So far, you’ve learned about what dreams can do for you, about ancient and native peoples’ longtime use of dreams for various purposes, how to start interpreting your dreams, and how to incubate your own dreams for specific purposes. In this chapter, you are going to learn how to remember your dreams.
Although there is no scientific proof that recalling our dreams makes them any more effective, it does seem that in general when we pay attention to things, we are more effective. Christopher Reevesaid that his dreams of being his old athletic self were vivid and that he remembered and enjoyed them. Recall that the proverb says, “An unremembered dream is like an unopened letter from God.” This doesn’t mean that dreams you don’t remember are useless. No doubt they do their work anyway, but certainly recalling your dreams and working with them can only be a plus. At the very least, you’ll get valuable information—and fabulous entertainment at times.
Dream recall is a funny thing. Some dreams fade away upon awakening no matter how hard we try to remember; others are so vivid that we couldn’t forget them if we tried. (I still remember some dreams I had as a teenager, many years ago.) There are so many variables involved in what is an extremely complex process—and we don’t know the half of them. For example, drugs can have a powerful effect on dreams. The Native Americans and other native cultures, especially in South America, regularly used certain plant substances (such as peyote and “magic” mushrooms) to induce desired dreams. I don’t advise using drugs, but if you are taking a legal prescription drug it might be affecting your dreams. Alcohol, too, can have an effect on dreams, especially if consumed in large quantities. And I suspect that many other substances—what we eat, drink, touch, breathe—also have their effects. Girls may find that their dreams and dream recall are affected by where they are in their menstrual cycle. The phases of the Moon may also be a factor in dreaming, especially for girls. (See “The Moon” further on in the chapter.) That’s why I continue to say, “Be a Dream Explorer.” And keep records. (In chapter 6 we’ll discuss keeping a Dream Diary and you’ll do some exercises to help you recall your dreams and daytime circumstances before you sleep.)
Of course, even the most careful and dedicated dreamers don’t remember every single dream. I’ve been practicing dreamwork for many years and there are still times when I wake up and remember only one or two dreams, or even none at all. There’s no right and wrong about dream recall. Some people might by nature be more tuned in to their dreams than others. Usually, it’s the extrovert, the outward-oriented person, who doesn’t remember dreams much, while the introvert, or inward-turned person, remembers them more easily. No matter which type you are, though, you can increase your ability. The key is to train yourself on a consistent basis, using the steps in this chapter. It’s not really difficult to learn to remember dreams regularly, almost every day/night cycle. But don’t beat up on yourself when you don’t.
Teen Dream Tip
Attitude is everything. Valuing your dream product is the first step to remembering it. Always give your dream a title, and date it. This is important. Giving a title to a dream makes it special.
Some dreams are so vivid and even startling that they wake us up in the middle of the night. When that happens, the message is really important. It’s a good idea to keep a pad and pen or pencil by your bed—or even a tape recorder. A pen with a small light is an excellent tool, as you don’t have to scribble notes in the dark that may be illegible in the morning. As you work with recalling and recording your dreams, you’ll discover the method that is best for you. We are all different and need to find our own ways of doing things.
The best time to remember dreams is when you awaken spontaneously, not by an alarm clock, radio, or outside noise. When you wake up naturally, it is always at the end of a REM, or dream, period. Also, the last dream of the night is the longest and most vivid, thus giving you more to hold on to when you wake up.
Even if you have remembered a dream, often in the press of the morning’s routine—usually rushed for teens and their families—a fog may cloud your memories of the night’s dreaming. You know you have to get up, dress, gather your things, get to school or sports practice, and if those activities are uppermost in your mind your dreams may fade away. You may retain the general flavor or color of the dream but lose the rest. This is why it’s a good idea to concentrate on dream recall during the times when you can wake up naturally and when the atmosphere isn’t pressured or hurried—in other words, on weekends, holidays, and vacations, when you have more leisure to lie in bed and remember your dreams. While being sick isn’t fun, it is another good time to practice dream recall, because you are usually alone and in bed for hours at a time.
Teen Dream Tip
One popular method for dream recall that’s been around a long time and seems to work is to tell yourself before you fall asleep,”I will remember my dreams in detail” and then to immediately drink half a glass of water. When you wake up, drink the other half. Try it and see if it works for you.
