Painting and Creativity

Paintings and Art

If you are painting in your dream, that can reflect how you are using your creative energy to create opportunities in your life. There may be interesting content in the details of the picture you are painting, like water, animals, the landscape.

Perhaps you seem like a master painter creating a beautiful finished piece. Or perhaps you feel you don't yet have the skill or technique and you are a mere beginner with much to learn.

This kind of dream is somewhat like dreams where you see a spider creating spider web, or spinning its future or destiny. As with any artistic undertaking, the artist choses the medium, the size, the colors, subject and mood. A dream about painting tells you that you are choosing the picture that is coming out on the canvas. So, you might ask if you like it? Is it turning out as well as you thought?

It might also be pointing out the need to express yourself in a creative way. Many of us work in environments that don't really call on our natural creative instincts. Yet we might need to be creative to be happ? Do you need a reason, other than that you just want to do something that makes you happy?

Baking, cooking, needlecraft, woodwork, painting. The holidays offer great opportunities!

Door Blog

Door or Doorway

Doors in dreams mean the same thing as they in life, and are a powerful and common symbol for moving forward.

In your dream you may be confronted with a door. Perhaps it is inviting yet, you are afraid to go in.

That would reflect a fear of moving past a barrier, or entering a new project or relationship. Perhaps the door is marked 'closed' and you are redirected to another door.

Do you just believe the sign? Or do you not take 'no' for the answer and try the door anyway?

Sometimes we can psych ourselves out, believing that progress is too difficult - and we turn away without really trying. If we want something, we should try hard, try every door, see if there is way through to where we want to go.

Ready to Turn that Corner?

When you turn a corner in your dream, this is a powerful symbol about making a significant change or perhaps needing to make a change.

Sometimes I get frustrated when I feel stuck and don't feel like I'm moving forward very quickly. But if I have a dream in which I turn a corner and walk into a new room, that is a great and encouraging sign of progress!

Window Nook

In your dream, you can take note of what kind of room it is? what furniture is in it? does the the room open up in an expansive way? Furniture can indicate relaxation, study, handicraft, music, or other artistic endeavours. There might be people in the room also who are helpers to you.

A corner can also mean that you have found yourself in a tight corner and need to find some way out of it. There will be a way out, but you may not see it yet.

That is great time to ask for dream guidance and be open to additional hints and messages.

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

A Bridge to Somewhere

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

Witches, Hauntings, Supernatural Powers

So, what to think when you are in the company of witches in a dream? I tend to take the view that all the various people, animals, and otherworldly beings in dreams are there to help us. So if there is a witch, she is there with something to offer - like some special insight, or a magical spell, or a crystal ball to the future.

Even if you don't believe in such things, your unconscious mind might believe you need a little extra help, some extra power to overcome a certain situation.

In my particular case, I was with a couple witches in a haunted house, trying to get out which was made hard by stairways and halls that dead ended, taking me nowhere. A haunted house can be a perfect metaphor for a time or place where we find ourselves haunted by the past perhaps, maybe people who are gone but present in spirit, or even mistakes made, things that seem unfixable.

Maybe the house is represented as haunted because it is under an unusually strong power, a little too much for an average Joe to deal with. That is why one would need a witch companion.

I mean, who would be a better helper than a witch? She has extra powers to catapult us out of our usual reality! She can tap into the mystical forces of the natural and the supernatural.

In your dream, what is the witch doing? how is she helping? And what can you learn from her? If you look carefully, you will probably find encouragement, determination, resources that are practical and helpful. Ultimately, you will get some help in the dream, and some good ideas for solving problems in your waking life.

Happy Halloweening!

Leave a note or comment if you like, I would love to hear from you.


Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

A Bridge to Somewhere

The Trinity of Faith, Hope and Love

Spiders, Spider webs, and Weaving Dream Meanings

Heart and Harp Strings - Dream Interpretation

Heart and harp sound alike don't they? When you see a harp in a dream, it can be a pun for the heart, especially if it is shaped sortof like a heart.

We often talk about topics that play on our 'heart strings', things that touch us, like music, a sad storage, a poem, a dancer.

Art and music can speak on a level that words and intellect do not, so there is a strong link between music and our emotions. What better symbol for the heart than a musical instrument?

This is  drawing of a harp that I saw in my dream, where the strings were unusual - they were made of twine, knotted at intervals. And I take it symbol of the way the strings of our heart are woven permanently and securely to the people that we love. The strings are impossible to unknot because the knots are tight. They cannot be broken because of the multiple, heavy strands.



Harp with Entwined Strings

It is pretty amazing that my inner Self create such a unique image for me. I think when a dream conjures an image entirely unique which does not actually exist in the world, then the dream is carrying a powerful message. It will be something especially for you, something that is very important at this time in your life, something you should work through carefully to get the full interpretation. You may come back to the dream many times before you understand the image fully and there may be several messages condensed into a single image.

Why Do I need to Understand More about Heart Strings?

I guess the reason for this dream at this time, is that I've struggled with my parents recent deaths. I have at times felt that my heart really did break, that I was completely shattered.

One is never supposed to feel like that, right? That life is cruel, that this is unacceptable, that this is so wrong and unfair. If one had a heart of stone, nothing could touch us. But what if our heart is just a little delicate thing like a wooden harp, easily chipped and broken, subject to being sat upon?

Heart Questions

So, I continually ask myself, what stage of grief am I in now? When will it be over so I can move one? When will I have energy for anything besides dealing with this loss? Will I feel normal again?

How does the Hearth String Image answer some of those questions?

A. Grief itself does not exactly end. It does not fit readily into stages. It is more circular - I make some progress, take some steps, yet an something happens that draws me back. That is normal and natural, even necessary. Why? Because I am literally still tied to the person I lost. My heart strings did not break loose and they are not going to. I am literally bound to people I love. I am entwined, over and through, under, before, behind, and with my Mom and Dad. So, be it.

