WoNderLaNd

HomePage Faerie Musique

2012-12-31T13:38:00.000-08:00

Narcissistic Defenses and Briar Rose

2012-01-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

image credit: TBWA, Paris

How Do Men and Women Really Feel About Each Other?

by Dr. Stephen Diamond

"...Another myth depicting the bitter, vengeful, destructive quality of neurotic narcissism is the Grimm's fairy tale Little Briar Rose, better known to most Americans as Sleeping Beauty. In that story, Briar Rose is placed under a spell by a narcissistically offended witch, declaring that at the age of fifteen, she will fall into a century-long sleep from which no one will be able to waken her. When on her fifteenth birthday the princess accidentally pricks her finger with a needle, the evil prophesy is fulfilled, and she succumbs to a coma-like slumber. All life around her is also curtailed, except that around her castle, a thick hedge of stiletto-like thorns grows, covering the entire structure.

As the legend of this sleeping beauty spread across the land, suitors from far and wide made valiant efforts to penetrate the thorny briar surrounding the princess, only to be fatally impaled upon it. The grotesque image of these luckless suitors skewered on bloody thorns and suffering an agonizing fate bespeaks the poignant experience of every man or woman who has tried in vain to get closer to a narcissistically prickly person. Such Briar Rose-types (both female and male) are still so unconsciously angry about prior rejections, disappointments and narcissistic injuries that they are simply not psychologically prepared for any real relatedness or true emotional intimacy--despite what they may consciously believe. Sex, of course, may be another matter entirely. Prickly defense mechanisms serve to protect the insecure, vulnerable, narcissistically injured individual, in much the same way real thorns protect a rose's delicate petals: We may successfully fend off (e.g., offend) those persons by whom we might someday be hurt emotionally; but, in so doing, we imprison ourselves within thorny castles of our own creation.
This question of emotional or psychological "readiness" is as central to the story of Briar Rose as it is to the thorny relations between women and men. It takes real courage to create intimate relationships, since we all have our share of protective prickliness through which to navigate. Like much in life, it's all about timing. We can see both the great courage and impeccable timing required to overcome these barriers to intimacy in the happy--well, fairy tale ending--of the story: A brave young prince, undaunted by the grisly lot of her numerous, now dead would-be suitors, decides--against all wise counsel to the contrary--to seek the hand of the sleeping princess as his bride. Fully prepared to aggressively risk life and limb confronting the spiney hedge, he finds instead magnificent flowers which, magically parting for him, provide easy access to the castle. As fate would have it, the hundred-year-spell ended at precisely the moment he arrived on the scene. When he gently kisses the still somnolent princess, she is ready to waken and return to life. And to love. Intimacy--in the deepest sense of allowing another person access into one's well-defended fortress--always involves a conscious choice, a fundamental decision to fully live, to love, to risk. Fate is a factor. Good timing helps. And so does some plain old blind luck." ~Dr. Stephen Diamond

"The fateful slumber floats and flows

About the tangle of the rose.

But lo the fated hand and heart

To rend the slumberous curse apart."

~William Morris~

Watch the 1959 Disney film, Sleeping Beauty

(one hour and fifteen minutes)

1959 Sleeping Beauty

2011-12-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

When I was about fewer than ten years old, this sumptuous movie played in our local theatre and I’ll never ever forget it! What a treat to find it on the web all these years later. I have embedded the video below but if you want to see a larger version in a custom-made Victorian theater, visit The WoN Cinema website:

Click Here to see: Sleeping Beauty

(1 hour fifteen minutes)

From Wikipedia: “...the film has sustained a strong following and is today hailed as one of the best animated features ever made, thanks to its stylized designs by painter Eyvind Earle who also was the art director for the movie, its lush music score and its large-format widescreen and stereophonic sound presentation.

"Sleeping Beauty's successful reissues have made it the second most successful film released in 1959, second to Ben-Hur, with a lifetime gross of $51.6 million. When adjusted for ticket price inflation, the domestic total gross comes out to $478.22 million, placing it in the top 30 of adjusted films.”

(NOTE: There are a few 'glitches' in the beginning of the film and towards the end of part one when the screen goes dark. Remain patient---the movie will pick back up in a few seconds.)

Once Upon a Time Premiered Last Sunday

2011-10-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Once Upon a Time premiered Sunday evening on ABC. If you missed it, you can watch the Pilot online, full version, for free:

Episode 10/23/2011

12.8 million viewers watched the show, a hopeful indication of future popularity. It's a visually magical feast for the eyes. The story line is intriguing. The most exciting news was that it had more viewers than the season premiere of Desperate Housewives. Looks like the general public still prefers reality shows.

NBC's Season Premiere: GRIMM

2011-10-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

NBC’s Premiere Season of GRIMM October 28

9:00pm/8:00 central

GRIMM's official website on NBC.com

ABC's "Once Upon a Time"

2011-10-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

ABC Season Premiere October 23 at 8:00pm/7:00pm central

Check your television guide!

OR:

Watch Full Episodes Online

Forest Fairy with Michelle Phan

2011-10-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

Jim Henson's "Fearnot" (23:47)

2011-08-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

Malignant Narcissism: From Fairy Tales to Harsh Reality (PDF)

2011-08-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

MALIGNANT NARCISSISM:

FROM FAIRY TALES TO HARSH REALITY
by Mila Goldner-Vukov & Laurie Jo Moore

"...Looking back to the information that comes to us from the study of fairy tales and elementary ideas we can see that the evil stepmother resembles not only family members with MN but also dictators, cult leaders and other social figures. In the elementary ideas expressed in these fairy tales we can see the father as a symbol or representative of society. The father is more concerned about himself than he is about his child. He doesn’t love the evil stepmother but forms an alliance with her because he wants to be seen as powerful. He doesn’t interfere with the activities of the stepmother and he doesn’t protect his own child. The step child in these fairy tales is someone who is different. She becomes the object of hatred and persecution because she does not belong to the evil stepmother. The step child is a symbol of people who are innocent, less powerful and different in families and society. The evil stepmother is not punished in theses fairy tales. She is not held responsible for her actions nor is she asked to redeem herself. In many ways the fairy tales parallel the current social approach to MN and the approach of modern psychiatry. The failure of psychiatry to undertake further study of MN after Kernberg introduced the topic in 1984 reflects the same dynamic. This dynamic suggests that society, including psychiatry, is not ready to accept or overcome the elemental ideas represented by the concept of MN. As Bettleheim suggested (Bettleheim 1981) we mix fantasy with reality throughout our lives and our vision of reality continues to be clouded by our emotional needs and our desire to hold onto to fantasies at the expense of listening to our rational thoughts..."

Click HERE to download 14-page PDF article

Shelley Duvall: Tale of the Frog Prince (54:51)

2011-07-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

A spoiled princess is forced to keep her promise to a talking frog when he rescues her golden ball from the bottom of a well..

Jim Henson's "A Story Short" (23:55)

2011-07-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

"I am a teller of stories, a weaver of dreams. I can dance, sing and in the right weather, I can stand on my head. I know seven words of latin, I have a little magic and a trick or two. I know the proper way to meet a dragon. I can fight dirty but not fair. I once swallowed 30 oysters in a minute. I am not domestic, I am a luxury and in that sense, necessary!" - Storyteller

Shelley Duvall: Cinderella

2011-07-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre (53:54)

A young woman recovering from the death of her father finds herself reduced to a servant in her stepfamily's household, but is given the surprise of her life when her fairy godmother appears to lend a helping hand.

