Sometimes Only Beauty Can Talk To Your Beast

Disney characters are not my usual choice of subject matter but I must admit that my mind has presently become enchanted by the story of ‘Beauty and the Beast‘.

A witch places a curse upon a handsome Prince turning him into a beast because of the horror of his character. An old man is held captive by the beast due to an accident and his daughter Belle goes on a rescue mission to get her father back but falls into a much bigger adventure; falling in love and releasing the Beast from his curse.

This tale has a happy ending but life does not always grant us such a wish. Although this story is make-believe, it also mirrors human reality.  We are allured into a display of unconditional love. The fierce awakened heart of Belle vs the dead heart of the Beast.

Belle’s beauty not only entices the natural eye but is also within. Beauty is defined in the dictionary as;

The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, colour, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).

It is a personality and character trait, not just an external mark. Belle’s internal beauty not only accepts but unrestrictedly loves. The bravery of her heart pours out love and life to the Beast who is cold and uninviting in nature.

What I love about both characters other than their vast differences is their need for each other. Life must meet with death.

Life can cause us to become like the Beast; ugly. Part of our nature, our character turns wild in order to cope with how we have handled life. We can become cold on the inside whilst operating as normal in society. Externally we have it all going on but internally we are or have died.

We can bring the term ‘living dead’ to life, physically alive but internally sleeping.  The Beast was as fine as can be. He operated in all his powers and duties as Prince but a part of him was quite dead on the inside.

The thought came to me recently that we all need beauty in our lives. Pure and true love brings forth a deeper beauty that outshines its external counterpart. The kind of love that melts hearts and is not destructive or lustful. Belle’s warm heart and loving nature freed an enslaved Prince from his cruel and selfish nature. We all need a nature in life that causes us to become better.

This can be seen in the relationship of Phoebe and Cole in the TV series Charmed. Cole is a half human/ half demon (Belthazor) sent to kill Phoebe and her sisters who are witches. Cole falls in love with Phoebe and it is this love that not only saves Phoebe and her sisters but also Cole. The beauty of love from Phoebe takes over and helps the beast inside Cole.

 

Again this happens  in the film Dracula: Untold. In order to protect his kingdom Prince Vlad becomes a monster (vampire). When the beast inside of him becomes stronger it is his wife who calms the beast through love by reminding him of who he really is.

These examples show beauty and love through the vessel of a woman but I want us to look beyond gender and see that the real beauty is expressed through their internal nature. This beauty within them and a ‘knowing’ of who they are paves way for unconditional love, continuous persistence and strength to accept those they love. Out of this strength a hope and grace is released which empowers them to walk alongside a beast nature until the original nature comes back.

Sometimes it is hard to talk to a beast but love can break through. On our good and bad days we can all become like the Hulk. Kind words, encouragement, wise counsel and advice; anything that awakens us inside is important. Not a quick fix pill but a character and nature that transforms us into who we really are.

The beast transformed back into the Prince but had changed his nature. Cole eventually lost Phoebe due to his dark side and lived in regret, never losing or forgetting his love for her. A battle caused Prince Vlad to lose his wife and he became a monster for eternity.

We always have a choice in the matter of who we become. We cannot control life circumstances or guarantee our endings but we can choose who we are. We must allow beauty to transform us when presented with it in its true form, accept true love. Finding this is a process but your journey with true beauty and love must begin.

 

 

I Think I Get The Wicked Witch

The Wicked Witch- Oz The Great & Powerful

I was at my sisters the other night and ‘Oz The Great & Powerful’ was on one of the movie channels. I have not watched this film previously in full, only spot checked it at work; so I had only very little idea of what to expect.

It was a good film to be honest but what I loved the most was how they depicted the wicked witch. The wizard came to town; the man that had been prophesied about (forseen/ spoken of) and believed in soo much that would end the wicked witches reign of terror. The film reveals the story of wicked witch falling in love with the wizard. I was shocked about this as I never knew there was this side of the story, I just thought the witch was just wicked. This really stood out for me and made me think about the witch in a different light and why she was the way she was.

The story goes on to unfold how the wicked witch thought he was hers; that she would be his Queen. She pretty much fell for him. However this was not the plan, mindset or heart of the wizard; she was not for him in that way. She goes to her sister heart-broken and wants to not feel the pain. Her sister, after manipulating the situation further then gives her an apple; to her surprise it turns her into the green monster that she is today.

The Agreement- The Wicked Witch

What I find most captivating is her transformation. Her ugliness came out because of what the wizard had done. For those who have watched the film, you could say that it was all in the witches head or that it was obvious he did not want her. That is true however when we look a little closer the wizard expressed these feelings of not wanting her in that way to his friends; not her. That is my point, that is the part of the story I would like to discuss.

I came across the above Bob Marley quote on someone’s Facebook page. This came back to mind after watching this film. It reminded me a lot of the wicked witch. In life we so often see the external manifestation of an internal wound. In this case the witch turned a green skin tone and became extremely nasty, more nasty than previously as all she had was a bad temper; this being the external manifestation but if we back-track a little we see why this happened. She had hopes, desires and dreams of becoming not only loved by the wizard but his Queen, this being unfulfilled and unmet led to her becoming heart-broken and making an agreement/ vow of never wanting to be heart-broken again or ever feel that pain; this being the internal factor. So there you see it, the external manifestation of an internal wound.

Heartbroken- The Wicked Witch

Lets face it most of us have been in this position in life at least once; heart-broken about something. Who ever really wants to feel that pain, sit with it, think about it? Who wants to ever express it? I know I don’t, do you? With this in mind I think we can take it a little easy on the wicked witch. I am not excusing her behaviour but I am seeing her wound. Choosing to never sit with or deal with her heartbrokenness did not help matters and caused the pain to take root and grow into bitterness. She chose to act out of her wound rather than act out of getting over it. I am just saying I can identify with why she is the way she is, not justify it.

I always get angry at the above Bob Marley quote and stories like the wicked witch. I hated the fact that a man would come into a woman’s life, open her up like a flower and then BAM, do something that then causes her to shrivel back up like an old prune. This is also the case for women doing it to men. I am UNIVERSALLY speaking; even in friendships; all forms of relationships, etc. However I guess I am still walking out my own healing and deliverance in this area. Getting better understandings by God alone about the power of forgiveness and love.

I always remember T.D. Jakes saying “hurt people always hurt people”. I have never forgotten this but hurt still hurts. Regardless of what people do we always have a choice; we deal with the pain or we become the pain like the wicked witch, letting it take root and turn us into something ugly which we are not. It is not easy to make the right obvious choice but as the Bible says in Deuteronomy 30:19 “his day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live,” (New International Version). The key words being from this verse being Now choose life.

Will you choose life?