A. The good news is that I am still bound to my parents. Nothing can break that bond, even death. There are many blessings in being entwined with some really good people. I can still pull examples and life lessons, sometimes learn new things about them, feel their support.

And do we really want to untie the heart strings? I think I don't. I think I will continue to let the strings wind around and through the hearts of the people I love. I think it will be OK.

Leave a note or comment if you like, I would love to hear from you.


Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

A Bridge to Somewhere

The Trinity of Faith, Hope and Love

Spiders, Spider webs, and Weaving Dream Meanings

Butterfly and the Web

The Butterfly

The Butterfly that show up in my dreams was a captive in a spider web and really needed to escape. In the dream the message was very clear. That was the entire image and message of the dream. There was nothing more.

Usually if there is just one image, there will be a lot of meaning packed in there. It is as if my Unconscious mind has searched for just the right image, entirely unique, to exactly illustrate my situation.



Butterfly Caught in a Spider Web
 

So, that causes one to stop and think, right?

Beautiful and Free

So what was interesting about the dream?

The image of the butterfly. Of course, I'm the butterfly, a lovely image. In what ways is that true?

I'm on life's journey.

I'm one of natures most beautiful and colorful creatures.

I am directed by instincts and choices.

I don't have the zooming speed or directness of a bee, but the loping, generally awkward flight of a butterfly. But a butterfly manages to get to their destination somehow.

The butterfly is also a free creature, not bound by international boundaries or time zones. It very much goes its own way. There might be others around and it might migrate with a lot of other butterflies, but generally it looks after itself.

And the web?

Why does it look like a dream catcher? Do I need bigger dreams? new dreams? new direction?

What else is sticky and holding me back? What are the cobwebs that need clearing.

When I get an image like this, I will think about it a while, write some things down, come back later and think again. There can be layers and multiple ideas captured in even a small image like this.

What is interesting is that I believe this is a personal image that was inspired directly by the song 'King of Pain' by The Police. In 'King of Pain' I hear an artist's despair over the vastness of the pain in the world, which we can't ignore, even it we would like too. We also cannot ignore the sources of our own pain, which surely exist. Sometimes there is a remedy, and action we can take. And sometimes there is not.

I would like to hear your thoughts about the blog. Was this helpful? Interesting? Can you relate to it?

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

A Bridge to Somewhere

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

So You Wanna Be a Baseball Mom!

So, you want to be a Baseball Mom? To be sure its a dream position, head of baseball fanaticism for your family. A position that inspires affection, appreciation, sometimes irritation.

First of all, why do it? Well if your son or daughter loves the game, you'll be out there at the fields for practices and early and late games, all spring, summer and fall. So you might as well enjoy it!

I mean, why be that mom that is playing games on her iPhone, talking to her friends, or reading a book? Why not invest your heart in your kid and the things that make him happy?




Here's how to do it...

• Most important step, wear the team colors!
• Bring water, snacks and Gaterade
• Learn the rules, so ask some questions
• Take Friday off before tournament weekends - sleep in on Friday and get all your stuff done, so you can enjoy the weekend schedule more.
• Get your kid flip flops so he can take off his cleats between games

When you start doing all these things, your family will definitely notice and appreciate your support.

That's what it's about, right?

Your kid knows that they have somebody in the stands that loves them no matter what.

If they strike out 3 times, if they miss a tag, you are still on their side. And it's not going to ever change. That is why in addition to everything else, I'm a Baseball Mom.

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

Strangers, Vampires, Cheerleaders and Foreign Folk

A Balancing Act, Two Sisters Dream Interpretation

The reason I’m thinking about Mary and Martha is because in a recent dream I was present with another woman who seems very much a Martha-type figure to me. She is always there, always helpful, has all the details at her fingertips. It's a good way to be. But when I say 'Martha' I mean the Martha in the Bible that complained that her sister was not helping get dinner ready. In the dream, I and the other woman were both sitting at the feet of a respected person who said to us, ‘My beautiful ladies.’ It was said in a very kind and appreciative way. It reminded me immediately of the biblical story of Mary the listener and Martha the worker-bee.

Martha, the Worker Bee

Now I’m a big fan of worker-bee’s –  it’s alot of work making the world turn. Martha is absolutely part of daily living, but not everything we can be. In this story Mary and Martha are conveniently divided between two separate people, but I think both Mary and Martha live in us. Both are valued and beautiful, both sustain us. But let's not play favorites. They balance and complement one another. It's a Christian yin and yang thing, requiring balance of energy and effort.



A Busy Bee

Martha, if you remember, was very concerned about her guest. She was buried in the preparations and her sister wouldn’t help! Her sister, Mary, was content to listen and enjoy the company. Jesus said she chose the better part. How often do we miss the fun, enjoyment and opportunity to learn because we want things to be perfect? We plan, work and schedule ourselves to success. It makes us tired, cranky and jealous of others.

Seeking Out Mary

But what about when we find ourselves confused, anxious, empty? That is when we need to tap into our inner Mary, the one who listens attentively for hours on end, and focuses on the bigger spiritual picture, tuning out all distractions. That means carving out some time - whether it means leaving a  things undone, declining invitations, or getting up early.

How else can we balance out Martha, except with Mary? We weren’t created just to work and get a lot done. We are created to find God, learn to follow the Spirit, find and live out our own callings. Letting go of the activities and busy-ness can seem selfish or impractical. And maybe the people around us don't get it. I like to explain that I need time out. But instead of it being a punishment, it’s the time I cherish the most.

Time Out to do What?

