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UNDERSTANDING DREAMS
Symbols: The Dream Alphabet
The Tools for dream interpretation are
relatively simple. They include
Being
open, receptive, flexible, self aware and non intrusive.
We all dream and that gives us experience with understanding their
impact. The better we understand our own symbolic process the better
our ability to “Witness” and be objective with the intrapsychic content
of another person. It contributes to greater objectivity in listening
to and receiving the dreams of your clients
Holding
a sacred space for the sharing of a dream is
important if you want your work with symbolic content to progress. Not
accepting the ego’s need to push the message aside and label it 'only a
dream' will increase the significance your experiences when paying
attention to this content and sharing dreams
Knowledge and Understanding in the language of symbols and metaphor.
Gather wisdom through texts, stories, dictionaries
Although there are no convenient ‘one
size fits all’ approaches to dream interpretation, it is highly
recommended that you explore the different sites in this course.
Additionally, browsing the beautifully illustrated "dictionaries of
dreams" and their interpretation will
increase your own breadth of understanding with regard to the special
type of understanding and translation that being able to read dreams
requires. I have noticed a synchronicity in my own personal and
professional life when I am tuning into this information. The perfect
song or poem or movie or dream image appears to carry the message of
what I am working on personally or with a client to the next level. It
appears as a messages from the universe that the path is clear and ready
for the journey. I encourage clients to stay open to their conscious
life for this same type of message
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SYMBOLS: THE
DREAM ALPHABET
We are such stuff |
Symbols are the dream alphabet. There
are no definitive interpretations for specific symbols. There is no one
to one correlation. How the symbols are arranged in the dream: the
place, the person, the setting, the time, will contribute to the meaning
of the symbol.
The interpretation of a
symbol will have levels of association: personal, cultural, universal
and transpersonal.
The most important level of meaning
with which to begin all dream interpretation is the
personal association: the dreamer’s
feedback on the dream.
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These are questions you keep in mind to guide your understanding. However, do not bombard the dreamer with questions. You will notice that when a dream is being shared the energy in the room shifts. There is a sense of softness as if entering a place where things don’t have hard lines, angles and definition. An onslaught of questions can disrupt this flow. Just let the process unfold
Cultural aspects
of dreams often provide the background setting and color of the dream.
Although many people dream ‘across culture’, it is important to
recognize and respect the nature of a dreamer's home culture in their
material. Many people feel that since we are living in North America
the basic symbols of the people indigenous to North America are
essential to our understanding of our content. This site is very rich in
its presentation of Native America.
http://www.runningdeerslonghouse.com/index2.html
Universal Dreams are dreams that Dr. Patricia Garfield says have existed across time and culture throughout history. In the following article she illustrates the themes and proposes that by creating a catalog or structure of dream themes we may be able to take dream interpretation and understanding to a new level. Please read the linked article about universal dreams and their mirror opposites.
http://www.patriciagarfield.com/publications/udreams_99dreamtime16.htm
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Patricia Garfield’s 12
Universal Dream Themes
1.0 Chase or Attack
2.5 Healing or Rebirth
3.0 Vehicle Trouble
7.5 Dressing Harmoniously and
Handsomely
8.0 Missing the Boat or Other Transport 8.5. Traveling Happily
9.5. Operating Machine or
Telephone Easily
10.0 Disasters, Natural or
Manmade
11.51 Finding a New Room in
Your House
12.0 Menaced by the Dead
12.5 Guided by the Dead |
For
this complete article and more online offerings by internationally known
dream expert, Patricia Garfield, PHD please visit
http://www.patriciagarfield.com At this site she also includes free
downloads for you personal use on Dreams and Grief, The Difference
between the Dreams of Men and Women, Universal Dreams and Dreams of
Pregnancy and Childbirth.
The following materials are provided to help get you started with your exploration of symbols and their meanings. Please Enjoy your explorations and investigate the sites that most interest you.
Basic questions to consider when interpreting symbols
What are the qualities of the image? Threatening? Welcoming? Hot? Cold? Large? Small? Soft? Hard? Sharp? Fuzzy?
What is your first reaction upon hearing its description?
Do you feel it anywhere in your body?
Does it have a sound? a color? a smell?
Is there a particular element associated with the symbol? Does it bridge more that one element?
What is its usual purpose, function or service?
How does it appear facilitate or hinder the dreamer?
Do you have any personal associations to the symbol?
What is its location?
Is there something unusual or uncharacteristic about its appearance or location?
THE ELEMENTS
The elements refer to the common element so the earth: Fire, Water, Air and Earth.
To understand the meaning of an element we want to look at the quality it presents within the dream and how that relates to the dreamer’s life. Is the quality peaceful calm and strengthening? Or is there a changeable, transformative, destructive or chaotic feel to the element? Is it a gentle message or a force to be reckoned with?