"The Storyteller" from the Twlight Zone (25:42)

2011-07-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

Transformations: How Fairy Tales Cast their Spell (1: 48:31)

2011-07-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Roundtable discussion featuring:

Anne Cattaneo, Mark Lamos, Donna Jo Napoli,

Roger Rahtz, Maria Tatar, and Jack Zipes

La Belle et La Bête 1946

2011-06-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

The 100 Best Films of World Cinema #26
Widely considered one of the finest fantasy films of all time

To View Movie, Click Here: La Belle et La Bête

Beauty and the Beast (French: La Belle et la Bête) is a 1946 French romantic fantasy film adaptation of two French fairy tales. The first fairy tale, from which the film took both its title and most of its content, was written by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont and published in 1757 as part of a fairy tale-anthology (French: Le Magasin des Enfants, ou Dialogues entre une sage gouvernante et ses élèves, London 1757). From the second fairy tale, (French: La Chatte Blanche) by Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy, published almost sixty years previously in one of the earliest fairy tale anthologies of France, (French: Les Contes des Fées, Paris 1697-1698), only a single but very evocative narrative motive was taken: servants, previously magically reduced to their arms and hands, with these still performing all servants' chores.

PLOT

While scrubbing the floor at home, Belle is interrupted by her brother's friend Avenant who tells her she deserves better and suggests they get married. Belle rejects Avenant, as she wishes to stay home and take care of her father. Belle's father arrives home announcing he has come into great fortune that he will pick up the next day, along with gifts for his daughters. Belle's brother Ludovic signs a contract from a moneylender allowing him to the ability to sue Ludovic's father if he can't pay up. Later, Belle's father finds on his arrival that his fortune has been seized to clear his debts and is forced to return home through the forest at night.

Belle's father gets lost in the forest and finds himself at a large castle whose gates and doors magically open themselves. On entering the castle, he is guided by enchanted candelabra that lead him to a laden dinner table where he falls asleep. Awakened by a loud roar, Belle's father wanders the castle's grounds. He plucks a rose from a tree which makes the Beast (Marais) appear. The Beast threatens to kill him for theft but then suggests that one of his daughters can take his place. The Beast offers his horse Magnificent to guide him through the woods home. Belle's father explains the situation to his family and Avenant, as Belle agrees to go and take her father's place. Belle rides Magnificent to the castle, finding the Beast. Belle faints at the sight of him and is carried to her room in the castle. Belle wakes up and finds a magic mirror which allows her to see anything. The Beast invites Belle to dinner, where he tells her that she's in equal command to him and that she will be asked every day to marry him. Days pass as Belle grows more accustomed and fond of the Beast, but continues to refuse marriage. Using the magic mirror Belle finds her father deathly ill. The Beast grants her permission to leave for a week. He gives Belle two magical items: A glove that can transport her wherever she wishes and a golden key that unlocks Diana's Pavilion, the source of the Beast's true riches.

Belle uses the glove to appear in her bedridden father's room, where her visit restores him to health. Belle finds her family living in poverty, having never recovered from Ludovic's deal with the moneylender. Jealous of Belle's rich life at the castle, her sisters Adelaide and Felicie steal her golden key and devise a plan to turn Ludovic and Avenant against the Beast. Avenant and Ludovic devise a plan of their own to kill the Beast, and agree to aid Belle's sisters. To stall Belle, her sisters trick her into staying past her seven day limit by pretending to cry. Belle reluctantly agrees to stay. The Beast sends Magnificent with the magic mirror to retrieve Belle but Ludovic and Avenant find Magnificent first, and ride him to the castle. Belle later finds the mirror which reveals the Beast's sorrowful face in its reflection. Belle realizes she is missing the golden key as the mirror breaks. Distraught, Belle returns to the castle using the magic glove and finds the Beast in the courtyard, near death from a broken heart. Meanwhile, Avenant and Ludovic stumble upon Diana's Pavilion. Thinking that their stolen key may trigger a trap, they scale the wall of the Pavilion. As the Beast dies in Belle's arms, Avenant breaks into the Pavilion through its glass roof and is shot with an arrow by an animated statue of the Roman goddess Diana and is himself turned into a Beast. As this happens, arising from where the Beast lay dead is Prince Ardent (Marais) who is cured from being the Beast. Prince Ardent and Belle embrace, then fly away to his kingdom where she will be his Queen, and where her father will stay with them and Belle's sisters will carry the train of her gown.

Departures from the Original Tale
This film version of La Belle et la Bete adds a subplot involving Belle's suitor Avenant, who schemes along with Belle's brother and sisters to journey to Beast's castle to kill him and capture his riches while the sisters work to delay Belle's return to the castle. When Avenant enters the magic pavilion which is the source of Beast's power, he is struck by an arrow fired by a guardian statue of the Roman goddess Diana, which transforms Avenant into Beast as Belle declares her love for the Beast and reverses the original Beast's curse. When the Beast comes back to life and becomes human at the end, he transforms into a Prince Charming with Avenant's handsome features, but without his oafish personality.

In the original tale, Belle has three brothers, whereas in the film, she only has one. Also in the original tale, Belle and her family are forced to move to a farmstead in the countryside after the loss of their fortune; in the film, they continue to live in their townhouse. Also in the original tale, the sisters are turned into statues as punishment for their cruelty, whereas in the film, they are merely forced to carry the train of Belle's gown at her wedding, though it is implied that they will now be her servants.

Jean Marais originally suggested to Cocteau for the beast to have a stag's head, obviously remembering a detail in the fairy tale (French: La Chatte blanche): The knocker at the gate to the castle of the princess/The White Cat has the form of a roe's foot. While this suggestion followed the narrative lines of its fairy tale origin and would have evoked the mythical echo of Cernunnos, the celtic stag-headed god of the woods, Marais' idea was nonetheless refused by Cocteau who feared that in the eyes of modern cinema audiences a stag's head would turn the beast into a laughing-stock.

Article Source: Wikipedia

To View Movie, Click Here: La Belle et La Bête

Fractured Fairy Tales: The Frog Prince 1961

2011-06-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

“Do all brides have to live in a pond?”

“They do if they’re married to a frog!”

Chug-a-rump!

Fractured Fairy Tale: Leaping Beauty

2011-06-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

“She was so lovely and gay that when ordinary people saw her, they didn’t feel so ordinary!"

"Look at me, oh look at me, I’m a lovely as can be!

Oh how nice that you can see---Lovely, gorgeous little me!”

Fractured Fairy Tale: Three Little Pigs (1961)

2011-06-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

"My friends call me Hank you can call me Hanky!”

"Roses are red

Violets are blue

You have a cute little nose

And I do too!!"

Fractured Fairy Tale: Hansel and Gretel

2011-06-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Do you remember Fractured Fairy Tales when they first appeared on television? Read about their history on wikipedia: The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show

Fairy Tale Heroines by Katherine Langrish

2011-05-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

Katherine Langrish published an interesting article on the blog Seven Miles of Steel Thistles. She brilliantly suggests, as anyone reading fairy tales knows, that women are not passive victims.

