I was searching through my dream journal recently and found this entry from a couple of years ago:
Letting my dreams float away ~
I have a pet shop where I keep all of my pet projects. I don’t ever go inside the pet store to feed them, or pay attention to them, I just keep them where I can find them and show them off to others.
I have a goldfish pond next to the pet store. I like to lay in the pond and relax, it is a pond of dreams, and beautiful Koi goldfish swim beneath me. The pond is lucky and I can dream anything I want to when I lay in the water. I don’t believe in my dreams any more, I have given up on my dreams. Even though I have this magical pond and I can dream anything! I don’t seem to care, I just want to relax in the pond and let my dreams float away.
This dream was very instructive in terms of showing me how at the time, I had the tendency to hold onto creative ideas, or pet projects without ever acting on them. It also shows the potential of dreams, in that the magical pond, where I can truly dream up any reality I choose to explore and create from, but instead I have just let them slip away.
I have come across more than a few people who have told me they don’t remember their dreams, but after meeting me and sharing dreams, or coming to a class or workshop, their dreams emerge like a cherished friend, longing to reconnect.
In a recent dream from the other night, I found myself walking across an arched wooden bridge in a beautiful serene setting.
A Bridge Between the Worlds ~
I stepped onto the bridge, when suddenly a stream of water began to run over the bridge as I crossed. I payed close attention to each step I took, feeling the joy of this dream stream, flowing over my bare feet. I joined with the deeper river beneath me, where a school of gold fish, swam right up to meet me. I reached out to touch them and they came closer. I felt completely at peace in this environment, where the sun shown down a beautiful light from above, illuminating the clarity of the water. Floating in this light filled calm river, I flowed in connection with myself and the collective consciousness of the school of fish and felt a sense of wholeness in me.
This recent dream reflects a shift from the first dream I shared, when I was content to just lounge in my little dream pond, no longer caring for my dreams. Now I have fully set foot on a path of dreams, a bridge between the worlds, where I am comfortable to immerse myself in the collective dream, surrounded by light and clarity, and feeling the magical flow wash over me, sending me deeper into a world where the dream comes to meet me.
Aztec Turquoise Mosaic of Quetzalcoatl from the British Museum
Years ago, a series of dreams had been calling me to come and live in New Mexico. I finally decided to pay heed to these nightly dream callings and went to live at a retreat center called Garden of the Goddess, located on the turquoise trail on a scenic route between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Cerrillos is the official town where I was living, which was at one time the capital of New Mexico, a thriving center of trade and turquoise mining. Cerrillos was located along a trade and pilgrimage route between Teotihuacan, Mexico and Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, where parrot feathers from Mexico and Turquoise mined from Cerrillos, New Mexico have been found in Chaco Canyon.
Turquoise became a form of monetary trade between these two spiritual power houses. Turquoise itself was believed by indigenous tribes to hold the spiritual power of the blue sky above, so it is understandable that the stone would be popular in these places of spiritual pilgrimage.
In August of 2013, when I discovered the opportunity to move to New Mexico and live on the Turquoise Trail I had this dream.
Chaco Pilgrimage
I was dreaming about the people of Chaco Canyon, seeing the immense pilgrimage that went on where people traveled to the city to take part in a harvest festival. They wore beautiful colorful clothing complete with parrot feathered headdresses. The pilgrimage came from Mexico as they walked the turquoise trail to Cerrillos and then onto Chaco Canyon where thousands of people were gathering for the festival.
I later discovered what I had dreamed into was in fact was true, my bit of dream archaeology was confirmed during a visit to the local historical museum in Cerrillos, New Mexico, which had an article about the history of the Turquoise trail.
Many of my dreams have featured the energy of the dragon or winged serpent known also as Quetzalcoatl from Mexico, and also the Gila Lizard Monster which is native to New Mexico and Arizona.
