AM I DREAMING?

One of the first batches of cards which I mailed out

So much time has passed since my last post here. I've been very active on my other blog AWAKENING CHOICE DREAMS and social media: my personal FB page, my other FB page AWAKENING CHOICE DREAMS, my new FB page AM I DREAMING?, and most lately INSTAGRAM.

You'd think that I'm a computer nerd but you'd be wrong…sort of. Distance from family and friends coupled with a strange desire to connect with people in some way draws me to these more interactive venues. Face Time and Skype, FB messenger, What's Ap, phone text messaging and even the good old phone keep me in touch with my buddies.

To balance this all out, physical restlessness and a need for real life often beckons me - you know, that sphere of physical reality that exists beyond all this technology. So, I'm not sitting at the computer 24/7.

My writing has become less about "me" and more about stories and connectedness. I love to hear other people's stories about synchronicity and following the synchronicity "strings" between stories, people, events and daily happenings. I don't know why exactly. Maybe it just amuses and comforts me to see the connectedness of all things when I feel so disconnected from family and friends living so far away. Maybe I'm just curious about people in general.

Anyway, I came up with this game that I call AM I DREAMING? It all started simply enough on the invitation of a friend to join her at a workshop Bootstrap Marketing with Marc Stoiber at the Greater Victoria Public Library. I reluctantly went, more for the coffee and pastry reward we were going to indulge in afterwards than for the event itself. I felt more reluctance when we were asked to pair up and brainstorm on ways to promote/market our products. I blatantly confessed to my partner, "I don't have a product.", before the handshake and name exchange so that she could find someone else and get me off the hook.

"Neither do I."

Well this is promising.

We rebelliously stuck together and chatted while the others mingled and brainstormed as directed.

Then Marc showed us his business card; just a card with his website URL on it. That got my attention. And then he said, "Have fun with it. Be creative."

As I walked home I thought about what a frustrating pain in the ass my experience with marketing has been. All my elaborate efforts at promo, blogging, e-mailing, talking up what I do, presenting free classes and demos, posting of flyers that get torn down or, more rudely, posted over and for what?

I'm not reaching the dreamers though I know they're out there; but where? How can I reach that quirky bunch?

What the hell, make it simple, be creative and have fun.

The cards were supposed to be just about business but this has become something far more enjoyable and open ended. Will more students come to my workshops and classes? I don't know and at this point I don't care. But, I am curious as to where it will lead me, who will connect with me and what branches will grow as people participate. And, it's helping me to appreciate life on a daily basis as I've committed to making daily entries on my FB AM I DREAMING? page - my streak started on Aug 17th.

The card designs began simply as well but have morphed into more creative expressions leading me back into artwork of sorts. As I draw and embellish the cards it's freed me up to explore mediums and designs without the judgment or the harsh self-criticism that has limited my previous attempts. After all it's not really about producing "art"; I'm making cards, just playing with line, design and colour.

I have to pinch myself sometimes when I realize how lucky I am to live here

Drawing up more cards on the patio. They're getting more elaborate.
I'm having a lot of fun with them, it's very satisfying to be doing artwork again.

So, I'm out there, really I am, not here…that much…for the time being.
You will find posts at:

Awakening Choice Dreams Website:
- Am I Dreaming? explained here
- blog here where I write about dreams

Facebook:
Awakening Choice Dreams FB page where I share interesting posts and articles I've found.
AM I DREAMING? FB page where I post photos and stories about my daily Am I Dreaming? experiences (some are shares of my Instagram photos with further elaboration) and where you can send your AM I DREAMING? experiences for me to share

Instagram:
 AM I DREAMING?  I post photos and brief paragraphs about my daily Am I Dreaming? experiences and where you can post a picture and short explanation using the hashtags #amIdreaminggame #amIdreaming #amIdreamingcard #card(followed by the number of the card that you have)

If you want to play AM I DREAMING? using one of my cards, let me know and I'll send you one free complimentary card (I just need your mailing address). Send your request to me at nancethacker10@me.com
For $20 you can get a minimum order of 20 numbered, one-of-a-kind cards (10/sheet)

I had a funny realization a few days back. My Dad was in constant search of peoples' stories. After he retired he even passed out a card that said NORM THACKER A FRIEND. Yikes, it dawned on me that what I'm doing isn't really that different - meeting people from a point of friendliness and shared connections. Maybe my "Norm" genes are acting up proving the old adage that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Trash talk

From Osho Zen Tarot
Consciousness - Ace of clouds

Thursday Aug 28th - I walk the streets of Victoria looking for places to post my flyers advertising upcoming offerings; feeling vaguely down.

