Doll Making and Women’s Intuition
$85 includes materials & three 2 hour sessions. Contact Elicia for sliding scale rates & dates)
In this class we will:
r Explore the story of Vasilisa the Brave
r Make a hand-made felted doll
r Discuss tools for nurturing an ongoing relationship with
intuition
r Learn to use stories as vehicles for finding meaning
& exploring the psyche
The Story of Vasilisa:
The story of Vasilisa the Brave is thought to have originated in Northern Russia and Finland. It is a poignant tale of a young girl who is given a magical, handmade doll by her dying mother. The doll guides her on a journey to visit the witch, Baba Yaga, and while there, Vasilisa is challenged with difficult tasks which she must complete in order to obtain the light she needs to bring warmth and illumination to her home. The story serves as a map of the process of developing an intimate relationship with intuition.
The Class:
This class is for women seeking to establish a stronger connection with their deep feminine wisdom. The birthright of all women is their intuition and too often in today’s world women are either never given the opportunity to develop their capacity for this kind of knowing or are so caught up in their day to day lives that they lose touch with it. The class involves a basic introduction to analytical interpretation of stories, hearing the story of Vasilisa the Brave, learning to craft a doll which can serve as a physical manifestation of intuitive knowing, and exploring the meaning of Vasilisa’s initiation into feminine wisdom.
In this class we will work with the deeply rooted part of ourselves that is wise, magical and creative. This involves learning by utilizing your body, mind and spirit. Because this requires time for integration, the class is broken up into three, two hour sessions.
First Session:
. Welcoming ritual and introductions
. Instruction on making a hand-felted doll
. Introduction to basic story interpretation
. Break for snacks & discussion
. The Story of Vasilisa the Brave
Second Session:
. Discussion of participants’ reaction to the story of Vasilisa
. Work on dolls continues
. Guided exploration of story sequence & symbols
. Participants leave with supplies to continue work on dolls
Third Session:
. Guided discussion of story continues
. Participants finish their dolls
. Participants share their experiences of creating their dolls
& exploring their connection to intuition
. Closing ritual to honor the dolls and each woman’s wisdom
Bibliography:
Anderson, G. (2000). Fairytale in the Ancient World. Routledge: London.
Campbell, J. (1993). Myths to Live By. Penguin Group: Arkana.
Cooper, J. C. (1992). An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols. Thames and
Hudson: London.
Estes, C. P., PhD. (1995). Women Who Run With the Wolves. Ballantine Books: New York.
Jacoby, M., Kast, V., & Reidel, I. (1992). Witches, Ogres, And The Devil’s Daughter:
Encounters with Evil in Fairy Tales. Shambhala Publications, Inc.: U.S.A.
Jung, C. G. (1981). Man and His Symbols. Dell Publishing Co., Inc.: New York.
Leonard, L. S. (1994) Meeting the Madwoman: Empowering the Feminine Spirit. Bant-
am Books: New York.
Mayer, M. (1994). Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave. William Morrow and Company,
Inc.: New York.
Nelson, G. M. (1991). Here All Dwell Free: Stories to Heal the Wounded Feminine.
Ballantine Books: New York.
Perera, S. B. (1981). Descent to the Goddess: A Way of Initiation for Women. Inner
City Books: Toronto.
Von Franz, M. L. (1996). The Interpretation of Fairy Tales. Shambhala Publications,
Inc.: Boston.
