Happy New Year

This is the year to follow your heart.  If you have something you want to do...say write a book, it's time to do it.  Be brave and follow your heart.  I completely recommend the power of authenticity. Look around and find some small way to support your dream.  Maybe you will need a coach or a teacher. It's okay, hire someone to help you.  (Or trade).

I had a collage class in Studio 21 today.  As we made collage, we talked about how feelings of loss can make us sick.  And how creativity can set us free.  We talked about how we deserve love and inviting it in is important.  Receiving takes courage and it's an important trait.  Receiving will fix everything in our life.

What is your dream?  Are you putting something into action each day working toward your dream? It's easy, really.  Just make a list of what it will take to get to where you want to be.  If it's music...listening to the type your want to participate in.  If it's art...a routine of daily sketching. Anything we want will actualize if we focus on it.

      

Phone Call

Last night I was awakened at midnight by the ringing phone.  I was deeply asleep.  In my dream a man showed me a wall he wanted to open.  Then he said he wanted to hang a phone there...a big coin operated one.  Awake I answered.  No one there.  I did the call back to see the number and decided to call the next day.  I did call and a man answered.  I hung up.

I've thought about this dream today, wondering if I was getting a wake up call.  And what I was meant to wake up to.  There was the idea in the dream to open the room into the next one.  The phone may have rung before I woke from the dream, giving me the image of the phone.  Or the phone came in psychically as the caller dialed.  I may still call this person back and see why he called at midnight.

Anyway, I didn't get back to sleep until three.  Today I was very tired.  And I'm waiting for more information about my wake up call.

Dream image of a phone: Representing an idea without using words.  

Bathing Suits

Sometimes we only recall dream fragments.  Here's mine from last night: I was looking at the bathing suits at the back of the store.  Bright bikinis.  There was a dressing room next to the table of suits, so I could have tried one on.  I didn't.  I walked out of the store with the attendant calling after me, Didn't you want to try something on.

Not sure how to interpret this.  I did see two river otters down at Taylor Dock in Fairhaven the other day.  They sat on a rock in the sun, then dived into the water.  One came up with a flounder and  proceeded to eat it, crunching away on the rock.

I read that river otters are about the feminine.  They are sleek and agile in the water.  The take good care of their pups.  And they are playful.  I think these are good qualities to have.  Many places one needs a suit to swim...there are some places where you don't...the nude beach, local clothing optional hot springs, like Doe Bay on Orcas Island.  When do you go to the water?  Do you find it healing?  Is it in your dreams?

Thinking about a swim in Baker Lake

Kittens

Last night I dreamed there were kittens living in my couch.  I pulled out two from behind the cushion to show to someone.  They were tiny and black, very sweet  Then I realized there had been a gray one.  I looked for it and found it and also found another litter inside the couch that was older, maybe three months.  I didn't know what I was going to do with all the kittens.

My dream books says that cats are about soft femininity, but also they can be about deception.  I went to an art walk last night and loved many of the paintings I saw.  I am a prolific artist and wondered if there could be a significance to the symbol linking art and creating to cats.  I felt inspired when I returned home.  If this is the case, there are more kittens coming.  Maybe some hidden creations will surface.

The dream book also eludes to a changeable friend, as cats can turn on you.  My cat can be all lovey, then bite the heck out of me. I do have a changeable friend who accompanied me on the art tour last night.  I never really know what to expect of him...so this could be the meaning of this dream as well.

I like that about dreams.  Sometimes they are straight forward.  A Jungian therapist I once knew said dreams were either directly about life or they were symbolic.  I think most of mine are symbolic, but then there are all the dreams I can't remember.

What did you dream last night?  Do you keep a dream journal by your bed?  It helps, telling the subconscious that you are serious about learn and transforming through your dreams.

My Tuxedo cat, Sid

   

Elephant on the Porch

I saw the water rising outside my house.  A big wave was coming toward shore and uphill toward the house.  I went to the back bedroom and got in bed with my sister, hiding under the covers, afraid.  Then I was back at the windows and sliding door opening onto the porch.  The water was up against the glass.  I realized I'd left the dogs out.  I would have to wait for the tide to go out again.  The water receded...I let the dogs in.  The I saw the elephant on the porch.  Its immensity frightened me.  I was afraid it would break through the glass, come inside the house.  Instead it leap to the hillside and headed uphill

Interpretation:  I understand the elephants weren't killed in the tsunami because they instinctively headed uphill to safety before the wave hit.  It is my belief that our instincts are damaged...maybe not in every person, but many. This happens when we are raised and being told that we don't know what we do know.  That we aren't to react as we feel.  So here I am in my dream, realizing something about instincts.  Am I trusting my own?  Am I acting appropriately?  I think there are some areas in my life where I could take action based on my feelings.  This dream is guiding toward action based on instincts.