Still, you can practice dream recall on school nights too. I find that clients who begin the process of remembering their dreams become so fascinated and rewarded that they find ways to wake up naturally amid busy lives. One of these ways is to set your “internal alarm clock,” which isn’t hard to learn to do. With a bit of practice, you can program yourself to wake up without the alarm so that you are not catapulted out of a sound, dreaming sleep by the raucous noise of a mechanical device. It’s easier on your nervous system too! Even if you have to use an alarm clock, you can set it a few minutes early and press the snooze button for a bit of quiet time to catch those sometimes elusive dreams before they vanish.
Once you’re awake, lie still with your eyes closed and review your dreams. If at first you don’t remember anything, continue to relax quietly until you recover a feeling about a dream or get some images. Usually there is a story, and sometimes the plot will follow as you think about the images and what they mean to you. Jot down whatever you remember, no matter how fragmentary. You will get better and better at this in time. Even fragments collected over time can function like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to form a complete picture. Also practice remembering during the day by going over your notes. Often, the whole dream is still lying there just below consciousness and can be brought to mind.
Attention!
Remember that attention is the first key to dream recall. Paying attention to details increases both their volume and their vividness. Watch for anything that seems to have particular meaning or significance—a particular word, place, object, number, color—especially as symbols tend to be repeated. Often you can follow a familiar symbol and get back the whole dream. As you become accustomed to this process, you may find yourself spontaneously recalling portions of the night’s dreams during the day. When this happens, write them down just as soon as you can.
First, pay attention.
Second, expect positive results.
Third, accept what you produce.
Fourth, use your imagination to interpret the symbols in your dreams.
Fifth, be curious about your entire dream world and eager to explore its territory.
Sixth, have a definite purpose when you want a dream to serve you, and concentrate on the subject about which you want dream help.
Seventh, be filled with gratitude that you have this wonderful opportunity to explore your inner world anytime you sleep. Like Aladdin’s cave, it is filled with treasure.
In addition to these seven steps, there is a crucial factor in being able to recall dreams fully, frequently, and easily: the desire to do so. If you really want to remember your dreams, you will. This may sound too simple, and yes, it takes practice, but like anything else you want very badly you will find a way to make it happen. Often, once you know that you want to remember and work with your dreams, it happens without much effort.
Another vital factor is to respect your dreams and value them. If you think a dream is too silly or bizarre to bother remembering and writing down, you’re likely to have more difficulty recalling future dreams. But if you put a positive spin on your attitude, and you’re genuinely sincere about it, you’ll succeed.
Dream Tea
Many herbs are used for promoting sleep. The Celestial Seasonings brand has a blend called “Sleepytime” that I have found soothing and restful as a nighttime drink. It contains chamomile, spearmint (which settles the stomach), lemon grass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn berries, and rosebuds. Other herbs you can use to brew dream teas are hops, mugwort, and rosemary, usually available at health food stores in bulk. You can also try out other herbal tea blends already in tea bags.
Easy-Sleep Tea
To make a cup of Easy-Sleep Tea, you’ll need 1/2 teaspoon of licorice and 1/2 teaspoon of dried mullein. Put a cup of cool water in a pan with the herbs, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let cool. Strain. If you want warm tea, reheat it in a clean pan. (Note: Licorice is a powerful herb—it’s not just a flavor you taste in licorice candy. Use it sparingly.)
Even if you are not fully determined and convinced that your dreams are worth your attention, but you still want to investigate, here are some tips you can use:
1. Don’t eat a heavy meal just before going to bed. Though a full stomach may make you sleepy, what happens is that all your blood goes to the job of food digestion, leaving the brain less blood flow. A lot of food can keep you from getting a sound sleep, so put a couple of hours between dinner or evening snacks and bedtime. Also, don’t drink anything containing caffeine—that includes regular tea—and avoid anything really spicy. Herb teas, especially chamomile, are relaxing, as is a cup of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey (the calcium in the milk relaxes the body and mind).
2. Develop a simple bedtime ritual during which you concentrate on the wish to remember your dreams and which will put you in the right frame of mind for your dream self to become active. You might take a short walk, or do a few stretching exercises, or meditate for a few minutes. You can also use the Sequential Relaxation Technique given in chapter 4 or the Mind-Calming Visualization offered later on in the chapter. Or try a relaxing cup of Easy-Sleep Tea (see sidebar for recipe).