Meditate, listen, pray

Paint or draw

Interpret your dreams

Walk and enjoy nature

Think a little (not too much)

Read on an interesting subject or person
Just be myself

Other things that renew your spirit

The time we spend with ourselves is time for renewal, change, learning, and listing to life's messages. It can be a source of strength and bring a renewal of faith, or the courage to change our lives. It really is the better choice.

It's a little like the two women in 'Beaches,' a friendship of balance and beauty. Only we have both those personalities within us all and they both need encouragement and space to grow.

 

You are the Wind Beneath My Wings

 

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

Bridge to Somewhere 
My Misspent Youth - Confessions of a Business Major

gs

Simple Meditation

I always swore I'd never be the kind of person who gets so lost in their job, family and responsibilities that I'd lose track of myself. But you know what? I did. It is so easy to do.

When my kids were small, I remember clearly having a couple of hours free and not even knowing what to do with the time. When I asked myself, what I (me, myself, Ruth) wanted to do, I had no idea because it had been so long since I had any time for myself. I remember realizing that was maybe a problem.

Did I do anything about it? No, I just keep going on the treadmill, for years and years.

It was several years later, when both my parents passed away that I realized I had really no way to handle it. I was so detached from myself, my emotions, my thoughts, that I had no idea what to do with these very hard and painful events.

That is when I really had to stop.

Because at that point I knew (like really knew) that getting my kids clothes, cooking a nice dinner or getting a raise were not going to help at all. I was about 10-12 years behind on dealing with my own stuff and couldn't go on that way. The pain was too much.

So I stopped a lot of stuff to let some space into my life, just for me, just because I needed it.

I really don't want to preach - but I think I'm not unusual. So, I'll go out on a limb and say - Hey maybe you need some space too.

Are you frazzled? Do you think it really needs to get better soon? Do you want a few more hours? Do you yell at your kids and husband more than you should? Yes, Yes, Yes!

I feel that way all the time and I've found that meditation really helps. There are a few things that meditation really helps with:

• slowing down the pace of the heart and breathing when stress hits me
• putting myself in a place to understand my dreams better
• create time to feel who and what I am
• reach out to God and feel his presence

One of the very best ways that I've found to do that is meditation and I wish I'd discovered it sooner. It's better than almost any other thing I've tried, so I'll share my very simple method.

Just a Few Easy Steps

Sit somewhere comfortable and quiet. I'm not a stickler for correct posture, finger postures, eyes open or closed. Just sit and focus on your breath in and out.

1. Breath in to a slow count to 7.   1..2..3..4..5..6..7. When you start, I can usually count to 4 before I need to inhale or exhale. That's a sympton of my stress level. But after a few breathes in and out I find that I count to 4, then I don't need to inhale right away, so I just let myself breath when my lungs want to, so now I"m at 5 or 6, and I just keep relaxing and breathing until I'm at 7 in and 7 out.
2. Take your mind off the breathing and visualize something you find beautiful, the sea, a flower, or listen to relaxing music.
3. If you find that you are back worrying or stressing over some problem or situation, or what you need to do next, just say 'I'm not going to think about that now.' Keep pushing those reminders of what you should be doing out of your mind and go back to your flower, or sunlight.
4. Other things - let you mind wander over to the fact that you are at peace, your spirit is at peace, you are in the presence of God.
5. Sometimes I actually feel that I've gone to a different place, there is almost a click, or a change in the light as if shifting back from the world into myself. That is the place I'm trying to get to.

Spend as long as you want. I find 20-30 minutes in meditation is very relaxing and settling. It also can put me in a frame of mind to consider and mull over dream messages. Different associations will often form in my mind as I mediate or after meditation that helps me uncover dream meanings.

Enjoy your meditation time and it will help you enjoy your whole day. I promise!

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

Bridge to Somewhere 
My Misspent Youth - Confessions of a Business Major

Change is Good - Three's, Shamrocks, Delta's

If we believe that life is the journey and not the destination, then we can always be looking for the next step, or in reality what we think of as 'change.' To tell the truth, I have a love/hate relationship with change. Sometimes I desperately yearn for change, and sometimes changes that drop suddenly into my life are very unwelcome!

Hopefully as we get older and wiser we realize that even the unwelcome changes often bring unexpected benefits, lovely new people, growth in ourselves, cultivation of new abilities. Is it all good then? Well, I can't honestly say that it is, but it is what it is, right? We move with the flow and try to navigate in the direction we think would be best. Mostly that works out ok.

Change

One of the most common themes in my dream is 'Change.' Change of attitude, change of place, change in relationships, change in plans, change in family life. I find that the number three is associated many times with Change dreams. I might have three dreams in a row with the same theme, or three people (myself and two others), or even shamrocks.

Shamrocks and Clovers




Three leafed clovers

Now, if you are familiar with St. Patrick, you will know the shamrock as the symbol that St. Patrick used to explain the trinity to the Irish people that he worked among as a Christian missionary. In that context, the leaves represent the three aspects or faces of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as the unity of the three. So, the shamrock or three leaf clover can symbolize aspects of unity, difference, and interconnectness of concepts, or values too. But, I also find that three leaves can related to the Delta, or three message of change. If my dream contains a field of clover or shamrocks, or any kind of three, I look for both interconnectedness and change messages.

Do I need to change, grow, explore, open my heart, go to another level?

Three, Triangle, Delta



Oil Change note to Self

Somewhere in my math education I learned to use the Greek symbol of the triangle, the Delta, to represent the difference between A and B. 'The Delta'  is often used in the business world too and I use it all the time in my personal shorthand. It is a perfect shorthand for the difference, or distance between point A (where I am now) and point B (where I am going next).