THE
ELEMENTS
·
Fire,
energy, hot, initiating, creative and destructive, it relates
to energy, anger, and expression. Its colors include reds,
oranges and gold. Symbols may include the sun, stars, comets,
fires, matches, smoke, Apollo, the phoenix, Icarus
·
Earth
form, stability, sensuality, nurturance, solidity. Its colors
are usually rich browns and greens. Its symbols include the
forest, caves, mountains, Mother Earth, Venus, earthquakes.
·
Air
movement, objectivity ,the ability to speak and communicate, and
detachment. Its colors are blues and whites. Symbols may
include, wings, birds, clouds, messengers, wind hurricanes,
Mercury
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Water
is depth, fluidity, emotion, mystery, assimilation and
changeability. Its colors are deep blues, turquoise, greens,
purples and black. Its symbols may includes, lakes, rivers,
ponds, Neptune, mermaids, fish, whales, shells, tsunamis.
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In Buddhist traditions the transcendent element of ether
or space is included. For More on Buddhist teachings and symbols please
visit www.snowlionpub.com In
Chinese systems the elements of metal and wood are included. For a
comparative discussion of Greek, Chinese and Indian interpretations of
the element s, please read this excellent article at
www.friesian.com/elements.htm
Commonly Encountered Symbols and Their Possible Meanings
Phoenix Helm Simpson copyright 2003 all rights reserved
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Image |
Possible Meanings |
symbols |
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Monsters and Demons |
unconscious desires,
motivation, fears, impulses, instincts |
as varied and fearful as our
ability to imagine, what are the abilities and qualities of the
monster? |
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Animals |
subconscious desires,
motivation, pets, instincts |
domestic and wild will
denote different qualities |
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Disasters |
things beyond our control |
earthquakes, floods, fire
element will give special clues and meaning |
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Houses |
structure of Self ,
personality , Lower levels= less conscious behavior/trait |
all shapes and sizes usually
very personally oriented |
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Buildings
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thought forms, belief
systems, values, memories of places visited, lessons learned |
note size, welcoming, cold,
warm, distant, clearly defined or chaotically structured |
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Bridges |
connection, relationship |
note the type and strength |
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Vehicles |
movement, facilitation,
assistance |
note type, emergency?,
rugged, smooth, sturdy, hobbled |
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Obstacles |
challenges to be met, value
conflict between soul and personality, desire and duty, action
and value |
flat tires, roadblocks,
fallen trees, barriers, fences, warning signs, fear, trepidation |
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Trees |
organic symbol of self,
planted in earth reaching towards heavens, oldest living things |
note type location, many
trees have special meanings oak = straight, pine = ever green,
willow = flexibility, fruit = sustenance |
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Fences |
barrier, boundary,
protection, ego boundary, healthy psychological defense |
note type, white picket,
barbed wire, gate, no entrance |
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Nature |
forces beyond our control,
acceptance |
wind, water, fire, earth,
space, stars |
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Mountain |
stability, individuation,
attainment, accomplishment, challenge |
note location and quality,
wooded, tundra, ice, snow, tropics |
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Ocean |
powerful, ever-changing
force, place of dreams and visions, unconscious |
calm, rough, peaceful,
noisy, threatening, welcoming |
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Island |
separation, detachment,
relaxation, isolation |
note qualities and
associations |
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Journey |
path of self discovery,
becoming |
walk, run, hike, stroll,
take a vehicle |
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Battle |
conflict between will and
desire, personality and soul |
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Sex |
integration of new material,
joining of opposites |
intimacy, intercourse, note
quality |
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Birth |
emergence of new sense of
self |
babies, kittens, chicks,
eggs, bunnies |
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Death |
loss, letting go ,
transformation |
after a fire, cemeteries,
death process, graves, tombstones, fall leaves, bones |
Numbers are our most
commonly used symbols. They communicate across
culture. Their study becomes very abstract very quickly: a fact you
discover in talking with any mathematician. Numerology, the study of
numbers and meanings, appears in cultures as far back as In
numerology the numbers 0-9 are most prominent with double-digit numbers
being adding together and reduced to their single numerical value. In
numerology, people use birth dates and names to assign character and
predictive meaning. For use in symbol interpretation I include the
following simplified chart. What is very important in looking an
appearance and recurrence of numbers in symbolic work is the clients
association with the numbers. For Instance if a client shared a dream
that had several references to the number six, you might want to note if
anything significant had happened in the client’s life 6 weeks, months
or years ago or when the client was six years old. If the client
relates to numerology or a system like the Enneagram you might research
a text or visit the following site
http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
to gather
information for better understanding of the client’s world. I treat
these belief systems with the same respect for the diversity in any
culture or religion. We are here to do our best to understand and help
each other through the darker times. If their system of viewing the
world includes a different system or language with whose meaning I am
unfamiliar, I will do my best to gain some understanding as quickly as
possible.