LIZARD WOMAN 12/08
I see a map of Arizona, there are rainbow colored arrows pointing from Flagstaff and Sedona southeast at an angle to a particular spot on the map and then the arrows go back up headed northeast. I can hear music playing in connection with the arrows on the map. I can also hear a woman’s voice speaking to me. She tells me it is time for you to accept your own power, it is time for you to wake up! I can see a large tree that has appeared several times in my dreams previously. I then see under the earth in the area on the Map where I was shown, there is a huge lizard that lives under the earth. It is moving and I can feel the energy of it, I can see the scales of its skin and the design of it with red and black in an intricate woven design. The energy that I am feeling and seeing in the dream suddenly is in my throat and then into my heart. I feel my rib cage expand open and it cracks loudly. I am now feeling the energy of the Lizard Woman and she is calling me to her. She says, you need to come to this land. I feel the deep coursing energy of this place in my own body in my throat and heart. I feel the energy of this lizard that has been woven together through story and song through the centuries of the people who inhabit this place. It is a place of deep healing and a place to embody power. EOD
I was deeply touched by this dream experience and felt it was a call from the land itself to come and claim my power.
She’s Got Her Feet in the Stars and Her Head in the Universe 7-28-13
My teacher is talking about my dream and says, “She’s got her feet in the stars and her head in the Universe.” I am now huge like a galaxy spread out like the Milky Way. A power begins to flow into my being that is like a dragon. I am feeling it in my whole being, and I begin to breath like a dragon, and make sounds like a dragon. I find that I have become a Giant Gila Monster, I have red and black designs across my being, and I am the beaded monster. I feel the power of this energy and tremendous healing energy within me. The vastness of my being and the incredible energy of the Gila Monster, carries an intensity and vibration in tuned with a sound and vibration that resonates through me. I become conscious in my dream and notice this as a very real experience. EOD
Upon researching the healing practices of the Gila Lizard associated with the Dine and Arapaho peoples, I found that it does indeed have to do with reading the stars and consulting the star beings, as well as high vibration healing energies that come through the hands of healing practitioners. The spirit of the Gila Lizard comes through the healers, and their hands shake as they confer the healing energies.
It was after having this dream, I knew it was time for me to go back to New Mexico. It was time for me to follow the dragon who is leading me along the Turquoise trail connected to Teotihuacan, Mexico to Cerrillos New Mexico to Chaco Canyon New Mexico. Just before moving out there I had this dream,
8-20-13 Following the Dragon
A long dream where I become conscious at one point when I am there with another woman and we are talking about the dragon underground. I become aware this dragon is under the earth in Santa Fe, and it is this energy that I am connected to that is bringing me there. I am following the dragon. EOD.
When we learn to navigate between the worlds of waking and dreaming reality, we have access to creative problem solving and rehearsals for everyday life. We can view the latest reports on the state of our health, relationships, bank account, career path or education. Dreams create a bridge between multidimensional reality and our everyday waking reality and help us bring more of who we are into our everyday lives. Active Dreaming is a unique synthesis of modern-day dream work and ancient shamanic approaches to dreaming guided by the sound of the drum, where you can learn how to create a bridge between the worlds through dreaming.
Our indigenous ancestors knew how to go dreaming and track ahead during their night-time dreams to find animals to hunt, sources of water, what herbs which could heal or how to protect loved ones from harm. We are all a little bit shaman, because we each dream every night. Learning how to remember your dreams and share them with others is part of the first steps to crossing the bridge between worlds. Once you are in dialogue and relationship with your dreams, you can learn to direct your intentions consciously through dream incubation for night-time adventures in the dream world. You may discover spiritual guides or powerful animal guardians to help you brave up to your biggest fears or take respite in beautiful nature sanctuaries for healing and renewal.
It is through the gifts of dreaming that we create our world and when we bridge the waking world with our dreaming world, we are in communication with our deeper self and the language of the sacred to guide our steps. If you have ever had a de ja vue experience, it is possibly because you have dreamt it before. Dreams are experiences and not just phantoms of the confused mind. Science has shown that the body translates images as real experiences and that is one reason why imaginal healing has shown to be very effective. Dreams are also places to discover the powerful images we interact with in our inner world. They can help us study for a test at school, learn a new language, or create something completely original.
