In ancient times, Witches and Druids undoubtedly developed many ways in which to preserve health and long life. Some would have worked, and others not, but today we have a unique opportunity.

Doris Lessing, flying away from Africa, is like a character from a fable: The Woman Who Gave Up Her Child to Be an Artist. We need fables, parables, myths, because they illustrate, in simple, broad, stark brushstrokes, the moral complexities that rule our lives.

the fear of being left alone is a terrifying proposition, something that always looms as a potential threat for children. Instead of trying to deny it, fairy tales make the threat explicit, thus forcing children to confront their anxieties about abandonment.

Why do fairy tales trigger such strong reactions years after they are first encountered? Do they change us in some way, and if so, how?