So, do I actually see the triangle? Actually no, rather there will be 3 of something. Then working through the dream's theme and purpose, I will find it is point to some aspect of myself that might need a serious refresh, and the 3 will be an underlying hint that I need to start changing in tune with the dream.

Learning Life's Lessons Through Dreams

Often, I wonder, am I done with this theme yet? have a changed enough? am I there yet? should I focus on other areas? Change dreams often answer that question pointing out more change on the current learning theme or moving on to another lesson in life.

In her book The Dream Book, Betty Bethards says our dreams are like lessons in school and our waking life is where we do our homework. Sometimes the work is slow, sometimes it goes quickly. Our dreams let us know when we are done. <Link>

Except we are not ever done, not ever there, are we? I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

"I still haven't found what I'm looking for" by U2 + Gospel Choir

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

Strangers, Vampires, Cheerleaders and Foreign Folk  

 

I’ll be your Silver, I’ll be your Gold

When I see silver things, no matter what they are, I know them to be beautiful, precious, brilliant, luminous, and strong. Silver in dreams can refer to our eternal soul, our spirit, precious relationships, or loved ones. It is a very important color and material, really signaling important messages pertaining to our life journey and wellbeing.
 

Friendship and Love

Silver, gold and other metals can often represent the value we place in our relationships with those we hold dear. Isn’t love silver? Isn’t it gold? Twenty fifth wedding anniversaries are called Silver Anniversaries, and the 50^th wedding anniversary is called Gold, strong, valuable, and enduring.

            ' I’ll be your platinum, I’ll be your silver, I’ll be your gold'

             Justin Bieber, As Long as You Love Me


Silver and gold can also be the colors of friendship, as in the old song
 

Make new friends, but keep the old.

             One is silver and the other’s gold.

Silver Chains

Silver chains can represent our precious and fragile links to people we love. The silver chain links us to each of our loved one, little connections to one another. Are the chains heavy or light? Is it  necklace or restraint? Hopefully, they are light and beautiful, and we wear them with pride.

Silver Chains - of the Heart?

 

'My love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain'

Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills and Nash

 What about Silver Coins?

What about an old silver coin? An old coin like a silver dollar, can be precious because of its historical value, its pure silver content, or its unique place in history. Because it is rounded, it can represent perfect wholeness, the search for wholeness, the completion of a stage of learning. Maybe it is something with lasting value that you should keep, and not trade easily for something newer.

 

Silver coins and pennies can also be an offering or a wish, like coins thrown in a fountain. They may represent either hopes or dreams, or possibly past remembrances.

Change

You might find yourself sorting change (coins) or trying to make change with coins in a dream. This can often be a symbol for making changes in our lives. Sometimes we need to take the initiate and be decisive. That message can be delivered by the conversion of money or coins. In your dream if you cannot make proper change, are trying to pay too much, or no one can break a large bill, you might be having some trouble making needed changes in your waking life. Been there!

Silver Cask or container

A floating silver container is of the air, or the Spirit. It can represent the spiritual forces, or angels, that are with you, though you may not be aware of them. If it is behind you, it may be that there is a spiritual force behind the events in your life, whether a guardian angel, God, or a higher power.

 Silver Keys and Charms

Silver keys are for unlocking spiritual or eternal truths and allowing you to move forward. Silver keys on a chain or belt show you that you are the keeper of the keys. You have access to whatever you need - any room, anything stored away, any treasure.

 

 Silver Charms

When little silver charms appear, you might pay attention to your blessings, good fortune, remembrances, maybe even luck, as in lucky charms.

 
I hope your dreams are filled with silver – whether it means love, the Spirit working, or changes. They are all good.

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

Strangers, Vampires, Cheerleaders and Foreign Folk
 

 

Shot Through the Heart - Who's to Blame?

Seeing or experiencing gunfire in a dream certainly catches my attention. It is so completely foreign to my world that it really startles me and I can't help but take a very close look at that dream. Two times, I've had this imagery come into my dream world - both times, it was important.

The Warning Shot

In this first dream, I was driving and noticed I was pursued by a woman in a vehicle. I pulled my car over to talk to her. She got out of her car and started firing gun at me! In the dream I was shocked.

At first I focused on the shooter but that was a dead end. She did not remind me of anyone I know, and she had not striking characteristics. I spent some time thinking about whether anyone I knew had reason to be offended. That did not lead anywhere either.

Then I realized anything can happen in a dream. So, if she were firing at me and missed, then she wasn't shooting to kill. I was not actually in danger so it must be a warning shot! As it turned out, my dream was issuing a ‘wake-up’ call that I was in danger or putting myself into a dangerous situation and I needed to realize it and change direction, like right now.

Shot in the Back

The Warning Shot dream was in sharp contrast to a later dream involving a shooting. In the second dream, a cousin of mine was shot at the mall unexpectedly. He was weak and sank to the ground, leaning against a wall. When I put my arm around him, I found the back of his jacket was soaked in blood where he had been shot in the back. 

So here was my cousin (me probably) experiencing pain, weakness, and fainting from blood loss. Because he had been shot in the back he did not see it coming. This speaks to an unexpected, shocking injury which I was not prepared for. Dream emotions come from true feelings that spill over from our waking lives into the dream life, as we try and cope with them.

The song that comes to mind is ‘Shot Though the Heart’ by Bon Jovi, but with a twist.



A Broken Heart

 

What to do? What to learn?

 

In the dream, I embraced the wounded person, myself. It is so important to acknowledge how we actually feel. It is a very simple gift we can give ourselves. I think it is so unhelpful to deny pain or suffering, or to blame ourselves for it. Yet, how many times to we say ... I should have known better.  I should have expected this. I deserve this.?

Instead, could we be a friend? Offer some support? Give ourselves a kind word? Still love ourselves and confirm our own value and goodness?