So when you go dreaming tonight, incubate a dream and picture yourself crossing over a magical dream bridge to discover conscious adventures in the multiverse. You may even want to re-enter a dream and discover more information from it. What ever your destination, make sure to set a clear intention for your journey and then, be sure to bring back a dream to share in your journal or iwith a trusted friend, because dreams are meant for sharing and they help create the stories of our lives. Important not to forget, is that dreams also require action and an important part of the Lightning Dream Sharing process I teach, encourages dreamers to determine what action to take to honor your dreams. In this way we are then able to cross back over the bridge between the worlds and bring our dreams into waking life. This is nothing less than magic and something we can all learn to do with a little practice. You can learn more about bridging the worlds at my upcoming workshop Dreaming the Hearts’ Desire.
In the midst of a conscious dream, I see three Aborigine men playing music and singing a sacred song. The songlines take me into the Dreamtime. I begin to see the mythic Aboriginal Rainbow Serpent emerge and it spreads giant across the stars looming before me. I also become aware that this same energy exists within me, and the rainbow serpent begins to emerge from my heart and solar plexus. This creative energy is undulating in and out of my heart weaving between my heart and the stars. The creative pulse of this ancient cosmic dance, brings tremendous energy into my body and my being. I am expanding ever outward into the spiraling dance of the dreamtime, and returning again and again to the universe expanding inside of me. EOD
The Aborigine Rainbow Serpent of the Dreamtime and the songs that evoke her, create the world. The energy of the ley lines tell where to find water and navigate the land. The energy lines are evoked by the songs and carry the stories of universe, stars, people, plant animal, river and stone. The stories carry me into the dreamtime. Many indigenous peoples understand that the dream world is the real world, and where our waking reality is created. The songlines and dreamlines are also connected with the energy ley lines on earth, as a map to navigate during dream travel. We are connected with the universe and the ground upon which we walk, as integrally as with our own breath. Our body carries the stories of our lives, just as the earth and the universe carry the stories of creation, that is ever being created. We are ever creating the sacred stories of the universe, the earth and our body, with each breath we take, and every beat of our heart and every dream we enter. This dance is being dreamed by our ancestors and they are inviting us to dance with them, out of which a new world may be born.
I had a short dream about a month or so ago. In the dream I am shown an unusual looking tree that has a spiral like trunk. I am told, “This is your tree” by a disembodied dream voice.
That was all of the dream I recalled.
I thought the tree looked familiar somehow, that it was a tree I had somehow seen somewhere before, and that it was a real living tree, as opposed to an ethereal dream tree. I put the information away in the back of my mind and did not think about it much after that. Weeks later, while walking at the lake along the usual path that I take with my partner, I was astonished to see the exact tree I had dreamt about. It was my Dream Tree! I excitedly showed my partner my discovery and went over to make a connection with “my tree”. We then proceeded on finishing our walk, but I began to notice as I walked a pain and heaviness in my chest which was making it difficult for me to walk or breath. I returned to the tree as we followed our route back and just hugged the tree, I felt the heaviness lift from my heart and felt an infusion of healing energy into my heart.
I then felt lighter and full of energy as I finished my walk.
Dream Tree
In the picture here you can see there are light orbs appearing in the photo as I am listening to and hugging my tree.
Notice the orb over the back of my head.
In the many visits I have made with my tree since then, I have seen and heard many wonderful things.
The tree has an amazing energy field around it, and when I walk close to it I begin to see differently. I can see many colors of light coming from the tree at times and even after leaving the space as I walk back to my car I am still seeing these colors appear.
When I put my ear to the tree I have heard a woman’s voice speak to me.
For instance on one of my walks I was talking with my partner and told him,
I wanted to make the earth my teacher over the coming year. I then went over to my tree to check in, and as I put my ear to her trunk,
I heard “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
My tree was very excited to know I was “getting it”.
I will continue to visit my dream tree to listen, and learn, to heal and be healed, and share energy and make prayers in connection with other realms.
To dream with the tree as the tree is dreaming me.
The Second Chakra holds the creative energy of regeneration and creation. A vigorous class of practicing Mudras with fire breathing was followed by a guided meditation.Upon entrance into the energy of the Creative Chakra I see myself as a tiger and I am swimming across a river at night where the moon is shining on the water. I can see the ripples on the water where I am breathing as I hold my head above the water as I swim across. I reach the other side of the river and I walk as a magnificent Tiger into the darkened jungle searching for my mate.