Excerpted from her article:

"...There’s a widespread notion that fairytales present a very passive picture of women and are dreadful role-models for little girls. This is due to ignorance. Many people who do not actually read fairytales, or have not read any since childhood, vaguely associate them with a picture of a Barbie-blonde lady wearing a pink silk dress and diamonds, lying on a bed in a tower, awaiting rescue from a prince on a white horse, and ‘love’s first kiss’. Like this illustration by Rene Cloke from ‘My First Book of Fairy Tales’, which I was given as a child..."

“…The heroines in these tales know their own minds and make their own decisions. They are wise, prudent, determined, wily and brave. They are so far from the stereotype of the fairytale princess that one has to ask how it arose, and to wonder whether late 19th/early 20th century editorial bias--to say nothing of rewriting--had anything to do with choosing more ‘properly behaved’ heroines for children’s anthologies?” ~Katherine Langrish

Read her article on Seven Miles of Steel Thistles

How Fairy Tales Shape our Lives

2011-05-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Inside Journal magazine - Fall 1997

by Jonathan Young

When the people of Hamelin refused to pay the Pied Piper what they had promised, he led the children of the village away with his magical music. This key moment in a familiar fairy tale carries many insights. It is, at once, a commentary on social values, a vivid example of family tragedy, and a bit of personal psychology. Folklore is compacted wisdom literature that yields more information with each reading.

There is much we can learn by reflecting on the stories heard in childhood. Magical characters such as the Pied Piper, the talking frog and the fairy godmother are likely to remain in the imagination for a lifetime. The adventures these stories describe often reflect challenges we face in our journeys. The tales hide a wealth of insights just below the surface. They are clearly more than mere entertainment for children.

My own first hearing of many of the old stories was in the places where they originated. Throughout my childhood, our family traveled abroad for several months every few years. There were six children. Keeping all the kids quiet took some imagination. My parents came up with an ingenious, and life-changing, idea, which was to have us study the local tales.

When we were in Denmark, we visited the home of Hans Christian Andersen, and discussed his stories, such as The Little Mermaid. In Germany, we went to the village of Hamelin, where the tale of the Pied Piper takes place. In each location, we would thoroughly examine a story and the sites associated with it. In Baghdad, it was the Arabian Nights. While visiting Greece and Egypt, we would discuss mythology. In the temples of India and Japan, the tales of Asia came to life. Seeing how the adventures reflected their settings and how the stories are still alive in those places was a powerful experience. It shaped my sense of the world.

Various people can imagine the tales quite differently. I had heard the stories before and had pictures in my mind about what the places looked like. When I saw, for example, the spot in Germany where the Pied Piper supposedly led the children away, it didn't look exactly the same as I had imagined. In a way, noticing that difference made me aware of how our creativity works. It was a glimpse into the power of imagination.

I later learned how these stories portray life issues in miniature. The story of the Pied Piper reminds us that every parent has to deal with letting go of their children and every former child has to cope with feelings about how it is to leave home. If we take the tale as a reflection of the inner landscape, we see that all the characters can represent aspects of our own personalities. The village leaders may symbolize a practical, thrifty side that does not sufficiently appreciate our magical qualities or artistic abilities. If we cheat the imagination of appropriate time and resources, things may go badly. Creativity and play engage the childlike energies that can leave us in a state of depression if they depart.

These tales are psychological mirrors and we become more complex as we mature. The storytellers intentionally loaded the adventures with heavy symbolism to reveal more meanings as we develop a deeper awareness of ourselves. Bedtime stories have enormous influence over our identities. People identify with certain characters in the stories they heard in childhood. To some degree, many live out these stories, largely unaware of how much the old tales may be shaping our lives.

It is a great treasure to know and reveal which tales from our childhood have a hold on us. Once the general pattern or storyline becomes evident, the challenge is to participate in the rewriting of our own story. We may not be able to create the rivers that carry us along but we can certainly navigate the little boats of our lives.

Mythic stories make up a kind of collective dream that we all have together. If we want to understand our dreams, in many respects, we can look at these stories and study them. If we want to understand the stories better, we can study our dreams. There is a great inter-relationship between these two forms of our imagination.

A talking animal in a story is often the voice of nature. Among other messages, we are being reminded that we are also animals. We are walking around in animal flesh. We sometimes forget this in our excessively mental, all too industrial culture. We are, first of all, animal creatures. We are not just visitors to nature, or merely caretakers of nature. We are nature. Guiding animals are crucial in mythic stories. Psychologically, this might well represent the wisdom of the body.

Sinister or wicked characters may represent aspects of ourselves that have been neglected or rejected. Carl Jung noted that the shadow energies in dreams and stories often appear as threatening witches or wolves. Jung insisted that something good can come from this darkness. Something valuable waits for us in the shadow. We are not to exclude that from how we define ourselves. Ultimately, inclusion is the goal. The challenge is to integrate these elements into identity in a constructive manner.

The darker elements in some tales often reveal shadow energies in an action, an image, or even a setting. The deep dark forest is a common representation of the feared elements within. The monsters live in the forest. The forest can reflect parts of ourselves that are never entirely tamed, that are always somewhat dangerous and chaotic. These elements sometimes come up in nightmares. They are important parts of ourselves. In some ways, they are the most creative aspects of our inner world. We need to go into the dark forest. It is difficult and mysterious. Still, fresh energies and new ideas come from that place.

Often we need the experiences in life that seem like setbacks and shadows. These can be difficult times. On the first reaction we wish we could avoid them. Ultimately, in hindsight, we realize those were enormously valuable moments. Such experiences force us to claim aspects of ourselves that we have neglected to develop. We become more than we thought was possible.

There is a tale about a farmer who plowing in his field. Suddenly, his plow catches on something. The farmer digs down to see what the plow has snagged on and he finds it has hooked a large ring. He digs farther, gets the plow unstuck, but sees that the ring emerges from a large flat stone. After more digging, the farmer lifts the ring and the stone. As the stone rises, it reveals the entrance to a deep underground cave filled with treasures.

The parable suggests that when something interrupts what we are trying to do, we should not be too sure this is a negative event. If we look into the impediment to our progress, we may open up hidden places in our souls and reveal secret riches. After discovering the buried treasure, we have the task of integrating these deep realms of beauty into our daily lives.

Learning to find the guidance in familiar adventures is not difficult but does take a little effort. The starting point is understanding symbolism. Certain significant images communicate helpful information. The key is knowing how to decode the messages. The farmer getting stuck shows how trouble can interrupt our journeys for good reasons that we may not immediately grasp. The tale is a visual experience. Any one of the symbols in a classic story is worthy of a close look. If we meditate on the flow of images, and reflect on the meanings it presents to us, the rewards can be great.

The ancient tales have their own lives, each with unique, eccentric qualities. Part of the richness is that the same story will have different lessons for each person who listens. Stories can be like the Holy Grail, which, when passed from person to person, let them drink what they alone desired. Also, when we come back to the same story after a time, it will tell us new things. Stories can speak to us in several ways at once. The practical aspects of our personalities appreciate the assistance they provide in prudent decision-making. Our playful child-like energies find the stories to be great fun. The quiet, spiritual side is grateful to have some time invested in reflection.

