Ready for a fairy-tale rewrite?
Your most enchanted life is a boundary, a breath, a sentence, a story, a spark away.
A reality exists where you…
✨ Spend your days prioritizing yourself. Maybe you even occasionally pop on that glass slipper and escape to the ball instead of burying yourself under chores, shoulds, and to-do lists.
✨ Refuse to live a life where you’re resigned to always feeling like a survivor….and instead realize you deserve to thrive. And then start doing exactly that.
✨ Know and believe that your peace is worth protecting which sometimes means healthy boundaries need to be put in place. Other people freely rampaging through your life in full beast-mode is a thing of the past.
✨ Feel happier every day as a result of honoring your voice and speaking your truth instead of biting your tongue in the name of not rocking the boat.
✨ Find the beautiful balance between resting and rising instead of retreating on autopilot.
If that sounds impossible,
we get it.
That’s not the fairy tale we’re taught.
Instead, we get, “Once upon a time, there was a girl who was cursed. A girl who was beautiful. A girl who was good.”
And, if the girls are good enough, if they suffer enough - sleep quietly long enough, smile enough, are patient enough - they win the grand prize! Which is, apparently, to be the object of a hero’s quest and to never go on a journey of their own.
But that’s only one way of telling the story.
We've talked to so many people who are so incredible, and so deserving of magic, but who simply don't see it in themselves or their world anymore.
We see you and we know this isn't the tale you want.
Luckily, there are as many tales and ways of telling them as there are stars in the sky.
And Enchant is your path to retelling and reshaping your story.
You Deserve An Enchanted Life.
Beauty. Magic. Confidence, kindness, and care. Ways to fight burnout and feel at home in your own skin.
You deserve to feel magnetic to yourself and those around you, to cackle with pure glee when you're making something that brings you joy, to attract the kind of love that supports you in all of your bizarre and wonderful glory, and to discover exactly how to make your inner child delighted with the grown up you've become.
And guess what? You’re already good enough for all of that. Already worthy. Already magic. If you don’t see it yet, Enchant will help you remember.
If you’ve been feeling burned out, emotionally exhausted, and like your spark has dimmed…
If you’re struggling to carve out time to tend to your own needs…
If you want to feel lit up, energized, and powerful, all by unlocking the power of fairy tales and folklore…
Enchant is for you.
Hi! We're Dr. Sara Cleto
and Dr. Brittany Warman
We used to think burnout was just part of being ambitious.
We loved folklore so much we got MAs and PhDs in it—and we don’t regret a second of that.
But we do regret the toll it took: the perfectionism, the people-pleasing, the chronic illness flare-ups, the endless to-do lists, the way our magic slowly dulled under pressure.
A professor once told us: “Never say no to anything. Volunteer for everything. Or you can't succeed.” We followed that advice—and nearly burned ourselves to the ground.
What brought us back to life wasn’t just therapy or sleep (though those definitely helped). It was remembering what had drawn us to fairy tales and folklore in the first place: the hope, the survival, the hidden truths, the possibility of transformation, and the power of sisterhood and community.
We stopped trying to muscle our way through exhaustion. (Spoiler: it didn’t work.)
We started using the stories we loved to re-enchant our own lives. And now?
Now we know it’s possible to do meaningful work, set real boundaries, and feel like yourself again.
That’s what Enchant is here to help you do.
Not just recover.
But sparkle like a very determined disco ball while you do it.
Enchant is our distillation of what we’ve spent the last 15 years learning. It’s the folklore we learned and taught in universities, and it’s the work we’ve done since then to make a stronger, more magical frame for us to hold it in.
Folklore is the artistic fabric of everyday life. Fairy tales are stories of magic that reflect cultural and personal dreams. They can be a powerful key to making everyday enchantment.
Enchant is our quest to show how they can wake you up and light you up. How folklore, fairy tales, and some science-based practices can make you feel equipped to handle burnout, grounded in yourself and part of a magical, possibility-filled world.
What Do You Get?
We have packed SO MUCH into this!!
