The news of the week is the official engagement of William and Kate. Outside Hollywood, there is little that captures the imagination and rouses the excitement of so many young (and not so young) girls. The promise of tiaras, bejewelled ballgowns and coachmen and butlers seems to play to a primal sense of hope similar to that which we feel when we hear about lottery winners: one day it could happen to us.
This hope persists, even when it is so obviously against the odds (i once heard that there is less chance of winning the lottery than putting one foot in a bath and being struck by lightning). Statistical probability and logical reasoning have nothing to do with it. Somewhere, somehow and sometime, it will be us.
Despite the absence of all rationality, we all believe there is a hidden princess (or prince) lying dormant within us, just waiting for the kiss of life from the most charming and eligible prince (or princess) of the realm.
This is the stuff of fairytales in all cultures in all ages (after they decided the concept of gods and goddesses seemed too farfetched, that is) because people down through the ages have cherished the same deep desires. Fairytales speak to our innate longing for power, prestige and superabundance.
And this is no coincidence. The princess/prince archetype in fact represents our true nature. The princess (or prince) in us represents, and reminds us of, our spiritual heritage, which has its origin and source in dominion, power, and inestimable worth.
The problem is not that we are not the princess or prince we all want to be, but in the face of what this logical and rational world tells us is truth we often become defeated by it and become unable to live up to our innate sense of ourselves.
Even when potential opportunities (which may come in the form of a job offer, a new relationship, or an inspired idea) present themselves we are often filled with so much fear - of loss and of the unknown - and self-doubt that we cannot break our old habits and routines and we remain blind to what these opportunities truly are: a chance to create the life we crave.
Most of the time we are so afraid or so faithless that we cannot recognize the potential or the true possibilities of these situations. So, unconsciously we can only submit to our dream when we are so in love, so emotionally overwhelmed and overcome by someone so seemingly wonderful and amazing that only then can we allow their presence in our lives to silence all our fears and overcome all our doubts and skepticism ( rather like we rely on alcohol to find the strength to say or do something we want but don’t have the courage whilst sober). We cling to the hope that in life, as in fairytales, love will save us from ourselves.
But no one needs saving. We have (potentially) everything the Universe has to offer if we could but see it. Spiritually and potentially we can access what every figure of royalty claims as her right and entitlement. We have it, but we don’t believe it.
We don’t believe it because it takes some effort on our part to manifest this spiritual fact into physical reality. This entails not only a complete overhaul of our belief system, but it requires us to become totally responsible for ourselves, our experience and our circumstances.
In so many ways it is easier just to keep dreaming of a situation where someone rides in on their steed and saves us. We want someone, or something, from ‘out there’ to intervene and whisk us away to the land of All Dreams Can Come True, rather than make it happen for ourselves.
If our welfare and life opportunity is up to someone else we don’t have to take responsibility for our own thoughts, words or actions. But if our thoughts, words and actions are not in accord with our princess/prince dream, then no matter who leans down from their white horse to sweep us off our feet, no matter how much wealth, status or recognition is fortuitously bestowed upon us, we will ultimately manifest all the fears and doubts we started with - and just become another disillusioned old rich guy/woman.
There is nothing else for it. In a slight distortion of Gandhi’s wisdom: have courage, have faith and be the princess or prince to wish to see.