Poet William Stafford had a favorite image. He said that the work of creativity is to "follow the golden thread." Something catches your attention, a feeling, an image, an idea, the events of a moment. The challenge is to pay attention to that subtle urge and follow it gently. We must roll out the golden thread with care or it will break. Opening ourselves to greater significance in familiar stories requires a certain tenderness of spirit. The notions will be fragile at first. We must hold them gently for a time until they deliver their message to us. The effects of what we learn might well last for a lifetime.

Original publishing Site: by Jonathan Young

Rediscover WoNder: Kathryn Schultz

2011-05-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Kathryn Schulz: On Being Wrong (17:52)

"Most of us will do anything to avoid being wrong. But what if we're wrong about that? "Wrongologist" Kathryn Schulz makes a compelling case for not just admitting but embracing our fallibility."

Sweet Dreams!

2011-05-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

ScreenShot of my Heartburn Nightmare!

Create your own dream: Max My Dream

This dream maker is so much fun! Be sure to give yourself a time limit before you get started, though! Just type a few short sentences into the window and Max My Dream takes it from there. Have fun!

About Max My Dream:
"‘Max My Dream’ visualizes the sweet dreams you have after a peaceful night’s sleep with Pecid Max. Whether you are dreaming about puppies in space or political discourse, ‘Max My Dream’ visualizes everything." ~Link to blog article about creating "Max My Dream"

Read Pepcid's Privacy Policy

Neil Gaiman @Google Talks

2011-04-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

"Neil Gaiman visits Google's Mountain View, CA, headquarters to speak about his book, "Fragile Things." This event took place on October 3, 2006, as part of the Authors@Google series."

Dragonfly Ballet

2011-04-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

“Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1951 version of Jacques Offenbach's opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann is as much about dancing as it is about music. This ballet takes place at the beginning of the film, and features the incomparable Moira Shearer as Stella.” ~ YouTube Link

Pavlova's Dragonfly

2011-04-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

"Dragonfly is a short but lovely ballet that was choreographed by Anna Pavlova in 1914 or 1915. The wonderful music, Schon Rosmarin, is by Fritz Kreisler" ~YouTube Link

No One is Alone by Bernadette Peters

2011-04-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Mother cannot guide you.

Now you're on your own.
Only me beside you.
Still, you're not alone.
No one is alone. Truly.
No one is alone.
Sometimes people leave you.
Halfway through the wood.
Others may deceive you.
You decide what’s good.
You decide alone.
But no one is alone.

I wish...
I know.
Mother isn't here now
Wrong things, right things
Who knows what she'd say?
Who can say what's true?
Nothings quite so clear now.
Do things, fight things,
Feel you've lost your way?
You decide, but
You are not alone
Believe me,
No one is alone
No one is alone.
Believe me.
Truly
You move just a finger,
Say the slightest word,
Somethings bound to linger
Be heard
No acts alone.
Careful.
No one is alone.
People make mistakes.
People make mistakes,
Holding to their own,
Thinking their alone.
Honor their mistakes
Everybody makes
Fight for their mistakes
One another's terrible mistakes.
Witches can be right, Giants can be good.
You decide what's right you decide what's good
Just remember:
Someone is on your side
Someone else is not
While we're seeing our side
Maybe we forgot: they are not alone.
No one is alone.
Hard to see the light now.
Just don't let it go
Things will come out right now.
We can make it so.
Someone is on your side

The Red Shoes 1948

2011-04-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

“Under the authoritarian rule of charismatic ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, his proteges realize the full promise of their talents, but at a price: utter devotion to their art and complete loyalty to Lermontov himself. Under his near-obsessive guidance, young ballerina Victoria Page is poised for superstardom, but earns Lermontov's scorn when she falls in love with Julian Craster, composer of "The Red Shoes," the ballet Lermontov is staging to showcase her talents. Vicky leaves the company and marries Craster, but still finds herself torn between Lermontov's demands and those of her heart." ~IMDb Link

Many thanks to RobinSena23344 for uploading this wonderful movie on YouTube

I'm Sensitive by Jewels

2011-04-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

"I was thinking that I might fly today

Just to disprove all the things you say"

I'm Sensitive

by Jewels

I was thinking that I might fly today

Just to disprove all the things you say

It doesn't take a talent to be mean

Your words can crush things that are unseen

So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive

And I'd like to stay that way.

You always tell me that is impossible

To be respected and be a girl

Why's it gotta be so complicated?

Why you gotta tell me if I'm hated?

So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive

And I'd like to stay that way.

I was thinking that it might do some good

If we robbed the cynics and took all their food

That way what they believe will have taken place

And we can give it to people who have some faith

So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive

And I'd like to stay that way.

I have this theory that if we're told we're bad

Then that's the only idea we'll ever have

But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty

Someday we will become what we see

'Cause anyone can start a conflict

it's harder yet to disregard it

I'd rather see the world from another angle

We are everyday angels

Be careful with me 'cause I'd like to stay that way

Sebastian's Voodoo

2011-04-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

A beautiful film that is sure to touch your precious fairy heart!

Love,

CZBZ

Toth Farry by Sharon Olds

2011-04-03T00:01:00.001-07:00

Toth Farry

By Sharon Olds

In the back of the charm-box, in a sack, the baby

canines and incisors are mostly chaff,

by now, split kernels and acicular down, no

whole utensils left: half

an adz; half a shovel, in its broken

handle a marrow well of the will

to dig and bite. And the enamel hems

are sharp as shell-tools, and the colors go from

salt, to bone, to pee on snow, to

sun on pond-ice embedded with twigs

and chipped-off skate-blade. One cuspid

is like the tail of an ivory chough

on my grandmother's what-not in a gravure on my mother's

bureau in my father's house in my head,

I think it's our daughter's, but the dime Hermes

mingled the deciduals of our girl and boy, safe-

keeping them together with the note that says

Dear Toth Farry, Plees Giv Me

A Bag of Moany. I pore over the shards,

a skeleton-lover—but who could throw out

these short pints of osseus breastmilk,

or the wisdom, with its charnel underside,

and its dome, smooth and experienced,

ground in anger, rinsed in silver

when the mouth waters. From above, its knurls

are a cusp-ring of mountain tops

around an amber crevasse, where in high

summer the summit wildflowers open

for a day—Crown Buttercup, Alpine Flames,

Shooting-Star, Rosy Fairy Lantern,

Cream Sacs, Sugar Scoop.

La Belle et La Bête 1946

2011-04-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

To read article, click here:

La Belle et La Bête 1946

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

2011-04-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

Papiroflexia

2011-03-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lin: piano magic

2011-03-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

Composing a beautiful life from random pieces

When life goes to hell in Red Riding Hood’s basket, improvise. Take stock of your remaining pieces and put your life back together in a new way. One you might never have imagined. You may end up with a more beautiful rendition than the original composition someone else wrote for you to play.

Be sure to watch the last half of this video when Jennifer's improvisational piece brings people to tears. (About the 16 minute marker on the video if you don't have time to listen to the whole concert)

24 minutes

"Pianist and composer Jennifer Lin gives a magical performance, talks about the process of creativity and improvises a moving solo piece based on a random sequence of notes." She begins her performance with a piece titled Kaleidoscope by Josef Hofmann.