- 5 On-Demand Core Lessons from us that you can watch any time you want, all themed around different fairy tales. Please note: these lectures are pre-recorded and will drop each week on Friday.
- 5 LIVE Discussion/Q&A Sessions on Zoom for support in real time! They will be recorded and take place on Tuesday nights at 7PM ET (9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14).
- An Enchant Workbook (PDF format) with key resources for each lesson.
- A beautiful Enchant Journal (PDF format) with prompts designed to get you noticing and creating magic in your life. (A print version can be purchased here.)
- Access to a private Discord channel for Enchant 2025 students.
- SIX bonus offerings from the incredible Terri Windling, Dr. Maria DeBlassie, Briana Saussy, Dr. Jeana Jorgensen, and Sara and Brittany (plus a few other extras, more info below!)
What We're Covering
(& How Your Favorite Fairy Tales Connect!)
Cinderella:
The Syndrome and Your Story
Do you remember the song the mice sing in the 1950 Cinderella film? It goes: “Cinderelly, Cinderelly/ Night and day, it's Cinderelly/ Make the fire, fix the breakfast/ Wash the dishes, do the mopping!” This week is basically about that. Using "Cinderella" as our touch point, we’re going to talk about endless business and feelings of inadequacy and where they come from so that you can start countering them. You’ll learn the systemic ways that burnout takes root so that you recognize it when it happens to you. And we’ll teach you how personal narrative can merge with the fairy tale to create the beginning of a path out of burnout and back into reenchantment.
Live Discussion/Q&A on September 16th at 7PM ET,
will be recorded!
Snow White:
Surviving and Thriving
Snow White often gets a bad rap as the most passive and helpless of fairy-tale princesses. But what if we flip the script and think about her as the ultimate survivor, in the face of an impossible situation? Through the lens of Snow White, we’ll learn exactly what burnout is and some very concrete steps for what to do about it. (Good news! Folklore has a lot of answers for this!) We’ll zero in on the folklore of ritual and show you how to develop practices that can help.
Live Discussion/Q&A on September 23rd at 7PM ET,
will be recorded!
Beauty and the Beast:
Boundaries and Tradition
Would you believe us if we told you that Beauty and the Beast is a fairy tale about boundaries? Failed boundaries, holding boundaries, and negotiating relationships? It really is. Using Beauty and the Beast to guide us, we’ll talk about what a boundary actually is (spoiler alert: this term is used incorrectly, even harmfully all the time!), how the weaponization of “therapy speak” can lead us astray, and how healthy boundaries can save your life. We’ll also talk about what tradition actually is (it’s more malleable than you might think!) and how bodylore and foodways can teach you to connect in ways that don’t impoverish you.
Live Discussion/Q&A on September 30th at 7PM ET,
will be recorded!
The Little Mermaid:
Finding Your Voice
The Little Mermaid tells us a lot about the consequences that happen when you give up your voice. This week, our mission is to help you find your voice. Sometimes, it’s so hard to even know what you really, really want or need, and it can be even harder to say it out loud. We’ll talk about why this is so common and ways to fix it through play, art, and authentic connection. We’ll also work on making space in your life for magic through implementing simple tools that free up your time.
Live Discussion/Q&A on October 7th at 7PM ET,
will be recorded!
Rapunzel:
Your Tower and Your World
The paradox of Rapunzel is that you both need a tower and to come out of it. You need a space of your own to thrive and recharge in and you need connection to the world around you. This week is about striking that balance. We’ll defend sleep to the death, explain how creating your own altar can completely change how you feel about your home, show you why you really need a room of your own (thanks, Virginia Woolf!), and plan ways you can bring enchantment to your community.
Live Discussion/Q&A on October 14th at 7PM ET,
will be recorded!
BONUS MATERIALS!?
Bonus #1:
"The Armless Maiden and Wild Sanctuary" with Terri Windling
In her talk, beloved writer, folklorist, scholar, artist, and editor Terri Windling explores the Armless Maiden fairy tale (aka "The Girl With No Hands") as a powerful story of surviving calamity, focusing on the role of "wild sanctuary" in processes of transformation, creativity, and healing.