3. While you are preparing for bed—washing, brushing your teeth, undressing, saying your prayers—say (to yourself or to any spirit helper you call on), “I want to remember the dreams I have tonight when I wake up.”
4. Practice setting your internal alarm clock to go off fifteen minutes before you usually get up. Do this by telling yourself that you will wake up naturally at the time you choose, just before going to sleep while your mind and body are fully relaxed. This isn’t really difficult, because you can program your unconscious mind with a suggestion quite easily when you are in a relaxed state. (You won’t miss the sleep because you’ll wake up relaxed—not jarred out of your dreams by the jangle of an alarm bell or someone shouting at you to get up and get ready for school.)
5. You can even program yourself to wake naturally during the night after a dream has occurred. When you do, keep your eyes closed and stay in the dream world while you think about your dream. Make brief notes, and then go right back to sleep.
Teen Dream Tip
If you suffer from insomnia, in addition to hops and chamomile you can use catnip, lady’s slipper, skullcap, and valerian root (but do not combine valerian with any prescription medicine used for sleep or as an antidepressant). Steep a teaspoon of any of these herbs—or a combination—in a cup of hot water for ten minutes. Add a bit of honey for sweetening; some herbs are bitter.
Teen Dream Tip
For Girls Only
If you have trouble with PMS or painful menstrual periods, try a tea made from a combination of vervain and lady’s mantle. Put one teaspoon of each herb into a teapot and add a cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes. Strain and sweeten to taste with honey. Take one cup twice a day from day fourteen of your cycle, or two weeks after your last period started. This relief will allow you to sleep better and get your allotted dreamtime.
More about Herbs and Sleep
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Chamomile is a mild sedative and a sleep aid; it aids digestion, which promotes sound sleep. The tea is soothing, but the extract is stronger. |
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Hops is traditional for its sedative action. In Europe, hops is often used for anxiety, which is a major cause of insomnia. Use 1/2 teaspoon extract daily. Use hops only at night and don’t use it if you’re depressed. |
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Lemon balm is great for relaxing and is best used as an extract, not tea. |
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Passionflower, or passe-fleur, means “flower that excels,” but it got its common name from “paschal flower” because it blooms at Eastertime. It is a time-tested remedy for insomnia and anxiety. However, never combine it with antidepressants or prescription sleeping pills. Use no more than 1/2 teaspoon extract per day. |
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Skullcap is an antispasmodic, relaxing muscles in pain or tense from stress. |
Teen Sleep Needs
A teen needs more sleep than an adult, partly because your body and mind are still growing and developing, but also because your metabolism is different. Research has shown that teens need to sleep not only more hours, but later hours, doing best if allowed to sleep until at least eight or nine o’clock in the morning. Due to school and activity schedules, though, teens don’t get this kind of morning sleep, so naps are always a good idea. If unusual sleepiness persists, or if you are chronically fatigued, it may mean that you just aren’t getting enough sleep. But there is also the chance that a medical condition needs attention. A dream might even warn you about this. If you are constantly tired or have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, have a checkup.
Mind-Calming Visualization
Let your mind take you to a beautiful natural setting. It can be a place you love to visit, a place you have seen in a magazine or on TV, or an imaginary place.
You might take a walk through snowy woods, hike up a mountain pass, have a leisurely sit-down by the side of a cool lake, or go to the beach at whatever time of year you like best. The idea is to pick something you find calming and soothing.
For example, try imagining sitting by a lake in spring when the wildflowers are just beginning to bloom. Visualize yourself walking down a country road to the shore of the lake, enjoying the cool yet warm spring air with its breeze that hints of nature’s renewal. Allow yourself to feel invigorated yet relaxed. Feel the warmth of the spring sun on your shoulders. You might take off your jacket and turn up your face to its gentle warmth, which foretells the summer to come.
When you reach the lake’s shore, find a comfortable spot to sit and relax—enjoy the feel of the grass beneath you, smell the scent of the wildflowers, watch the gentle swell of the lake waters, listen to the birds chirping, see the myriad forms of life all about you exhibiting nature’s annual renewal of herself.