Keyboard Fairies

2011-03-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

To me, there are not many things in life more beautiful than a woman who takes her last drop of energy and strikes that first key, reaching out for help. Allow me to share with you my keyboard fairy story, taken from and old post:

The first message I wrote said, “HELP!” something that I have learned that many women write once they learn that there is no hope, no future...once they feel the effects of strangulation and defamation. Not trusting a soul, I frantically typed; hoping someone could hear me. Blinded with tunnel vision, there was only the smallest glimmer of hope that I might find a kind soul who understood what I was about to tell them.

And then I found them. They were women with soft hands and bloodshot eyes... kind women who spoke the same language...women who, like me, were searching for their lost souls.

For months to follow I was literally taken by the hand and shown the path to survival. Some days I crawled. Some days I ran. Some days I walked backwards. The reality of my life dangling on a string and the work I had to do to escape became overwhelming. Their soft voices would interrupt the pain - long enough to guide me back to the path. Arm in arm, a kind soul would walk with me, dry the tears and point to the ray of light that beamed through the clouds. She assured me that my bloody heels would form new skin...that my heart would feel lighter in time and that the breaths would come easier. I wasn’t so sure.

It was quite some time down the path before I learned that my new friends have helpers. You can’t see them but they are sitting on your keyboard before you turn your computer on. They wait for you. At times they guide you to a new book or just remind you to eat and sleep. On the coldest day they find the blanket. In your darkest hour, they light the candle. I was told they have wings and magic dust...and some targets have told me that they will never, ever leave you.

I wondered how many there were. I wondered if they would find all of us. Did they see us in desperation? Were they there all along as we started walking the path? The women who walked with me explained how they came to be:

Helpers with magic dust and wings are created from your fingers the first time you sit down to post. They are a collective energy that rebounds from the fingers of those who have typed before us. They are motionless until you strike the first key - and only then can you release their true powers. Only those who trusted to type will feel them. They bathe, comfort and protect us. They know the beginning and the end of our journey.

I’m so glad you found WoN and had the courage to strike that first key. And now, the keyboard fairies have found you. As you begin your journey, be kind and gentle with yourself and I promise you the fairies will help you to find your way.

Love,

Practical Jude

"The Fairies" by William Allingham

2011-03-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Up the airy mountain
Down the rushy glen,
We dare n't go a-hunting,
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl's feather.
Down along the rocky shore
Some make their home,
They live on crispy pancakes
Of yellow tide-foam;
Some in the reeds
Of the black mountain-lake,
With frogs for their watch-dogs,
All night awake.
High on the hill-top
The old King sits;
He is now so old and gray
He's nigh lost his wits.
With a bridge of white mist
Columbkill he crosses,
On his stately journeys
From Slieveleague to Rosses;
Or going up with music,
On cold starry nights,
To sup with the Queen,
Of the gay Northern Lights.
They stole little Bridget
For seven years long;
When she came down again
Her friends were all gone.
They took her lightly back
Between the night and morrow;
They thought she was fast asleep,
But she was dead with sorrow.
They have kept her ever since
Deep within the lake,
On a bed of flag leaves,
Watching till she wake.
By the craggy hill-side,
Through the mosses bare,
They have planted thorn trees
For pleasure here and there.
Is any man so daring
As dig them up in spite?
He shall find the thornies set
In his bed at night.
Up the airy mountain
Down the rushy glen,
We dare n't go a-hunting,
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl's feather.

Listen to audio reading

Dragonfly World

2011-03-15T23:15:00.001-07:00

Ballerina on a Boat

2011-03-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Directed by russian animation master Lev Atamanov.

Score by Alfred Schnittke

Wikipedia Link

Lev Konstantinovich Atamanov (Russian: Лев Константинович Атаманов) (February 21, 1905 in Moscow — February 12, 1981 in Moscow) was one of the foremost Soviet animation film directors and one of the founders of Soviet animation art.

He is the director of the famous classics of Soviet animation, such as the prize-winning fairy tales The Yellow Stork (Zheltyy aist) (1950), Scarlet Flower (Alenkiy tsvetochek) (1952), The Golden Antelope (1954), the full-length animation The Snow Queen (Snezhnaya koroleva) (1957), and the modern satirical tale The Key (Klyuch) (1961).

In his works Lev Atamanov subtly conveyed the national colouring of fairy tales and combined romantic elation in images of positive characters with warm and kind humor.

The Scarlet Flower 1952

2011-03-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Scarlet Flower (Russian: Аленький цветочек, Alenkiy tsvetochek), also known as The Little Scarlet Flower or The Little Red Flower, is a Russian folk tale written by Sergey Aksakov. It is an adaptation of traditional fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.

The Plot

Excerpted from Wikipedia

Before going on an overseas journey, a merchant father asks his three daughters what they would like him to bring back for them. The eldest asks for a shining tiara, the middle asks for a frame through which her face would always appear young, and the youngest (Nastenka) asks her father to bring her a beautiful scarlet flower like one which she saw in her dreams. Her elder sisters laugh at this simple wish.

The father's trip is successful and he finds everything that he came for, with the exception of Nastenka's scarlet flower. Nevertheless, the ship heaves off and they begin to head back while the father scans the lands around him for a scarlet flower.

A storm strikes and the father is washed overboard. He wakes up on a strange island which is full of all sorts of wonders. He explores, and eventually finds a flower just like the one Nastenka described. The instant that he plucks it, however, a great storm comes upon him and the owner of the island - a hideous monster - makes his presence known. He tells the father that he will let him keep the flower, but in return he must send one of his daughters to live with him. The father refuses, and the monster gives him a ring, telling him that whoever puts it on will be teleported back to the island, and that if his daughter doesn't come then he himself must come and be killed.

In the morning, the crewmembers of the father's ship (who had been searching for him) see him on the island and rescue him. Back home, the father prepares to put on the ring and meet his fate. However, Nastenka overhears a conversation where he reveals this to his friend and secretly puts on the ring herself.

There, she expects to be killed but instead finds herself on a beautiful island and welcomed for by a kind, unseen host. She accidentally catches a glimpse of him eventually, and is mortally scared at first. He allows her to go home to visit her family, but tells her that she must come back by putting on the ring by 8pm or he will die of loneliness.

Nastenka comes home dressed in splendid clothes and with presents for her sisters. Her sisters, however, become jealous and secretly turn all of the clocks in the house back two hours. Nastenka looks outside and hears the clock chiming 9pm, and quickly goes back, only to find the monster near death. She is very saddened and vows to never leave him again, and with those words the scarlet flower which she holds reattaches itself to its original stem and the island fills with light again. The monster turns into a handsome prince and explains that he was under the spell of a witch from which he could only be freed from if he won over the heart of a lady while being in the body of a hideous monster.

45 minutes

Instructions by Neil Gaiman

2011-03-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

What to do if you find yourself trapped inside a fairytale

Instructions

By Neil Gaiman

Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never saw before,
Say ‘please’ before you open the latch,
go through,
walk down the path.
A red metal imp hangs from the green-painted front door,
as a knocker,
do not touch it; it will bite your fingers.
Walk through the house. Take nothing. Eat nothing.
However,
if any creature tells you that it hungers,
feed it.
If it tells you that it is dirty,
clean it.
If it cries to you that it hurts,
if you can,
ease its pain.

From the back garden you will be able to see the wild wood.
The deep well you walk past leads down to Winter’s realm;
There is another land at the bottom of it.
If you turn around here,
you can walk back, safely;
you will lose no face. I will think no less of you.

