Dream Analysis of the Week- Face the Music

Dream:

I dreamed that something was following me and yet also avoiding me.  I could see it in the eyes of a colleague who did not return my calls. I felt it in a man who did not wish to speak with me as he turned away and drove off in a truck that grew wings and flew.  I could sense it as I read newspaper headlines about local real estate developpers. Angry local women were protesting a court outcome.  I sensed the same thing vying for my attention everytime I picked up my phone to check email or social media.  It was like the itch that seemed to move to a different place in my body if I made a move to scratch it. Even when I resisted scratching, the sensation would be evoked by the external.  It was harder to tune in and feel this music in the sun.

Insight:

For some people, letting go is an idea, something very difficult to do.  We become very good at ignoring our gut. The ultimate goal is natural awareness.  At some point, you do not know how not to be aware. That is when everything is meditation. Awareness is all that is. At that stage, there is no period of starting and stopping meditation. Yet, in the beginning, steps of guidance, focused attention, going to a place at a particular time, control, are required to shift into, help us recall this state. An analogy can be seen as honesty and dishonesty play out in our own life experience. This is our process of shifting out of ego fear and into love.

Dreams that echo inner conflict point to the roots of unrecognized or unexplained anger, resentments or guilt. Part of you wants to see things for what they are in the present moment, accept and integrate what bothers you, yet fear, conditioning keep you in denial.  The only way to accept others is to fully accept ourselves first, including decoding our shadow.  What we think we reject in others often simply reflects what we judge or reject about ourselves.  Whatever you think you cannot accept, choose to avoid or "protest" about is actually inside you. Headlines echo the unconscious issues that cry out for your acceptance and conscious validation.

Dreams speak to us in a language of metaphors, symbols, images, and archetypes. These patterns we all recognize instinctively, as part of the collective mind. An example would be the idea of a good mother or an angel. Whether or not we had a good mother or ever saw an angel, we share common understanding that the mother of compassion who loves unconditionally and protects wholeheartedly does exist. This is an archetype. Although we all dream about different things, many patterns are universal. Dream images and events are not literal, but have archetypal resonance. Each dream aspect is unique to the dreamer but connects to the collective unconscious. It is here where insight and history of the universe is stored. We often access it during dreams.

The wings make reference to spiriituality. Humans are spiritual beings. We are comprised of both essence and matter. We take form as flesh and bone that encapsulates our purest self—the soul, our most authentic being. This part of us feels deep love and spontaneous joy. It is our elemental self lodged in trust and understanding. We were born into the world in this perfect and ethereal form and from that moment our humanness began to grow. As soon as we experienced pain, loss, or fear we began to develop the counterpart to the soul—our shadow. Our shadow consists of the qualities we repress, deny, or dislike in ourselves. It is the dark side of our personality. The shadow grows as we experience suffering and hardship in our human form. Each one of us is a hybrid blend of shadow and soul. We are both dark and light. Filled with fear and love. Brimming with confidence and saddled by doubt. We are a balance of what is seen and unseen.

In a woman, the soul is represented as masculine and the shadow is represented as feminine. The opposite is true for men whose soul is shown through a captivating, beautiful, and intriguing woman and whose shadow is portrayed as an ugly, destructive, violent or somehow undesirable man. When you are feeling connected, spiritual, your soul shows itself in. If it makes an appearance and leaves, this suggests you are distracted by or weighed down by your shadow. When we are overwrought with feelings of anger or fear, the shadow figure may dominate the dream space.  The multiple people living inside you are called personas.

 We offer Dream Consultations and dreamwork as part of our psychotherapy and coaching packages.  We also offer an Astral, Lucid & Dream Yoga Course.  Contact us for details.

10 Tips to be radically responsible

Get back on track-

Commit to our 21 Days of Radical Responsibility Program

Start with 10 tips to be radically responsible (for your life):

1. Make choices based on what’s actually true, rather than what you think should be true.

• Listen to how you feel in this moment-be aware of signs, signals, sensations as pointers.

• Tune into the heart vibration and rhythm of the breath. To feel calm or rattled is a reliable guide.

2. Assert and reinforce your feelings, needs, boundaries, requests.

• Be aware of when someone attempts to talk you out of your feelings

• See everything as an opportunity to trust yourself more

3. Own your choices and visions. Don't blame others or the external.

• Know you are who you are because of all your experiences

• See the lesson or blessing in all situations whihc you create for yourself to grow

4. Honor personal power of others. 

• Treat them as whole, creative and resourceful rather than needy

• See your role is to allow others to make their own choices rather than control them

5. Filter for present-moment thinking

• Be aware of tense of language spoken
• 
  
• Let go of thoughts of past or future

6. Focus on what's in your control

• Focus on yourself and your responses to the external

• Accept what is within your power and reach

7. Be radically honest with yourself and your values

• Be aware that every choice has consequences

•  Do not go along with others simply its easier (recall Dumbledore: "The time comes Harry, when w must choose between what is right and what is easy.")

