Meditation,
Visualization, and Dreaming
The study of Witchcraft is hard work if you wish to reach any level of proficiency. It is not a faith where you can dress up, go to church on Sunday, listen to the drone of the sermon, and go home and forget about it for the rest of the week, assured that your soul has been saved for at least the next six days.
It isn’t a study where you pick up a single, all-encompassing book and find a passage, believing that by reading the words all your problems will fade away.
It is not an organization that assures you that if you give it money, you will be forgiven for cheating on your spouse or fudging on your income tax return. Even if the person who cashes your check forgives you, I doubt either your spouse or the IRS will be so charitable.
Mental Programming
To achieve excellence, you must learn to program your mind to reach your goals. The new generation of Witches has many advantages over their ancestors: modern telecommunication systems, computers, stereos, compact disc players, and most importantly, a vast amount of information to draw from—whether it be books, magazines, DVDs, or access to individuals who are willing to share their knowledge on a firsthand basis. Today, almost everyone is familiar with computers. Even if we don’t work directly with them, society and big business have educated us on the basic principles of computerization, whether we are interested or not!
Businesses, schools, and homemakers regularly use personal computers. We know that the mechanical structure of the computer is the “hardware,” and the information that one can feed into the machine via prepackaged disks is called the “software.” Once we have mastered the commands of the software, we can build, retrieve, reformat, or create information to our hearts’ desire, limited only by the capabilities of the machine, the program, and our knowledge of it.
Meditation, visualization, and dreaming are the keys to understanding and functioning in the world of Witchcraft. Equating your body to the hardware of a computer (just for a moment, mind you), consider the information, or “software,” you are putting into it. Like a computer, the ideas, facts, or figures you place in your mind designate what you put out—your values, judgments, feelings, etc. If you only put negative items in your mind, that is exactly what you and everyone else will get—negative feelings, judgments, and values! Meditation, visualization, and dreaming techniques are very important in programming your personal body/mind computer. You definitely are what you think about!
Your overall outlook on life is important not only to your physical and mental health, but it is also a vital factor in your competence as a Witch. If you are depressed, angry, or floating through life with a feeling that all things you try leave you unfulfilled, you are doing yourself little good. To be successful in any endeavor, you have to “think” success. This is why, when Witches perform magick, they act and speak as if the positive outcome has already taken place. Because, in their world, the positive outcome is a reality.
Do Self-help CDs Really Work?
Our society has turned to a new era of information and service. More and more individuals are using self-help programs through seminars, CDs, and DVDs. The Far Eastern techniques of meditation and visualization that were so popular in the sixties and seventies have been overshadowed by more westernized versions in the eighties and nineties. Creative visualization is in—gurus are out.
These self-help devices create a lot of capital, but are they any good? Sales people listen to goal programming while zipping back and forth between customers, athletes enter mind-focusing programs to obtain excellence, harried secretaries and accountants listen to stress elimination CDs before drifting into an exhausted sleep each night.
When I heard my first goal-achievement tape, I actually gasped. Many of the techniques and philosophical values were Craft-oriented, whether the author was aware of it or not. It sounded like I was listening to a very watered-down version of Wicca 101—minus the god and goddess, of course.
I have since listened to many tapes and CDs; some of them have been utter trash, some were very good. But I haven’t answered the million-dollar question yet, have I? Do any of them work, and are they beneficial to a Witch?
Yes, and yes! Self-help and other mind-programming tapes, CDs, and DVDs can be a great asset to any Witch, as long as you keep the following hints in mind:
1. Never rely solely on any book, CD, or program to wash away all your shortcomings, or depend totally on them for your personal success.
2. Different programs work differently for everyone. The results I may reap from a CD that uses subliminal messages may not do a thing for you.
3. Do not drop over thirty dollars for any one tape or CD, and do not purchase an entire “set” of either without first using it on a trial basis.
4. If the information does not appeal to you the first few times you listen to it, do not continue—you will be wasting your time. You have got to believe in what you are doing. If you have already purchased the item, go back to it at a later date to see if it has gained any appeal with you. If not, give it away. Maybe someone else will benefit from it.
