Follow the White Rabbit, Alice’s Adventure as a Spiritual Journey

Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings!   Today’s post is going to be an analysis of how we can view Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as a spiritual journey.    The story of the young girl who followed the White Rabbit into Wonderland is one that has piqued the interest of generations of people.    It has long been a tale that I have adored, being my favorite of the great works of children’s literature.   I often think of great works of children’s literature as having a big three Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz, along with their subsequent sequels of course.    Out of those three Victorian and Edwardian stories of children entering enchanted lands, nothing else could top for me the tale of Alice, in her Wonderland adventures over the two books!

The story of Alice falling into Wonderland for the first time is precipitated by her seeing a White Rabbit who is able to speak and very flustered about being late.    Being very curious, Alice followed the White Rabbit into the rabbit hole which he had descended into.    She begins to fall and time and space seem to begin to lose all sense of meaning for her!    This sensation of falling down a rabbit hole is a familiar one to almost any spiritual seeker.    It is very natural to have one’s interest piqued by some small discovery, like Alice seeing the White Rabbit for the first time, and then feel the need to dig deeper and deeper so that you can gain deeper insights.    In fact, following threads of information in a nearly obsessive manner has come to be called “falling down a rabbit hole” a direct reference to Alice’s first step in her adventure!    

The sensation of going into the nearly unknown in order to gain deeper insights is something at the crux of spiritual work, and I find this especially true of Shadow Work!    While I definitely see Alice’s descent into the rabbit hole, and into Wonderland, as a spiritual journey, I think it is in particular a journey of Shadow Work.    She is literally descending into the depths of the Earth, where she finds herself in an unknown and very convoluted land.    As she traverses this land, she begins to learn their customs, meeting many strange and wonderful characters along the way.    She is confronting her own limitations and Shadow aspects along the way, from confronting the illogical way that the residents of Wonderland behave to challenging the status quo, this is the adventure of self-discovery and spiritual awakening!

The Cheshire Cat is a trickster figure that pushes Alice to realize her own ability, and in fact, leads her to discover some of her own self-worth.    The Mad Hatter shows Alice what a life obsessed with repetition looks like, the zany antics of doing nothing but having tea parties is unappealing to her, as she desires to know and do more than be boxed into a singular role.    Most spiritual seekers have the same desire to not be penned in, free to journey through many levels of development.    The Queen of Hearts shows Alice what a skewed sense of personal Sovereignty looks like.   It is a way for her to learn how not to manage a leadership position, and how not to conduct oneself as a functional adult woman.    Throughout this journey, Alice has learned that she has more logic than the residents of Wonderland, but also that logic is not the only important thing to have if one is to be a successful and fully rounded person.    In many ways, I view Alice’s first adventure to Wonderland as one of a true spiritual awakening that forever changed her.    This is why she got pulled back into Wonderland in Alice Through the Looking Glass, and why a part of her spirit is forever at one with that very Faery Realm of Wonderland!    

I hope you have enjoyed reading my analysis of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as a spiritual journey.    Do you agree with the idea that this great work of children’s literature can be interpreted as a spiritual journey?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Alice following the White Rabbit.   I found the image on https://www.pinterest.com/pin/from-first-edition-running-white-rabbit-alice-in-wonderland–664069907566238883/  

Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services!    I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon!  Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/

Further Reading

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll