The Evil Queen in front of the Mirror
Mirror in a 1916 illustration
The Magic Mirror is a mystical object that is featured in the story of Snow White and used by the Evil Queen in order to find out who is the “fairest of them all”.
So why am I writing about this Magic Mirror in the context of Equine Facilitated Learning/Psychotherapy work?
This topic came up during a recent discussion at Athena Herd.
I read and hear so many people referring to a horse as a mirror. So are we saying that a horse is an object that we use to determine who is the “fairest of them all”? Or is there more to it?
So it would seem that some of the real life influences around Snow White have come from for example Maria Sophia Margaretha Catherina von und zu Erthal. Her step mother was domineering and greatly favored the children from her first marriage. The upper right corner of “The Talking Mirror” contains a clear reference to self-love. Is this what we mean by referring to a horse as a mirror?
Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Magic Mirror contained an imprisoned spirit. How does this fit into Equine Facilitated Learning/Psychotherapy work?
The Magic Mirror also appears in Snow White and the Huntsman. Moving to the prequel/sequel of The Huntsman: Winter’s War, the Magic Mirror is revealed to hold darker forms of magic. Freya learns the truth about her sister’s role in the death of her daughter. Ravenna, her sister, becomes the mirror spirit so bound to answer Freya’s questions truthfully prompting Freya to aid Eric in destroying the Mirror at the cost of her own life The final scene, however, shows a golden raven flying away, suggesting that a part of the mirror, thus Ravenna, may have survived.
So why do so many people refer to a horse as a mirror in Equine Facilitated Learning/Psychotherapy work?
Is a horse an object? Or is a horse more than that? A Magic Mirror maybe? A Magic Mirror that is not just about objectifying external beauty but really looking within us to bring out our potential ……. making us the “fairest of them all” or quite simply ……the best that we can be……