Dreams Guide Our Lives - Part III

Part III – Dream Stories – Going Deeper

"A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read"

 – The Talmud

"Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you"

– Marsha Norman

The art of interpreting dreams can’t be mastered from books alone. Dream books are an important tool for learning the art of general dream symbols and archetypes, which became lost in the modern world, but whose wisdom is now reclaiming a renaissance as we remember our spiritual existence is an essential part of who we are.

Yet, it's in the journey of discovering, learning, and knowing the “Self” which is both our higher spiritual aspect with intuitive inner resources and profound core values and truth, and our humanity that comes wrapped in the physical ego and five senses, our true emotions, memories and experiences, where we'll derive the most essential and unique significance of our personal library of dream symbols and dream experiences.  Dream work is a most valuable practice in bringing both aspects of ourselves together. I cannot think of a more powerful combination to use for the endeavor.

It bears repeating that learning the general meaning of a dream symbol is one thing, but personal emotional/mental experience can add other layers of meaning. For example, the carnation flower may be associated with sad feelings and memories of death and burial. Yet to another, the carnation is a sweet fragrance and memories of carefree childhood summers. So, learning the deep resource of general symbols and archetypes is essential – the other essential is in knowing oneself, both the positive side and embracing our shadow or negative programs so we can deal with integrity and honesty in our dream work.

I would be wary of people who say they interpret dreams for us. More accurately, an experienced dream worker can guide us to uncover hidden meaning by asking the right questions. When a client has asked for help with dream interpretation, my job is to guide them into asking the right questions of themselves, and perhaps address key areas and symbols that an inexperienced eye doesn’t yet see.

Now for some fun! We’re going to review actual dream clips that have been analyzed using dream symbols. Additional data is provided for context and deeper meaning for each dream.

Creative - Spiritual work

Dream # 1 – The Sea Lion

I saw a beautiful sea lion. We both gazed into each other’s eyes. What large, deep, liquid eyes those were!

Seal or sea lion:  Active imagination; creativity and lucid dreaming. They reflect the ability to bring the creative forces out of the inner and set in motion in the outer; from water to land-they give birth on land.

Eyes:  Both eyes mean seeing with clarity; eyes represent the creativity of the Mother Goddess; how we see things; enlightenment; understanding

Note:  This was a wonderful and confirming dream for me as I had been preparing to begin a new creative writing journey, I’d been incubating ideas for a new art project, and was preparing a finished manuscript with art work to present to publishers for publication. So many things that had been brewing inside me were ready to be created in the physical world and I was clear about what I wanted to do with these.

Dream # 2 – Help With An Art Project

A man said to me, “You like purple don’t you?” He presented two bolts of cloth for me to look at – one of deep rich purple, the other an equally rich orange.

Man:  A creative male aspect of self; guide

Cloth:  The materials with which you create your life – note color

Purple:  The personality or instincts sublimated in the service of spirit; intuition; wisdom; color of the gods/royalty; humility; devotion; healing abilities; truth

Orange:  Flames; creativity; balancing creative expression; cutting through/penetrating; female strength; energy; peace

Note: I was close to finishing an art project creating a mandala with oil pencil. I’d finished drawing the 6 lemniscates (elongated figure 8 infinity symbol) that encircled the inner main part, and had been wondering what colors to use to fill in the design. Upon awakening from this dream, I knew I would use both purple and orange. The title of my mandala was “Wholeness Mandala.” It was to represent me - my journey toward wholeness in body, mind, and spirit.

Dream # 3 – Catching Fish

I saw two beautiful, shining orange transparent fish swimming in the air in front of me. I was delighted and gently caught them in my hands.

Fish:  Spiritual food; two fish also represent the astrological sign of Pisces which I am; content of the unconscious; nourishing influences of the unconscious contents that have the ability to penetrate the depths of its watery domain; penetration of one’s own unconscious; the Self or inner Christ.

Two:  Two of the same creature/animal means movement or change in the unconscious soon to be available to the conscious. The number two: Duality and balance; any opposite function such as inner/outer, conscious/unconscious, masculine/feminine, beginning/end

Shiny:  Related to symbolisms of sun/light/reflections; awareness; consciousness

Orange:  Flames; creativity; balancing creative expression; cutting through/penetrating; female strength; energy; peace

Transparent:  Ability to perceive and understand situation; motives are obvious

Note:  My creative work, being also my spiritual work and purpose, is being more consciously recognized as such. I’m working on joyfully bringing that into consciousness and balance.

Body - Healing

Dream # 1 – Growing Strength

I drew several pictures of a tree. Most specifically was the trunk of the tree. The trunk that I drew over and over was wide, strong, and straight. I drew some with new branches or limbs and also began adding leaves.

Draw:  Create, map out your direction; plan; creative expression; emergence of unconscious material

Tree:  You and your state of psychological and physical health; archetypal symbol of the Self and its process of individuation as represented by growth and branching out

Trunk:  Backbone; strength; source of kundalini power.