I've just come from mingling with a community of yoga practitioners at a brief memorial tribute to BKS Iyengar at a local yoga centre. I was once an active member of the original group from which this one evolved. Many of those long-time, pivotal members of this vital community, are present today.  It's surreal. Detached, I watch them mingle and chat, a simple interaction so familiar yet so far away. We have all moved on.
"How are you doing?" a yoga friend/teacher kindly asks.
"Good. I love being here" I say. However, I surprise myself when, "but it takes time to settle in," spills out of my mouth. As I speak, this truth, the emotion of it washes through me and my inner voice asks Where do I fit in?

A little over a year ago I returned to Victoria but only in the last few weeks have I felt myself setting down roots. They reach, spread, and dig deep down into the soil of this island. It is a lonely, and of necessity, a solitary, visceral experience: painful, comforting, frightening, uplifting all at once.

My task completed; I continue my wandering. What else pulls at me? The faint voice of my inner whiner spins old, worn out, all too familiar stories of woe is me…doomed to failure…Blah, blah, blah, on and on, round and round getting louder and louder now that it has an audience. The wheel of samskara threatens to etch deepening ruts. I let her run on. No new insights to be found here. I know the stories she tells and how she drags me down and I am done with it.

What to do?

My hand brushes against the net, outer pocket of my back pack and the bags within crinkle to the touch as I reach Clover Point. Without a thought, I pull them out and begin clearing the litter in the park on the bluffs as the ocean waves crash below on a somewhat blustery day. Becoming absorbed in my task,  involved in something far bigger than myself, everything else falls away. Peace at last!

After some time a disembodied voice asks, "What are you doing?"

"Clearing litter," I answer as I straighten up to see the beautiful woman that is attached to the voice.

"Why?"

"Because I'm bummed." WTF, because I'm bummed? Really, you say this to a stranger!

Without missing a beat she exclaims, "Oh, ya me too. What are you bummed about?"

I skim the surface with a brief, vague answer.

She immediately confides in me not only the story and source of her suffering but the wisdom she knows is needed in order to let it play itself out: to listen to her whole story, to feel it, to see the judgment, the accusations, the finger pointing, the blame, guilt and shame, to take responsibility for her actions, her thoughts and her emotions but not take on that which belongs to another, to stand back and to surrender to what is essentially a state of no-mind.

I'm dumbfounded. She has come to me as if in a dream. Her story is my story; the personal, untold one that grips me most deeply in a life where everything has changed.

After considerable time spent conversing like two long lost friends we exchange contact information, hug, wish each other well and go our separate ways.

This is the information she gave me.
Take a moment to listen to GIVE ME A MOMENT by VERONICA IZA


Her words of wisdom echo the card I drew this morning from the OSHO Zen Tarot to gain some insight for the day as no dream was recalled upon awakening.

CONSCIOUSNESS - the state of no-mind "is available to all who have become a master of the mind and can use it as the servant it is meant to be…there is a crystal clarity available right now, detached, rooted in the deep stillness that lies at the core of your being. There is no desire to understand from the perspective of the mind - the understanding you have now is existential, whole, in harmony with the pulse of life itself. Accept this great gift, and share it.

Thank you Veronica. It was very nice meeting you and I'm honoured to share the gift of your beautiful voice.

Proving once again that one doesn't have to sleep in order to dream.

Over there...

HI all,

As you may know I now am managing 2 blog sites, this one and AWAKENING CHOICE DREAMS which appears at my website of the same name. On the latter site I'll explore all things related to dreams and dreaming - how to, Dreaming 101, history and interesting facts on dreams as well as experiences at workshops as a participant and a teacher (as long as students are willing to share their experiences/dreams with my readers).

I figure dreamwork is best shared with a sold audience, though I can't imagine what it would be like not to be interested in dreams, I'm not out to convert anyone.

