Journal of a Witch

Why should we work with dreams?

We all dream while we are asleep: it is as natural for us as breathing. And the same as we forget we are breathing, we also forget we are dreaming.

There are many theories as to which part of us makes us dream: some say it is just our minds playing over the events of the day; some say it is mere wish fulfillment; some believe it is our souls or higher selves that are making us dream; while some believe it is our soul that actually leaves the body and goes on its own adventure - thus giving us dreams.
There are many ideas about why we dream and they could all be true.
I personally believe it is the work of our higher-selves.

No matter what really makes dreaming possible, though, we have our dreams for a reason. We are going through a life journey right now and it isn't an easy one.

At night when we sleep, our higher selves make us dream to show us possible solutions to the problems we are having.
Dreams help us to better cope with our lives, whether we interpret them or not.

Often times, our dreams will actually solve problems on their own - with or without out conscious participation.
Since we are given such a great opportunity through dreams to help our lives, I feel it is a waste not to work with them and reap their full benefits.

Possibilities available to those who work with dreams

Here are some of the possibilities available to those who work with their dreams:

Gaining strength and courage
Rebalancing our emotional state
Healing the body, mind, and spirit
Rebalancing our male/female energy
Helping our relationships with family, friends, and partners
Relieving sexual tension
Helping us with our past
Fulfilling our wishes
Solving our problems
Realizing our potential
Giving us hope
Reassuring us
Warning us
Energizing us
Helping us tap into our creativity and hidden talents
Allowing us to practice/prepare for things
Allowing us to see/feel other people's perspectives
Giving us insight on how to help others
Allowing us to have visits with loved ones who've passed on
Allowing us to visit other realms
Allowing us to see the future
Allowing us to see our past lives
Allowing us to tap into the collective consciousness
Allowing us to be aware, or lucid, during our dreams

There are many things dreams can offer us, but we will leave it at that for now. It may seem complicated at first, but it is actually quite simple.

How to work with your dreams

Here are a few things you can do to begin working with your dreams:

1.) Start keeping a dream journal. Just have a notebook handy and write down the details of your dream before you forget it. You don't need to do this everyday; I recommend at least once a week. Don't forget to add the date.

2.) Find out the meaning. There are many ways to interpret dreams and I advise everyone to try different methods until you find the one that works best for you.

You may wish to try these techniques, which I have found to work well:

i.) Write down the details of the dream that were the most significant to you, or that really stuck out at you.

ii) Write down how you felt during your dream, at the end of your dream, and when you woke-up from your dream.

iii) Make three columns: Column 1 is called "beginning" and under this column, write down all the things that stuck out to you when the dream started, as well as how you felt.
Column 2 is called "middle" and under this column, write down the things that stuck out to you during the middle of the dream, as well as how you felt.
Column 3 is called "outcome" and under this column, write down the things that stuck out at you at the end of the dream, as well as how you felt.

iiii) Now that you've done that, go back to each column and figure out a general sentence for what was going on.

v) Once you've done that, write down the one emotion you felt, when each thing happened.

iv) Now, write down what situation in your life you can relate this to in Column 1. In Column 2, write down what you think this might be telling you about your situation. In Column 3, write down the message that your dream has given you.

Beginning	Middle	Outcome
hanging out in pajamas	getting upset that I was not told there was going to be a party	I go get ready right away
having fun, relaxing	feeling unprepared	I am excited, happy
someone who is just enjoying themselves	something happening that someone wasn't prepared for	someone doing something before it's too late
relaxed	unprepared	happy
I am just relaxing, not worrying about anything	something might come up that I am unprepared for	If I prepare myself before it's too late, I will have a happy outcome.

If you've tried this, and still can't figure your dream out, try asking yourself some of the following questions.

Key Questions:

Write down the story line: summarize what happened in your dream.
What objects did you feel had importance in your dream?
What colours stood out to you in your dream?
Who were the key characters in your dream?
Describe the setting of your dream.
What were your feelings in the dream and upon awakening?
Was this a one-time dream or part of a recurring sequence?
What were the main points of the dream?
What details seem significant? Why?
What title would you give this dream and why?
What happens in the beginning of the dream?
What actions are taken?
Who was in the dream?
If the people in your dream were parts of yourself, what would they be telling you?
What is the overall tone of the dream?
How does this dream compare to your life right now?
What is the dream telling you about your life that you might be overlooking?
What is the outcome of the dream?
If you were to live the dream in real life, what would you do differently?
What is the message?
What is the theme of the dream?
How am I acting in this dream? (aggressive, assertive, passive, active, etc...)
Who (or what) is the adversary?
Who (or what) is being wounded?
Who (or what) is being healed?
Who (or what) is my companion?
What would I like to avoid in the dream?
What does the dream want from me? What actions might it be suggesting that I consider?
Does the dream trigger any memories? Do any of the elements of the dream relate to my past? Why might this part of my past be called to my attention now?
Does the dream trigger any further questions?
Why did I need this dream? What is its positive message for me?

Interpreting the symbolism in dreams

Thousands of books have been published on dream symbolism: I do not use these books, because every symbol means something different to every person.

Why do we dream in symbols? When we dream, we are functioning on the soul plane and, therefore, we are communicating the way souls communicate - with symbols and feelings. All we have to do is interpret these symbols into what we understand them to mean - thus gaining an understanding of the messages of our dreams.

Here are a few ways of interpreting the symbols in your dreams:

1.) What does the symbol mean to you? Everyone has different associations and feelings about different things. Try to figure out what the symbols mean to you.

example:
pajamas - lazy
party - event

It is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Perhaps you dream of an oak tree: to some this may symbolize growth, but to you it may symbolize love, because your husband proposed to you under an oak tree. See how it works?

2.) You can also play the word association game with your symbols: Write down the first thought that comes to your mind when you think of the word. Keep doing this until something pops out at you.

example:
pajamas - coat - protective - afraid - stalled
party - fun - enjoyable - event - something I want to be part of

Do whatever works best for you.

To Recall Your Dreams

Dreams seem to have a way of participating with us when we show signs of interest. What I mean by this is that when we begin to work with dreams, talk about them more often, and try to interpret them, we seem to have an easier time recalling them upon waking then ever before. Try some of the suggestions listed below for increased ability to recall your dreams.

1. Before going to bed, keep a clear mind. Tell yourself

"I will remember my dream when I wake up.”

2. Have a regular bedtime and wake-up time. Make this your routine.

3. Avoid alcohol consumption and before going to bed.

4. Keep a pencil/notebook or tape recorder next to your bed so that it will be within reach as soon as you wake up. You want to make recording your dreams as easy a task as possible. Having a small lamp by your bedside is also a good idea should you wake up in the middle of the night and want to record your dream immediately.

5. Upon waking from a dream, lie in bed for a few minutes with your eyes closed. Then wake-up slowly and stay relaxed, holding on to the feelings you have and letting your mind wander to the images of what you have just dreamt. Were you frustrated, terrified, or happy?

6. Record your dream immediately. Make it a habit.

7. Talk about your dreams with friends or participate in forums and chats.

-Marylin.

Dream Work

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