Once through the garden you will be in the wood.
The trees are old. Eyes peer from the undergrowth.
Beneath a twisted oak sits an old woman. She may ask for something;
give it to her. She
will point the way to the castle. Inside it
are three princesses.
Do not trust the youngest. Walk on.
In the clearing beyond the castle the twelve months sit about a fire,
warming their feet, exchanging tales.
They may do favours for you, if you are polite.

You may pick strawberries in December’s frost.

Trust the wolves, but do not tell them where you are going.
The river can be crossed by the ferry. The ferryman will take you.
(The answer to his question is this:
If he hands the oar to his passenger, he will be free to leave the boat.
Only tell him this from a safe distance.)

If an eagle gives you a feather, keep it safe.

Remember: that giants sleep too soundly; that
witches are often betrayed by their appetites;
dragons have one soft spot, somewhere, always;
hearts can be well hidden,
and you betray them with your tongue.

Do not be jealous of your sister:
know that diamonds and roses
are as uncomfortable when they tumble from one’s lips as toads and frogs:
colder, too, and sharper, and they cut.

Remember your name.
Do not lose hope – what you seek will be found.
Trust ghosts. Trust those that you have helped to help you in their turn.
Trust dreams.
Trust your heart, and trust your story.

When you come back, return the way you came.
Favours will be returned, debts be repaid.

Do not forget your manners.
Do not look back.
Ride the wise eagle (you shall not fall).
Ride the silver fish (you will not drown).
Ride the grey wolf (hold tightly to his fur).

There is a worm at the heart of the tower; that is why it will not stand.

When you reach the little house, the place your journey started,
you will recognise it, although it will seem much smaller than you remember.
Walk up the path, and through the garden gate you never saw before but once.
And then go home. Or make a home.

Or rest.

Other Resources

Watch Neil Gaiman reading his poem, Instructions

Interesting weblog discussing allusions and references in Gaiman's poem

Neil Gaiman video clips on NielGaiman.com

Neil Gaiman Bibliography

About WoN

2011-03-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

WoN's Mission Statement

The Web of Narcissism (WoN) is a volunteer organization assisting recovery from narcissistic relationships. We do not advocate specific therapeutic treatments, nor recovery plans. We allow each person the dignity of finding their own path aided by the encouragement and camaraderie of fellow survivors. As an organization, we:

1) offer psychological information about unhealthy relationships and the dangers of untreated psychopathology;

2) extend validation to those who have suffered as a result of pathological relationships;

3) facilitate integration of both cognitive and emotional intelligence towards self-regulation and the restoration of personal integrity.

As an organization, we intend to:

fill a void in people's lives; support professional therapists and counselors; foster a healing environment that is anonymous, tolerant, and devoted to a long-term recovery process; educate people about red flags and warning signs.

As individuals, we intend to:

heal our lives and pay it forward by supporting peers who intend to do the same; admit our mistakes and challenge ourselves to do better; move from victim to survivor to thriver; restore personal power by accepting reality, make wiser choices, and take responsibility for our lives.

As a collective, we intend to:

respect each person's right to make decisions for themselves; support those who choose to stay or leave the narcissistic relationship; practice good faith principles for a growth-fostering community; encourage honesty, integrity, tolerance and respect.

The Snow Queen 1957

2011-03-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

From Wikipedia

"The Snow Queen (Russian: Снежная королева, Snezhnaya koroleva) is a 1957 Soviet animated film directed by Lev Atamanov. It was produced at the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow and is based on the story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was re-released with English soundtracks in 1959 and 1998.

In 1959, the film was dubbed into English and released by Universal Pictures with the voices of Sandra Dee and Tommy Kirk as Gerda and Kay. This version is introduced by a six-minute live-action Christmas prologue featuring TV personality Art Linkletter, as well as a two-minute montage. In this prologue, Linkletter recited the following rhyme just before the film began: "One snowflake two/three snowflakes four/now you'll see 'The Snow Queen'/if you count a million more." The American version also contained an entirely rewritten musical score and had three new songs in English, two of which replaced the Russian songs (the other one was in the montage).

In the 1990s Films by Jove restored the film and created a new English soundtrack for it, featuring the voices of Kathleen Turner, Mickey Rooney, Kirsten Dunst and Laura San Giacomo. It was shown on television in 1998 as part of the "Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories from My Childhood" series, and was later released on video and DVD in 1999. French and Spanish soundtracks were added for the DVD version, the French soundtrack featuring Catherine Deneuve, and the Spanish track Beatriz Aguirre. Following criticism of the non-inclusion of the Russian soundtrack on the DVD, Films by Jove also released a DVD of the film containing the original Russian soundtrack with English subtitles sometime in 2006."

Disclaimer & Copyright

2011-03-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY THESE TERMS OF USE BEFORE READING, COMMENTING ON, DOWNLOADING, COPYING, REPRODUCING, ALTERING MATERIALS OF ANY KIND, SUBSCRIBING TO, AND LINKING TO (COLLECTIVELY “USING”) THIS BLOG. USING THIS BLOG INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS OF USE. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THESE TERMS OF USE, PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS BLOG.

Introduction. This agreement between You and CZBZ consists of these WebOfNarcissism.blogspot.com's Terms of Use. “You", “Reader” or “Commenter” means any entity identified by its comments, e-mail, registration information or IP address. If You use this Blog on behalf of your employer, organization or company, they shall also be bound by the terms of this Agreement.

Privacy. When You leave a comment, the Author is automatically notified and receives IP information pertaining to the Commenter. This information is not stored by the Author for other purposes than to moderate comments. This information is not being sold or used for other purposes. If you have concerns with the way this information is used, please contact the Author directly to arrange for complete removal of this information. Removal of all personal information will result in the removal of any content the Commenter might have contributed to this Blog, including comments. This Blog is hosted in the United States of America. Be aware that laws regarding personal information and privacy may differ from Your location.

Blog content. All the contents of the Blog, EXCEPT FOR COMMENTS, constitute the opinion of the Author, and the Author alone; they do not represent the views and opinions of the Author’s employers, supervisors, nor do they represent the view of organizations, businesses or institutions the Author is a part of. The Author is not a medical professional, and you should never substitute information from this Blog for information obtained from a licensed medical professional; always consult your doctor before using any prescription, drugs, supplements, or undergoing any treatments. The content of this Blog is not intended to cause harm, but if You have any concerns about the contents of this Blog, please contact CZBZ. Disagreeing with the content of the Blog does not constitute sufficient ground for You to ask the Author to remove or modify any parts of this Blog. The Author is not being paid to write content on this Blog or to manage and in any way operate this Blog.

Copyright policy. All the text, images and other content being part of this Blog is property of the Author, unless noted otherwise. All logos and trademarks are property of their respective owners. You are not allowed to reproduce, sell, and modify any part of this Blog. You are welcome to link to this blog, and to discuss its contents in a respectful manner. When You quote or link to this Blog, please insert WebOfNarcissism.blogspot.com and/or WebOfNarcissism.com in your link. You are not authorized to use this content for personal profit. UNAUTHORIZED COPYING, REPRODUCTION, MODIFICATION, REPUBLISHING, UPLOADING, POSTING, TRANSMITTING OR DUPLICATING OF ANY OF THE MATERIAL IS PROHIBITED. Whenever copyrighted material is mentioned or use, the Author is doing so according to fair dealing practices. Use of material from this Blog according to fair dealing practices requires proper acknowledgment. Simply linking back to the Blog is not considered proper acknowledgment; please provide a link including the Author’s name, the name of the page you are linking, and a permanent link (”Permalink“) to that page.