How many times was Jesus betrayed and wounded by his friends - Peter, Judas, all the silent onlookers? And did he say - I should have expected this. I should have known. Why did I love them so much? That would have been very human and very typical. But he knew his friends and knows us now - that is what makes his actions and example so amazing.

Can I be so forgiving? Forget to count up the wrongs? I'm not sure. But in the face of disappointments and unkind words and actions, I can give myself that hug. Maybe I can forget to keep score because I know God understands all of it.

What to do with Suffering?

And I wonder if there is a purpose in the pain? I think the answer is yes. Just two final thoughts from two women who inspire me.

My mother would say, 'Offer it up.'

And Sree Chakravarti says, 'Then I remember that pain is the hammer of God which chisels us into greatness.'



Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

Strangers, Vampires, Cheerleaders and Foreign Folk

Ah to be French!

First, I will note that dreams are not respectors of people.

But as Jung would note, the Unconscious is often policially incorrect, and works with associations to deliver a message. Its not concerned with anything except delivering a message using a symbol and the person's own associatiations with that symbolic object. The Unconscious will use rude language and images. It is blunt. It may be inpolite. I accept that.

In a recent dream, I was puzzled by an actress going undercover as a spy, pretending to be French. How am I to take that? What French association works here?

Does it have to do wiht my sense of style?

What undercover work is going on?

Should I travel more?

And as I puzzeled over the image, I remembered recently reading mystery story where the English police needed help from the French police. They lamented that it would probably take a long time, especially since ....'They always pretend like they can't understand you.'

And I thought, 'How funny! That the French are famous for pretending not to understand people's French!'

My grandmother told that story - when she visited France in 1913 she ordered bread and the waiter pretended to not understand her. They've been doing it for so long, they are now known for their little joke. And what a quirky people, that this would be part of their national personality!

Back to the dream....So, here I am (because of course that actress is me) pretending that I am French, that I don't understand something, which of course I understand. It was a funny little dream with a serious message.

So my dream took that little vignette and said, 'Ah, that is like you, Ruth. Sometimes you pretend you don't understand when of course you do. It is just your little game! N'est-ce pas?'

There is more about People in dreams in the blogs below.

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

Strangers, Vampires, Cheerleaders and Foreign Folk

A Country Road

In our dreams we travel many roads – country roads, city streets, highways, freeways, overpasses, underpasses, familiar neighborhoods, all leading us on, to somewhere. Well, if life is a journey, that makes perfect sense.

We can’t look ahead, at least not far, but our dreams can reveal about how we are journeying right now – what our choices are, or whether a given road is a good road. I think the turns and intersections, also warn us of approaching decisions and changes coming. This is not exactly seeing into the future, but maybe more like an element of foreshadowing.

A Country Road

In my waking life, I travel a country road every day. It has two lanes, with a double yellow line so you can’t pass. Nothing ever happens on this road – the traffic pattern is predictable with a couple of slow down spots, and an occasionally a slow tractor.

 

I do a lot of thinking, planning, and feeling on this road. When I lost my dad, I cried this road every day on the way home. On this road, I didn’t have to pretend like things were fine. I didn’t have to be productive. And nobody could ask me for anything. This is the road where I am what I am and I feel what I feel. After a while, it brought me peace.

 

A Country Road

In my dreams, I also travel this road, coming to it from a different direction and joining it at an intersection. In reality the intersection has fields on all four sides, and on one corner is the Grange. The two roads also do not meet cleanly in a cross, but the road takes a jog to the south.  It is an interesting spot, and meaningful in some different ways. After all, my dreams could present any intersection, so why was this on? Because it offers rich symbols of course!

Decisions and Crossroads

I think the intersections in dreams represent decision points approaching. Will I try and cross and continue on this road? Is it a good road? Is it going in the right direction? Do I really want to continue it? Maybe I should consider all my options carefully. In addition, beside the road, there are fields. Do I need to make some minor adjustment, or do I need to change my ‘field?’ Field could refer to a field of endeavor or a field of work.

The Grange

A Grange hall that resembles a Church

The Grange is interesting too. (The truth is that I’ve never been in a Grange and everything I know about them has been learned online. )I’m not much of a country girl really. However, in my dreams, the Grange Hall is something like my inner church, only it has a very different feel. The hall seems to represent an older, agriculture-based, level of spirituality with an emphasis on the earth and fertility. Where does that image take me?

According to Jung, we all hold Archetypes, sort of master symbols, part of our Collective past – giving us the benefit of the human races entire history. The Archetypes are passed to us at birth, and reinforced by our own experiences with nature and natural phenomena. To my dream life, the image of the four roads meeting at the Grange is highly significant.

 

 

 

What to do when I find myself there at the Grange? Should I just hurry past? Should I stop and celebrate the earth, my life, the life that I’m cultivating? Should I take time to reflect and explore the ideas that are presented in the dream? It is there for a reason.

Underground Road construction

For such a simple road, there is sure alot of construction on it! Life is also a work in progress isn’t it? Sometimes the bridge is out and being entirely replaced. Sometimes they are replacing all the water lines, sometimes working on underground power cables. During my commute, construction is just an inconvenience. But in a dream, it means heavy work is going on. If the construction is underground, you might not even be consciously aware of it. If the work is around water - it might be emotional work or repair. If the construction involves power, the work may be spiritual. If the bridge is out, you may be seeking a new way forward. 

I believe the construction symbol says to us – Hey, slow down. There is work going on here. You might not be able to see it or understand it, but that is OK. It will be done soon enough and you will be on your way.

If you give it some thought or your dream gives you some hints, you might be able to move along faster. Or maybe not. Some work can't really be rushed. You might just need to wait it out.

