See Your World as a Faerie Tale

Creative Expression

2011-07-27T13:31:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen. It is a rainbow going over Diamond Head mountain on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. When I was working there in 2208-9, I was awe- struck by the rainbows that appeared almost every day all over of the island.

I have a whole series of pictures that I took of rainbows while I was there. Each one was unique and each one inspired me to continue to express myself creatively with my camera. I have made several slideshows with these pictures and added music to each one for meditation. It wasn't hard and it fed my soul each time I would put one together.

We often don't allow ourselves to express ourselves creatively because we may not have been conditioned early in life to think that this is a necessary part of who we are. It allows our very essence to express itself and feeds us at the same time. Art, music, sculpture,dance, are all things we did as children. We drew with crayons and pencils, painted with watercolors and made sculptures with playdoe and clay. We made collages with glue and anything we could find on a walk through the woods. And all the while we sang and hummed and danced around the yard or the family room. We banged drums, blew whistles, played harmonicas, blew bubbles and flew paper airplanes. We created sandcastles on the beach and snowmen and snow forts in the snow.

Look at how creative we were when we were children ! Aren't we the same person now??

Who or what made us think that being creative was just for kids?? That we weren't capable of creating? That all that was just for kids??

As I continue to perservere in my coaching and challenging my clients to write stories and create metaphors to discover who they are, people still tell me that they aren't creative enough and wouldn't know how to write or tell a story. However when I give them permission to do whatever they want, there are no boundaries, no limitations and anything is possible, we are always astounded at what appears.

We describe fear as dark scary places where we will be eaten by monsters, but our bed blankets have magical powers to make us invisible and so we can get to the beautiful valley safely and no one was able to see us.

Give your self permission to have fun with your crayons and clay !! Beat the drum in the backyard and dance around the flower beds and see what comes up for you !! It is your essence sending messages about who you really are and what you love to do. !!

Be brave like Dorothy and fly over the rainbow to see what is there !!!!

Firenze and The Willow-audio recording

2011-06-29T18:21:00.000-05:00

Greetings fellow travelers!! It has been far too long since I have posted an audio recording of one of my faerie tales. This particular story came to me after a rather traumatic event. A willow tree that I visited at a nearby pond was suddenly cut down. I would use the branches of this willow as they fell down after storms to make Native American prayer sticks and protective wreathes to place in the home for special friends. I meditated beneath the tree in good weather and felt very loved, nurtured and protected by it. The Lion in the story is a close friend that has been in another story,The Trust Life Jacket, written in an earlier posting.
Here is the story written as a faerie tale, using metaphors for the people and the venues and the possibility of what the tree released to the universe when it was cut down.
This recording takes about 8.5 minutes. If you are in a hurry, please come back and relax while you listen as I tell the story outdoors with the birds, faeries and tree elves.
Just click on Willow sit back and enjoy! Please let me know what comes up for you as you listen.
Love to you all.
Firenze

Audio Posting-a faerie tale

2011-05-14T15:30:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

Re-Posting for newcomers and those who just want to hear it again! Grazie !!

At long last I have completed the audio recording of my first faerie tale, and posting it to my blog!!
In my first posting, below, Once Upon a time, you read about my experiences in becoming a Life Coach. Here is that story written as a faerie tale, using metaphors for the people and the venues.
This recording takes about ten minutes. If you are in a hurry, please come back and relax while you listen as I tell the story outdoors among the faeries and the elves. They are in the recording ,too!
Just click on The Gift of Time
Thanks for dropping by. Check in again soon to hear more stories and how to transform them into faerie tales.
Copyright, The Gift of Time, Marianne F. Miragia, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2011-05-08T09:50:00.001-05:00

Greetings all!

Sending an abundance of good wishes and blessings to all mother's today!! It is a difficult role to play and yet as we nurture our young and watch them grow there is such joy that we feel.
As we honor this role today The Faerie Queen of the Day is blessing everyone.

Remember to include all the mothers in nature today as they build their nests and nurture their young during this fertile season.

With warm wishes
Firenze

All Faerie Tales Are Real

2011-04-27T16:44:00.000-05:00

What an exciting week as we prepare to watch a real Royal wedding on Friday. A lovely maiden from a common hard working family with their heritage in coal mining,met a Prince, they fell in love and now after waiting for the Queen's approval, is about to marry the Prince and become a princess.
We all enjoy the magical feeling involved in such festivities. it's inspiring. joyful. It's what dreams are made of.