Photo by jimd2007 flikr

Bullfight

We're in Spain. There's a bullfight.
The boy sits at a table eating a sandwich.
I tell him to stay inside, but he says no. We're on a road walking
a dog. The dog gets away, runs ahead on the road and bites a man.
I ask him to show me where he's been bit. He's looks at me fiercely.
I walk away.

    

Baby Water

I'm standing on a platform overlooking the ocean. It is a porch, part of a structure, perhaps a home that rises high above the ocean. The air is fresh—everything exhilarating. I can see the foundation that keeps this home in place. It is sturdy. Bricks and cement, the base of the foundation far below in the water. And I am frightened here. The height is extreme, the ocean too vast. There are some other people with me. I can't really tell who they are. Then I notice the baby is gone. I look around and see that there is a cage swung out over the water and she is in it. I have a man take her out, get her away from the edge.

Interpretation: I'm in a large change in my life. From this dream, I'd say there's a sturdy foundation for me to move forward from, yet, I'm terrified. How to deal with this terror, I'm not sure. But rescuing myself and keeping myself feeling safe is probably the main thing that will help me feel calmer.

Peace

He’s Okay

I meet a man with blue eyes and dark hair whom I fell for. I wasn't sure at first and then he went away to sea, along with his brother. I saw the ship going out of the harbor. Then there was an explosion and we were racing around, listening to the radio, etc. to see if they'd been killed. I ran down the walk and a girl was coming up the walk, carrying an evergreen bouquet for me. I was scared to death then, I'd just fell for him and lost him. He was gone and my heart was broken. Then I saw his mother coming up the walk at the street below. She met me halfway up the hill. "I wanted you to know, he's okay." Oh God, what a relief.

Then I was there where they are docking and coming ashore. I see a group walking away from me and call out. I call out Bruce—my ex. And then I catch up and my blue-eyed lover isn't among them. So I return home, and he comes in. He is shaken, dirty. His mother is there. He kisses his cheek. Then he hugs me. He says he loves me and I'm hugging him, tears running down my cheeks. I have him and know I really do love him.

Winter

This is supposed to be a week of warm weather—upper 70s and perhaps reaching the 80s. That is warm for the PNW. Seasonal temperatures. But last night, after a shorts-and-sweater-day, the wind came up. I had my bedroom window open, because my condo gets so hot, and I kept waking. Finally, I woke enough to shut the window. My cat curled right next to my side all night; he never does that. I put on a sweater and went back to sleep.

So now I'm here with a hot cup of coffee, thinking about my life. I had to move out of my house when my husband quit speaking to me. That was two years ago. I decided today, that if I'd stayed in my house, I wouldn't have had such strong feelings of losing an entire life. Our belongings are part of what tells us we have history. We can look at things and say, I bought that back when gas was cheap. Or, like yesterday, I washed my down sleeping bag (could have used it last night) that I bought in 1970 after I got married for the first time. Jack and I bought all the latest and expensive hiking equipment. It was our plan to live off the land, to forage for berries and roots and to fish. We lost a lot of weight and ended up eating big meals on the weekends when we worked at the resort at Priest Lake. The survival manual I was reading at the time said a person would starve to death on just fish. One must eat fat. Well, we hardly even caught any fish. It was an exercise that had people talking—and laughing behind our backs. But we were into living off the land and were for years, growing our own food, raising chickens for eggs, goats for milk. I'd actually like to do that again. A little plot of land to keep me, would be lovely.

So I haven't been dreaming much lately. That's why I haven't been posting. I guess I could post anyway, things about the dream life. I've been writing down my dreams since the 70s. It was the thing to do for awhile. And interestingly enough, dreams make an impact on the waking life. Many things in the outer life can be changed through the dream. Take for instance, if you are pursued frequently in your dream, stop and turn around. The pursuit probably won't attack you, you can have a sword ready, but may be trying to get your attention. This can heal something in your life.

My dreams have been mumbly things lately. Almost like machines chinking away, cogs dropping from one slot to the next, clock ticking through it's seconds, on and on. If I wake in the night I try to catch a snippet, lately nothing comes to me. They say just the act of writing down a dream or setting an intention as one begins to fall asleep will help with dream recall. I just seem to have periods of time when I don't recall. I'll work harder on experimenting with this.

The electromagnetic lines that wrap the earth, called ley lines, are supposed to affect the sleep patterns too. If they cross where you sleep, you could get sick. Just move your bed--simple solution. A good diviner can help you find the lines. I'm a good diviner. Call me, okay?

The best way to improve dream recall is to keep a journal and affirm your dream life. Learn from it, read dream books, take the time to explore the subconscious.