Your psyche can solve any problem or dilemma, with or without us trying. But I think it’s better if we know what our issues are and try and help out. Sometimes we know the direction, but not the steps. That is OK too. The psyche, our conscience, and our spirit together will move us along in the right direction.

Remember it is about the journey, not the destination, so let's enjoy the scenery.

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

The Trinity of Faith, Hope and Love

Health and Dreams

Ever been sick at heart, feeling a little queasy about something, just a little off? Those feelings can take hold in our psychological or spiritual world too.  Then our dream life starts to act as a medical advisor – you might visit a doctor or pharmacy in your dream, or you might be advised to take some preventative actions?  I’m sure you’ve gotten some wonderful medical advice in your dreams, and I have too.

 

Immunization

In one particular dream, I was giving shots to a comatose person (perhaps a dream person that reflected my own lack of awareness). They did not seem to take effect and the nurse advised me to keep trying. Now an immunization is effective because of the small dose of live or dead virus that is introduced to the body.

Perhaps the hint is to start taking some small steps to deal with my current problematic situation, start hearing some words of truth now. These small steps would lead to a better result than if the danger is ignored, which would result in a full-on flu episode, or some such.

 

Insulin

Insulin is a hormone created by the body itself in the Islets of Langerhans, a fact I had known, yet forgotten. For this reason, the introduction of this word in my dream is more associated with Islands, or isolation, or distancing from a problem. The benefit of distance is that it provides a person with greater perspective, allows different thoughts and ideas to come in from the periphery, and allows the winds to be a little less violent. Distance can be an excellent remedy for lots of infectious diseases – best to avoid them altogether if possible. Of course, life does not permit us to hide from problems, hence the need for preventive measure and actual cures.

 

Insulation also is means of protecting oneself from both cold and heat. Your dream might recommend something of this sort: bandage, coat, gloves, or hat to protect from natural, emotional, or spiritual forces. Like what? A chilly relationship, the heat of anger, the cold light of day?

 

Islands

Islands surrounded by water can represent being cut off from some aspect of life, or perhaps the need to cut yourself off, retreat to your island paradise, your castle, or your inner world.

 

Ellis Island

In one particular dream, I was viewing an island that I knew to be Ellis Island – and that was pretty interesting. This is a symbol that could mean a couple different things – and with many dream symbols – it does not always mean one thing, it might mean both (That is a double whammy of a symbol!)

 

• Way station - For instance Ellis Island was a famous gateway into the United States for millions of immigrants to America. Are you entering into a new phase in your life journey? Is some exciting prospect in front of you and you just need to clear one or two more hurdles? Maybe.

Quarantine - But Ellis Island also served as way station to verify the health of new immigrants – people with dangerous diseases were quarantined until they were healthy (if ever) at Ellis Island. If a quarantine situation shows up in your dream, you might need to remove yourself from a situation entirely as it is very dangerous and unhealthy. Or maybe I should do a little self-check  to make sure things are going well.

Distance

If you see yourself pulling away from a location or place, that might mean distance would be healthier for you. I think image has much the same message as seeing an Island, indicating a need to revise my perspective.

All these symbols can be warnings in some sense that things are a little off in my world. I suppose that they could also indicate a health problem, though I have not experienced that.

Be healthy, be happy.

 

Maybe you would like these Blogs too:

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

The Trinity of Faith, Hope and Love

It’s like that Store, but Yet Unlike… When Dream sites Diverge from Reality

This is not uncommon to be in a building that is familiar but unfamiliar in significant ways. The differences are important to understanding the dream itself. The setting sets the stage for understanding the dream message, so it’s important to write down and parse out the things that are different from the actual or expected. By combining two different buildings or settings, your dream is pulling together different points of reference to tell you important truths.

Some examples
 … it was my mother’s house, but she has never had a house like that
 … it was a company that I worked at, but the structure was entirely different/people were different

Old Foundation / New Building

In one case I had a dream of visiting Koenig & Wilson’s meat market  store, which I visited with my parents as a child. In my dream, the store was in the same place, but the building itself was entirely different, especially on the inside.

The Store I Remember

This meat market was located on the Dixie Highway, across from Dusing Brothers Ice House, in Erlanger, Kentucky, the little town I was raised in. It had been there some time and had a German name, as did all the local businesses (Klingenberg’s Hardware, Knapmeyer’s Drug Store, Koenig & Wilson’s meat market).

When I was a kid, it was an old-fashioned, rather dark, one-story building with a meat counter in the back. My Mom liked it because she could get exactly the cut and quantity of meat that she wanted. My Dad liked it because he could buy a full case of beer at a good price. In my dream, I was at Koenig’s, right back there in Erlanger.

Same Location, Different Building

But the Koenig’s in my dream was quite a different place. First of all, it was brand new, huge, open, with high ceilings, and made of light wood. Secondly, it was like a barn, but still a store with a deli counter. There were barrels placed around it, had several interconnected rooms. One room had a nice deli counter, where I made ordered sliced turkey. The building really looked exactly like the Isabelle Farm Market, which is a gorgeous, new, spacious, natural wood barn-like store. The new market stands right next to the garden where they grow the produce. All very convenient.  The market in real life is in Lafayette, CO which has its own symbolism (See my Dream Locations blog).

Why Are They Combined by My Dream?

Dream locations set the stage for understanding the purpose of a given dream.  When you find that you are in a familiar place, that is yet unfamiliar, it’s important to dissect and understand the differences that have been interjected. Sometimes the answers are not apparent until later, but I find that if I spend some time I can parse out the similarities and differences. Then I will find some really good stuff.