Allow me to share a faerie tale that is just as magical as the royal celebration. Itis also just as exciting and magical as the royal wedding.

Once upon a time there was a very bright woman who lived in a small village near the great eastern sea board. She wanted to be of service to all those seeking a guide to find there true purpose and passion in life. She worked with many people far and wide. They lived across the sea and all sorts of foreign lands.

One day as she was helping and guiding others to find their passion and their true work, a man appeared from across the sea and asked her if she would be able to help him find the ideal work that would align him with his passion.

There was something about this man that captivated her imagination and spirit. He spoke to her with his heart. She agreed to work with him. The man began to share all of his true desires and dreams with the woman, and as he did so they found that they both shared many of the same interests and dreams. They found themselves becoming great friends as well as colleagues. They loved creating strategies and plans for each opportunity that came along for the man, until one day they found that they both were looking forward to these sessions more and more.

The inevitable happened. They agreed that they would both like to share their personal stories separate from the work sessions. The sessions became more frequent and the conversations became deeper. Both knew that this was leading to a serious relationship, but there were so many obstacles to overcome in order for them to meet.

For one thing there was a large sea of water that separated them. Each was tied in some way to their work and their families and children. Each was tied in some way to someone else in a relationship that had lasted for some time. What should they do?

Many hours were spent in long conversations about these obstacles and how they could be overcome.
FInally they decided that they needed a little time to listen to the spirit inside for what would be for their highest good and the good of those they cared about and loved.

It was a painful time for both of them as well as their close friends and family. Everyone was holding space for each of them as they were able to experience their inner struggles. When enough time had passed they agreed to have another conversation. What they both realized was that they really needed to meet one another and determine if the heart energy they were feeling at great distances would be the same when they were physically present with one another.
Other issues arose as to where they would go and when and for how long and could they support themselves as they had before.

The man suggested that the woman consider living for a while on his side of the sea for a while as her work was not based on a physical place and his work was. Timing was such that the good summer weather would allow them some opportunities that cold winter months would not.
This conversation went on for a while until the woman decided that there was nothing that was binding her to remain where she was, at least not for the summer. She could work from any location in order to do her work. The idea began to appeal to her. This could be a wonderful opportunity for both of them. Unless of course "he is a total idiot", which of course she would have intuited by now!!

A few days later the man called the woman and said that there would be no more deliberating. He was going to book his flights and come to see her as soon as possible. They both decided that after making some necessary arrangements, the woman would then fly across the sea and live near the man in a lovely little village not far from beautiful mountains and the sea for the summer. By winter they would know what the future of their relationship would be.

They are both very happy right now and looking forward to meeting each other in person with joyful anticipation. knowing that they are doing the right thing and everything will be just fine.

The faerie tale ending to this story is that they will both be living in Italy for the summer. You can't get anymore magical than that!!

The morale of the story is that you don't have to be a princess to be in a faerie tale relationship. You just have to be open to all the opportunities that come along........ and believe! Relaionships aren't easy, but all things are possible in a faerie tale.

Why Faerie Tales ?

2011-04-18T12:29:00.000-05:00

Greetings! I posted this over a year ago when I first started my blog. As I am encountering new people all the time, I thought it a good idea to re-post it periodically so new folks wouldn't have to scroll through all the achives. I will also be re-posting the audio of my faerie tale as well for exactly the same reason ! Thanks for visiting everyone!

Choosing to see your world as a faerie tale allows you to use metaphors to visualize who you are now, in the present moment or who you were at a certain point in time.

Thus in the oral tradition of storytelling, faerie tales were a way of describing a person or situation that enhanced the qualities that they wished to impart to the listener .Heroes and heroines were strong and beautiful and had magic powers to achieve their goals and dreams.

They were meant to inspire the listeners to see the qualities of the hero or heroine in themselves . How they reacted to villans, evil forces and other situations in their adventures were also meant to inspire .

The more creative the storyteller in their metaphors, the more they open the listener to get in touch with their inner self, or soul. Thus, anything is possible in a faerie tale! There are are no limits to our imagination .The possibilities are endless in our ability to discover who we are and how to address the challenges we encounter everyday.

