are finding that those fabulous glass slippers you got on sale are too darn hard to walk in … of if you’ve forgotten how to let your imagination run free and how to trust in the abundance of the universe -- its time to let magic back into your life.

Believing in magic is essential for creating a life of our own choosing. It helps us to remember that we live in an unlimited universe where anything is possible. It also makes life fun, and more interesting.

We survive childhood by believing that magical intervention is just a wish away – from Superman to Santa, there’s always someone to "save the day." Girls, especially, grow up with the concept of a female being with magical powers that shows up when we really need her. It’s her job to rescue us, help us escape a bad situation and assist us in transforming our lives; ultimately, she ordains that we’ll live happily every after. And that is simply the way of the universe … when we’re kids! As adults, our brains begin to bog down with rationalization and judgments that rob the magic available to us in real life.

Stuffy and serious as we may become, the desire for enchantment and magical intervention often remains one of the secret fantasies of girls. Little girls, and big ones alike, often continue to secretly wish and hope for a magical mentor to show. Tucked away in our hearts is the belief there is always someone wise and wonderful who can step in and lend a hand – or a wand. Whether she turns a pumpkin into a coach, helps you land the prince or a great job, shows you how beautiful you truly are, protects you from wickedness or makes sure you live happily every after … we all love to hope that she will someday show up and help us make life magical. We can learn how to harness the childhood technology for making dreams come true when we acknowledge that we can create our own magic in life.

When you are ready to remember the magic of being a girl, she helps us conjure the faith and optimism of childhood and connects us to all the mystical and magnificent possibilities of the universe. Like the beloved grandmother or aunt with special powers, she helps us believe in the magical divine powers of the universe and within ourselves. She represents our innocent, magical selves and the benevolent hand that reaches out to assist us in living our dreams.

Who is The Fairy Godmother?

(from Inner Child Cards: A Journey Into Fairy Tales, Myth & Nature, by Isha and Mark Lerner)

The Fairy Godmother is the wonderful, magical, mystical being who shows up in fairy tales just in the nick of time, wand in hand, and helps the heroine turn her dreams into reality and live life happily ever after. The godmother’s roots extend way past the Disney movies that have made her so popular, into the ancient religions. She is actually a composite many different feminine archetypes and magical beings. The concept of Godmother may be as old as Goddess worship itself, and the ancient belief that the goddess is a protectress of her human family. According to the Inner Child Cards, by Isha and Mark Lerner, some trace her roots to the Faery Queen, who was the top female of the magical faery kingdom, the community of mystical beings endowed with the power of magic and enchantment (you remember them from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night Dream). The author’s say some Welsh folk ballads called fairies "the mothers" or "mother’s blessing." The classic fairytale by Charles Perrault was one of the first to make Cinderella’s special helper a "Fairy Godmother," when he said "This godmother of hers, who was a fairy…" In an expanded view of the magical, mystical female mentor, the Fairy Godmother-like character is sometimes presented as a sorceress who uses her powers for good, and especially to guide her charges to healing and transformation. The Fairy Godmother is often pictured as an older, wise woman with a wand that she waves in the air, such as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella; or portrayed as a magical priestess seen as a "good witch," such as Glinda, in the Wizard of Oz. She’s also the stern but wholly magical caretaker, such as Mary Poppins, who brings healing to the whole family.

The Fairy Godmother is our metaphor, mentor, partner, guide… and she is one of the memorable ways in which the Goddess has stayed alive in our hearts – as the magical female who can do all things magnificent, as long as we do our part as well! Continue to believe in her, and she will stay alive in our hearts and lives!

The first step is to choose to dwell in a magical universe. Put fairy tale inspiration all around you. Evoke good energies with images, accessories and words that inspire you. The Fairy Godmother, and all her magical cohorts and accessories, empower us to open our hearts and remember the pleasure of childhood … and to recall the power of making things up. She is the light side of the Goddess – benevolent, hopeful and healing.