5. Remember, most CDs have to be listened to repeatedly in order for you to reap the benefits. If you plan to use such a program, remember, you will have to stick with it in order for it to work. It takes approximately thirty days of repeated listening, preferably at the same time each day, for the programming to work efficiently.
It is easy to begin to use a self-help or mind-educating program, but it may not be so easy to continue it. Things crop up in our lives, like an unexpected visit from an aunt, the demands of spouse or family, even just giving in to the plain, old sleep monster. Situations arise that get you off your routine. Often we lay a guilt trip on ourselves, which promotes stubbornness, or even worse, defeat. We begin to view these programs as a chore, not a benefit to ourselves.
Hopefully, practice in anything does make almost perfect, but don’t give in to self-recriminations if you lose interest. Maybe you were supposed to become disinterested all along.
I have found that using subliminal CDs has increased proficiency in several areas of my life when I mix them with my magickal studies. While using a CD to eliminate stress, I found astral projection came much easier. When I used a goal-programming CD, I got things accomplished in half the time I normally would, with energy to spare. When writing, I used a line of CDs designed for that purpose.
What you must remember is that when things are going smoothly and you have completed the listening requirements of the CDs, you tend to forget that the CDs still exist and stick them in a drawer somewhere. Months later, you may wonder why you are not operating at peak efficiency anymore.
Just pull out the CDs and play them for a week or two. In fact, instead of putting them away, plan to play them once a week, then once a month, and take notes on your own response.
A friend of mine who runs a metaphysical bookstore told me that she used to dread the job of putting together their monthly newsletter. Now, she says, she pops in a creative writing CD, and goes to it. Before she is aware of it, the job is finished!
I used a learning-acceleration CD along with various magickal spells to help my two daughters in their school work. In thirty days, my youngest daughter was getting straight As and my eldest had pulled most of her grades up from Cs to As and Bs. Both finished out the school year with above-average grades in most of their subjects.
The next school year came, however, and I noticed we were right back to those low grades and low self-esteem complaints you hear so often from your kids. Out came the CDs again. Like a true scientific experiment, we repeated the procedure, and it worked.
Affirmations
We all have parts of our characters that we would like to improve. Writing affirmations is another way to increase your mental and magickal proficiency. These should be kept in a notebook by themselves. Each night before you retire, you write at least two statements repeatedly, until the notebook page is full. Be sure to date each page. Continue writing the goal or affirmation until it has been reached.
For instance, people often ask my aid in overcoming procrastination. In this case you would use a positive statement, such as “I always complete each task in a timely manner.” What if you are a person who just can’t say no? Perhaps acceptance was driven by the desire to feel wanted or needed, which is a sign of low self-esteem. Then a statement you could use is, “I know when to diplomatically say no.” Another could be, “I am a wanted and needed person. My life is full of love,” etc.
It really is hard to turn someone down when they need assistance or ask a favor from you, but sometimes it is better to tell them you simply can’t do it because of previous commitments. Arm them with additional information to solve their problem if you can, and rest easy. It is far better to say no at the onset than to severely disappoint them later when you can’t deliver on your promise. And believe me, practicing what I preach is not an easy task for me on this particular subject.
Taping to yourself (no kidding) is an excellent way to improve your performance. Purchase a rewritable CD or tape. Write a list of five statements and record them on the CD or tape. Play it in the morning and at night. If you can, play it around noon as well.
The topics don’t necessarily have to be normal ones. For instance, you could use the following:
“I am a skilled diviner. I have faith in myself. I instantly know what advice to give a querent in a reading. The spirit of the tarot fills me. I am calm during a reading with strangers.”
Another technique is to listen to your thoughts for twenty-four hours and determine how much negative programming you are using. Every time you have a negative or defeating thought, blast it with a red circle that has a slash through it. If you determine that you have a great many negative thoughts, repeat the process every day until you have your thoughts “under control.”
Controlling and Directing Your Thoughts for Self-improvement
What about short-term situations? Being able to control and direct your thoughts is necessary in magick, even when you are involved in mundane situations.
