Author: Marko Pogačnik
Translated by Tadej Turnšek and Rahel Ries
IBSN: 978-1-912545-506
With this book, the author opens up a new dimension to the best-loved fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm – so familiar to us and yet so full of unfamiliar imagery and inexplicable plot twists. He reminds us that these are stories originally aimed at adults, and that they carry in their imagery a symbolic understanding and a worldview that can offer us a key to overcoming our otherwise insoluble challenges: thus through the Anthroposophical worldview, these fairy tales become the springboards to spiritual insight.
For centuries, these myth-like stories have been retold and spread across generations. When the people in the countryside had finished their work in the fields and in the kitchen, they came together and tried to fathom the secrets of life by sharing their experiences and immersing themselves in symbolic images. At a time when the rational view of life has almost completely suppressed the mysteries of existence between earth and heaven, perhaps this is the time for us to perceive the cosmic archetypes on which these tales rest.
“I so much enjoy the feeling of being accompanied by Marko’s words, like a good guide. He takes us into the story and then begins to point out this or that feature, unfolds the symbolism, and all kinds of possibilities and dimensions begin to open up. He unlocks the meanings of these enigmatic stories and creates passageways between the worlds. A visual artist as well as land artist and storyteller, Marko has illustrated the book with flowing line drawings that capture the moods and the movements of each individual story. He depicts the interweaving of the worlds, laced with harmony and a deep tenderness for all beings. An exciting, tender, and revelatory book.”
Morelle Smith, Hermes Risen
“Poganik mostly treats these stories as repositories of archetypal wisdom, layered with meanings that connect human consciousness to the natural and spiritual worlds. For readers interested in this kind of exploration, the book may prove fascinating. . .”
Rosalia Ignatova, Asymptote Journal