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Zero,
0 |
The
ellipse, all and nothing, a container, risk, faith |
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One, 1 |
the
point the original being, original ideas and energy |
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Two, 2
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The
line the possibility for relationship duality, opposition |
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Three, 3
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The
triangle, creativity, the product of the union |
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Four, 4
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square foundation stability structure |
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Five, 5
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Pentagon, change, creative conflict |
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Six 6
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Hexagon, 2 triangles, balance and harmony |
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Seven, 7
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Septagon forward movement, will and personality in unison |
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Eight, 8
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Octagon, power the structure on top of a foundation, soul and
personality in unison |
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Nine, 9 |
Completion, teaching, assimilation |
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Ten, 10 |
Completion and beginning anew |
following link for a description of the archetypes and exploration of Jungian theory http://www.acs.appstate.edu/~davisct/nt/jung.html#DefinitionDreams and myths are constellations of archetypal images. They are not free compositions by an artist who plans them for artistic or informational effects. Dreams and myths happen to human beings. The archetype speaks through us. It is a presence and a possibility of "significance." The ancients called them "gods" and "goddesses."
What then is an archetype? Jung discovered that humans have a "preconscious psychic disposition that enables a (man) to react in a human manner." These potentials for creation are actualized when they enter consciousness as images. There is a very important distinction between the "unconscious, pre- existent disposition" and the "archetypal image." The archetype may emerge into consciousness in myriads of variations. To put it another way, there are a very few basic archetypes or patterns which exist at the unconscious level, but there are an infinite variety of specific images which point back to these few patterns. Since these potentials for significance are not under conscious control, we may tend to fear them and deny their existence through repression. This has been a marked tendency in Modern Man, the man created by the French Revolution, the man who seeks to lead a life that is totally rational and under conscious control. If you have not already visited this site on archetypes, please visit the
Archetypes are those characters that appear through time in stories and myths carrying importance by their mere presence and message.
Archetypal images include:
·
Hero the person on a
quest for wholeness who must endure the task of initiation
· Healer the wise man or woman with knowledge of ways of healing due to their own suffering
The Wounded Healer This concept originates in Ancient Greece, with the myth of Chiron. Chiron was a centaur, a healer who himself had an incurable wound.
·
Trickster, Coyote in
Native American Lore the prankster who turns your world upside down to
remind you there is always another perspective
·
Shadow, the villain, the
thief or murder that threatens your life energy or beliefs
·
Teacher can be any number
of images, which lead the dreamer to greater self-understanding often
through great effort.
· Child, innocence, which embraces life but also, requires attention and protection of a new and developing aspect of Self.
SELF mandala, light angel new
birth
This site is
organized by Adam
McLean, the well-known authority on alchemical texts and
symbolism, author and publisher of over 40 books on alchemical and
Hermetic ideas
Norse mythology
http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~cherryne/mythology.html
Classical Mythology
http://www.princeton.edu/~rhwebb/myth.html
Archive of
Archetypal Symbols reference and images of The Body
Native American very
rich and full site
http://www.runningdeerslonghouse.com/index2.html
http://www.eldrbarry.net/rabb/rvn/rvn.htm
For More on Biblical
Dream Symbols please visit
http://www.tehillah.org/dreams5.shtml
For many in depth presentations of Jungian
symbol interpretation please visit
www.sandplay.org and explore
the symbol papers
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Tarot and
Astrology
Tarot and
Astrology use archetypal images and numbers which make their way
through our consciousness on a regular basis . The following material
is provided for your information on the symbols. I am not ascribing any
divination powers to their study in this course. People have used
these systems and their symbols for centuries to transmit teachings and
knowledge in an attempt to illuminate man’s quest for universal meaning.
Their meanings that have been ascribed to them for thousands of years.
Whether you “believe” in them or not is irrelevant to the fact that they
exist and millions of people search sites for “their horoscope” daily.
They provide a basis of communication through symbols that people
recognize from the “the Wheel of Fortune” to the Grim Reaper of “Death”
There are very few people that do not “know their sign” and some
attributes associated with it. This material is presented as a study of
archetypal symbols, synchronicity and man’s quest for deeper meaning.
However, if this material is uncomfortable to you in any way, please
feel free to skip over it and explore the other symbol sites.
The Tarot is
from the word is derived from the word ROTA and is based upon the
Qaballah, the tree of life. The cards of the Major Arcana contain
archetypal images than point to the development of an individual’s
consciousness along the path of life. The Minor Arcana concern the more
mundane aspects of life and eventually evolved in to today’s playing
card with the 4 suits and 13 cards. We will look at the symbols
represented by the traditional card and the equivalent form the
Medicine Woman’s Inner Guidebook by Carol Bridgesare
presented. Traditional Tarot decks our based upon medieval symbolism
whereas the Medicine Woman deck includes Native American Symbolism
combined with Eastern teachings. For Native American Teachings I would
Also recommend the Medicine Cards and the Sacred Path Cards. There are
very interesting teaching stories shared throughout these decks.