For instance, last year I was invited to accompany my eight-year-old daughter on her school field trip. It was my impression (silly me) that the mothers just sat there and the teachers did all the work.
Imagine my surprise when, as I boarded the bus, one of the teachers handed me a list of children’s names. “You are responsible for these children today,” she informed me. “Learn who the children are while we are on the bus so that when we reach the caverns, you will know exactly who they are.”
My first mental reaction was, “Shit, not again,” because I had just taken a Junior Girl Scout troop to Lancaster and a Brownie troop to a zoo in Maryland and figured that I had more than put in my time on that score. I don’t know about you, but those type of trips seem to do most people in, and we had just come back the weekend before the school outing. I had figured I could skate through this one with my bodily presence. Wrong.
I looked at the list and realized that the only child I knew on it was mine. “Nuts,” I thought, “couldn’t even pull one of my Scouts.” I love children, but in cases like this, they have to adore you the first time around in order to control them. I wasn’t in the mood to read “Child Lost in Caverns by Ditsy Mother” in the evening news.
I decided to create an aura around myself by programming my responses to the children. I shut my eyes, and for five minutes mentally affirmed to myself the type of person I wished to project to the children in my care. During the trip, while everyone else’s children were running wild, my children were with me every step of the way, having a wonderful time. The bus driver actually wanted to know what my secret was, and joshed that I must have put a spell on them! Close, but not quite right—I had put a mental spell on myself!
Some Witches would tell you that this technique is walking the line as far as ethics are concerned. These children, however, were my responsibility, and their protection and safety was my chief concern. I simply fulfilled my duty.
Meditation
There are many ways to meditate these days, and all kinds of procedures to follow, and not every procedure can be applied to every individual. I suggest that you try as many forms as possible until you settle on one or two.
Everyone can meditate, but not everyone can follow all forms of meditation. In teaching my children, I found the easiest way is through color association with the chakra centers—the seven energy vortexes in the body.
These vortexes are located at specific points all in a row, which makes them easy to remember. I also incorporate music, as there is nothing more boring or frustrating than asking a child to sit perfectly still in a dead quiet room. It just doesn’t work.
Music is the universal language. Its content can be broken into mathematical formulas, and it has the ability to alter your spiritual vibrations. I always thought how amazing it was that a mathematical formula could produce unlimited “feelings” in humans, animals, and plants.
The music you choose can be calming, exciting, loving, etc. It is best to find a piece you enjoy—one that is light and easy. There is a wonderful selection of music available these days in the New Age section at CD stores. I do not suggest using a CD with subliminals the first time around. Give yourself a week “cold turkey” before determining if the subliminals are necessary.
If you do not care for the newer music on the market, try the classics. I do not suggest using a radio unless the music is uninterrupted for the period of time you plan to meditate. Commercials and disc jockey blather tend to make you lose your concentration.
Pick a time of day that you will not be disturbed, and one that fits into your schedule. At first, block out only ten minutes’ time, then extend it as your proficiency and patience grows. When you can successfully meditate anywhere, you will know you’ve got the hang of it.
In the beginning, the lighting in the room should be dim—soft candlelight is excellent. Try not to wear restrictive clothing, and find a comfortable chair, but not one so soothing that you instantly fall asleep. You do not have to twist yourself into a pretzel to successfully meditate. I personally think that this is one reason why eastern forms of meditation died quickly in popularity in the seventies; we Americans are used to the couch-potato position.
Be sure that the volume of the music is not too loud. I prefer headphones because they block out all other sounds.
Begin by closing your eyes and consciously relaxing your body. Some people prefer to relax the body one part at a time, starting at the feet and working up to the top of the head. Others can consciously release tension in a few seconds. Breathe deeply—in to the count of four, out to the count of four—approximately ten times.
Let your mind slip into a semiconscious state. Try to ignore tingles, itches, etc., but don’t make a major battle out of it. Eventually, your body will not protest relaxing!
Now it is time to make believe. Don’t laugh! Wishes and make-believe are the same as reality—it is only you who draw the line between the two.
