The first notable characteristic of a fairy tale is that it always has a happy ending. No matter the travails the hero must endure, eventually he becomes the wise King who rules a peaceful kingdom. This of course is the child who must endure the difficulties of growing and learning in order to come to terms with the dilemmas of his inner life.
Another quality of fairy tales is that when the heroine leaves home to gain wisdom from being out in the world, the landscape traveled is always the one of fantasy, and not the world of ordinary reality. The child benefits from struggle with monsters and evil ill-wishers in her imagination, without projecting her difficult feelings toward the adults who care for her in her regular life.
In the fairy tale, the wicked creatures and people that beset the hero do not have specific names, and usually neither does the boy or girl undertaking the adventure. If a character does have a name, these are very generic or descriptive to the culture telling the story: "Jack, Gretel, Goldilocks." This is so all children can identify with the heroine as she out-maneuvers or out-smarts what comes to keep her from success.
Lastly, a characteristic of all fairy tales is that the child hero will have help along the way. Talking horses and floating feathers that show the way will always appear. This is an important lesson for all of us. Even though fairy tales are not for adults--we also need to know that when we are beset by uncertainty and conflict, help will appear...like the cards and stories that speak of new perspectives and solutions when I consult the Journey Oracle.