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Traditional |
Medicine Woman |
General Meaning |
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0 The Fool |
The Seed |
Risk, Faith to go into the unknown, The first step |
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1 The Magician |
Resources |
Recognizing your strengths, power and resources |
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2 The High Priestess |
Seeker |
Trusting intuition |
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3 The Empress |
Bounty |
Enjoying body, comfort and fertility |
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4 The Emperor |
Command |
Understanding structure |
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5 The Hierophant |
Peacemaker
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Teaching and understanding The world from divine center |
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6 The Lovers |
Ecstasy |
Unification of opposites |
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7 The Chariot |
The Warrior |
Achievement , personal |
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8 Strength |
Healing |
Balancing soul and personality |
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9 The Hermit |
The Guide |
Hearing and following your Higher Self |
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10 The Wheel of Fortune |
The Harvest |
Honoring cycles of change |
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11 Justice |
Balance |
universal law, humility in the face of |
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12 The Hanged Man |
Vision |
Seeing things from a totally new perspective |
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13 Death |
Sunset |
Letting go of the old, past, transformation, endings |
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14 Temperance |
Blend |
Integrating past and future, strengthening through experience. strength gained through 'trial by fire' |
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15 The Devil |
Trickster "lived spelled backwards" |
Self-created limitation through your mind and past experience, restrictive beliefs |
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16 The Tower |
The Pierced Shield |
Ridding one's Self of false beliefs and pride |
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17 The Star |
The Grandfathers |
Bringing in higher wisdom , honoring the wisdom of the ancestors |
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18 The Moon |
The Grandmothers |
Following one's soul , one's vision and inner guidance |
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19 The Sun |
Rebirth |
New stage of psychic development |
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20 Judgment |
Discernment |
Release from old Self , ability to see beyond duality and either/or, better worse judgment, acceptance |
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21 The World |
The Dancer |
A free soul, attainment |
The Zodiac is divided into 12 signs. Each sign is associated with n element a quality and a planet. I have found astrology most easily understood as related to the developmental stages of being human. For the sake of brevity and an introduction to the meanings attributed to sun signs and the developmental levels. This does not in any way indicate that people born under the later signs are " more evolved than those born in the beginning of the zodiac. This is presented a developmental way of understanding the movement of the Zodiac. The evolvement of the individual soul is far beyond the scope of this paper. The elements have been addressed earlier in this course. The qualities refer to the cycle of creation and change.
Cardinal-initiating beginning, forceful
Fixed- stable, resolute, predictable
Mutable-changing, assimilating
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Sign |
Ruling Planet |
Symbol |
Quality/ Element |
Developmental Issue |
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Aries |
Mars |
Ram- will |
Cardinal Fire |
infancy, "I am" " The world is me" |
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Taurus |
Venus |
Bull- material, sensual comfort |
Fixed Earth |
toddler, "I want, This is mine" |
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Gemini |
Mercury |
The Twins- duality, thinking, communication |
Mutable Air |
child, "There are others" |
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Cancer |
Moon |
Crab the home is within |
Cardinal Water |
Latency, "There is family, Home" |
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Leo |
Sun |
Lion Personality and Soul |
Fixed fire |
Adolescence, "Look at me trying on new views" |
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Virgo |
Mercury |
The Virgin sacrifice and service |
Mutable Earth |
young adult, "I can be of service to others" |
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Libra |
Venus |
The Scales balance and Justice |
Cardinal Air |
Adult, " Partnerships, Balance" |
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Scorpio |
Pluto |
The Scorpion Regeneration |
Fixed Water |
Adult, "Transformation from union Partnership" |
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Sagittarius |
Jupiter |
The Archer new realms of knowledge |
Fixed Fire |
Adult, " My thoughts can pierce the boundaries of my beliefs" |
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Capricorn |
Saturn |
The Goat with The Fish tale |
Cardinal Earth |
Adult " I can reach deep within to bring new structure and achievements forward" |
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Aquarius |
Uranus |
The Water Bearer Emotion/ Thought/Intuition |
Fixed Air |
Adult" Let's stir things up with new, "out there" ideas. The collective is greater than the individual |
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Pisces |
Neptune |
The Fish swimming in Opposite Directions |
Mutable Water |
Adult " When one discovers the truth , one will see the exception. The unending cycle of change." |
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Phoenix Helm Simpson |
copyright 2003 |
all rights reserved |
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Sacred Symbols
Symbols are the symbolic language of the soul. Carl Jung theorized that we are able t |