Take off your shoes and dabble your feet in the water, feeling its refreshing coolness. Perhaps a small fish nibbles at your bare toes and tickles you. Watch a pair of ducks land on the lake and see the waterbirds soaring overhead in the clear blue sky. Feel at one with the scene. Notice how the water catches the sun’s light and see the reflection of a passing cloud on its placid surface.
Take your time to enjoy this place, letting all your worries and tensions slip away until you feel utterly calm.
Once you have done this meditation, you can return here whenever you like. You can change or vary the scene at will. For example, I have a special place I go that is perched on a mountainside. It is the retreat of a Buddhist monk I call Genji. I have been going there for several years, at all seasons, in all weathers, at all times of the day and night. The place changes with the hour, the month, and the season. In winter, I enjoy the mountain’s stark beauty, softened by snow at times, and I watch the play of moonlight on the glistening white snow, which enhances the silence. In spring, I thrill at all the little new shoots and buds coming out and eagerly look for the emerging growth. Summer brings things to full bloom and produces brilliant colors in the garden. In autumn, when things are beginning to withdraw into their dormant state, comes the harvest, and the sunsets are of a particularly spectacular beauty. I never tire of this ever-changing place, which always puts me into a state of deep and serene calm.
Teen Dream Tip
Is a Dream Calling You?
If you find yourself sleepy at an odd time—either during the day or early evening—let yourself go to sleep if at all possible. There’s a dream calling you! And when these “dream calls” arrive, you’ll usually have no trouble remembering the dream. You don’t need to “program” anything—there’s a message waiting, just like on the answering machine. Be sure to write it down. Even though it might not mean anything at the moment, it will later. These calls from within are important; do not ignore them. Remember that the process of maturing is not one continuous, smooth transition from one stage to the next, like a play or a well-plotted novel, but more of an on-and-off process, uneven at best. We all have multiple selves, and sometimes one of these has got lost in the shuffle of life, bypassed, neglected, repressed. But it’s still there, and it may want to speak to you or get your attention through the medium of your dreams. Never ignore feeling sleepy when you are usually wide awake. If you absolutely cannot go to sleep (you might be in class or involved in some activity), make a note of your sleepiness and get in a nap as soon as you can. And be on the alert for other episodes of sleepiness at unusual times.
Dream Recall
Here is a list of things to ask when you’re attempting to recall a dream. Practice on a recent dream, or do this exercise with the next dream you have that you remember.
1. What was the theme or story of the dream?
2. What was the location of the dream: inside, outside, familiar or unfamiliar, the place where you live or somewhere else?
3. What were your reactions to the dream while dreaming?
4. How did you feel when you woke up—happy, sad, disturbed, puzzled, etc.?
5. Was it easy or difficult to recall the dream? Did you remember it as a whole or as a fragment?
6. Who were the people in the dream?
7. Did you interact with any animals in the dream?
8. Was there dialogue between you and others in the dream? What was said?
9. Did the dream affect your waking emotional state?
Bring me all of your dreams,
You dreamers,
Bring me all of your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from the too-rough fingers
Of the world.
Langston Hughes,
The Dream Keeper
Make a Dream Pillow
Dream pillows are lovely objects and very easy to make. You don’t even have to sew a stitch! Just get some herbs—hops is best for promoting sleep, mugwort promotes dreams;lavender is a traditional remedy for insomnia, and rosemary is for remembrance;chamomile is relaxing and soothing, while roses calm the senses. You can use any combination of these to make a dream pillow. You can even make more than one, with different herbs, for different purposes.
Get about one ounce of the herbs you have chosen for your dream pillow (dried herbs are light in weight, so an ounce is quite bulky) from a health food store or an herbal mail order supplier. Cut a piece of cloth into two squares about twelve inches on each side. If you can use a sewing machine, or stitch by hand, baste up three sides and then insert the herbs and close the fourth side. If you can’t sew or don’t have access to a sewing machine, get some iron-on tape; it will do the job just as well. Follow the directions on the package to seal the three sides, put in your herbs, and seal the fourth side. Voila—your personal dream pillow. I make my dream pillows with silk fabric, but cotton is good too. Don’t, however, use any synthetic fabric, only cloth that has come from Nature.
You can lay your head right on your dream pillow or tuck it under your regular pillow. Try using a dream pillow one or two nights in a row and see what results you get. You don’t need to use it every night, but these herbs made into pillows can’t hurt you.
There are many factors that may affect your dreaming and your ability to recall dreams—we’ve mentioned food, assorted stimuli, especially before bedtime, and some other possibilities. The truth is, this is not an exact science, and the only way to find out for yourself is to carry out your own personal research. Your dream diary (next chapter) will be a good place to keep track of your discoveries.
As with the time of day/night that you sleep, weather is a major, if not understood, factor in sleep patterns and dreaming. How the different weather conditions, and the different seasons, affect each person will be an individual matter. For example, the onset of cool fall weather, especially if it’s rainy, seems to induce more dreaming sleep and better recall. Maybe it’s because of the comfort of snuggling down into the blankets and being reluctant to get up from the cozy nest of your bed. On the other hand, spring weather—just after winter’s frosts—may have the opposite effect, causing light sleep and the urge to wake up early.
The only way to tell which way weather affects you personally is to pay attention to atmospheric conditions and connect them with your dreams and your ability to recall. This is worth a try. You’ll probably find a pattern. Weather affects everything else on the planet: bears and other creatures hibernate in winter, trees shed their leaves in the fall, new plants appear in spring, and the summer heat brings fruits and vegetables to ripeness. We humans, being of Earth, are also affected by her seasons and her various weather moods and atmospheric changes.
If you give the matter a bit of thought now, you’ll find that you already know quite a bit about your reactions to different weathers. Do you feel invigorated by cold weather, or just want to be a hibernating bear? Does the onset of spring set you singing and dancing or do you feel “spring fever” like an illness and want to mope around indoors? Does bright sunshine with clear skies send you into physical activity, or do you long for clouds and rain? Each person is unique and no one will follow the same patterns. The only way to determine how weather affects you is to pay attention to your own moods, frame of mind, physical and mental energy, and, of course, to your dreams.
From an astrological point of view, our “personal weather” is determined by two things in the horoscope: the elements and the modes. The elements—Fire, Earth, Air, Water—are one indicator of how we will react to weather.
The Fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
The Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.
The Air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.
The Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
How these signs are distributed in your chart will tell what elemental type you are. You may already intuitively relate to one of the types.
The modes—Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable—relate to the seasons, and the astrological chart will indicate which of your ten Planets is located in what Mode.
The Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
The Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.
The Mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.
For complete information about your personal weather forecast, including exercises for determining your elemental type and for finding your dominant mode, along with detailed explanations of all these types as well as mixed types for both, see my book Teen Astrology, pages 59–71. You don’t need to know a thing about astrology to use this informative book. An appendix has all the planetary tables you need to look up all ten of your Planets, including your Moon sign, which is coming up next.
For the Moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee
And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee
EDGAR ALLAN POE
The Moon affects everything on Earth: animals, plants, the ocean’s tides, and ourselves. It is, of course, also a major factor in weather and atmospheric conditions, so there’s another connection. From an astrological point of view, the Moon’s realm is best understood in terms of basic emotional needs, habit patterns, bodily rhythms, and what makes us feel comfortable. The Moon in the sky illuminates what is naturally dark, the night. As shown by the sign the Moon occupied when we were born, inside ourselves the Moon represents our deepest emotional nature, and as such affects how we dream, how often we dream, and maybe how well we can remember our dreams.
For example, a Pisces Moon is the “dreamiest” of all the Moon signs. Edgar Allan Poe, just quoted, had the Moon in the sign of Pisces, as have many other poets who were fascinated with dreams. Poe wrote several poems dealing with dreams: “Dream-land,” “Dreams,” “A Dream within a Dream.” And he often used dreaming as a theme, as in these lines from “Ulalume—A Ballad”:
This is nothing but dreaming:
Let us on by this tremulous light!
Let us bathe in this crystalline light!
Its Sibyllic splendor is beaming
With Hope and in beauty to-night;
See! It flickers up the sky through the night!
Ah, we safely may trust to its gleaming,
And be sure it will lead us aright . . .
Since it flickers up to Heaven through the night.
Recommended Reading
You can find out which zodiacal sign the Moon was occupying when you were born by looking at Appendix l, Planetary Tables, page 273 in my book Teen Astrology. And you’ll find a complete discussion of the Moon in your chart in chapter l,”Why You Are More than Your Sun Sign,” on pages 8–9. There’s more information too about your emotional nature as it is revealed by your Moon sign in chapter 3, including a full description of the Moon in each of the twelve signs of the zodiac,”Astrotips” for each Moon sign, and how the Moon affects your relationships.
When the Moon shines her gentle light, the doors open to magical realms of the imagination and human creativity, often through the medium of dreams. Usually we dream when the Moon reigns over the world, and from our dreaming comes poetry, literature, art, music, and dance. The Moon represents your feelings—and because the teen years are always full of emotional turmoil and confusion, teens especially can benefit from using the Moon to influence their dreams.
During the hours of night our subtle senses are open and receptive. The Moon symbolizes the unconscious side of human life, and in her dreamy light we can often see more clearly than in the glare of the noonday sun. The sun’s light lets us see what is outside ourselves—but the Moon gives us a peek into the inside of ourselves, which makes it especially important for doing dreamwork.
One of the most important ways in which the Moon affects dreams is through its phases. Each month, the Moon goes from total darkness when we can’t see her at all, known as the new moon, to the first slender shining crescent, to the half moon, to the full moon, and back the other way again to the dark.
Going from dark to full is known as the waxing period, when the Moon increases her light. The waxing Moon brings an energy of expansion, of growth. Under her positive influence, this is the best time to concentrate on new beginnings of any kind, on personal growth, on self-improvement. As whatever is seeded now will eventually grow into fruition, the waxing half of the Moon’s cycle is an excellent time to incubate dreams that will help you grow and develop, to express your creativity, and to improve relationships.
When the Moon is entirely full—just before the exact fullness and just after, a period of about two and a half days—the energy moves to complete what was set in motion. At the full moon, the lunar vibes are the most powerful. You can best use this time by saying affirmations before you go to sleep, or by meditating under the light of the Moon before bedtime. As the light of the full moon eliminates shadows on the ground, it also serves to eliminate them within your psyche, bringing clarity of mind and purpose, or emotional balance. The full moon is a good time to ask for dreams that will focus your own energies toward positive specific purposes.
During the second half of her cycle, the Moon is said to be waning, or going from full light to eventual dark. At this time, the energy moves toward decreasing and finally eliminating when it is again entirely dark. The waning phase is the best time to deal with any negative issues you want to get rid of, whether this means bad habits, poor health, relationships that aren’t working, or any other debris that needs to be removed from your life in order for you to grow and be happy and productive. The waning Moon signals a time to practice releasing and letting go. You can use releasing affirmations just before going to sleep in order to alert your dream helpers of your intentions. Say, “I now release and let go of __________________________.”
The changing energies of the moon work slowly, segueing from one phase into the next in regular, unvarying order. For example, after the night of the dark moon, at the appearance of the first thin sliver of light, the energy of the new moon gradually increases into the expansiveness of the full moon. As the waning phase takes over, the process is reversed as the Moon slowly decreases its visible area and fades away once again. Girls know that their menstrual cycles are related to the twenty-eight-day cycle of the Moon, and sometimes they can time their Moon work to coincide with their periods. Long ago, before artificial light, most women menstruated during the new moon. But we have not only lost touch with the power of the lunar energies (being fixated as our society is on the sun and masculine characteristics), but the natural rhythms of Nature have been disrupted by our insistence on a “twenty-four/seven” way of life. Paying attention to the Moon’s phases and your own inner dream cycles—and female cycles—is an ideal way to reconnect with the never-ending cyclic nature of all that is.
Teen Dream Tip
Use these dream affirmations:
I trust my dreams to reveal to me my inner reality.
My dreams are gifts for which I give thanks.
My dreams are a form of self-therapy each night.
The Moon, as the luminous aspect of the night,
belongs to the Goddess; it is her fruit, her
sublimation of light, an expression of her
essential spirit. It appears as a birth—
and indeed as rebirth. Such processes are the
primordial mysteries of the Feminine . . .
from which all life arises and unfolds,
assuming, in its highest transformation,
the form of the spirit.
ERICH NEUMANN,
THE GREAT MOTHER