As I am guided along this journey, we came to meet the sacred child. In my experience,I saw myself as an infant surrounded by darkness with no one around. I could feel the terror in my body of the experience of the infant reaching out needing to touch another with no one there.
Finally as I waited for some kind of response, in my vision I could see rose petals fall on my body, one at a time like gentle drops of water, and I could see I was surrounded by a circle of angelic beings each dropping a soft gentle rose petal on the infant. As each soft petal fell, the terror in the body became soothed and finally the infant felt peace. I then saw the image of myself cradling the infant in my lap in this peaceful space, and then finally feeding the infant at my breast. The circle of mother and child was complete. Healing the inner child and strengthening the mother and inner nurturer, I felt the power of the completion of this circle.
I was then guided to a temple that had 4 doors, I could see the doors and was not sure which door to choose, each door presented a different aspect. I saw one door that was open and glowing with golden light, I entered the doorway and there was a woman with long blond hair hovering in the golden light. She was there to give me a creative gift and she told me I needed to sing, and that she would be giving me a song. The energy of her body then slipped into mine and the muse became apart of me.
The next day after this experience, my tonsils swelled up and my throat was burning.
I spent a day in bed resting allowing the energy to move through my body and out.
I was fine the following day, but I have yet the receive the song promised. What did happen was that my house suddenly became a center of creative energy! New carpet in the bedrooms, my nephew- a singer and musician, came and painted the walls and brought his singing and creative energy with him! The space opened up and creative movement began to flow. My son completed his art portfolio and applied to one of the top Visual Arts Schools in the country. Our house became a swirl of creative energy, my daughter auditioned for three parts in a play her school will perform for the Texas State UIL contest and she got all three parts!
Sometimes the effects of one action can set something in motion so powerful it can pull the powers of the wind and the sea together creating an awe inspiring force. Once in awhile, in the midst of the long struggle for peace and justice, an activist may see the effects of their heartfelt message break through the barriers of greed and ignorance. If we are blessed we will see the fruits of our actions turn from song and vigil for the oppressed and voiceless to freedom and justice.
One morning, I awoke from a dream with the phrase “Mariposa Movement” on my mind. I recalled the dream from the previous night where people gave up their places of comfort and status within the American Empire to stand in solidarity with Mexican immigrants, Indigenous peoples and Muslim Immigrants who are currently being demonized by the United States. These honest hard working people are being described as criminals, terrorists, child molesters, and drug dealers. I remember how inspired I felt upon waking from the dream with the idea it was presenting of a Solidarity movement to tear down the walls of class, racism and separation that are currently being built along our borders. It was shortly after this dream I was presented with the opportunity to accompany several fellow activists down to visit Taylor, Texas where a demonstration was planned with activists from all around the state of Texas. The focus of the action was the Don T. Hutto residential detention center where families are locked up along with their children while waiting for their case to process and seeking safe assylum in the U.S. These families seeking safe haven are being treated like criminals, along with their children, and imprisonment of children is in violation of International Law and Sacred Law.
On this day as we sit outside of these prison walls in Taylor Texas at the Don T. Hutto Residential Detention Center we are drumming to free the children inside. I tried to imagine what it would take to open the doors and allow those inside to have their freedom. I remembered the story of the Shoshone Medicine Man, Rolling Thunder, the story was of one of freedom.
Rolling Thunder had stood up for justice in his day, to demand freedom for his Shosone brothers who were locked up for refusing to fight an imperial U.S. war against Vietnam. Rolling Thunder was a Medicine Man and an activist for indigenous rights and the environment. He was known to have abilities such as effecting the weather by calling in the rain, the wind and the lightning. He demanded the release of his brothers and when the guards did not heed his call, he summoned the powers of the sky, and called a tornado directly toward the prison.