What to look for? Look for unexpected rooms, activities, foods, and people that don’t fit, which surprise you. Your dream is painting you a picture, trying to catch your attention.
I believe this dream flag is both about important turning point (resolution of a significant piece of inner work), and about what is coming next. As part of this dream, I turned a corner in the dream market (Am I finally done with this? Thank God!)  and found another brand new workroom.  ‘No rest for the wicked,’ as they say.

Northern Kentucky, Erlanger, and Over the Rhine – My Foundation

Erlanger is a small town in Northern Kentucky. Dixie Highway runs through it, with Erlanger on one side and Elsmere on the other. Northern Kentucky is where my German grandmother on my Dad’s side came grew up. My Dad lived there for a time as a boy and we all lived there when Dad worked for the USGS mapping Kentucky. So, Erlanger is my home town.

My Grandmother, Anne Overmann,  grew up in Covington, Kentucky, where her father had a green grocer store. She graduated from Notre Dame Academy for girls (which I later attended), and Xavier University where she attained her law degree (in the night program because the day program did not accept women).  The local newspaper reported that she was one of the first women in the area to get her driver’s license.

This is my grandma who managed her family through the Great Depression and through my grandfather’s long, fitful, recovery from his WW I head injury. A smart, educated, determined, loyal, strong German-American lady was Anne Overmann. Oh, and tall.

My Dad, her son, was a rock in our family - a little gruff, intellectual, driven by rationality, with the perseverance and self reliance of a person raised during the depression. He also had the compassion that comes from seeing struggles close-up.

If I net all my German heritage down, it would probably be ' you must finish it.'

Tapping the Foundation

I would say the foundation is strong, stable and I should be able to draw on it. But what exactly? That is part of my work I believe. Maybe it will be several things. And why now?

• What will I need that I can find in my family photo and story album?
• Is there something forgotten that I need to bring back up to Consciousness?
• What sustaining ‘food’ and ‘drink’ is there?
• What do I need to ask for at the counter?

Off I go, to finish!

Clues from New Building

 

And what about the new building? This must mean my work, my life, my inner world even. What can I learn here? 

• The fact that the actual Isabelle Farm Market is in Lafayette, CO points to growth. What kind of creativity should I be cultivating?
• The space is large, bright, and open - Does that mean a huge undertaking, or just alot of room to grow?
• The unadorned wood points strong, organic, building materials.
• Four gray haired people, comfortably dressing, sipping their morning coffee. I believe they are taking their morning coffee, just getting the day started. Perhaps, I am I getting ready to take on the work of midlife?
• My companion in the dream has his own family roots in Kentucky…way down in the country.
• These hints are toward farms which implies work, versus a classroom that might involve learning.

Taking the Hints Seriously

I honestly believe we can be more in touch with who we are, and what we are meant to be when we listen carefully, attentively to dreams. They affect us even when we don’t remember them, but effect greater and quicker changes when we focus on bringing their messages up to a conscious level.
Dreams help us grow, work through difficulties, make important decisions. I really find them to be very helpful and interesting too.

This is a good one and I believe there will be more information coming shortly. But the best ones create more questions than answers. And that is where the ‘work’ comes in, and I do look forward to it.

Other Blogs

My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

The Trinity of Faith, Hope and Love

The Inner Church

What is an inner church?

Many times in my dreams, I am in auditorium, a theater, Grange hall, lecture hall, or a church auditorium. Commonly they have rows of seats or benches, in a circle or semicircle. Often the rows of benches will be ‘auditorium style’ or on steps rising up from and encircling an inner center. The room is usually white and sparsely decorated and furnished. It might be a church building that you are familiar with from the present or the past.

Something or nothing at all may be in the auditorium. Activities might include – a concert, a church service, a wedding. Or you might just be sitting with friends or alone. The activities, activity level, or calmness will probably tell you something about your inner center or Self. I think this circular image speaks to our soul, spirit, or inner sanctum, reflecting inner wholeness or need for wholeness, the rounding out of our personalities, even completion of an aspect of inner work.

Why do we have one and why do we need one?

Our inner world is a sanctuary, a place of reflection where we:
• gather strength (sitting with supportive people)
• commune with our own spirit and God’s spirit (hear messages)
• see ourselves as God’s unique and beautiful creations (commune in peace and quiet)
• join diverse aspects together. This might be reflected in a dream marriage ceremony or seeing four of something.

What might or might not be there?

Usually the cluttered odds and ends of our waking lives stay at the door. I find usually some person or persons are with me. The others will be symbols also and should be looked at carefully to make sure that the whole message is understood.

Lessons and Interpretations

If the church building is an old church that you used to attend, this reflects your old inner church, or your old concept of spirituality, worship, or rightness. If it is old or run down, your inner world, ideas of spirituality, spirit-lead direction, may be undergoing transformation. If the service is off-kilter in some way, or the attitudes are negative, you probably need to consider changes to support your spiritual life better.  Once, I walked into a dream sanctuary and found a bar inside. That was a shock!

If your inner sanctum is clear, light and shining, your inner world is being transformed by knowledge, enlightenment and spiritual awareness. If the people you are with are helpful, supportive, shining with inner light, and smiling then your inner world is doing well. The people may also have specific dream symbolism. What are their names and what do they mean? Are they spiritual people? what are the strongest associations you have with them? See the People Blog.

Your activities in the auditorium or church are also part of the dream. Are you participating in some way? Are you there to learn? Listening? What is your reaction? Are you attracted, shocked, appalled? Are you singing?

Usually the dream place, sets the stage for the meaning of your dream. By understanding that the setting is your inner church, you know that the dream message will pertain to your inner self or spirit.

It could be a message of common sense, assurance, even your direction or calling. Many times, I find the dream is about self acceptance and assurance of my value and God’s protection. We see and feel God in our inner church. It is a place of power and beauty.

