Video Session

Path of Needles, Path of Pins

Hello Wild Daughters, Wild Sisters, Wild Writers, Wild Wolves…

It was a gift to be with you today.

Thank you SO MUCH for your storying. Thank you for your voice. Thank you for your presence. The present of you. I am sending you this with love. A poem. The video. Deeper symbolism threads to explore. To fuel your own thread making, embroidering of meaning making of the story’s deeper essence. I loved what came through the sharing today. Especially seeing into the story through your eyes. Seeing the character outside of the story! And the unassuming cat inside the story who saw more than we saw. So fascinating. I know there is a treasure trove of writings that were rited through you. If you ever wish to share them with me, I’m so happy to see them.

Grandmother told me 

to use my own hands--

take needles and pins, 

rainbow-colored thread, 

and create a hand-spun life. 

Fold bread and place red wine 

into the wicker basket.

I leaned into the green, 

unsure if it was poison ivy 

or nettle, even though 

I knew both 

grew in those woods.

I’ve journeyed 

here before--

Everyone has advice, 

yet trust is not so simple: 

it grins with an open mouth, 

and swallows you whole. 

I use my own hands 

to claw myself out. 

–Elanur Williams

If you would like to access the video, writing prompts and deeper keys, as well as be able to join future story sessions, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. We have a sweet circle growing. We are growing a garden of wild stories. Wild words. Wild wisdoms. In gratitude! Inside the belly of the Wild Remembering. I think this substack is the meatiest I have sent. If you aren’t yet a paid subscriber, this is the substack to dive a layer deeper into. I’ve slept with Red for too many years. She has a lot to say. May you experience more deeply, the keys to its transformation.

Here’s a taste…
Step deeper into the heart of the story with me.
These are just a few places I’ve been exploring. You might do more free associations within the story, around different keys, themes you are curious about. Chew on them. Write them. Rite them. Ritual them. Embroider them. Stitch them a new song. Draw them, paint them. Needle them into your skin. Tattoo them on paper.

Associations to begin needling the story more.

Needles and Pins

• Little Red Riding Hood's Choice: In some versions of the Little Red Riding Hood story, the girl is given a choice between two paths on her way to visit her grandmother.

• Path of Needles:The path of needles can be seen as a path of toil and hardship, requiring effort and potentially even sacrifice.

• Path of Pins: The path of pins may represent a path of vanity or the pursuit of superficial gain, potentially leading to a quick and easy solution.

• Symbolism: The phrase is a metaphor for the choices we make in life, often between difficult but potentially rewarding paths and easier, but possibly less fulfilling paths

• Needles: Often associated with maturity and the responsibilities of womanhood, as sewing with needles was a skill taught to young girls transitioning into adulthood. Courtesans also put needles in their sleeves, to "announce their profession.

• Pins: Sometimes linked to adornment and the earlier stages of girlhood, as pins were used for decoration and less skilled tasks.
  

  How else do you see needles and pins? How do they speak through you?

Let’s dive deeper into the symbolism of the path. Needles and Pins. The darker elements. The Wolf. and more….