intuition

“Feed her when she hungers, give her water when she thirsts,” Vasilisa’s mother said of the little doll, her parting gift. “Keep her in your pocket always, and never tell a soul about her.” 

The Russian fairy tale goes that the young girl grieved the loss of her mother and went on to endure her second trial: a jealous stepmother and stepsisters. 

Soon it came time for Vasilisa to journey into the dark woods to find the wildest mother of all: old Baba Yaga herself. Her task was to ask for a light to rekindle the fire her wicked stepsisters had snuffed out. Her challenge was to do so without being eaten by Baba Yaga.

Vasilisa relied on the doll in her pocket to guide her. She felt frightened, for coming face to face with the wild feminine is terrifying, even for the most courageous among us. But Vasilisa listened to the doll and it told her what to do.

“Morning is wiser than evening,” said the doll each time Vasilisa became exhausted and fearful she could never accomplish the impossible tasks Baba Yaga bade her do in exchange for not becoming the wild woman’s next meal.

Each night Vasilisa trusted the doll. She slept, and when she woke the unachievable had been completed with help from creatures, birds, and mice. Soon, Baba Yaga sent her home with a light so powerful that her stepmother and stepsisters spontaneously combusted when they saw it. 

Vasilisa’s journey from subservience to strength is the story of every woman’s journey. Because she faced her fear with respect and listened to the doll (her intuition), Vasilisa was rewarded by the wild mother and went on to live a creative and fulfilling life.