Snow Maiden - Guided Meditation

When I was a child,

My grandmother had a book of fairy tales.

My favourite story in that book was the story of the Snow Maiden,

The Russian Snekuroshka.

I found the story magical and heartbreaking,

And endlessly beautiful and fascinating.

In this session,

I'm going to tell you two stories.

The first one is the origin of Snekuroshka,

And the other one is about her guardian,

Dead Moroz,

Father Frost,

Whose old name was Moroshka.

They bring gifts for the children,

Sometimes the gifts are gifts,

And he was the pagan god of winter.

These two characters are part of Russian New Year celebration,

They even ride on a sleigh that is pulled by reindeers.

Snekuroshka is a beautiful young woman.

She has blonde hair,

Which is often on two braids,

Blue eyes and red cheeks.

She wears a crown made of silver and beads,

And her dresses are often white,

Blue and turquoise.

Dead Moroz is the Slavic version of Father Christmas.

He is the embodiment of winter.

He has long white beard and he wears deep blue coat,

Snowflakes embroidered on it,

And he has a staff that he can use to control the winds and snowfall.

Both of these characters are based on very old ancient nature spirits.

The story of the snow child can be found all over Europe,

And it is about 900 years old.

Find a nice place to sit or lay down on a couch or a yoga mat,

Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.

Imagine that you are in an old wooden house.

It is very cozy,

There are candles on the table,

A little dog is sleeping next to the fireplace and fire is crackling and everything is nice and cozy and inviting.

There is bread and juice and tea and coffee,

Apples,

Strawberries and jam on the table.

This house is lovely,

It looks like a gingerbread house and it is painted with green and red.

The chairs and table are decorated with flower ornaments.

In this house lives an old couple,

And they are happy to share the story of their daughter,

The snow girl.

Once upon a time there was an ordinary couple who had wished to have a child for years.

The man was a woodcutter,

He cut logs in the forest and took them to the town where he sold them to people.

One day his wife joined him in the woods.

Having a break between cutting logs,

They decided to build a snowman.

Having fun together building the snowman the couple got all kinds of ideas.

What if they would build a snow girl?

What would their dream daughter look like?

They gave her blue beads as eyes and added little blush to her cheeks.

If only she was real,

The woman sighed,

And her husband laid his hand on her shoulder.

People did not know that they were not alone.

Behind the snowy trees was a man watching them.

Not any man,

But the god of winter himself,

Moroshko.

He felt sorry for the couple and sent the bread of life to the little girl.

Old man and the woman could not believe their eyes.

In a magical mist,

The snow girl became a human girl.

She opened her blue eyes and said,

Father,

Mother,

It is me,

Your daughter.

Oh,

My darling,

Come home with us,

Said the woman,

For we have always wanted to have a child of our own.

As they went,

The pine trees waved goodbye,

Saying their farewell to Shnekuroshka.

With their rustling,

Wishing her safe journey.

The couple took the child to their home,

And there she lived with them.

She never quarreled,

And she worshipped her parents who loved her very much.

Shnekuroshka was not very talkative.

She talked with her parents,

But was rather shy with other children.

Behind her rosy cheeks,

She was a very pale girl,

But she had a beautiful smile that could light up a room and her eyes shone like stars when she was happy.

They lived many years together,

Until Shnekuroshka turned 16 years.

One day her mother looked at her and said,

My dear daughter,

Don't you get bored with us.

You should see some other people of your own age,

Make some friends,

Go out and meet people.

But mother,

I so like to be here at home,

Where I am needed,

Said the girl.

Mother sighed and said no more.

In her heart,

Shnekuroshka knew that she was not like the other girls of her age.

Carnival time was approaching.

The streets were alive with strollers and mummers,

Singing from early morning to the late night.

Shnekuroshka watched the merry folks through the glass of the frozen window panels.

Then she decided to take her mother's advice and meet people.

She was afraid,

But she was going to do it.

She put on her little cape and went to the street to join the merriment.

In the village lived a maiden called Kupava.

She was as beautiful as Shnekuroshka,

But her beauty was flirtatious and it was from this world.

She had raven black hair and skin like milk.

A rich merchant was riding through the town.

His name was Mitskir and he had his eyes on Kupava.

Mitskir enjoyed himself.

He threw nuts and spiced bread for all the young girls and he danced with Kupava till the morning.

