Dreamtime Answers
Dreaming is my way of healing. It is my way of searching for answers to problems that elude me in life. It is a useful tool for me, but even more so with an IPod! Music triggers time related memories and releases dreams. Today and lately, there are things that are weighing heavy. There is a LOT going on in my own life - and I know many can relate. But this time I went after the dead. I don't do that a lot but I've done it more often in the last year than I have ever in my life. Two hours changed my whole perspective. Y'all, Trudy says she is "busier than I have been in years! Its so much easier now! I get so much more done! ".
She reminded me of many things unfinished between us. Told me to go easier on some people and not so much on others. Some things she told me surprised me and she told me it was because I hadn't been paying attention in the right way. And she reminded me to "serve the love".
As we walked she gave me bits of a story. In the way of dreams - it didn't make a lot of sense to me, but she instructed to me share it - that it would find its place among us where it was needed and it would make sense then.
So here it is:
In the dreamtime, shadows and light
all lead to the timeless sea.
When you dream of Ancient Voices,
remember standing stones sing to the stars
and the hills speak of a magic time.
For they are the keepers of the waters of wonder
and reaching the thundering water
there you shall release to the heavens your shining gift.
Don't know what it means yet, but knowing Trudy...some of us will. For whatever reason, Tammy was not part of this particular journey, and I don't have any explanation for that - except that we get what we need and sometimes it's not what we want or expect.
Perhaps more answers await from Tzaddia...but I think she and I said all we needed to say at FOS this year. We shared a room, we shared alone time, and it was precious...I knew then it would be her last FOS. I thought at the time she seemed unrealistically optimistic about her life from there on out. Perhaps she knew there was yet more for her to do...and she was doing it at her own pace, on her own terms, in spite of the disease that ravaged her body and muddled her thoughts. Robb and I slept that night to the rhythm of her oxygen machine, her breaths an oddly comforting rhythm. Almost meditative. She knew. We all did. But we never expected Trudy to go before her. Never in a million years.
I don't think Trudy did either. She knew too time was short, certainly, I think, looking back, or she never would have said some of the things she said to me after FOS, but I think she thought she would be fighting it longer. We also talked by phone while I was driving back from Mom's funeral. Since she went, all I've been able to get was an "I'm sooo sorry honey, I know it's my fault and I'm sorry."...and while I know many specific things she could and probably was referring to...I needed clarification.
Dreaming in this manner is not for everyone. Much like our faith, paganism, actually even more exclusively, dreaming is the domain of Shamans and Witches. And if you are not careful, you can go from one foot in this world and one foot in the next, all the way across without a way to return. It's not for everyone, that's for sure. It's something that always came naturally to me...dreaming for specific purpose, it is one of the first magickal acts I ever performed...allbeit unwillingly. Seeing and hearing and dreaming things that others have no access to makes for a lonely existence and makes other people think you're friggin' nuts. And maybe we are our own special brand of crazy. But you know something? I'll take it any day over the soulless existence most people call Life. Seeing the movie Inception sorta scared me...because it showed me how easily what I do could be exploited by those with the knowledge to do so. But that same knowledge offers me the power of protection as well.
In an odd way, dreaming makes you so much more aware of the interconnectedness of all things, even seemingly unrelated things. Various folks are reporting odd dreams with loved ones close, with water involved, and music and dancing. Sounds like a party doesn't it? That's why we call it the Summerland. We ARE all connected. Even to those who have no idea what we are, don't care and would run screaming the other way from us. They are Their children too, the Once Born.
There are too many of them, certainly...the world is groaning under the weight of the sheer volume of bodies...and there are not enough souls to fill those. That's my theory anyway; that's why I believe you have people who live in their heads and do things no one else understands (Air)...that's why some children are so violent at such a young age, so self destructive (Fire) or so fearful and emotionally connected that even sleep terrifies them (Water) and then there are those that are locked away, sometimes in Autistic silence, sometimes in catatonia, but locked away and solid in their resistance to outside interference, unreachable...(Earth).
Sometimes you get mixtures. Heck my favorite analogy of Christianity is that it, like the Latin Cross that represents it (points earth top, air east, fire south, water west) you have the earth, air and water (foundations, intelligence and love/emotion/healing/compassion) with short arms. Only the fire arm is long. So you have a religion that is short on foundation, intelligence, and love and extra long on passionate zealotry. It fits the peculiar brand of fundamentalist apostolic evangelical Christianity that infects the South in particular. There's a reason people call them 'sheeple'.