Having said that, I find it difficult to compartmentalize my life - I work at what I love and dreaming spills into everyday life for me so you will still get dream stuff here but most likely dreams will provide sources for creative writing - we'll see how this works. This site is about heart, soul and mind matters as I travel through the mind fields of life so it's kind of a mish-mash; like my mind.

I'll notify you when a post appears on the other site so you can pop over there if you are interested in dreams. So, please bear with me as I get the hang of working the 2 sites.

Click on the link to go over to AWAKENING CHOICE DREAMS for the latest post on how I work with Robert Moss' Lightning Dreamwork Process, especially if you are interested in working with your dreams or attending the dreamcircle this Wed night June 20 from 7 - 9 p.m. at AKASHA'S DEN in Oakville. I'd love to see you there!

Sweet Dreams,
Nance

Who Do You Think You Are?

©Nance Thacker 1990

"List 3 words to describe who you are, the kind of person you are; positive attributes." I said with eager enthusiasm.
I looked around the room at the Memorial Camp last weekend and saw that my simple request was being greeted with far less than an enthusiastic response. Some people closed their eyes and heaved a sigh. Others squirmed in their seats. The silence was deafening. Stillness followed, as if I'd caught a herd of deer in my headlights. No one was forthcoming so I chose the first person on my left to jump in.
"I think I'm..." he began.
I put up my hand and stopped him before he could continue. This was IT, I could see that many were having great difficulty acknowledging and owning their positive characteristics. Their reserve was made worse by having to declare it aloud.
"If I had asked you all to list 3 negative things about yourself. You could come up with them very easily and probably have more in reserve. Right?"
Nods all around.

And so I gave them this task which I'll ask you to do as you read this.

*          *          *

Don't tell me what attributes you think you have. Remember a time when you acted in an admirable manner or you felt really, really good about yourself. What did that feel like? How did you feel about yourself? What qualities where you showing at that time? Tell me about those.

What qualities would you like to have? Maybe you don't have them right now or maybe you have their negative flip side but would like to develop the positive quality in the future. State them aloud as if you already have them. We don't know whether you have them or not, but we'll take your word for it. Mix in up a bit, those you already have with those you'd like to have. We don't know the difference.

Our body/mind, like the audience in the workshop, responds to our self-talk in the same way. It doesn't know the difference between something "real" or "imagined" but accepts a statement about ourselves (negative or positive) as if it were TRUTH.

If you can feel a quality in your body, it is familiar to you. It is familiar because you have possessed it at one time or another. So, though you may embrace the negative aspect as being who you are, if you can, even for a minute, bask in its opposite it is a resource within you and with cultivation can become your truth.

*          *          *

So then I asked them, "IN THE FULLNESS OF ALL THAT YOU CAN BE, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? Imagine it, take it into every cell, declare it and bring the future into the present with your actions."

The room resounded with the joy, laughter and light as the positive declarations were stated aloud and released out into the room so that their vibrations could be supported by the dreaming that followed.

EZE EZE

Rod doin' EZE EZE Vancouver Island 2010

Last weekend I was one of the adult "campers" riding the big brown Tim Horton's bus on its 3 hour journey to the Tim Horton's Wellness Weekend at their Memorial Camp outside of Parry Sound. The air was filled with the excited chatter and laughter that only a bus full of women filled with anticipation of a weekend "off" from family responsibilities, can make. Let's just say that a very good time was had by all!

From Fri at 6pm to Sun at 6pm - 48 hours were theirs to be as active as they choose. Soapstone carving, massage and tai massage, educational talks on ageing parents and nutrition, spinning, pilates, yoga, nature walks, zip lining, meditation and dreamwork were some of the offerings. Also available to these hard working women (and a few hardy men) was the chance to: actually read a book, sleep in, sit by the lake on a beautifully sunny and relatively warm weekend, enjoy a wine tasting with hors d'oeuvres, and dance their butts off on Sat night to the sounds of MUSKOKA ROADS band.

48 hours - no cooking, grocery shopping or thinking about food; bliss! Whatever shall I try was my only thought as I perused the tray of appetizers presented for my consideration and as I stood by the tables loaded with fabulous dishes, beautifully presented by the hard working kitchen crew.

Not only was I an enthusiastic "camper" (I came home with a find soapstone carving of a turtle and zip lined this year - wooo hooo) but, for the 4th year, I was also a presenter.