Includes storytelling by Howard Gayton!
Special Note: We will also be hosting a LIVE Q&A session with Terri Windling on March 23rd, 2024 at 12PM ET!!
Terri Windling is a writer, editor, artist, and folklorist specializing in fantasy literature and mythic arts. She has published over forty books, receiving both the World Fantasy and Solstice Awards for Life Achievement, plus nine other World Fantasy Awards and the Mythopoeic Award. She has edited fantasy fiction since the 1980s; and published numerous anthologies of magical stories, including sixteen volumes in The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror series and six volumes in the Snow White, Blood Red series of adult fairy tales (co-edited with Ellen Datlow). She also writes fiction for adults and children, nonfiction on folklore and fairy tales, and a long-running blog: Myth & Moor. A former New Yorker, Terri now now lives with her British husband, Howard Gayton, in a small Dartmoor village full of artists.
Howard Gayton is a theatre director, performer, teacher and scholar specializing in Commedia dell'Arte, puppetry, foolery, folk pageantry, and .storytelling. His work is inspired by all manner of mythic tricksters, zanni figures, fools, jesters and sacred clowns, as well as by the use of masks in drama, myth, magic, and sacred rituals the world over.
Bonus #2:
"Conversing with the Tarot to Conjure Main Character Magic" with Dr. Maria DeBlassie
This special Enchant tarot series with incredible scholar, writer, and bruja Dr. Maria DeBlassie is designed to help those suffering from burnout and stress to recapture their main character energy by consulting the deck. The cards are the embodiment of story magic and, by conversing with them—exploring the stories and iconography that overlap with folklore—we can learn how to reclaim our own story and find enchantment—and empowerment—in our daily lives.
Dr. Maria DeBlassie is a native New Mexican mestiza and award-winning writer and educator living in the Land of Enchantment. She writes and teaches about spooky stuff, romance, and all things witchy. She is forever looking for magic in her life and somehow always finding more than she thought was there. Find out more about Maria and conjuring everyday magic at mariadeblassie.com.
Bonus #3:
"Mommy Magic" with Briana Saussy
Renowned teacher, best-selling author, and Sacred Artist Briana Saussy is giving everyone in Enchant special access to her "Mommy Magic" video program and workbook! If you're a biological mom, a foster mom, a dad who also moms, a chosen mom, or if you identify with the role of mom or mother and you have children in your life that would benefit from magical support, then this workshop is for YOU! It's a great introduction to Bri's story-based Sacred Arts practice and will cover everything from banishing bad dreams to maintaining love, respect, and peace in the home. You can read more about the program here - https://brianasaussy.com/mommy-magic/
Briana Saussy is an author, storyteller, teacher, spiritual counselor, and leader for a growing community of soulful seekers. She is well-grounded in the world’s great religious and intellectual traditions, as well as western psychological practices. Her work speaks to anyone who is looking for range and comprehensiveness of vision, which is required for a genuinely pragmatic approach to spirituality. In her teaching, Briana is noted for a practical, grounded, and supportive approach to the mystical and magical while also invoking the depth and range of story, myth, and folk traditions from around the world. You can read more at brianasaussy.com
Bonus #4:
"Dancing Through Fog" with Dr. Jeana Jorgensen
In addition to researching and publishing on a variety of folklore topics throughout her academic career, Dr. Jeana Jorgensen has been studying, teaching, and performing dance for over 25 years. With training in Middle Eastern dance, the flow arts, aerial dances, and butoh, she utilizes her dance background to have and share embodied experiences. In this workshop, we will cover some connections between folklore and dance, an introduction to embodied movement, and prompts to dance and move one’s bodies in mindful and artistic ways.
This workshop is accessible to all regardless of one’s dance background, experience moving, and so on.
Dr. Jeana Jorgensen uses her PhD in folklore to investigate the links between folklore, narrative, gender and sexuality, and other facets of history and identity. These topics form the basis of the college courses she teaches and the books she writes for the general public, as well as her academic research. When not glued to her laptop, she cooks, bakes, dances, and grapples with her floordrobe. You can learn more about her at jeanajorgensen.com.