Comment policy. The Author is not responsible for the content of any comments made by the Commenter(s). The Author is also not responsible for knowing whether the content of Your comment is breaking the law in other countries or jurisdictions. This Blog is a venue for discussion; therefore, the Author will not delete critical comments, or comments portraying a different opinion from the Author’s own. However, the Author reserves the right to edit, delete, or not publish a comment if this is deemed to be potentially illegal (this includes, but it is not limited to comments containing hateful, libelous, and defamatory content). All comments on this Blog have to be written in English. Please do not endanger Yourself or break the law when you comment. Comments intending to advertise and/or off-topic (”SPAM“) will be deleted. The Author also reserves the right to block Commenter(s) who have previously published offensive comments, illegal content, or SPAM.

Forbidden actions. You are not authorized to (i) use this Blog to advertise for products of any kind and for other Blogs, (ii) to infringe the Copyright policy and Comment policy of this Blog, (iii) to attack this Blog using malicious software and/or use this Blog for data mining (iv) to commit any illegal actions while using the Blog, or against this Blog, (v) to restrict access to this Blog, (vi) to impede the normal functioning of this Blog and (vii) to menace the Author with, or cause physical or financial harm to, the Author of this Blog.

Changes to the Terms. The Author reserves the right to change these Terms at any time. You will only be notified by the Blog through posts or syndicated content (RSS), NOT IN PERSON. It is Your responsibility to make sure that you agree with the new Terms, whenever changes have been announced. Changes to the Terms will be effective 48 hours after the notice has been posted on the Blog. If You do not agree with the Terms, DO NOT USE THIS BLOG.

No Guarantee. The Author makes no guarantee regarding the validity of the content of the Blog. In addition, the Author does not guarantee that the Blog will be accessible at all times or during any down time (i) caused by outages to any public Internet backbones, networks or servers, (ii) caused by any failures of Your equipment, systems or local access services, (iii) for previously scheduled maintenance or (iv) relating to events beyond the Author’s control such as strikes, riots, fires, floods, explosions, war, terrorism, governmental action, labor conditions, natural and/or man-made disasters, or interruptions in Internet services to an area where the Author or Your servers are located. Although the Author will try to moderate comments quickly, the Author makes no guarantee to the Commenter that its comments or trackbacks will be displayed promptly, without modifications, or that they will be displayed at all, as all comments will be published to the discretion of the Author.

No Warranty or Condition; Links. The Author makes NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. If you choose to access the Blog, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK. To the extent links and external content are based on or displayed in connection with the Blog, THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT HAVE ANY LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE DISPLAY OF SUCH LINKS AND SEARCH RESULTS, whether this external content is breaking the law in this or other jurisdictions. YOU AGREE TO USE THE BLOG AT YOUR OWN RISK, and that You will not consider the Blog’s content to be a suitable substitute for professional advice.

Limitations of Liability. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES, AND THE AUTHOR’S LIABILITY TO YOU UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY CLAIM IS LIMITED TO THE GROSS MONTHLY AMOUNT PAID BY THE AUTHOR FOR HOSTING SERVICES DURING THE ONE MONTH PERIOD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE DATE OF THE CLAIM. Each party acknowledges that the other party has entered into this Agreement relying on the limitations of liability stated herein and that those limitations are an essential part of the Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, the Author shall not have any liability for any failure or delay resulting from any condition beyond the reasonable control of the Author, including but not limited to governmental action, labor conditions, power failures, natural and/or man-made disasters. The Author is not liable for the content of any comments the Commenter might leave on this Blog (see Comment policy).

Obligation to Indemnify. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold the Author, its agents, and applicable third parties (collectively “Indemnified Person(s)“) harmless from and against any and all third party claims, liability, loss, and expense (including damage awards, settlement amounts, and reasonable legal fees, brought against any Indemnified Person(s), arising out of, related to or which may arise from Your use of the Blog and/or Your breach of any term of this Agreement.

Applicable Laws; Venue. The Author operates the Blog from the United States of America, and makes no representations that materials in the Blog are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Access to the Blog from any location where the content is illegal is prohibited. Any claim related to the use of the Blog or to the Blog materials shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America. Any action related to the access, use, content, or existence of this Blog shall be filed only in the appropriate court located within the United States of America. The use of this Blog constitutes Your express permission and consent to the jurisdiction of the state and/or federal courts of the United States of America for purposes of such actions.

Legal notices and Contact information. If You are intending to carry out legal action of any kind against the Blog or the Author, you are required to contact the author SEVEN BUSINESS DAYS before any legal claim is made. Please remember that the author, CZBZ, means to DO NO HARM to You or anyone else by writing this Blog. If You feel that your rights have been infringed, please contact CZBZ and allow seven business days for the reply to be received. The author, CZBZ, will do whatever possible to address Your concerns.

CZBZ may be reached via email: wonmanagers@yahoo.com

Resource: Giovanna Di Sauro http://gdisauro.com/2008/05/writing-blog-disclaimer-2/

Disclosure

2011-03-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

This blog is a sponsored blog created or supported by a company, organization or group of organizations. For questions about this blog, please contact wonmanagers@yahoo.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content will always be identified.

http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

INstructions by Neil Gaiman & Charles Vess

2011-03-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

Faerie Ballet

2011-03-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski

2011-02-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

your life is your life

don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.

be on the watch.

there are ways out.

there is a light somewhere.

it may not be much light but

it beats the darkness.

be on the watch.

the gods will offer you chances.

know them.

take them.

you can’t beat death but

you can beat death in life, sometimes.

and the more often you learn to do it,

the more light there will be.

your life is your life.

know it while you have it.

you are marvelous

the gods wait to delight

in you.

–Charles Bukowski~

Tom Waits reads The Laughing Heart on YouTube

What Will Matter

2011-02-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no days, no hours or minutes. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will all expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Your gender, skin color, ethnicity will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?

How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.

It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

~ Michael Josephson ~

Love after Love

2011-01-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

The time will come

when, with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here, Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine, Give Bread, Give back your heart to itself,

to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

~Derek Walcott~

A reading of Love After Love on YouTube

Theatrical performance by Kim Rosen and Jami Sieber

Poetry Readings

2011-01-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

Afternoon of a Faun

2011-01-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

Music: Debussy, "Syrinx" and from the "Afternoon of a Faun"

During the Victorian era there was an intense interest in fairy-themed art which revived for a while in 1917 after the publication of the Cottingley Fairies photographs. In this video fairies appear in the paintings of:

Daniel Maclise

Nils Blommer

Johann Heinrich Fuessli

Robert Alexander Hillingford

Sir Joseph Noel Paton

Theodor Kittilsen

Richard Dadd

Luis Ricardo Falero

Hans Zatzka

John Anster Fitzgerald

John Georg Naish

Dance of the Wild Fairies

2011-01-02T11:54:00.001-08:00

Dance of the Wild Fairies and Invocation

by Gary Stadler and Wendy Rule

Celtic Women

2011-01-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

J.R. R. Tolkien on Faerie Stories

2010-03-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

"I PROPOSE to speak about fairy-stories, though I am aware that this is a rash adventure. Faerie is a perilous land, and in it are pitfalls for the unwary and dungeons for the overbold. And overbold I may be accounted, for though I have been a lover of fairy-stories since I learned to read, and have at times thought about them, I have not studied them professionally. I have been hardly more than a wandering explorer (or trespasser) in the land, full of wonder but not of information.

