I’m very excited to announce that I have a piece of writing published in the new issue of Enchanted Living Magazine – The Year of the Witch/Summer Witch Issue. I hope to see some new readers here, brought by the magazine – if so: hello! welcome!! Most of my writing here on my blog is about connecting with nature and while I don’t shy away from the mystical side of that connection I haven’t yet included any of my fairy tale writing here on the blog.
“Missive from a Sea Witch” is a letter from an elder mermaid to those who live on land. It reimagines the story of The Little Mermaid, bringing back some of the wilder nature magic that is often deeply tucked away in some of our most beloved stories. There’s also a bonus spell/ritual included with the story. The Little Mermaid was written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837, rather than being a collected oral tale with potentially older roots like those from the Brothers Grimm. Nevertheless, there are many tales of mermaids and selkies swimming around in the mythic sea that no doubt influenced Andersen, and also me in this retelling. It’s hard to know if this story of mine would have emerged the way it did without the influence of Clarissa Pinkola Estés and her chapter on selkies in Women Who Run with Wolves, or Sharon Blackie’s work connecting/reconnecting myth and fairy tale to the land.
As someone raised with a strong influence of Western culture, I am increasingly discovering the extent to which my personal power is inextricably linked with my ability to connect to nature. Drawn as I’ve always been to mythic stories and fairy tales, I’m interested in reframing them in ways that help rediscover healthy empowerment for those who need it. Whether these are kernels I’m unearthing that survive from earlier versions, or the insertion of new ideas of wildness and feminine empowerment, I do believe in a need for stories that create a bridge between our mythic past and our mythic future. Fairy tales seems perfectly suited to this endeavor.
If you wish to read the story, I believe Barnes and Noble carries this magazine in their stores. You can also subscribe or purchase single issues in both print and coming soon, digital. This issue has a lot of fun stuff including work from some of my favorites: Theodora Goss, Briana Saussy, and Alice Hoffman.
I am polishing up a short piece that I will share here in a day or two that’s solidly in the realm of fairy tale reimagining, and then I hope to return to some more oceanic musings later in June. My posts can be sporadic because I work full time in a demanding job, tend a house and garden on my own, and run a monthly Moon Circle on the new moon, so I deeply appreciate anyone who sticks with me.