1. Read yourself a bedtime story. Filling your mind with fanciful images and magical thoughts is so much healthier than the 11 o’clock news! There’s a vast array of material to choose from. Cinderella, one of the most famous fairy tales, is told in hundreds of languages and styles. Her Fairy Godmother has alternately been a tiny fairy with a wand … a magical white witch/water nymph living in a watery cave … her deceased mother. Explore books that evoke Fairy Godmother-like characters and tell inspiring stories about magical lives; enjoy romance, royal treatment, happily ever after. Notice if you feel happier, more energized, in the morning! You may find you awake with a smile and an attitude that anything is possible.
2. Enjoy art, images and ceramics. In Christmas ornaments alone you can find enough Fairy Godmothers, angelic beings and lovable heroines to put a smile on your face all year round. (Hang them on windows, in doorways and on plants).
3. Tack up words and sayings. Select passages that speak to things you want to magnetize in your life, such as the prince and new wardrobe you’ve been after. For example, copy or type excerpts, such as this one from Disney’s Cinderella. "I am your Fairy Godmother and you shall go to the ball … Then the Fairy Godmother touched Cinderella with the wand. Her old dress turned into a golden one, sparkling with jewels. On her feet was the prettiest pair of glass slippers imaginable."
4. Buy a wand. A wand is a magical tool of choice of all conjurers and witches – in fairy tales, and real life. In fairytales, a wand represents magical powers and abilities. Practitioners of Wicca and other magic-based religions actually use wands to harness magical powers and magnetize wishes. You can purchase a beautiful handmade wand with fancy trimmings and stones on the end, or buy a simple children’s wand and keep it in a place you can see it. It is the emblem of magic in your mind; just owning one will make you feel more magical!
5. Keep fairy dust around. It’s a symbol of magic and possibility that helps us remember life can be invented and created from nothing, and dreams can come true. It gives us hope. It also reminds us to "clap for Tinkerbell," to focus our attention to make magic happen. Use gold or silver sparkles, pretty confetti, or buy some packaged fairy dust from Good Fairy Enterprises.
6. Be inspired by magical movies and TV shows. If you have children in your life, you already own a few magical videos. If not, rent or purchase your favorites -- the ones you enjoyed as a child as well as newer releases. Any form of media that helps you tune into magical memories and uplifting feelings is perfect to pop them in the VCR whenever you need a pick me up. Here are a few favorites: Peter Pan, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Splash, and The Tenth Kingdom. Also very helpful in awakening the imagination and making your smile: Reruns of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie.

Take personal responsibility. While it would be nice to clean up our messes and issues with one wave of her wand, we have to be willing to take the journey she invites us on. Even in fairy tales we are asked to do our part in transforming our own lives. Before she waves a wand and snaps her fingers, she makes sure we get a life lesson unlike any other. It is the journey of becoming more of who we are meant to be that really leads us to the potential for happily every after. It is only after we take the journey – with all the scary twists and bumps and dark characters – that we are ready to take a leap of faith that leads us to the ultimate healing that changes our lives. So when you find yourself on one of those bumpy life paths, don’t ever give up hope… remember: it is all a process.

Appreciate her special support. She taps us into the Goddess within by helping us believe in ourselves. The magical accessories are just to help us fake it until we make it. The true gift is the boost of confidence. While it may seem that Cinderella’s life changed with just a twist of her wand, in truth, her Fairy Godmother represents a true mother figure, a soul friend, who reached out a hand to help her onto the next rung of her life journey. By showing her some of life’s options, she expanded Cinderella’s ability to go after the greater things in life.

Ask for big presents, but accept whatever is given. The modern Cinderella might prefer a magical credit card with unlimited prepaid credit and a limo driver to take her shopping – and that’s fine. But if you ask for Visa Gold and a driver, and first get a Macy’s gift certificate and cab fare … accept it gratefully. The Fairy Godmother sometimes tests us before she delivers the goods. Our grace and gratitude in the face of disappointment helps us remain humble and grounded when the big windfall occurs.

Get home by midnight. The Fairy Godmother is also the voice inside our heads that guides us. She knows exactly when the magic of any given situation will wear off, and when to come home. Heed her guidance because it is always for your own good!

Wish upon a star, every night. Or, write one wish a night on a small piece of paper and slip it under your pillow before you go to sleep. Your Fairy Godmother and the cosmic crew are always listening.

© Copyright 2003 Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway. All Rights Reserved.

Affirmation:
"I am ready for a magical life."

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS:

IF YOU COULD ASK YOUR FAIRY GODMOTHER FOR
THREE WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

© Copyright 2003 Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway  All Rights Reserved. 

May 2003 - "A Gathering of Goddesses: Our Girlfriends Keep Us Real"

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway is an interfaith minister who is often called upon to teach, speak and write about women’s spirituality and The Feminine Faces of God. She is author of, A GODDESS IS A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND: A DIVINE GUIDE TO FINDING LOVE, SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS, from Perigee Books, December 2002.

For more information:
Website: www.GoddessFriends.com or to join "The Goddess List" for inspirational and informational electronic message, Email: GoddessLaxmi@aol.com

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