The realm of fairy-story is wide and deep and high and filled with many things: all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment, and an ever-present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords. In that realm a man may, perhaps, count himself fortunate to have wandered, but its very richness and strangeness tie the tongue of a traveller who would report them. And while he is there it i dangerous for him to ask too many questions, lest the gates should be shut and the keys be lost.

There are, however, some questions that one who is to speak about fairy-stories must expect to answer, or attempt to answer, whatever the folk of Faërie may think of his impertinence. For instance: What are fairy-stories? What is their origin? What is the use of them? I will try to give answers to these questions, or such hints of answers to them as I have gleaned—primarily from the stories themselves, the few of all their multitude that I know..."

Download Tolkien's 27-page PDF article here:

Fairy Stories

Do Faeries Live at the Bottom or Your Garden?

2010-03-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

Maybe not anymore, but a recent discovery would suggest that they probably did. What appear to be the mummified remains of a fairy have been discovered in the Derbyshire countryside.

The 8 inch remains complete with wings; skin, teeth and flowing red hair have been examined by anthropologists and forensic experts who can confirm that the body is genuine. X-rays of the 'fairy' reveal an anatomically identical skeleton to that of a child. The bones however, are hollow like those of a bird making them particularly light. The puzzling presence of a navel even suggests that the beings reproduce the same as humans despite the absense of reproductive organs.

The remains were discovered by a local man, who wishes to remain anonymous, while walking his dog along an old Roman road situated between the villages of Duffield and Belper.

Commentary:

Mr. Baines placed the images on a website along with a detailed, although entirely fictional, description of the "find". The website quickly received thousands of visitors interested in the Derbyshire fairy and its author was inundated with emails on the subject. On April 1st, Mr Baines added a statement to the website, acknowledging that the fairy was a fake. He wrote:

"Even if you believe in fairies, as I personally do, there will always have been an "element of doubt in your mind that would suggest the remains are a hoax. However, the magic created by the possibility of the fairy being real is something you will remember for the rest of your life.

Alas the fairy is fake but my interest and belief has allowed me to create a work of art that is convincing and magical. I was also interested to see if fairy folklore is still a valid belief in modern society and I am pleased to say that yes it is! I have had more response from believers than I ever thought possible."

The images and selected parts of the description were soon posted on other websites, forums and blogs and also began circulating via email. However, many of the circulating versions did not include the artist's statement owning up to the prank. The model is of such good quality, and the description so convincing, that many people truly believed that the "find" was genuine.

According to the description that accompanies these photographs, they show the remains of a fairy that was discovered by a man walking his dog between villages in Derbyshire, England. The photographs also circulate without any description and refer to the remains as a "Butterfly Man" in the email subject line. However, the fairy depicted in the photographs is actually a model created as an April Fool's Day prank by UK artist and magician, Dan Baines.

Humans have long had an intense fascination with magical creatures. Perhaps, deep down, many of us would like to believe that fairies really do live at the bottom of our gardens. The surprising popularity of the Derbyshire fairy suggests that it has successfully tapped into that deep-seated human fantasy. In fact, despite the artist's public statement, some have refused to believe that the fairy is not real and have even suggested a government conspiracy.

On April 8, 2007 the fairy was sold on eBay for £280.00 and, according to the BBC, is now in a private art collection in the United States.

Hopefully, the sale has provided some manner of closure to fairy lovers around the world. But, be warned, Dan Baines admits that he is now addicted to April Fool's Day pranks and advises that more may follow. ~Excerpted from the Hoax-Slayer

Corroborating News Reports:

Dead Fairy Hoax on Wikipedia

Snopes.com, Dead Fairy

Fairy Quotes

2010-03-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

Sarah: Ow! It bit me!

Hoggle: What'd you expect fairies to do?

Sarah: I thought they did nice things, like granting wishes!

Hoggle: Shows what you know, don't it?

Labyrinth, 1986 movie

J.R.R. Tolkien: "Faerie is a perilous land, and in it are pitfalls for the unwary, and dungeons for the overbold."

Rachel Carson: "If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life."

Unknown: “The Faeries went from the world, dear, because men's hearts grow cold, and only the eyes of the children see what is hidden from the old and only the magic of love, dear, can ever turn the key that unlocks the gates of Fae and set the Sidhe free."

Francis Thompson: "Know you what it is to be a child?...It is to believe in love, to believe in loveliness, to believe in belief; it is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear, it is to turn pumpkins into coaches, and mice into horses, lowness into loftiness, and nothing into everything, for each child has its fairy godmother in its soul."

Robert Louis Stevenson: "Every child can remember laying his head in the grass, staring into the infinitesimal forest and seeing it grow populous with fairy armies."

W.B.Yeats: "Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame."

Albert Einstein: "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

Leo Rosten: "You can understand and relate to most people better if you look at them -- no matter how old or impressive they may be -- as if they are children. For most of us never really grow up or mature all that much -- we simply grow taller. O, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the child we always are, whose needs are simple, whose daily life is still best described by fairy tales."

Elizabeth T. Dillingham: "Soft moss a downy pillow makes, and green leaves spread a tent where Faerie fold may rest and sleep until their night is spent. The bluebird sings a lullaby, the firefly gives a light, the twinkling stars are candles bright, Sleep, Faeries all, Good Night."

Rachel Carson: "If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."

Danielle Steele: "If you see the magic in a fairy tale, you can face the future."

"O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.

She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes

In shape no bigger than an agate stone

On the forefinger of an alderman,

Drawn with a team of little atomies

Over men's noses as they lie asleep;

Her wagon spokes made of long spinner's legs,

The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers;

Her traces, of the smallest spider web;

Her collars, of the moonshine's wat'ry beams;

Her whip, of cricket's bone; the lash, of film;

Her wagoner, a small grey-coated gnat,

Not half so big as a round little worm

Pricked from the lazy finger of a maid,

Her chariot is an empty hazelnut,

Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub,

Time out o' mind the fairies coachmakers."

William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet.

"This is the fairy land. O spite of spites, We talk with goblins, owls, and sprites! If we obey them not, this will ensue: They'll suck our breath, or pinch us black and blue." ~William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors.

"Fairies, black, grey, green, and white,

You moonshine revellers, and shades of night,

You orphan heirs of fixed destiny,

Attend your office and your quality."

William Shakespeare The Merry Wives of Windsor.

"They are fairies; he that speaks to them shall die.

I'll wink and couch; no man their works must eye."

William Shakespeare. The Merry Wives of Windsor.

"Where the bee sucks, there suck I;

In a cowslip's bell I lie;

There I couch when owls do cry.

On the bat's back I do fly

After summer merrily.

Merrily, merrily shall I live now

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough."

William Shakespeare, Sung by Ariel the fairy spirit in The Tempest.