8. Practice your ability to respond to your emotions, sensations, and thoughts in useful ways 

• Validate your truth, intuition, signs and signals from within you

• Meditate to sharpen subtle senses

9. Practice self-compassion: treat yourself with kindness and grace

• Set realistic standards
• Love yourself, your choices & inclinations

10. Take action. Action is reciprocal with confidence. Don't stay stuck because you're unsure or the path is unclear. Take a step forward.

• Notice feacing fear is the reliable choice (so long as it doesn't put you in harm's way)

• Recall your thoughts and feelings direct every moment of your life – no one is coming to save you=

Get back to what is real

Notice pure consciousness is. 'You' arise by taking on projections of the world around you. Pure consciousness is colored by them. "Your" identity takes shape as you decide to accept or modify the projections. That decision gets repressed in the unconscious and becomes a fixation. Once repressed, you can no longer change it. Your thinking process grows from projections and your decisions arise as the basis of thought. Ego (who you believe you are) arises from who you are told you are. The false idea of you stems from early projections, decisions and fixations. It's like ego is the image you see in the mirror. The basis of the underlying operating system (beyond the mirror) often goes unrecognized. The ego wants center stage. Eliminate the operating system, and the ego disappears ('you' see no reflection). Yet, to hold 'your' attention, ego imagines problems. This prevents you from seeing behind the curtain/mirror. By thinking it's unworthy, in need of improving, ego prolongs its false existence. As long as ego can maintain the illusion of imperfection, 'you' do not see ego arises from false logic. No entity really bears your name, personality, or sense of person-hood. It's an illusion created by pure consciousness, filtered through primary projections. To eliminate the fixation, grow aware the projections are false. By imagining inadequacies, you perpetuate suffering and the illusion of separation. The real issue is the projections only arise because originally what was offered was a lack of love. Do not trust the projection that produced 'your ego'. It was not God saying he did not love you, it was people in your life that unknowingly withheld /did not provide constant, unconditional love. No matter how much self-improvement you do at level of ego, you are still unworthy because of the structure of the ego. No matter what cosmetic changes you make, no matter how much money you obtain, none of it will end the projection the core of the ego desire to improve itself. Only by growing conscious you are a Being of Light does the desire for love shift beyond Ego processes and yearn for improvement. Innermost Source of love is pure consciousness from where all creativity comes. Be the endless field of abundance, joy and bliss.

Rise from the Ashes

Notice that after powerful experiences shake you up, life cannot return to the previous "normal". Yet, as we can see beyond the painful processes and the nature of our attachment, we move forward through fire, into the next chapter of our lives. In the case of conflict, heartbreak or crumbling relationships, we gain valuable insights into ourselves that could not arise any other way. As Rumi echoes, 'the wound is the place where light enters.' Our assumed loss of love guides us to realize we are each source of love eternal. This does arise outside. Deepening self-love is the journey inward. As we rise above our fears like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we can continue to grow and accept people as they are, leave or move on as part of a soul journey. We see nature of disconnection clearer as we grow more connected to ourselves, grow aware of who we are. It is about consciously allowing the fire element to burn away negative beliefs we outgrow. As we sense fire with awareness and attention to inner balance, our lives bloom in new directions fuelled by an incredible lightness of being, feeling stronger, igniting a spark.

What beckons to be let go or burnt away in your life to make room for new growth? Identify a belief or a situation you used to prop up your false identity. As awakening occurs, revelations or truths surface. Brutal honesty is required at this stage of soul evolution. Allow the metaphorical fire to do its job, leaving you free to blossom into the warmth of the sunlight and whatever expansion reveals.

("RISING FROM ASHES" - DOTILLISM ART PHOENIX BIRD by Olsea Arts)

Connect with Inner Beauty

(lotus flower from everydaypower.com )

Notice as we grow ready and willing to see more of ourselves, to integrate both light and dark, we suddenly grow more aware of the intricate details of our immeditate surroundings. As we feel more whole and complete, the scope of our multisensual experience expands. What ego was conditioned to overlook, criticize, or write off as ugly, repulsive, becomes cute, cuddle, beautiful. The more we come to see beauty in the external, the more in touch we are to innate beauty and no boundaries with our unique divinity. We are learning about the vehicle we created. Rather than identify with issues that arise, meet it and see it from the perspective of your greatness.