Other Blogs
My Favorite Dream Dictionary Websites

Understanding Locations - Key to Getting Your Dream's Message

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

The Trinity of Faith, Hope and Love

Kharma and my Catholic Mom

Did your Mom say something like “This will come back to you!” In my family, this meant that whatever unfortunate behavior or attitude that was on display would surely be visited upon me later in life, probably by my own beloved children.

As it turns out, Mom was right about this and a lot of other things. By the way, this is the Catholic version of Karma.

So, how does the great Karmic Wheel show up in dream life? I think I’ve found a couple of images that speak to the force of Karma being activated in my waking life, and by listening to my dreams; I was able to detect it. I’ll admit I’m not the most spiritually attuned person, so often a series of symbols will show up which eventually form an identifying pattern.

Linked Rooms

 

Rooms which lead into one another, are connected, especially back rooms or hidden rooms point to the connectedness of our past, present, and future. Rooms that are connected and climb upward through a house can also show that we are evolving, moving, changing, yet all our experiences are connected to a larger whole.

Our lives are like rooms - we are in one stage of life, then move naturally to the next, just like walking into a new room. We are constantly learning, and growing, finding new interests and friends. As we move we connect past experiences, relationships, Karma, and even the Collective Unconscious to our present.

When dreams connected rooms appear, it may be important to look back.

Karma Questions

• Have I been here before?
• What did I learn?
• Did I do right or wrong?
• If wrong, am I on the other side now and how does that feel?
• If this is payback, what might I do with that information?

Interlinking the Past, Present, Future

We don't really move on from the past, we carry it with us and we can chose to let it teach us a better way. Sometimes we need to make changes, sometimes reparations.

Other Dream Blogs:

10 Steps to Interpreting your Dreams

The Trinity of Faith, Hope and Love

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

Strangers, Vampire, Cheerleaders and Foreign Folk

Three Kings and Three Gifts

I’m struggling a little with the title. It is both because this dream series  means a lot to me and because the revelation was on more than one level.

 

Setting the Stage

Let me set the stage – in 2009 and 2010 I lost both my parents. It was really a triple blow because their deaths were within six months of one another. My father’s death was expected but my mother’s was not, so I was not prepared in any way, though I didn’t know that. I thought that one just recovers automatically as one does from illness. But the reality was that I was started on a long journey, the journey to find a way to accept the unacceptable.

So, I was drowning and fortunately was able to find a counselor, Linda, who could help me with that journey. As I find, that journey of sorrow does not actually end, and you don’t finish with your grief.

You learn to bear the shadow of it when it comes over you and shed your tears when they come. You honor your dead - by gathering their loving words, their imparted wisdom, their golden example. And you also guess at their disappointments, the mistakes they felt they made. You find their hidden treasure boxes, the pictures they carefully put away, always kept, never wanted to part with.

And when I wondered why I could not move on, why my grief seemed endless, Linda told me that the grief is proportionate to the person that you lost.

So you learn not to be afraid of the shadow when it comes, and you take the time to cry your tears, and you honor your dead.

After a while you know that this is now part of your life. And during this period of walking through the worst of the grief, I realized that I had no tools, and clearly there is more grief coming. What I had always relied on was my ability to organize, schedule, arrange, and multi-task.

I can’t even tell you how useless those skills are in dealing with the heart. Maybe I already knew that, but I had forgotten.

The Three Dreams

The three dreams came maybe a week or two apart, so in quick succession, and seemed very clearly connected.

In the first dream, I was bone weary, with taking care of this baby I carried in my arms. I gave him over to a previous boss of mine in the dream. But he gave the baby right back to me, as if it were my responsibility. In the dream that seemed odd, because the baby looked like him, so it must be his?

In the second dream, I ran into another boss outside my office who invited me to go with him on a drive. Well this was crazy drive in a black sports car and we zoomed all over town but came back safely.

In the third dream, I was with another previous boss. She and I were in my favorite town, Lafayette, which is associated with creative ideas and living. She and I were redecorating a house together and it turned out very well.

Before this I was not the kind of person who remembered dreams or thought them important. But these ones were clearly important so thatI recorded them and started researching dream meanings.

 

Eventually I related them to Linda, and her initial thought was ‘Three Kings, and Three Gifts.’

And that turned out to be a wonderful starting point.

 

Starting Point for What?

This was my Unconscious Self sending dramatic messages (gifts) that were important to moving on in my life. It was probably in relation to the grief process, but also about adding things currently missing in my life. Like what? Figuring that out was my task.

The baby – This friend had recently begun a new business venture where he hoped to both pursue his creative business ideas, and be able to run according to his own philosophy. A baby in this case was a ‘Mini Me, ‘ or a look alike baby. What kind of new creative enterprise should I put my heart and soul into, which would be the imprinted with My image?

The wild ride – this friend has been known to take a sabbatical from work to take a cruise to all the developing countries in Asia, including Vietnam. He is a traveler and a mentor. In dreams since then, he has demanded to know what I am doing for adventure!

The remodeled house – this friend likes to buy a property and totally update and remodel it. She has wonderful taste in furniture and art. Once I asked her how she became the determined advocate that she is for her disabled son. She said ‘you become what you have to be.’

 

Journey Inside

I really cannot explain how working with these dream role models changed me from the inside out. 

And when I saw their messages and started remodeling my inner and outer life, I realized that the dreams are a tool. They are a very useful and powerful tool.

I find answers, direction, role models, and wonder. They are full of wellness and hope.  And if we ask, we receive more.

I wish you wholeness and sweet dreams!

Other Dream Blogs:

10 Steps to Interpreting your Dreams

The Trinity of Faith, Hope and Love

People You Know - Family, Friends, Co-workers, Bosses

Strangers, Vampire, Cheerleaders and Foreign Folk