The guards became so frightened they let the two Shoshone men go they held prisoner. I looked to the story of Rolling Thunder for inspiration as I drummed an African Beat called Kaki Lambe on my Jimbe Drum, it is an African drumbeat used to call to spirits for assistance in times of dire need. My partner, Hadi Jawad, had taught me the rythmn and it was his strong desire that we bring the drums so that the children inside could hear us drumming through the thick prison walls. Together we drummed the rhythmn and I focused my attention on every beat. I connected my intention toward spirit for an answer, I closed my eyes as I drummed and released myself to the sound. It was then a clear vision appeared, and I saw the spirit of an immense White Eagle that flew to the front doors of the prison, opening them and letting me know that every child inside would feel the presence of the eagle and know that we were there. Later that afternoon, an indigenous looking man with long dark hair approached me and expressed his thanks. He had been listening to the drumming throughout the day while we played and he let me know how important drumming is to the Native People. He said, “We believe the drums are sacred, and they call in the power of the Great Spirit.” I said “Yes!” and I immediately shared with him my vision of seeing the spirit of the White Eagle flying through the front doors of the building. The spirits had heard our call and come to our aid.
After the last song was sung of the candle light vigil, we moved in the direction of leaving after a full day of drumming, protesting, singing and vigiling. The sun was going down and it was starting to get cold. Suddenly, something began to happen, instead of the crowd dispersing, people began to spontaneously move toward the doors of the prison demanding to speak to the warden! We joined in the movement of protestors toward the front door where official vehicles tried to block our path. We boldly walked around them as water flows around stones, we also crossed over the line we were “officially” told to stay behind. The crowd moved right up to the doors of the prison and people began to open the doors and fill into the building singing Feliz Navidad and chanting solidarity forever! Many people still holding candles aflame from the candlelight vigil we had finished just shortly before. People then began shouting, “Bring in the Toys!” A flood of Christmas toys began to appear with people carrying boxes and bags of toys overflowing. The gifts and were brought inside from the 200 or so protesters who had come from all around Texas to make their voices heard against the immorality of imprisoning families. This experience of breaking through the prison doors was elating to all those who came to participate in the vigil. Spirit was among us, and flying high this day just as the eagle had foretold.
This movement that took us right through the front doors of the prison may have begun from the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Mexico. Mariposa means butterfly and it also means soul. It is said that the butterflies who migrate South to Mexico are the returning souls of lost children. To the Native People sacred law states that children shall always be protected and that no harm shall come to the children.
Free The Children!
Let me share with you this beautiful song that was sang as one of the closing songs during the candlelight vigil.
Let me introduce you to the realm of dreams. Some of you may be familiar with dreams and the multiplicity of effects they can offer your inner and outer life, while many of you may simply be asleep to your dreams. Whatever your state of being one thing we all have in common is we dream. Hopefully this blog can serve to awaken your dreams and how you interact in them and with them.
The first step in dreaming awake is to remember your dreams.
How do you remember your dreams you may ask? Well there are many techniques to do so, and one thing of particular importantance is to set an intention to remember your dreams. This can be done by writing it down on a piece of a paper ” I will remember my dream from this night” and set it next to your bed or even under your pillow.
The next step then is writing down whatever impressions come from the night before, upon waking in the morning.
Give yourself time to let the impressions come, I know the shower seems to be a good time for dream images to flood my memory. Be sure to take the time to write down what ever comes in the morning, maybe as you have a cup of coffee in the morning and make it a part of your morning ritual.
No matter how disjointed the images or pieces of the dream you recall, simply writing these impressions down affirms your committment to follow the dream and awaken that part of your consciousness. The more you interact with this part of yourself the stronger the relationship will grow, and before you know it you will have dreams dropping by in the morning begging your attention from the previous nights exploits.
Once you have written the dreams down, read over them and revisit them, allow your awareness to enter the dream. You may recall more of the dream in this process, be sure to allow yourself to feel the dream and experience it. You will find that with practice you don’t have to be asleep to visit your dreams. You can be awake and consious in your exploration of dreaming.
Once you have begun to spend time with your dreams upon waking you, will find that your dream life may increase and the quality of your dreams may shift.
Letting my dreams float away ~
A Bridge Between the Worlds ~
Awaken the Sacred Dream 