In the fairytale of Cinderella we see a parable of the unfolding soul. The characters in the story all play a part in the awakening of Cinderella’s soul and the development of her true beauty, which evolves as she struggles with the harsh realities of her life. The “evil” stepmother and stepsisters, the fairy godmother, the life of physical toil and dirtying by the cinders, and the prince, all play of part in her un-foldment as a soul.When one views this story as an enactment of the Law of Soul Choice—everything that happens to us we can view as a choice of the soul—one can then see that everyone plays a contributing, teaching role in the life of Cinderella, from the stepmother to the prince. They are all important and no one in reality is evil. Each of them is acting with the permission of Cinderella to help her awaken to her true calling to live as soul enlightened with Spirit.
When viewed in conjunction with the Law of One—we are all connected—it is easier to understand an ending where all of the characters in the story grow in some way and are not just cast-offs in the story or are vilified.
The stepmother acts as a powerful catalyst in the life of Cinderella. She plays out the traditional role of the wounded feminine. She is only interested in the external and is grabbing for power for her natural daughters. She views Cinderella as a threat to her own daughters' chances to improve themselves through marriage and so Cinderella is relegated to the role of a servant and waiting upon the needs of the household. She spends her time covered with the dirt of the entire family.
An interesting phenomenon takes place as Cinderella acts the part of servant. By becoming “the servant of all” she becomes enlightened. She garners the attention of higher powers, her fairy godmother, and the true meaning of her life starts to awaken within her. This is similar to Hegel’s Master-slave dialectic in which a person grows to a state of understanding and power through the role of servant. True power lies not in “lording it over others” but in the service of others. This also reflects the teachings of Jesus.
The prince and the ensuing marriage in the story can be viewed not necessarily as a literal happening but as a balancing of the masculine and feminine within Cinderella. She becomes complete as she sees herself not just as an object, but also as a soul complete with the polar balance of the solar, masculine ability to act in the world, and also as the receptive, feminine aspect with the ability to nurture and incubate.
From a spiritual perspective, she awakens to the Divine Feminine, Sophia of reflecting light and the Divine Masculine, Logos, of the power of the Word/Christ Within. This is the ultimate marriage of the soul—an awakening and linking of the Divine masculine and feminine Spirit of God with our own soul.
The fairytale is rich with other metaphors as well. One could explore them for quite some time and come up with comparisons to our soul development. The glass slipper, pumpkin, mice, ball, and midnight all have valuable symbolism and can teach us about the importance of understanding the meaning in the everyday events of our lives. We each one of us live in a personal mythology of our own making. What are lives look like are a reflection of our personal choices and beliefs.
If you don’t like the direction your story is going, consider writing a new one. Do you wonder what the “evil” stepmother is doing in your life? Try learning the wisdom of what she is trying to teach you and you will move on with your life. Are you looking for Prince Charming and waiting to be swept off your feet? Try focusing on the lessons of your own soul growth and see what amazing things unfold in your life. Looking for someone else to complete you will only delay what you are ultimately searching for.
On the spiritual path, it is when we invite the Christ power to live within us that we find the bliss of that marriage that we so often crave. It is when the Beloved lives within our hearts that we live “happily ever after.”
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