Faerie tales are fun, scary, beautiful and ugly. All barriers of time and place are removed and anything you can imagine is possible. So if you believe in yourself and your faerie tale, dreams really do come true.

Jimeney Cricket sang it in When You Wish Upon a Star as did Dorothy in Somewhere Over the Rainbow !!

Our intuition gives us a way to see and determine what to do. It is often described as a special power in a faerie tale and yet we all have it!! Learning to trust that power is also described in many tales including Star Wars!! Use the force Luke, trust the force, there is a disturbance in the force!!

We all possess the ability to be creative. Using faerie tales to tell your story or describe yourself gives you permission to run wild with it.

Carl Jung wrote about faerie tales in his works on analysis and psychotherapy.

Ted Andrews has a wonderful book titled, The Enchantment of the Faerie Realm.

In his first chapter he refers to myths, legends and faerie tales as "allegories that reflect greater truths and awareness". "By aligning ourselves with poignant myths and mysteries our psyche opens. We chase away our boogeymen and we are able to see better in the dark."

So to all those who have told me that faerie tales aren't real and asked how writing a faeire tale is going to help them...........climb aboard ,enjoy the ride......... be inspired.

Spring has Sprung!

2011-04-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone!
The smell of spring is everywhere here. It's as though new magic is waiting behind every new bulb emerging from the brown and beige hiding places they have been all winter.

I heard from a friend, colleague and follower of my blog who lives in Canada. He said of spring emerging ," It's like waiting for a rock star to appear!" He also suggested a new spring ritual for everyone emerging from our down cocoons. " I think that a ritual of shedding and great burning of the fleece and then paint each other green!" I love when we see our world as a magical place where new ways emerge to celebrate and express the season.
Imagine going around all day where everyone you met was painted green! Literally!

If anyone else would like to express their magical imaginings about celebrating spring, feel free to comment and share them.

Till soon my dears! Enjoy the beauty of spring emerging.

Firenze

Welcome to newcomers!

2011-03-07T02:44:00.000-06:00

This past weekend A New Leaf participated in an event with a new concept. It was called, Envision. Women in Art, Design and Wellness. For those of you who were there, thanks for coming and thanks for visiting my blog/website.

The concept of this event was to expose people to the creativity and resourcefulness of women in our Chicagoland community. Proceeds from the first evening of the show went to the Dare to Dream Foundation. A program to inspire young Latina girls to stay in school.

Precisely what this blog is all about. All things are possible in faerie tales, so A New Leaf went to tell stories and inspire all who came into our booth,a healing garden venue. We had several holistic practioners who came to talk to everyone who went by, about the alternative modalities available to nourish your body, mind and spirit. Complete with faere tales.

It was a positive experience for everyone despite the typical Chicago weather. The venue was a beautifully restored mansion in Elmhurst, Illinois, with a staircase worthy of a princess or Scarlet O'Hara to descend in their beautiful ball gowns.

If you are here and are curious about how storytelling and faerie tales work to heal your body ,mind and spirit, please peruse the archives this blogs from the beginning. There are many stories and comments that will delight and inspire you, including an audio recording of my faerie tale, The Gift of Time.
Looking forward to comments and newcomers as they follow along. There will be a whole new series of classes in the spring to Turn Over a New Leaf and to Tell Your Story as a Faerie Tale. Individual and group coaching is still available in person or via phone or Skype and a few new surprises. Call or write to the email listed under Firenze and you can receive a schedule.
In the meantime, spring is just around the corner and there are many wonderful stories waiting to appear with the birds, bunnies and flowers of the season. Be inspired and follow along. So grateful you're here.
FIrenze

