dream analysis – Mookychick
Some say dreams are not just a way to make sense of what happened during the day but the means for important messages to reach us; messages that our logical self just doesn’t pick up on. So here is a quick guide on reading your night time imaginings using a couple of different methods.
Firstly, you need to be able to remember your dreams. Tell yourself that you will remember your dreams tonight, really tell yourself and it should filter into your subconscious. Keep a pen and paper handy to record whatever you remember when you wake-up. In fact, record your dreams in a notebook or dream diary. Keep this up and you’ll notice an improvement in what you can recall.
Using books
Pick up a few books on dream interpretation and you’ll see that what’s a sign of danger in one is an omen for good fortune in another. Obviously, they can’t all be right so what’s a girl to do? The one thing these books have in common is symbolism so use them as a starting point and think about what different objects or places mean to you. If the book says purple is royalty but it’s always meant spirituality to you use that instead, remember your brain is trying to tell you something so it will use whatever is most familiar to you.
What about Freud?
If you listen to Freud everything revolves around sex and aggression. Freud also used symbolism to interpret dreams and almost anything was given sexual connotations. From snakes, swords, tunnels and wells to writing you could be having very naughty dreams! Try to remember that Sigmund was theorising in Victorian times – a very sexually repressed society indeed – before taking a vow of chastity or buying crotch-less panties.
And Jung?
Jung developed Freud’s work he held onto the idea of a personal unconscious while including a collective unconscious (a shared dream world) in his work. Jung also explored symbolism but believed that the personal significance to the individual must also be considered.
Jung also included Archetypes: universal images which we share through the collective unconscious. Think about mothers, heroes, tricksters, Princesses, wise men etc. fairytales and myths from all over the world include these archetypal figures; they represent a part of yourself that is hidden to your conscious mind. These archetypes will appear differently for the individual so you may see the mother as nurturing or cruel, warm and homely or strict and uncompromising.
Try using the active imagination technique – recreate a character from a dream and ask it questions to learn more about it, you will actually be interrogating a part of your psyche.
Witches do it in circles
Things to look out for in your astral adventures include the places and people you meet rather than paying attention to every single object you see. What do the strangers in your dreams look like? Could they be a representation of a God or Goddess? Look out for props such as sickles or hammers and pay attention to what they are wearing. If you feel as if you’re in the presence of a higher being whatever its form, ask for advice if you can (sometimes you find yourself in control of a dream). Seeing something divine won’t happen very often and usually indicates something life changing or help when you need it most. Animals can also bring you messages and have a symbolism all of their own. White animals are considered to be particularly mystical. Dreams are an excellent way to find your spirit guide or contact yours if you already have one.
Common sense
Not everything that happens to you in a dream is spiritually or emotionally important. Dreaming about laundry is probably not significant if you’ve done three loads today. Or are you imagining yourself in an episode of your favourite T.V. show? Is it destiny calling, telling you of your impending fame? Probably not if you fell asleep with the telly on.
My overall advice is to pay attention to your initial feelings about the dream and trust your intuition.