Choppy Water

Four of us are walking on a dock. It is dusk. The couple walks behind a friend and I. The water is icy blue, the light growing dusky. It seems like it is cold, but I do not feel the cold. The dock narrows. We step closer, arm in arm, keeping to the middle. The water is close to the surface of the dock. We walk on. Soon we come to a place where the dock steps down, and a bit of water is on its' surface. We stumble. One of my feet goes in the water. I find it lucky that I have rubber boots on. Since I'm down, I decide to travel on my hands and knees. That way it won't be so like walking a tightrope. I scoot on. Then my friend and I are at the end of the dock, just sitting there—looking out at the waves. It is almost like we are riding in a boat. I feel the thrill of danger. Waves come at us—not too large, but large enough to rock the dock, but not swamp us. Then a huge machine, half boat, half street cleaner comes in, sees us, pulls back, barely avoiding crashing into the dock. We leave, frightened, but thrilled by being so close to the flow.

Interpretation: This is an interesting dream. I went on an overnight retreat with a friend. I'd say that a lot of the retreat was spent in newness. We were staying at a couples' house. Our plan was to write, but we were also to be spontaneous with hikes and meals and creating some jewelry. It was fun—and there was a degree of tension—sort of the excitement of something new kind of tension.

Beeping

It was the beep of the text message that woke me at 7 this morning. My friend was off on a sunny rafting trip. Seven isn't very early compared to what I was waking to for awhile. And now as I type this, it's the beeping of the garbage truck that comes early in the morning. And since it is a condo parking lot, he is backing so carefully and beeping all the way, and his breaks squeak. I should tell him to fix that. That's what I've done this life, tell people to do something about the things that annoy me. How about not being annoyed in the first place?

I've read that we can do work on ourselves through our dreams. When we go to bed at night, just relax and think about what we want to know and what we want to have fixed. There will be images that come that will answer our question or fix our problem. We should watch closely and act on what is presented. A woman who wrote a book on following the dream said, if the toilet is plugged, use the toilet plunger, if someone draws a sword on you, don't run, fight back. These things will fix personality foibles, strengthening the character.

For years I dreamed about dogs chasing me and biting my hands. I'd just barely get away from them, dive behind something or into a room, slamming the door in their snarling faces. Years and years of this nightmare and then finally the dogs were chained. I could observe them and not be as frightened. And then at last, a dog ran up to me and I could pet him. I'd also been bitten by dogs in the outer world. I was terrified of them. But through these series of dreams, I became unafraid. Now dogs run up to me and lie down at me feet, wiggling joyously.

I haven't remembered a dream in a few days. I'm not worried about this—they'll be back. And I'll share them with you when they come. Ciao!

Misty Road

"I Have A Dream..."
Originally uploaded by gatorgalpics

Dreams have this misty look to them and sometimes it is hard to reacall what the dream is about. When a dream is triggered by something someone says or by something you do, then it is a gift. The dream comes back to you. Lately I've been dreaming very sybolic dreams. I don't fear my dreams, I love them. And they teach me about my life--which is a good thing. Technorati Profile

Escargot

I'm on the telephone, ready to make a call when a women's voice comes on. She is talking to someone in the background, asking them if escargot causes stomach aches. She then speaks in the phone saying, hey, do you want to come out and have escargot, a few people are coming out, and then he answers. And I don't hear if he says yes or not, but I interject, saying I'm on the phone too. I had just picked it up to make a call and then there you both were. And I'd already been invited to come for escargot, and I don't like the idea of you two being there together. I'd like some respect. I'd like it if you could wait, we aren't even divorced yet. So there is this hemming and hahing over the wire. She isn't agreeing to what I'm saying. And then I'm cutting my hair. It is very long. And then he is there and I'm cutting his hair. I don't really want to cut his hair. So there is no conclusion about the party or anything else. The thing I can't understand is why his voice is so low. It bothers me, and finally I ask him, what happened to your voice? He says, it just dropped one day. I don't know why. We are at the door. He walks out.

 

Interpretation: This is an example of a dream directly relating to reality. My husband is seeing other people, so we are in the process of divorce. The part about the hair also is from a activity we would do: I would cut his hair and I cut my own. The interesting thing about hair is that it is a symbol of power. In this dream the power I have is not true power. I can cut his hair and mess it up and I can tell her not to come to the party. Neither of these things changes our life together. We are finished. I'm not sure the dream points this out. But when I woke I realized I was doing the same old thing again, wishing he was with me instead of going away.

Twilight Zone

I've left some things out in the hall of my new apartment building. I went into the hall and found my cloths strewn up and down the hall. I'm in a car with friends and again my stuff is strewn all over the car. I'm eating with a friend I've run into and as we leave, I walk under arms and through a tangle of people, pushing my way through. I disgusted by myself.

I'm at the concert without my dinner partner. I've forgotten my tickets. I search through my purse, which is stuffed with scraps of paper and Kleenex and crumbs. A different friend is meeting me there, which I've just remembered, and I have five minutes to go home and get the tickets. I know it will take me more than five minutes, but I turn and run for it anyway. Then I'm in a hospital. There's an elevator that has a table in front of the door. Now I'm pulling a suitcase as the door opens and I get in.

