Why do stories matter? Why have human beings always told stories - and what if the oldest stories still have something vital to teach us?
In this episode of The Sacred, Elizabeth Oldfield sits down with psychologist, mythologist and bestselling author Dr Sharon Blackie to explore why myths and fairy tales aren't just relics of the past, but tools for making sense of life today.
From a childhood marked by hardship to decades studying narrative psychology, Sharon shares how stories help us navigate change and uncertainty by showing us how people find courage, resilience and meaning in the face of life's hardest moments.
⚠️ Content note: This episode includes discussion of rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse. Listen with care.Together they explore:
- Why stories shape the way we understand ourselves
- What fairy tales can teach us about resilience and healing
- Why men need less heroic storylines
- The forgotten wisdom hidden in traditional myths
- Women's stories, identity and reclaiming lost voices
- Our relationship with nature and what ancient stories reveal about living well today.
Whether you love folklore or have never picked up a fairy tale since childhood, this conversation is ultimately about how to make sense of suffering, rediscover hope, or find meaning in uncertain times.
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Dr Sharon Blackie is an award-winning psychologist, mythologist and author of If Women Rose Rooted, Hagitude, Wise Women and The Enchanted Life. Her work explores mythology, psychology, ecology and the stories that shape who we become.
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Our guests and listeners to our podcast come from all kinds of perspectives and what draws us together is a desire to be self-aware about our own values and curious about other peoples. Comment your reflections below, we read them all👇
The Sacred is produced in partnership with Comment Magazine, and with support from The Jerusalem Trust and Open Society Foundations.
🎙️Listen to The Sacred: linktr.ee/sacredpodcast
📖 Follow Elizabeth Oldfield: www.elizabetholdfield.com/
💡Produced by Theos Think Tank in partnership with Comment Magazine
👉 See Dr Sharon Blackie's work: https://sharonblackie.net/
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Chapters:
0:00 — What is Sacred to you? Dr Sharon Blackie answers
2:30 — Finding the divine in everything
4:16 — Growing up with poverty, violence, and resilience
5:43 — The working-class values we’ve forgotten
6:13 — The formidable women who raised her
8:29 — Living with an alcoholic parent
9:50 — The fairy tale that changed her life
10:47 — Why every great story begins with catastrophe
12:03 — Grimm’s fairy tales vs Disney
13:02 — Why we need the original fairy tales
14:10 — Fairy tales were never just for children
15:06 — What fairy tales teach us about surviving hard times
16:14 — Leaving corporate life to find her real calling
17:39 — Learning to stop being afraid of life
20:47 — From neuroscience to narrative therapy
26:39 — When women were the wisdom keepers
28:28 — Christianity, myth, and the loss of women’s voices
31:29 — Rethinking masculinity and femininity
33:08 — Can we still talk about "women"?
38:14 — What fairy tales teach us about work and resilience
39:57 — Healing without getting stuck in your wounds
43:15 — Becoming whole through story
45:06 — Why good parents are missing from fairy tales
49:44 — Beyond the Hero’s Journey: a new way to live
COPYRIGHT: "Burn Out" - Victor Lundberg (Licensed by Epidemic) & "Beyond the Veil" (feat. Khamir Music) by Simon Wester (Licensed by Musicbed)