Limbs:  Talents and abilities; opportunities for self-expression

Leaves:  Many manifestations of your gifts; the results of flowering or producing in the world.

Note:  I have been actively working with several methods for healing my body from Lyme disease with my Lyme Specialist, which has been mainly centered along the spine of my back. Some of the greatest healing and renewal has also been the birth of creative ideas and developing new abilities/areas of self-expression with my work and personal life which have greatly strengthened me – a process of individuation.

Dream # 2 – A Treatment Plan

I was in a hospital room. Three friendly female nurses were also present. We laughed and the atmosphere was one of calm and ease. I was laying on my stomach, back bare and exposed. I saw my doctor’s face clearly – a middle age man, moustache, wire-rimmed glasses, early 60’s, slightly round, kind, focused, knowledgeable, and who appeared a bit old-fashioned. We talked to each other briefly, although I don’t recall everything. He gave me white pills to swallow. I asked him if I needed to take the pills to heal. He said, “Yes.”

Hospital:  Healing center; emotional, mental, physical rejuvenation; an existing medical situation; an upcoming medical experience

Three:  The generative force, creative power and forward movement; trinity, mind-body-spirit harmony; three symbolizes a stepping stone toward four or wholeness; three has associations with the past, present, and knowledge of all things

Nurse:  Healing ability; feminine aspect of care and nurturing; caretaker/healer aspect of self

Back:  The human back houses the spinal column, conductor of kundalini power or life force; strength of character; spiritual power; your stance in the world – your strengths or burdens

Nude (bare/exposed): Totally exposed; not hiding who or what you are; openness; vulnerability

Doctor:  Inner healer; higher healing self; guidance; own inner authority

White:  Illumination, newness, awareness, light and life, joy, purity, sacredness. Whitening is the third stage of the alchemical process and represents new knowing

Pills/Medicine:  Pills as medicine represent healing; getting well physically or psychologically

Note:  I’d been discussing an additional plan of medical treatment with my Lyme Specialist and had just begun the initial antibiotic treatment that would progress into an aggressive plan of pulsing high dosages as my body would permit. We were happy that my back/spine was getting stronger and taking all the necessary steps needed to care for and nurture myself. It was good to see real progress. The dream doctor was my spirit guide Percival, confirming what I was doing was on track and needed – he used to be a doctor in another life experience and is one of my guides.

Emotional/Mental Healing

Dream # 1 – Tyrant – Last Showdown

I stood in the open doorway of a room listening and watching as my mother talked, she sitting in a chair in front of other family members. The others were silent as she was the only one talking. I walked into the room and confronted her. I exclaimed, “Why are you so hateful? Why are you so mean-spirited?” As I confronted her with these questions with all the courage and power within me, her appearance began to change.

She began to dissolve into a black mass, edging her way backwards from me, melting into a puddle out of the chair. I kept slowly stepping forward, and finally I proclaimed, “That is the question you need to ask yourself! Ask yourself why!” As the melted black mass which was her, moved back and away from me, I turned to the others, the family who had been listening to her, and in a loud commanding tone and sweeping gesture of my arm, said, “Come on! Get out of here now! Come on!”

They got up and came with me. My mother was gone.

Open:  The way is being shown; things are getting clearer; a way out; movement; progress

Door:  Opportunity for self-discovery; a transition symbol leading to new or different perceptions

Room:  Aspect of self. Rooms, and the actions within them, often represent a particular characteristic of the dreamer or a particular relationship

Mother:  Archetype of the feminine principle; older, more wiser and mature female aspect of self; relationship with or spirit of mother;

Chair:  The chair of power – authority/leader; comfort; support; refuge

Family:  Integration of roles or aspects of self, although it could show the dynamics of a relationship of a particular family member

Talking:  Messages; teachings; verbalization; communication

Melt/Dissolve:  Transformation; change; creating new relationships and situations; not having enough will power or endurance

Black:  Mystery; unknown; unconscious; unenlightened; emotional darkness; repressed. In alchemy, black or blackening is the first color in the transformation process and holds within it the promise of something to come, i.e. growth, change, insight

Note:  This was a confirmation, a dream for preparation, and strength of clarity. A decision was soon made to complete a journey with my mother. It was over. The choice had come after years of futile attempts at negotiations, compromises, and boundaries. The action in physical reality was a quietly focused withdrawal. The action also became opportunities for forgiveness and a compassion that can only germinate when we have disengaged and removed ourselves from the struggle of negative energy – no matter who it is. The growth benefit is the re-establishment of self-empowerment, strength, and core inner truth. A heightened spiritual awareness is realizing that relationship challenges are our greatest teachers, difficult as the process can be.


I hope these dreams and the art of dream analysis will open doors for others. A great journey awaits those who desire to consciously plunge into the dream language of the spiritual realm where endless gems are found for navigating all facets of our earth life. Dream work is endlessly fascinating and always life affirming.

Next Month: Using Essential Oils

Live in Beauty and be well – Triza Schultz


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