So, make believe that you are a fountain of sparkling blue light, or a waterfall, perhaps. This light springs from the top of your head and showers down your right side, swirls around your feet, and comes back up the left side. Watch this continuous flow of light from your third eye (which is located in the middle of your forehead, above the bridge of your nose). When this is fully opened, it is a powerful and natural tool.
Don’t get excited if you can’t “see” right away as if you are watching an inner movie. It can take up to thirty days to bring the picture in focus for some, as little as five days for others.
Do not put yourself under pressure. Many people have their imagination on a very tight leash for fear society in general will frown upon them. In the privacy of your meditation, no one will know or care about your imagination, so let it go.
Continue the fountain exercise for one full week before going further. This will give your body and mind time to adjust to a new routine and react the way you want them to. End each exercise by envisioning yourself being zipped up like a sleeping bag and counting backward from ten to one. At one, open your eyes and instruct yourself to fully awaken.
During the second week you should follow the same procedures, but this time you will continue your meditation after you complete the fountain by opening up the chakra centers. You can envision them as tumbling balls of colored light, the opening of colored flowers (like a rose or a lotus), or as spirals of colored light. Children like to use flowers as they are easy to relate to. I prefer a colored light variation of my own creation.
Start at the crown of your head and envision a pure white ball (flower, etc.) of sparkling light. Start the ball spinning in a downward rotation, yet the ball remains in place. When you have this center set in your mind (for children the flower opens into full bloom), continue to the next chakra. This one is purple and located at the third eye area we talked about earlier. When that one is spinning and stable, move to the throat chakra, where you will find a beautiful azure blue ball. Next is the heart chakra, which can be envisioned either as bright green or warm pink. Move down to your navel and see yellow, bright as summer sunshine; then right below it, between the navel and groin, see the orange of the setting sun. The last chakra is in the groin area, and it is crimson red. There are also energy centers in the hands and feet; I let them explode all together into small white balls of light.
The third week you will try the hardest trick. Once you have all the balls spinning, let their colors flow into one another, like a giant, colorful waterfall or fountain—hence, fountain meditation.
When you are finished, imagine a big zipper the length of your body. You must close up that zipper to shut down the chakras; never leave them open. As before, count from ten to one, then tell yourself you are fully awake. Breathe deeply. You have successfully completed the first leg of a full meditation.
If none of this has been working for you, let’s stop and consider several things. First, you must believe that it is going to work from the beginning. If you have any doubts, they are probably affecting your subconscious. Try writing or taping some affirmations to yourself to solve this dilemma. You may also try working the chakras from the groin area up.
Meditation may not work if you are overly tired or not in the appropriate atmosphere. There are certain times in the day when people are more in sync than others. If mornings are good for you usually, try meditating in the early hours instead of at nighttime.
A complete meditation is designed to accomplish something. A partial meditation, like the fountain, is structured to balance the chakras and relieve stress. When you are finished with the partial meditation, you should feel rested and relaxed, yet energized.
If you fall asleep during the exercise, do not worry too much about it. Your body is telling you that you need the rest. If this happens often, check your seating, lighting, and the time of day. Perhaps one or more variables could be changed to keep you from dozing off.
As you become more capable of controlling your meditation exercises, you can investigate complete meditations that incorporate creative visualization techniques to accomplish a particular goal or talent. You can use programming techniques, subliminals, or visualization training.
If you are still having difficulty with meditation at this point, you should try a subliminal CD designed specifically for preparing you to meditate.
Witch, Heal Thyself
While you are working with the chakra centers, you may discover that some seem to shine brighter than others on different days, or that some may have dark spots in them from time to time.
If this happens, it means that you are aware that there is an imbalance in one of the chakras. Don’t get excited; they just need to be fine-tuned a little.
While doing the meditation exercise, work extra hard on the weak vortex. This can be accomplished by raising the vibrational level, or adding white light from the universe to bring it into balance.
