The Curse of Spinning
The defining trait of our “Sleeping Beauty” is that she must not touch a spindle (or flax, if you read the earlier versions), or else she will die.
The woman on the left is holding a distaff (hand held high) which collects the yarn she spins (which she is doing with her lower hand).
This is a strange “curse” to our modern ears, for we’ve lost the significance of spinning in our culture. Before the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, every stitch of cloth came into being through the work of women. They spun wool from a distaff onto a spindle, and then used the newborn yarn to weave every stitch of cloth needed within the household. For millennia, “spinning” was synonymous with “woman.” They were one and the same. If you were a woman, you were a spinner (fun fact, it’s where we get the word “spinster” from).
Even princesses were spinners and weavers. Certainly, a princess would have servants to create the more mundane fabrics needed in the household. However, her woven creations were extremely important. Cloaks, dresses, or tunics were given as gifts to other rulers or high ranking officials. Tapestries made by royal hands graced the walls of castles, palaces, and cathedrals. Royal-made robes bought peace, or caused slights to be forgotten.[1]
The conclusion: for thousands of years, every woman’s identity was quite literally wrapped up in textiles. Yes, our identity should be defined by God…but we all know that Sin makes us forget it.
Thus, the “curse” given at Sleeping Beauty’s birth is not randomly chosen. It is chosen purposefully and maliciously in order to deny our Sleeping Beloved her identity as a woman.
Sleeping Beauty in all of Us
But, beautifully and wonderfully, in every “Sleeping Beauty” story, the princess is dearly loved by her father. Her father goes to great lengths to protect his daughter from experiencing the pain of being denied her earthly identity. She is safe and secure in her identity as his beloved daughter.[2] Then one day, our Sleeping Beloved tries to define herself – by grasping the spindle. She decides to follow what the world tells her to be, rather than who her father says she is. The result: she nearly dies.
People and circumstances will attempt to define us. Just as the princess is safe and secure in her father’s love, so are we safe and secure in our Heavenly Father’s love. Like her, though, we doubt who our Father says we are, and we try and forge our own identity. Or, sometimes, our identity is stolen from us and we think He can’t possibly redeem it.
It is in this moment that we have a choice: to allow our circumstances to define us, or to look to Christ to overcome our circumstances with His Love. Because He can redeem your identity, and He will. You simply have to heed His call.
Our Sleeping Beloved chose to awaken when she heard love’s call. Will you?
Sources
[1] This portion is a brief summary of Elizabeth Wayland Barber’s Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years. Go buy it. It’s worth it.
[2] We assume the mother loves her too, but she is seldom mentioned and NEVER given a name (at least not in any of the versions we will cover). However, the father’s work on his daughter’s behalf is always highlighted.