Bonus #5:
"(Im)Practical Romanticism" with Sara and Brittany
In a special bonus lecture, Sara and Brittany explore the 18th/19th-century concept of Romanticism and how it fits into the idea of everyday magic.
We discuss the power of imagination and nature, the scholarly quest to re-enchant the world after the Enlightenment, and, of course, how folklore fits into it all.
(And yes, the Gothic - the shadowy side of Romanticism - will surely come up as well. It's US after all!)
Bonus #6:
COMING SOON...
Actual practical magic.
Plus EVEN MORE bonuses: a guide to making your morning routine feel more enchanting, a Romanticism checklist, and a list of Brittany's favorite meditations on the Insight Timer app!
FAQ
"Um, what exactly IS Carterhaugh?" - The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic is an award-winning online school dedicated to classes on fairy tales, folklore, and all things fantastic. We aim to use our knowledge and passion for these subjects to share their wonder, solidify their importance in society, and spread a bit of magic into the world. Want to know more? Check out our "About" page by clicking here!
"When will I hear from you/get access to the first lesson?" - You will hear from us each week on Friday, for 5 weeks, starting September 19th, 2025 (the first lesson will be available the moment you sign up!) You'll also get our live Q&A/discussion sessions for five Tuesdays (9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14) at 7PM ET - and yes, they will be recorded if you can't make them live!
"What if I can't come to the live discussion?" - You do NOT have to watch the videos on any specific date – they are yours to view whenever is best for you! The lecture recordings and the replays of each live Q&A/discussion session will remain up throughout the course, so you can catch up whenever you'd like!
Is this course only open to women? Nope! People of all genders are welcome at Carterhaugh and in this course!
When will I get the bonus materials? You will get access to Terri's lecture, Briana's workshop, Jeana's workshop, all the bonus PDFs, and Sara and Brittany's Romanticism lecture right when you sign up! Maria's weekly tarot card talks will drop each week with the rest of the lesson materials, and the new additional LIVE workshop with Sara and Brittany will take place on September 25th at 7PM ET!
“I’m just a folklore fan. I don’t want to ruin my enjoyment with a bunch of academic stuff.” - Believe us, we’re just as passionate about the beauty and wonder of fairy tales, and we know that part of that wonder lies in their mystery. We will never tell you what a tale “means." These tales are meant to be explored, meant to inspire personal meaning. We’ll give you folkloric history, and how the tales have been interpreted in the past, but we’ll never tell you what you “have to” believe about any folkloric story. We're here to make things richer and more expansive, not to shut you down.
“Guys, I love this, but money is SO tight right now….” - Our school is an investment, it’s true, but it’s one you DESERVE. You are worth spending time and money on. In a way, the investment is a promise to yourself that you’re actually going to follow through this time, put in the work, and show up for yourself. If you truly want to make your life more magical, if you want to wake up truly believing that your day can be extraordinary, that YOU are extraordinary, Enchant is everything we’ve spent years uncovering about how to do just that. Plus, we're offering three different payment plans (along with Affirm, AfterPay, and Klarna through Teachable) to help you find an option that works. We know our community and the magic we make together is worth it, and we would love for you to join us.
“How involved are you guys? Is this just a thing where I get access to a bunch of stuff and then good luck?” - NOPE! We are 100% involved in our courses from start to finish. We run the live Q&As every week to answer all your questions and support you in real time. If you can't make it to the Q&As, you can email us in advance, we can answer your question live, and then you can catch the recording when you have time!
“I don’t see how this is actually going to work.” - We have worked with hundreds of clients in this program who are proof that this program works... and we, too, are living proof that the techniques we outline, the science we employ, and the artistic implementation of folklore strategies, used in combination, makes getting up in the morning easier, allows you to out of the cycle of burnout, and, yes, actually makes your life feel more enchanted. Everything we’re teaching here are the things that were true game changers and lifelines for us (and for a lot of other people too!)