Another method is to make a black spot vacuum ball. Visualize a swirling ball at your feet. This ball is designed to suck up negative energy like a giant vacuum. Allow any dark spots on the chakra vortex to be swept down to this ball, where they are absorbed. When the spots are gone, sink the vacuum ball into the ground.
At the onset of physical illness, you should also use the vacuum ball. Open the chakra center that is closest to the illness, such as the throat chakra for a sore throat, and clean it out with the vacuum ball. Once the illness has physically manifested in your body, it may take several sessions throughout the day with the vacuum ball to bring the chakra into balance.
We will speak more of self-healing and the healing of others in a later chapter.
Creative Visualization
This type of training is extremely popular these days with people from all parts of society. Everyone from corporate CEOs to self-help clinics are using it, probably never realizing that it has always been an integral part of the Craft.
They have no inkling that this type of mind power is not new. Don’t let big business fool you. Magickal people have been incorporating creative visualization into their daily lives for a long, long time. It has only been given a different title to accommodate the mainstream culture.
The idea is to be able to conjure up an image of any person, place, or thing in your mind in great detail. This ability is necessary for magick and ritual, and should be practiced as much as possible to enhance your versatility. The best type of magickal practice in case of an emergency (and we all have them) is creative visualization that works almost instantaneously. This means that you can bring that visualization into actual physical form (or affect the actual physical form) as quickly as possible. In case of an emergency, it is your fear or strong emotions that will give the visualization the “punch” that is needed.
Long before magick entered my life as a reality and not a dream, I learned this visualization technique—but I didn’t know that was what it was at the time. It was taught to me in a school art class. No kidding! Here’s how you do it and master it.
Gather three objects—one that is manufactured, one from nature, and one just for fun. Do not choose an item that is complex in form or full of intricate detail. Save those challenges for later. Each object should be able to fit comfortably in your hand.
Find a place where you will not be disturbed for at least twenty minutes. (Yes, as you are learning, Witchcraft requires much solitude in the beginning.)
This is not an exercise that has to be done every day. The more you do it, however, the better you will get.
You will be drawing, writing, or taping what you see, so be sure to have the appropriate tools ready. You may choose any one of these three mechanisms. Read completely through this exercise first to understand what you will be doing, and to determine what method you wish to use.
Settle yourself in a comfortable chair, and if you are drawing or writing, have a sturdy surface before you for that purpose. Hold the nature object in your hand. It can be a leaf, a stone, a flower, etc. Look at it briefly, then shut your eyes and use your other senses to introduce the object into your mind.
Now, open your eyes and study the object. Pretend you are a bug (your choice of insect). Crawl all over the object with your eyes. Imagine what a bug would see if it were traversing this object. Go in and out of all the nooks and crannies, see the color variations, feel the texture. When you are through, close your eyes and imagine the same object in the same way—no peeking.
Open your eyes and crawl over the object again; except this time, you will write about, draw, or speak about the object. The more detail you incorporate, the better the programming.
When you are finished being a bug, you now get to be a bird (your choice of the feathered variety, as long as it can fly—a chicken is out). Repeat the same procedure that you used with the bug; imagine what the bird sees as it flies over the object. Have the bird circle over the object as many times as is necessary to gather the information you need. Close your eyes and repeat the birds’-eye-view process. Then, open your eyes and record your impressions.
Your final view will be head on, at eye level. This time, you choose an animal who can look at the object head on. Follow the same procedures as you did with the bug and the bird.
By the time you are finished, you will know that object inside and out, including upside down! My first item was a weed, and although that first exercise was done over twenty years ago, I can still sit down today and draw that weed, just like I did all those years ago!
The final step in this exercise is for you to shut your eyes one more time without the object in your hand. Envision the object, and see how much your perception of it has changed.
In the days following, work with all three items. Do it more than once with the same object, or try others. When you are through with those things, try some that are more difficult. Move on to photographs, and eventually people and larger objects.
When envisioning people, it is important to feel their energy as well as their physical form. Take a trip to a place where you know there will be many people, like a mall or an amusement park. Sit on a bench and people watch, testing yourself on the time it takes for you to take in as many details of particular individuals as they walk by. When working spells and raising energy for a singular purpose in ritual, it is important that your visualization skills are better than average.