What your story can do

2011-02-04T11:53:00.000-06:00

There are times when we become skeptical about our lives and find it difficult to believe that all things are possible. It appears that the Wicked Witch is poisoning all the apples, Darth Vader is bringing everyone over to the dark side of the Force and Harry Potter's wand has been stolen by the Dark Lord.
It is at times like these we must go deep within ourselves and search for what is really going on.
We know that a story always has a lesson to be taught. What has changed our perception to see things this way? What task do we have to perform? What treasure are we searching for? Is there something that has been stolen that we must find? Is there a hidden path that we have walked by and not recognized?
Probably one of these is where our story begins.
Have you ever thought about writing a story of what is going on in your life? Unleash your creativity! Sit quietly in a comfortable place and let the story unfold. Creativity is the doorway to the soul. To your inner self. Prepare to be amazed at what shows up.
Leave logic and worries at the back door, relax and have fun. You may find that all things really are possible. The Wicked Witch will be foiled because you found the spell to block the effect of poison. Those going to the dark side of the Force wake up and turn against Darth Vader. Harry Potter is able to find his wand hidden in a place that only great wizards know about.
SO....when all things appear bleak and hopeless, sit down and write a story. Your creative self will take over and show you the way.It will be far better than anything you would have thought possible!!!

Happy 2011

2011-01-25T10:57:00.003-06:00

Greetings dear travelers!
Quite a bit of time has passed since my last posting, but in Faerie time is an illusion that only we can create.
The faeries have their own blog now,"Faerie Wisdom with Your Morning Coffee" where I read the Heart of the Faerie Oracle cards. Each day a different faerie appears to share their wisdom and occasionally bring us a gift. Stop by some time or check in on us on face book where I post the faerie daily ,as well.
There are many stories to be told since my last posting so I won't waste any more time. We'll get right to it!
The first story is about trusting your own abilities and intuition. In transformational coaching we guide our clients to find the inner wisdom that is inside each one of us. It is our essence and lives inside our bodies. Our bodies are continuously giving us messages, as does everything around us in nature. We often are seeking solutions and advice from others outside of us, when in fact we have the answers and solutions right inside of us. All we have to do is learn to listen.
This story is called, "The Trust Life Vest". Are you comfortable and relaxed? Here we go!

THE TRUST LIFE VEST
Copyright, Marianne F. Miragia, 2009

Just when Firenze thought it was safe to go back in the water a large unexpected wave appeared and knocked her down. Where is my lifejacket? Where did I leave it? Oh, there it is, hanging against the fence. She put it on and stepped back into the water. The water was very calm now. Slowly she leaned back, put her feet up and started to float on top of the waves, Ahh…see? This is nice. What was she worried about?
There on the horizon Firenze could see others floating along. She wanted to join them but it was nice, peaceful and quiet here by herself. After floating along by herself for a while, a young tea merchant came floating by .She invited Firenze to hook on to her life jacket and swim out to the others together. “It will be easier for both of us to get there, she said. Firenze hesitated for a moment, but the offer seemed very inviting and the young merchant appeared kind and pleasant. So Firenze latched on to her life jacket
. As they floated along together Firenze was enjoying the ride and the view but she noticed that the tea merchant kept wanting to go faster and faster and did not appear to be enjoying the ride OR the view. A short time later the tea merchant politely suggested that they might enjoy riding separately afterall and unhooked their life jackets.
Too bad. thought Firenze, it might have been easier but definitely not as pleasant . She continued to hold on to her life jacket and float on.
Eventually a longhaired musician came floating along. What a lovely life jacket you have, she said. Why don’t you join me to meet the others? Surely they will admire your life jacket as much as I do. It will be fun”. That does sound like fun, thought Firenze, so she hooked on to the musician’s life jacket.
As they began to float further out toward the horizon Firenze begin to feel as though she was in a fog with the musician who continued to admire her vest.” It is The vest “, the musician keep repeating.,” if you remain along with me, others will want one just like it. You will be very popular.” Firenze still felt uncomfortable on this ride. I know I can enjoy this ride with a lot less discomfort even if it does take a little longer. Being popular with others would be nice but the musician just makes me feel uncomfortable. She said to herself. Graciously, she thanked the musician and moved a short distance away.

Floating along peacefully by herself once again, a dragon suddenly appeared flying overhead. Before she could blink her eyes the dragon swooped down, pulled her life jacket off and threw it back to shore. Riding, on top of the dragon and cackling loudly, was her nemesis, Fiona. They circled overhead and then flew off toward the horizon leaving Firenze to tread water.
In their wake Firenze spotted an inner tube floating by and grabbed on to it. She began to paddle her way back to shore. The inner tube was awkward but adequate enough to keep her afloat. Gradually Firenze began to realize that she could swim a lot easier without it. Slow and steady, she let go and began to swim back to shore.
As she walked out of the water she spotted her life jacket near the fence torn to shreds on the sand. Standing next to it was her friend The Lion, grinning with his shiny white teeth. “Looking for this? “he asked. Firenze stared at him and said, What have you done to my life jacket, Lion? I needed that life jacket!” .He bent down and gently picked up a piece of the jacket with his paw. “ Are you sure that you really needed this life jacket?” Firenze was startled. He was right. She had let go of the inner tube and swam on her own back to shore. Her face softened and she smiled knowingly at him. The Lion grinned back with his sparkling white teeth and looking at her with his gentle blue eyes, he said, “Are you ready to go back into the water? “ Yes. I’m ready.” Firenze replied. “ Are you coming along? “I wouldn’t miss it! “he said. “Too much fun!” They walked together back toward the waves. Firenze glanced up and noticed Fiona flying around on top of the dragon in the distance. She stepped into the water. She laid back, put her feet up and began to float on the waves once again. There to her left was the Lion, grinning as he floated along near by. She began to feel very confident and happy. She didn’t have to hook on to anyone else’s jacket or even ride out to the others on the horizon. She was strong enough to float on the waves alone. She was on her own ride on the water. She knew it was going to be a lovely and adventurous ride. A very adventurous ride, indeed!!

Once Upon a TIme

2009-10-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

Greetings fellow travelers!

Welcome to my blog!

The story that has lead to this blog began with a journey started in 2007 in Chicago, Il. It has been an incredible journey that has taken me from Chicago to New York City, then to Honolulu, Hawaii. Monthly commutes back and forth between Honolulu and New York City for eight months with stop overs in Chicago,then back to Chicago, a short stay in western Pennsylvania and finally back to Chicago.( Are you exhausted?)

This journey just got more amazing as it went along and everyone I knew and met told me to write a story about it. Not being a writer or journalist of any kind, I resisted this idea for about eight months until it was time for me to graduate from the training program I was attending in New York City to become a professional coach for transformation.

We were charged with presenting something at graduation that reflected our own personal transformation as a result of taking the course. It could be anything. Poetry, singing, dancing, art work, whatever we wished to express. we each would have four minutes.

The pressure of this type of assignment would normally have shut me down, but it was a creative challenge so I was excited by it. So excited, that I was completely blocked!!

I arrived in Montclair, New Jersey where I was staying at my cousin's home the weekend of my graduation, with absolutely no idea about what I would do. I had made a list of all the events that I had experienced, but had no clue about how to weave them together or even how to describe how I had transformed. All I had were images, metaphors we had done in class.

Exhausted and jet-lagged, I went to bed hoping that I would be inspired in the next 24 hours.

That night I woke up out of a deep sleep and bolted upright in bed. It was approximately 3am.

I said out loud, " A faerie tale! I'll write a faerie tale!"

I turned on the light, fumbled around and found my notebook and pencil. The words started to fly out of my head. I could barely keep up with my thoughts as my pencil went flying across the page. Images and dialogue were coming out of nowhere. By 4 am I was done. It was incredible. My writing was scribbled all over the pages in the notebook. What had happened?

I was exhausted, said out loud, "I'll make sense out of it in the morning". Turned out the light and went back to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning there was my notebook on the floor next to the bed. Well, I guess I didn't dream it. After a strong cup of coffee, I read what I had written in my notebook.

It was called, A Gift of Time, A Faerie Tale. Had I really written this? It had a tiny spirit, a pixie, faeries, a talking octopus and a pirate! It was a faerie tale alright. The ending was a surprise. The main character had transformed many times until she became a small woman who read stories about how to find your power with the gift of time.

I read the story to my fellow graduates the next day, complete with voices of the characters.

I went over my four minutes, but my instructors didn't flinch. Everyone was enchanted. Including me.

Since then each time I have read it out loud or to myself, I discover more about myself and the wisdom in the story. I have since copyrighted it and made it a niche for my coaching. Creating a metaphor for yourself , the characters and venue in your story, allows you to see yourself from a different point of view. You realize that anything is possible!

Grateful to have you join me as we begin another adventure, blogging with Firenze. We will share our creativity in our stories , characters, insights and ideas as we see our world as a faerie tale.

Firenze