Inside there are shoes on the floor, a man's and a child's. There is a black plastic bag with something in it. I touch it. It is a child's body. I scream and scream and press against the wall. The door has already closed and the elevator is going like a train. I continue to scream. The train races faster and faster until it stops suddenly. I look out the window, it's tittering at the edge of a bluff. I don't know where I am or what to do about my situation. Then the train/elevator reverses and I'm in a seat riding backwards and it slows for a conductor outside the window standing in a sunny landscape. He is offering me things: vodka, and something else. I wave him away. The train goes again and slows again. The conductor is there offering me things: a tin crown, and other things. I wake crying.

Interpretation: My life is chaotic and changing with my divorce. I've been thrown into a new life that I'm having trouble sorting out. I have fear that I won't make it financially. The child in the elevator reminds me of the part of myself that split off as a child. And the last two symbols. Perhaps both are ways out: drinking and thinking I'm a queen. Both are like my mother. I want a different life. One that satisfies me creatively.

Dance, Dine, & Dentist

Three dream snippets:

 

1, A circle of women are dancing. I'm sitting on the side, tying my shoes. A middle-eastern woman has attached a long curly hairpiece to her uncovered head. She has also slipped red silk pants on under her skirts. Her husband comes in. She is facing him. Her hairpiece is not obvious. I see her fear. I get up and walk across the room, blocking his view of her. She quickly detaches the hairpiece and drops it to the floor. She continues to dance. I open the window, as though that was my plan all along. Later I see her sitting on the floor. She is slipping the pants off without being noticed. She smiles at her husband.

 

2. I go with a man to have dinner. Another couple joins us. I find the seat I want, in the corner and pull out the chair. The other couple's man has chosen that very one. He removes his things from the seat, looking irritated. I apologize and say I'll move. But he insists that I take his seat. When I sit, the table has been moved, so I am no longer in the protected corner.

 

3. I'm in the dentist chair waiting for the dentist when I get sprayed by some machine overhead. I dodge the water but the stream follows me, spraying me in the face and on my head and clothing. I get out of the chair and leave the room. Then I'm with the dentist and he says I have a few sunspots that should be removed. I tell him I'll make an appointment. I tell him the spray thing is unacceptable. He says he's turned it off. When I leave the room my son is pacing. He points at his watch. He's been waiting for 2 ½ hours. We go to a coffee shop for tea. I'm uncomfortable.

 

Bull Fight

We're in Spain. There's a bullfight.

The boy sits at a table eating a sandwich.

I tell him to stay inside, but he says no. We're on a road walking

a dog. The dog gets away, runs ahead on the road and bites a man.

I run up to the man and ask him to show me where he's been bit.

He's looks at me fiercely. He will not respond to me. I turn around and go home.

Swaddled

I dreamed last night that I was sitting with a older man on a deck. We were looking off at the neighbors' house. I suggested he put a fence in for more privacy. He said and a gate—the neighbors would be open to that. Then it was time to wrap me. It was something about me being without control, my arms would be pinned inside of the blanket. I said I would keep one arm out. He said no. I insisted. Then we were with a woman. She was checking the wrapping, wearing white gloves. A man walked past. He looked interested, but also as if he were interrupting something.

I had another dream last night. My friend said she was going by my name. I got very angry at her and took her aside from the group of folks we were sitting with. I insisted she not use my name. She said she was using it anyway, so I turned to the others and announced that I was taking her name. She got upset then and said she wouldn't take mine.

Interpretation: Both dreams are about disempowerment. I have been learning to be assertive. I believe the first dream had a sexual overtone, only nothing ever happened. I grew up being molested by a family member. And in the second dream, another family member once said she was using my middle name as her first. Both dreams had me asserting myself. These are healing dreams.

Keywords: Names, Identity, Power, Assertiveness

Inner Child

She's sitting across the table from a friend and from her inner child. She is eating cookies and telling her friend she needs to shave her legs. She says she really hates it when she's out somewhere and discovers her legs are hairy. Then she notices herself as a child sitting across the table. She is eating something that looks like a bee. She looks unhappy. The adult dreamer asks her if she is okay. She shakes her head. She says come around the table and see me. She gets down from the chair and comes around the table. She climbs on her lap. The dreamer realizes she can fed her by nursing her, so she brings out her breast and feeds her inner child. The child nurses a little, then everyone laughs. The child says her breast is soft and shiny. The adult dreamer returns her breast to her clothing and everyone is happy.

Dream a Little Dream

Dream a Little Dream
Originally uploaded by ArtByChrysti

Last night I dreamed I walked on water. I was surprised by it, but also curious why I'd never done it before.