After you have worked on visualizing physical things, move on to abstract items, such as numbers. Begin with the number one and hold that image in your mind as long as possible. When it slips out of focus, move on to number two. Keep track of how far and how fast you go with the numbers. You can also use the letters of the alphabet for this exercise, as well. The idea is to eventually be able to hold the focus on one number or letter until you consciously determine to let it dissolve.
What is the overall point in controlling your thought patterns? Because thought is form. You need the ability to focus in order to bring that thought into physical form.
Notice I haven’t used the word “concentrate,” because that particular idea lends to straining oneself to achieve a goal. Focus is smoother, like a camera focusing on a person, bringing the slightly fuzzy lines into clarity. No one ever thinks of a camera straining to capture an image.
Dreaming
A multitude of studies have been done concerning dreams. This is a fascinating subject because it is something that we humans all share in common, whether we remember our dreams or not. Although dreams have been scientifically categorized by many people, to me there are three types of dreams:
1. Dreams where your subconscious sorts out the events of the day, or wrestles with a problem you are consciously dealing with.
2. Dreams where you astrally project yourself into another plane or dimension. Sometimes these dreams are just for fun, other times you astrally project for a purpose.
3. Prophetic dreams where you see events of a possible future. If the dreams involve yourself, you are capable of changing that future, if you so desire. If the dreams involve others that are not close to you, you will have a hell of a time convincing them to wrestle with what they may believe to be fate. Prophetic dreams can also be dreams of past events that have a direct bearing on present or future circumstances.
No matter what the type, dreams are important. Sometimes it is difficult to sort out which category a dream belongs in, but that shouldn’t hinder your learning to control and use your dreamtime.
Usually, the most difficult hurdle with dreams is simply remembering. Everybody dreams, and everyone is capable of recalling them. You just have to determine the best method of recalling for you.
Preparation for remembering dreams is simple. First, do not choose an evening when you are overly tired, do not feel well, or have experienced a new routine throughout the day. Although days like these can bring some pretty interesting dreams, try to begin on a day that has followed a normal schedule.
Have a steno-pad notebook by your bedside with a pencil or pen taped to it on a string. Be sure you have a flashlight or illumination from a night table that can be easily reached. If you can place your dream diary on the nightstand during the day, so much the better. That way, you will have easy access to the things you need before you retire for the night. The act of bringing these items out each evening will help to set the routine for your recall.
If you hate to write, have a small hand-held tape recorder by your bed. Be sure to check the batteries and purchase ninety-minute-playing tapes if you wish to record several dreams on one tape, or fifteen-minute tapes if you wish to use a side a night. Be sure to label each tape with the appropriate dates.
Using a tape recorder is also convenient when dictating your impressions of the dream, or adding significant comments of things that have happened throughout the day before and after the dream(s).
Music CDs accompanied by subliminals are available to enhance dreaming, and can aid you in dream recall. As in meditation, however, I suggest you try different procedures for recall before you spend your money on subliminal aids.
When you are ready to retire, check to make sure your supplies are available when you awake. Close your eyes and breathe deeply—in to the count of four—out to the count of four. Slowly relax your body. Then repeat to yourself that you will recall your dreams in full detail. Keep repeating this until your mind begins to wander and you gently drift off to sleep.
When you awaken, grab that notebook and light (if needed), and start writing! Don’t worry about grammar, syntax, spelling, or sentence structure; just write! At first, your recall may be sketchy at best. This is totally normal because you are asking yourself to tell your own secrets.
If you wake in the middle of the night, do not go back to sleep; instead, record your dreams. If you roll over and convince yourself you’ll remember it in the morning, take my word for it—you probably won’t. These midnight dreams are usually the most vivid, and much information can be gained from them. Sit up and record those dreams!
If you recall your dreams in the morning, read through them sometime during the day. Gradually, the bits and pieces you first remembered will blossom into full dream recall. There are times when you may not remember anything at all; this is natural too, because your conscious mind needs time to rest.
