Wise Women: Myths and Stories for Midlife and Beyond

usually contain supernatural characters such as fairies and giants, and involve magic and enchantments. In the oral tradition, fairy tales are constantly shapeshifting to reflect and accommodate changing times.

Throughout human history, we’ve sat around fires telling each other myths, folk tales, and fairy tales. Myths explain how things came to be and generally deal with substantial matters: deities, cultural heroes, the creation of the cosmos, the purpose and meaning of life. They provide the foundational narratives for entire civilizations: narratives

Stories like this are important, because the way in which we think about who we are depends on the stories we tell about who we are.

The Wise Woman, symbolizing the essence of mature female wisdom, is no longer a prominent archetype in our culture.

We are narrative creatures, hardwired for story. We make sense of the world, from childhood onward, through the stories we find — or the stories that find us. They are the stars we navigate by; they bring us the wisdom we need to thrive.