If you saw that movie with Russell Crowe "Robin Hood", you saw the saying "Rise and rise again, until lions become lambs". He says in the movie that it means 'never give up.' While that's true, in the era of time the movie is set in, it also had another meaning. Lions are representative of Judaism, also of some sects of paganism...particularly the British Isles..and some Asian faiths. Lions, allegorically represent the largest sects of dominant religions of the populace. Christianity was first represented by the Ram (Aries) in the Abramic faiths...and then when the New Testament church came into vogue, it was Lambs. Christ was the Lamb of God. Followers were also referred to as lambs or sheep.
See? The saying, I believe also relates to conversion. The spread of Christianity. Never give up until the whole world has heard 'The Word' - and it was set during the Crusades... That's another theory of mine. Same with the Matrix movies...the Lord of the Rings. All of them reference the mythic return of a hero...much like the Grail Mysteries. All of these though, have been whitewashed by Christianity into something else. Much like the practices of the Roman Catholic Church can be directly correlated to the rituals of paganism (in spite of their protestations) these stories and analogies have been co-opted as well. There's a wealth of socio-political and religious symbolism in mythology for those who look with the right pair of eyes.
Anyway, so yeah, I have a healthy disdain for the fundamentalist sects of Christianity, but that doesn't mean I don't respect their right to believe what they do. And there are some who identify as Christian who adopt a much more sane approach. I greatly enjoy conversing with their open minds. They aren't invested in shoving their viewpoint down anyone's throat.
Anyway, back to the dream:
Part of the dream was an instruction to 'serve the love'. I've had that message before. The term "love" can mean several things depending on context. Service to all of them has always been a hallmark of my path. I was instructed to give a little more respect and credit to the convictions of those who believe differently. It's not always their path this time around to be of the faith. They're called "Once Born" for a reason too.
Emotions are a good thing. Being able to express them, to experience them, has been eluding me for a good while. I was worried about slipping into depression going into Winter when I was already so beaten down with so much going on. It's enough to have all your plans turned upside down by events you have no control over, but add to that the economic struggle of being out of work, the deaths of not one but SEVERAL close to you, and being looked to for answers and instruction yourself when you are pretty much torn out of yourself...it's stressful to say the least.
A change in perspective was needed. Doing something about the woes of the world is not my job. Serving love, serving those who love, serving those who earnestly seek, serving....it's a totally different mindset than trying to 'do something' about everything when it was never my place in the first place.
Doesn't mean I'm giving up...that's another hallmark of my path of service. If I make vow, I will die before I break it. Now I just have to figure out how to do them all (the vows) justice and still keep myself intact.
And the balancing act continues.....
And now....back to your regularly scheduled afternoon! Blessed be!
She reminded me of many things unfinished between us. Told me to go easier on some people and not so much on others. Some things she told me surprised me and she told me it was because I hadn't been paying attention in the right way. And she reminded me to "serve the love".
As we walked she gave me bits of a story. In the way of dreams - it didn't make a lot of sense to me, but she instructed to me share it - that it would find its place among us where it was needed and it would make sense then.
So here it is:
In the dreamtime, shadows and light
all lead to the timeless sea.
When you dream of Ancient Voices,
remember standing stones sing to the stars
and the hills speak of a magic time.
For they are the keepers of the waters of wonder
and reaching the thundering water
there you shall release to the heavens your shining gift.
Don't know what it means yet, but knowing Trudy...some of us will. For whatever reason, Tammy was not part of this particular journey, and I don't have any explanation for that - except that we get what we need and sometimes it's not what we want or expect.
Perhaps more answers await from Tzaddia...but I think she and I said all we needed to say at FOS this year. We shared a room, we shared alone time, and it was precious...I knew then it would be her last FOS. I thought at the time she seemed unrealistically optimistic about her life from there on out. Perhaps she knew there was yet more for her to do...and she was doing it at her own pace, on her own terms, in spite of the disease that ravaged her body and muddled her thoughts. Robb and I slept that night to the rhythm of her oxygen machine, her breaths an oddly comforting rhythm. Almost meditative. She knew. We all did. But we never expected Trudy to go before her. Never in a million years.
I don't think Trudy did either. She knew too time was short, certainly, I think, looking back, or she never would have said some of the things she said to me after FOS, but I think she thought she would be fighting it longer. We also talked by phone while I was driving back from Mom's funeral. Since she went, all I've been able to get was an "I'm sooo sorry honey, I know it's my fault and I'm sorry."...and while I know many specific things she could and probably was referring to...I needed clarification.
