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Today’s Fairy Tales a Shadow of the Original Stories  

Fairy tales for children date only to Victorian times. The fantastical stories started out as entertainment for adults and had to be sanitized for a younger audience. The Victorian writers who used the stories made them simpler, gentler and more in line with current moral standards. They were not meant to be necessarily safe or to end in happily ever after.

The original stories involved true Evil, not a villain dressed in black. Heroines took responsibility for their own salvation instead of helplessly waiting for Prince Charming. The hero’s conflict was frequently with his or her own mother or father instead of an evil stepparent. Furthermore, the hero experienced transformation, for example, from youth to adult or from passive to active. These tales weren’t meant as escapist fiction, but a portrayal of all the different aspects of humanity.

The folk stories on which today’s fairy tales were based were the realm of women who passed on the stories to the next generation orally. Two of the first people to write these tales down were Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in Germany. They wanted to preserve the stories they had heard as children. They spent many years traveling through small villages and towns throughout the country collecting the stories from the local people.

In 1812, the brothers started publishing the stories, which were originally intended as a study of folklore. They found, however, that adults and children both enjoyed reading the stories in Germany, England and everywhere they were translated. Today these folk stories are known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Manage Your Luck With Feng Shui

On one very basic level, feng shui, a Chinese art dating back thousands of years, utilizes the placement of objects to maximize chi or energy. By creating balance and harmony, you attract positive energy.

The five elements of water, wood, fire, earth and metal and their relationship to one another provide the basis for feng shui. Furthermore, each area in your home corresponds with an area in your life such as health, wealth or relationships. In order for the space to be harmonious, objects from each element must complement one another and the section of the home.

To integrate feng shui into your own life, start by eliminating clutter. Clutter and dirt stagnate chi and prevent the flow of positive energy. Clear out all the draws, cupboards, etc., in your house. Get rid of anything you no longer want or need. Clean as you go.

Avoid sharp angles. Evaluate your furniture, pillars, even plants with sharp leaves. Each part of the house also has specific color. If the color is one you don’t like, just using a splash of it will work in feng shui.

Feng shui employs many different solutions to potential problems. Wind chimes, crystals and bells are often used to attract positive energy and dispel the negative. Mirrors multiple what they reflect, so be careful where you hang them.

Other feng shui tips include:

• Improve relationships by keeping everything in pairs.
• Make sure your feet will not face the door when you are in bed.
• Use regular shapes like squares instead of irregular shapes such as triangles.
• Open up small areas by painting them a light color and lighting them well. This will prevent stagnant chi.  

For more information, type feng shui into a search engine on the Internet or visit your local library or bookshop for books on the topic.