Do not work with dream recall every night. Three nights on and one or two off is a good method. If you do too much dream work it can lead to mental daytime exhaustion.
But what if, by using the method already given, you still cannot remember your dreams? Try some alternative procedures.
For instance, I use the Australian aborigine method of requesting Sister Swan to assist me to enter dreamtime. Envision a black swan and talk to her. Tell her you wish guidance into her world. You can also enlist the help of a particular power animal if you are working on a problem in which you feel the skills of that animal would be most beneficial to you. You can also call to the angels and ask their assistance, as well.
At first, I had a great deal of difficulty remembering my dreams. With four children, a husband, a parent, and a dog in the house, I have little time for quality sleeping. Someone was always waking me up, jerking me from a dream or restful sleep. The shock of being constantly disturbed began to wear and tear on my system and I almost gave up, thankful for the sleep I did get, dreams or no dreams!
I finally hit upon a solution. Before I went to sleep, I enlisted Sister Swan and asked her to help me recall the dreams during my morning shower, one of the few places where I am normally not disturbed (notice I said normally here). As the rest of the family is pounding throughout the house, banging dishes, spilling cereal, or burning the eggs, I relax for a short time under the hot shower—alone. There, I piece the dreams together that I have had the night before. When I’m finished, I’m ready to record my impressions.
Some Witches burn incense to enhance dream sleep or light candles. I use a candle burning in front of a triple mirror in my bedroom, and have been amazed at the results.
Gems and crystals can also be used to enhance your dreamtime. Fluorite is said to be helpful to allow one to open the Akashic records for information. Snowflake obsidian under a pillow can give astounding results. Dried herbs sewn into satin pillows by your own hand can assist your dream recall. Lavender, rosemary, and rose petals give a very restful sleep.
Interpreting Your Dreams
I do not use any dream books to interpret my dreams. I have always felt that since I create the dreams, I am the one that must figure them out. A pat explanation in a book is too unyielding for me.
Learning to interpret your dreams takes some practice. Your subconscious usually speaks to you in codes and symbols. You will have to learn what these symbols mean as they relate to you. When you are ready to attempt to interpret a particular dream, take out a piece of paper and write down all the things you recall, who was in the dream, colors, events, etc., but don’t get too wordy. You are going to play a word association game with yourself.
For example, if I dream of a blue tiger, I would write down both the color blue, the word tiger, and any other things I can remember, like night, hot, etc. Beside each word I will write the first thought that comes into my mind when I think of each one of those words. Dreams are often elaborate puzzles to be pieced together.
If you dream of total strangers in a situation, your subconscious may not want to admit the real players in a particular conscious problem, so it sets up a fictional drama for you instead. Check the cast of characters closely, you may be one of them in disguise!
A note about prescription drugs here. A friend of mine says that she, and some individuals she knows, always dream about blood under prescribed codeine. I know that after you have mastered dream recall, cold medicines sold over the counter or prescription drugs strongly affect dreaming. I do not suggest working with dream recall or dreamscaping when under the influence of any type of medication.
Dreamscaping
Stephen King and several other authors of our era have brought the reality of dreamscaping to the general public. Basically, it is the ability to control your dreams while in the dream state.
For instance, if you have a problem for which you can find no conscious solution, you can program your mind before you sleep to work out the difficulty and present you with the best alternative. Likewise, if someone is keeping information from you for whatever reason that you feel you must know, dreamscaping can bring you that knowledge.
Finally, if you consciously know you are dreaming while you are in that dream, you can control that scene, making it go where you want it to.
Tarot cards and runes are excellent devices for dream work. I have personally found the runes excellent door-openers to the unconscious during dreamtime.
Summary
Mental programming, meditation, visualization, and dreaming—are all integral to performing magick and ritual as well as acquiring balance in your physical and mental life.
Having several notebooks lying around for each of these skills is rather frustrating. You may like to section off a three-ring notebook for your record keeping. As with other magickal methods, it is a good idea to go back from time to time and look over your notes and consider your progress. Especially with dreams, things may come into perspective for you at a later date.