Dreaming in this manner is not for everyone. Much like our faith, paganism, actually even more exclusively, dreaming is the domain of Shamans and Witches. And if you are not careful, you can go from one foot in this world and one foot in the next, all the way across without a way to return. It's not for everyone, that's for sure. It's something that always came naturally to me...dreaming for specific purpose, it is one of the first magickal acts I ever performed...allbeit unwillingly. Seeing and hearing and dreaming things that others have no access to makes for a lonely existence and makes other people think you're friggin' nuts. And maybe we are our own special brand of crazy. But you know something? I'll take it any day over the soulless existence most people call Life. Seeing the movie Inception sorta scared me...because it showed me how easily what I do could be exploited by those with the knowledge to do so. But that same knowledge offers me the power of protection as well.
In an odd way, dreaming makes you so much more aware of the interconnectedness of all things, even seemingly unrelated things. Various folks are reporting odd dreams with loved ones close, with water involved, and music and dancing. Sounds like a party doesn't it? That's why we call it the Summerland. We ARE all connected. Even to those who have no idea what we are, don't care and would run screaming the other way from us. They are Their children too, the Once Born.
There are too many of them, certainly...the world is groaning under the weight of the sheer volume of bodies...and there are not enough souls to fill those. That's my theory anyway; that's why I believe you have people who live in their heads and do things no one else understands (Air)...that's why some children are so violent at such a young age, so self destructive (Fire) or so fearful and emotionally connected that even sleep terrifies them (Water) and then there are those that are locked away, sometimes in Autistic silence, sometimes in catatonia, but locked away and solid in their resistance to outside interference, unreachable...(Earth).
Sometimes you get mixtures. Heck my favorite analogy of Christianity is that it, like the Latin Cross that represents it (points earth top, air east, fire south, water west) you have the earth, air and water (foundations, intelligence and love/emotion/healing/compassion) with short arms. Only the fire arm is long. So you have a religion that is short on foundation, intelligence, and love and extra long on passionate zealotry. It fits the peculiar brand of fundamentalist apostolic evangelical Christianity that infects the South in particular. There's a reason people call them 'sheeple'.
If you saw that movie with Russell Crowe "Robin Hood", you saw the saying "Rise and rise again, until lions become lambs". He says in the movie that it means 'never give up.' While that's true, in the era of time the movie is set in, it also had another meaning. Lions are representative of Judaism, also of some sects of paganism...particularly the British Isles..and some Asian faiths. Lions, allegorically represent the largest sects of dominant religions of the populace. Christianity was first represented by the Ram (Aries) in the Abramic faiths...and then when the New Testament church came into vogue, it was Lambs. Christ was the Lamb of God. Followers were also referred to as lambs or sheep.
See? The saying, I believe also relates to conversion. The spread of Christianity. Never give up until the whole world has heard 'The Word' - and it was set during the Crusades... That's another theory of mine. Same with the Matrix movies...the Lord of the Rings. All of them reference the mythic return of a hero...much like the Grail Mysteries. All of these though, have been whitewashed by Christianity into something else. Much like the practices of the Roman Catholic Church can be directly correlated to the rituals of paganism (in spite of their protestations) these stories and analogies have been co-opted as well. There's a wealth of socio-political and religious symbolism in mythology for those who look with the right pair of eyes.
Anyway, so yeah, I have a healthy disdain for the fundamentalist sects of Christianity, but that doesn't mean I don't respect their right to believe what they do. And there are some who identify as Christian who adopt a much more sane approach. I greatly enjoy conversing with their open minds. They aren't invested in shoving their viewpoint down anyone's throat.
Anyway, back to the dream:
Part of the dream was an instruction to 'serve the love'. I've had that message before. The term "love" can mean several things depending on context. Service to all of them has always been a hallmark of my path. I was instructed to give a little more respect and credit to the convictions of those who believe differently. It's not always their path this time around to be of the faith. They're called "Once Born" for a reason too.
Emotions are a good thing. Being able to express them, to experience them, has been eluding me for a good while. I was worried about slipping into depression going into Winter when I was already so beaten down with so much going on. It's enough to have all your plans turned upside down by events you have no control over, but add to that the economic struggle of being out of work, the deaths of not one but SEVERAL close to you, and being looked to for answers and instruction yourself when you are pretty much torn out of yourself...it's stressful to say the least.
A change in perspective was needed. Doing something about the woes of the world is not my job. Serving love, serving those who love, serving those who earnestly seek, serving....it's a totally different mindset than trying to 'do something' about everything when it was never my place in the first place.
Doesn't mean I'm giving up...that's another hallmark of my path of service. If I make vow, I will die before I break it. Now I just have to figure out how to do them all (the vows) justice and still keep myself intact.
And the balancing act continues.....
And now....back to your regularly scheduled afternoon! Blessed be!