“I’m not sure I’m REALLY experiencing actually burnout...” - Burnout is a tricky thing to nail down, but if you’re feeling any of the symptoms we described, you are likely in a place where this program would offer you real support. You don’t have to be officially diagnosed with anything or even at your lowest point to sincerely reap the benefits of Enchant.
“I’m anxious about joining a class like this and talking about my stuff in front of other people.” - The Carterhaugh community is truly the most supportive, constructive, and loving community we’ve ever had the privilege to be a part of. We are frankly so grateful and honored to see the kind of magical people we have attracted. If there was ever a safe space to share your feelings, your issues, and your fears without judgement, it’s here. Take a look at our testimonials to see the proof - almost all of them mention how wonderful, and crucial, the community is.
“I feel too burnt out to even do something like this.” - If you’re in a place like this, then we really believe Enchant is exactly what you need. There are no deadlines, no grades, no rules. You can do the course as quickly or as slowly as you want to, you can participate as much or as little as you need to. Everything can be done in your way, on your own time. If you’re feeling too burnt out for something like this, please know that you deserve to take the chance that things could be different. We are not therapists, and this isn't a substitute for therapy, but we truly believe it can make a big difference.
“How is the pursuit of a more magical life even practical right now? Haven't you noticed the world is on fire!?” - The world being on fire is exactly why you NEED to pursue a more magical life right now. No one can help anyone, or make the world a better place, if they’re operating from a place of burnout and despair. Filling your own cup is absolutely crucial right now, and Enchant is a way to do that. You can only put out fires in the world if you put out the ones in yourself first. We know the oxygen mask metaphor is a little tired, but it’s true: you have to help yourself or you can’t help anyone else. Plus, as a bonus, making your own life feel more enchanted inspires those around you to do the same thing… and, little by little, that really does make the entire world a better place to be.
“How do folklorists know anything about burnout?” - More than you would think! Graduate school is a prime place to experience burnout, and we were no exceptions. Because we hated the way we were feeling, we turned to all kinds of science and therapy and research to figure out why… and we reconnected with why we were there in the first place: our love of fairy tales and other kinds of folklore. If that kind of thing lights you up as much as it lights us up, you can use it to get out of burnout and make your life more meaningful (and magical!) Again, no, we’re not therapists ourselves, but we are experts in story… and we figured out how to employ that expertise in a way that tackles burnout and reignites the passion and creativity we'd lost.
"What I find that this just isn't for me?" - We stand behind our courses 100%, so if you are unsatisfied for any reason, please contact us with your request and answers to the discussion questions for week one by September 17th at midnight ET for a full refund. Please understand that we cannot grant refund requests after this date.
As always, if you have additional questions at any time, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at [email protected]
Featured In:
All the above makes you go “YEAH. BRING IT ON.”
Folklore and fairy tales light you up
You want to learn how to use them to vanquish the forces of burnout
You’re looking specifically for a discussion of contemporary religious or spiritual practices
You don’t want to mix your academic studies or cultural criticism with a sense of humor
You’re expecting an instant, miraculous fix - we’re offering real, effective tools, not an instantaneous cure for existing in the 21st century
Okay, time for some real talk.
Our community - the students and friends and magic seekers that have found their way into our courses - have been the biggest surprise and the best part of Carterhaugh. It's not something we anticipated, but it's not an exaggeration to say that it's why we're still here, teaching courses online in a job that's better than anything we could have imagined. It's because of YOU.
If you want connection, if you want to hang out and learn in a low-key way with other wonderful people, this community is for you. If you love folklore, and you're looking for others who are enthusiastic, creative, imaginative, and kind, welcome home.
Carterhaugh grew from our love of fairy tales and our own friendship with each other. Carterhaugh is still here and thriving because of the what came after: our community.
Also?
We are feminists and disability scholars who support the LGBTQ+ community and believe that Black lives matter.
Period.
The gates of Carterhaugh are open...
If You've Read This Far...
If you've read this far, clearly something about our school resonates for you.
You can be the magical soul you want to be.
Art and stories can help you get there.
Invest in your magical life with us at Carterhaugh - you won't regret it.