The two became lovers and enjoyed their time in the carnival together.

Dressed up in silks and velvets,

Nobody could not leave without noticing her.

Serving sweets and wine to the youth,

Everyone knew her name.

The day Shnekuroshka entered the carnival,

She met Kupava who introduced her to her circle of friends.

A young boy particularly caught her attention.

His name was Lel.

He became fond of Shnekuroshka as well and the two became inseparable.

Whenever the young girls came out to stroll and sing,

Lel would run to Shnekuroshka's isba,

Tap on the window and say,

Shnekuroshka dearest,

Come out and join the dancing.

When she appeared,

He never left her side.

Mitskir came to the village when the girls were dancing on the street.

He saw Shnekuroshka dancing with her blonde golden curls and shiny blue eyes.

Kupava was no longer interesting to him.

He wanted Shnekuroshka for himself.

Kupava and Mitskir began to argue,

Which was soon followed by a public breakup and Mitskir stopped seeing her.

Kupava was angry and hurt.

She noticed that Mitskir had turned his attention to Shnekuroshka and often returned to the village and ran to the girls' isba.

The rumors flew in the town that Mitskir was planning to ask Shnekuroshka's hand in marriage.

When Kupava learned about this,

She ran to Shnekuroshka's cabin,

Shouted at her and insulted her and made such a scene that she was forced to leave.

I will go to the Tsar,

She cried.

I will not suffer this dishonor.

There is no law that allows a man to compromise a maiden,

Then throw her aside like a useless rag.

Shnekuroshka,

Unfamiliar with the concepts of jealousy,

Was confused by the girls' behavior.

The old woodcutters were filled with fear,

But the Tsar's word was law.

They helped Shnekuroshka to make ready and decided to accompany her to present her to the Tsar.

Tsar Perendei lived in a splendid palace with walls of massive oak and wrought iron doors.

A large stairway led to great halls where bukhara carpets covered the floors and guardsmen stood in scarlet kaftans with shining axes.

All the vast courtyard was filled with people.

Once inside the sumptuous palace,

The old couple and Shnekuroshka stood amazed.

Ceilings and arches were covered with paintings.

Precious plate was lined up on shelves.

Along the walls ran benches covered with carpets and brocades,

And on these benches were seated the boyars wearing tall hats of bier fur trimmed with gold.

At the far end of the hall Tsar Perendei himself sat erect on his gilded and sculpted throne.

Around him stood bodyguards in kaftans white as snow,

Holding silver axes.

Tsar Perendei's long white beard fell to his belt.

His fur hat was the tallest.

His kaftan of precious brocade was embroidered all over with jewels and with gold.

Shnekuroshka was frightened.

She did not dare to take a step nor to raise her eyes.

Tsar Perendei said to her,

Come here,

Young maiden,

Come closer,

Gentle Shnekuroshka.

Do not be afraid,

Answer my questions.

Did you commit the sin of separating two lovers after stealing the heart of Kupava's beloved?

Did you flirt with him and do you intend to marry him?

Make sure that you tell me the truth.

Shnekuroshka approached the tsar,

Curtsied low,

Knelt before him and spoke the truth that she was not at fault,

Neither in the body nor in soul,

That it was true that the merchant Mitskir had asked for her in marriage,

But that he did not please her and she had refused his hand.

Tsar Perendei took Shnekuroshka's hand to help her to rise,

Looked into her eyes and said,

I see in your eyes,

Lovely maiden,

That you speak the truth,

That you are nowhere at fault.

Go home now in peace and do not be upset.

When Kupava learned of the tsar's decision,

She went wild with grief.

She ripped her sarafan,

Tore her pearl necklace from her white neck,

Ran from her ispa and threw herself into the well.

From that day on,

Shnekuroshka grew sadder and sadder.

She no longer went out in the street stroll,

Not even when Lel begged her to come.

Depression had entered into her heart.

One day in February,

She was walking in the woods,

Gathering firewood when she saw a tall figure feeding the birds.

I have seen you before,

Girl said.

Man smiled at her.

I sure hope so,

You would remember me,

My child.

You lived with me in the northern wind.

We flew together over the woods and the mountain hills.

Father was the only thing the girl could say.

Why did you send me away?

I live where there is always snow and wilderness.

It is very lonely life.

I did not want that for you.

If I would be with you,

Father,

You would never be alone.

Moroshko looked at his daughter with beaming black eyes,

And then he disappeared leaving a trail of snowflakes behind him.

Slowly,

Spring had returned.

The glorious sun rose higher and higher.

The snow melted.

The tender grass sprouted.

The bushes turned green.

The birds sang and made their nest.

The more the sun shone,

The paler and sadder Shnekuroshka grew.

One beautiful spring morning,

Lel came to Shnekuroshka's little window and pleaded with her to come out with him.

Just for a moment.

For a long while,

Shnekuroshka refused to listen,

But finally her heart could no longer resist Lel's pleas.

And she went with her beloved to the edge of the village.

Lel,

Oh my Lel,

Play your flute for me alone.

She asked.

She stood before Lel,

Barely alive,

Her feet tingling,

Not a drop of blood in her pale face.

Lel took out his flute and began to play Shnekuroshka's favorite air.

She listened to the song and tears rolled down from her eyes.

Then her feet melted beneath her.

She fell into the dams of earth and suddenly vanished.

Lel saw nothing but a light mist rising from where she had fallen.

The vapor rose.

Rose and disappeared,

Slowly,

Into the blue sky.

And Lel felt that something cold touched his hand.

Perhaps it was Moroshko,

Who came back for his daughter.

The story seems quite sad,

But it shows the same narrative of two winter spirits.

Shnekuroshka was born from an union between the winter god and the spring goddess,

But they cannot live together,

Because they belong to two different seasons.

Shnekuroshka falls in love with a human boy,

But she is a nature spirit and he is mortal.

Something in the human world is too much for Shnekuroshka.

The enviness.

Malicent people she meets.

She rather joins her father into the land of winter.

What are the things about being human that we love and appreciate?

What are the things that we dislike and frustrate us?

Human life is fragile.

Despite of the hardships and her natural ways of being isolated,

Shnekuroshka was very much beloved.

She had parents who worshipped her,

And the shepherd boy Lel truly loved her and she loved him back.

But now,

Let's travel to meet Moroshko,

The heartlands of Russia.

To the land of magic.

The house of Moroshko is a large wooden manor in the middle of the woods,

Far away from human civilization.

All the animals know him,

And they are not afraid of him.

Foxes like to play in his doorsteps,

And the birds make nests to his chimneys.

Bears and deer are his friends.

Moroshko can control the temperatures.

He can make the river stop flowing and turn everything into ice.

Moroshko signals his presence with the abrupt sound of ice cracking or tree snapping from the weight of snow.

Whatever he touches with his staff instantly freezes.

Moroshko can raise temperature and cause snow to fall,

And create snowfalls.

Is Moroshko's heart cold as well?

Perhaps it is like the winter itself,

It seems harsh and cold,

But it is filled with laughter and beauty.

In another Russian fairy tale,

An evil stepmother sent her daughter into the woods to gather firewood,

In the hopes that Moroshko would freeze the girl.

But when the girl met Moroshko,

She was polite and kind to him.

Moroshko saved the girl's life and even gave her jewels.

Stepmother was outraged and sent her own mean daughter to meet Moroshko.

This girl was rude to the old man Frost,

And he froze her to death.

Respect is a common theme in Russian fairy tales.

Moroshko rewards the girl who is respectful towards him with valuable gifts.

The word that we connect to Sneguroshka is respect.

Respecting others is important,

But most important thing is self-respect.

The more time Sneguroshka spends on earth living with her early parents,

And becomes enamored with the mortal boy,

The more she learns about herself and her origins.

There is a clearing close to the wooden manor,

And in the middle of this clearing there is a huge bonfire.

Flames go high up into the skies,

And you can see golden sparkles all around it.

Moroshko raises his staff,

And the snow begins to fall gently from the skies.

Sneguroshka raises her hands towards the sky and begins to chant,

Vines,

Leaves,

Roots of darkness,

Growing,

Now you are uncurled.

And cover our eyes with the edge of winter sky,

Leaning over us with icy stars.

Vines,

Leaves,

Roots of darkness,

Growing,

Come with your seasons,

Your fullness,

Your end.

Slowly return and wake yourself.

From the meditation,

You can hug yourself,

Wrap yourself into a blanket,

Move your toes and your fingers.

Thank you for joining me and listening to this story.

Blessed be.