Before I get into talking about this movie, “Brave“, let me preface this with I don’t watch animated movies.  For some reason, and this goes back to when I was little and these movies were aimed at me, animated movies would make me sad.  Maybe it was because I saw “Bambie” when I was probably too little to see it, I don’t know, but animated movies don’t set well with me.  It amazes some people when I tell them I’ve never seen “Finding Nemo” or “The Lion King“.  I haven’t seen “Wall-E” or “Up” either.

OK, to be fair I tried to watch “Wall-E” but when Eve came into the picture I lost it. Again, I don’t know why.  Be that as it may, I knew I had to see “Brave” and I’m so glad I did.  {Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a long movie review post but if you haven’t seen the movie there may be a few spoilers below.}  As you can see from this small section of my DVD collection I’m not exactly the Disney movie type…

 

 

I had no need to shed a tear with this movie, although there was a point where I got a little watery eyed, but I think it was a point that most people would have.  If you haven’t seen the movie the general plot of the movie goes like this: The movie is set in medieval Scotland and follows the king and queen of Clan DunBroch and their children, including a precocious teenager named Merida.  Merida grew up admiring her father and his skills as an archer and hunter, something she picks up at a very early age and become extremely skilled at by her teen years.  However, her days of riding off on her horse Angus and following the Will O’ Wisps through the woods are about to come to an end during the next Highland Games when the eldest sons of three other clans are planning to compete for her hand in marriage, despite the fact that Merida has no desire to get married.

[blockquote align=”left”]My whole life is planned out, until the day I become, well, my mother. She’s in charge of every single day of my life.[/blockquote]

In an effort to stop this madness Merida tries to buy a spell from a witch that she’s lead to by the Wisps but the spell doesn’t work out quite as she planned.  Merida wants to change her mother…change her mother…make her see things her way.  The spells works great but changes her mother in ways she didn’t expect.  She changes into a bear.  Things get complicated for Merida because her father has long been on the hunt for a bear that took his leg years ago.  Merida has to find a way to keep her father from seeing her mother as a bear while figuring out a riddle the witch gives her to break the spell within two sunrises.

All this because she wants to change her fate and not be forced into being a copy of her mother.

Here’s why I dig this movie so much…THIS is a princess that us free spirited Pagan girls can get behind!

This isn’t to say there haven’t been other {Disney especially} princess that could be inspiring to Pagan girls, but I feel like this one especially is.  Why Pagan girls?  Because there are a number of lessons that can be taken away for those who practice the magickal path, though I’ll grant you that many of them wont be understood by 6 year olds outright.

OK, so my “rah rah Pagan princess” thing might be a bit overstated, but the lessons in this movie for young girls seem to be far more progressive current than the classic Disney princess stories that all seem to be about snaring a prince.  in “Brave” all Merida wants to do is not snare a prince and be left to just be who she is until she’s ready to marry.

 

[fontpress type=”webfonts” name=”Happy Monkey” size=”16px” lh=”18px” color=”#009966″]Don’t at ALL be surprised if you see that I’ve dyed my hair red again soon.  I was just saying not too long ago that I wanted to do that anyway but now I’m dying to let my Aries fire out in honor of Merida’s fiery spirit  {I think she’s an Aries too.}[/fontpress]

[fontpress type=”webfonts” name=”Coming Soon” size=”16px” lh=”18px” color=”#E17100″]Be careful how you work your magickal requests. [/fontpress]

When Merida asks the witch for a spell to change her mother she doesn’t explain the situation or how it is that she wants her mother to change.  When you’re talking to someone else about working magick you always need to be clear, whether it’s because they’re going to do it for you or because they’re going to do it with you in a group circle.  You’re idea of change and their idea of change could easily be worlds apart.

 

[fontpress type=”webfonts” name=”Coming Soon” size=”16px” lh=”18px” color=”#E17100″]Being who you are doesn’t mean you have to cut ties with those not like you.[/fontpress]

This one I think is an important all around lesson, but one that Witches and Pagans sometimes have to be reminded of.  It’s a fact, we’re not like everyone else.  Sometimes we might have family that can’t accept that but that doesn’t always mean we have to completely cut ties with those people.  Sometimes the things that come down the road from cutting those ties can be far more damaging than we expect.  Finding ways to put differences aside when acceptance just isn’t possible is the best way to go.

 

[fontpress type=”webfonts” name=”Coming Soon” size=”16px” lh=”18px” color=”#E17100″]Shapeshifting…it can get tricky.[/fontpress]

Even when someone else turns you into a bear eventually you’ll fall into the patterns of the animal you have become.  Shapeshifting is one of my favorite shamanic practices but it’s also a tricky one when you’re not ready for it.  Just like Merida’s mother who thought she was still herself but just took the form of a bear, we forget that we’re connected to that powerful animal energy we have aligned with sometimes.  It’s easy to lose yourself in that power even if you don’t mean it and don’t know it’s happening.  {Yup, this was a stretch but it was something that came to me while watching.}

 

[fontpress type=”webfonts” name=”Coming Soon” size=”16px” lh=”18px” color=”#E17100″]You CAN change your fate! [/fontpress]

I hear so often from magickal people who are struggling with their lot in life, as they say.  They seem to feel helpless and unable to change the path they are one even though they are powerful, magickal, beautiful souls deep down inside!  You have to use your magick and use what you know in these moments more than any other!

Now, when it comes to fate and destiny I have odd ideas.  I don’t know that we’re destined to do something or fated to be something.  If we were, what would be the point of magick in the first place?  If we couldn’t change things because it was fate then magick doesn’t seem to make much sense.  So to me this is all about the fact that you can change whatever situation you are in.  As I always say, doing nothing is still doing something.
OK, so is she really Disney’s answer to the Pagan princess?  I think so…but that’s just my take.  I will just say that this was a fantastic movie that everyone can enjoy and take something away from.  The music is also fantastic!  And it’s quite funny and features two of my favorite actors doing voices, Kelly Macdonald and Billy Connolly.

So do me a favor.  If you have a little girl and you haven’t watched this with her yet, do it this week!  All I kept thinking while I watched this was “now I really wish I had a little girl because this is a princess story I’d be proud to show her!”