In the first years we focused on: relaxation, stress management techniques and practical meditation. Over the years this has evolved into: creative visualizations and guided dream journeys with the voice and drum to gather healing, support and wisdom. We play dream games and explore the magic of synchronicity through everyday oracles and tapping into the wisdom that arises when a group gathers for this purpose.

I look forward to this weekend with excitement, anticipation and, I have to admit, some degree of anxiety. Each group is different, all contain people with varying degrees of exposure to the type of work I present. I come prepared to respond to what arises within the group and flow from its energy. Excitement and anxiety feel the same - so I can see this as a good thing or get hooked on any negatives that may be floating around in my mind ready to be taken up and amplified. Self-doubt threatens to overwhelm me.

As Rod drives me to Tim's head office in Oakville I relax my breath and take in the passing scenery. At the moment another wave of anticipation/anxiety begins to wash over me the words EZE EZE come into view. There they are blazoned on the licence plate on the car in front of us. Easy, easy; take it easy, you've got a lot of tools to draw from — relax. Not only did this synchronic event ease my self-doubt, it also provided me with a perfect example to use during the workshop to demonstrate synchronicity working through the appearance of an everyday oracle.

EZE EZE, such reassuring resources are available to us at all times. Sometimes we forget, that's all.

Note: All the proceeds from this event goes to the kid's camp!

Channelling Angelina

This pic appeared in Cristina's Blog
pictures via: celebrity-gossip.net/justjared.buzznet.com

Angelina Jolie, she of the pillowy, ruby red matte lips and catlike sweep of eyeliner at the Golden Globes 2012 stands regally overseeing her domain. The red slash blazoned across her collarbones, skims her left shoulder and then disappears into the white fabric wrapping around her torso and under her right arm adding a swanlike length to her neck. There can be no mistake who's in charge at this event nor in my dream of Friday night.

However in my dream, after a day of hard work alongside others in the fields and schools she stands hair-tousled in the drab, dusty brown garb of a soldier. Only her regal bearing reveals who she really is. She surveys the scene as all hurry about her organizing the troops for her inspection because SHE HAS ARRIVED.

What a contrast to the Angie of her early days rife with rebellious, distasteful images: Billy Bob Thornton's blood in a vial on a chain hanging around her neck, the steamy hot kiss shared with her brother at the 2000 Oscars, the home wrecker who stole the heart of the husband of America's sweetheart.

Action hero, adopted Mom of 3, birth mother to 3 more (a set of twins included) who tows her international brood around the world for work and education, movie star with clout, actress, director, humanitarian spokesperson and benefactor paired with another godlike yet down to earth alpha being.

Whether the "real life"Angelina knows or cares who she was, how she was perceived and how far she's come matters little to me. What matters is how I feel slipping into the role of the dream Angelina. I'm pleased with who I've become and my strength. I've discovered who I really am. I've dropped away all the games and roles. Be myself, follow where my heart leads and others will be inspired to support the work and do the same for themselves.

The action for the day...channel Angelina.

Greet the day from "her" vantage point. How does it feel? Does it change my actions and reactions? Will I be blessed with a new point of view; more optimism and self-confidence?

It's perhaps not surprising that this is also a technique sometimes used in hypnosis to help you reach your goals. Become who you want to become, or at least discover who you admire or who inspires you. By mimicking how it "feels" you are on your way. Walk around in their skin to find out how they got there and what it takes for them to continue being who they are. Back up this "fake it to make it" route with research, work and effort in order to achieve your goals. And use the feeling SHE HAS ARRIVED to inspire you on your way.

*          *          *

"REAL LIFE" SYNCHRONICITY:

The next morning (Sat) still working on "Angelinafying" myself.
Saturday morning - I send out an e-mail to a friend/fellow therapist confirming my appointment with her.
Saturday night - I receive an e-mail from her that starts...
Alpha Nance...
Sunday morning - I respond...
LMAO re: the alpha comment. She has no idea about this dream or my adventures in being the very "ALPHA" Algelina Jolie.
Sunday night - She responds.
This was a spell check error on the part of my i-phone. I typed in Aloha Nance and it got changed to Alpha Nance.

I love it! At least part of the universe got my message. I think I've still got a lot more work to do.

Dream prescription

CEDAR

My bed shakes in time with the clinking of Flippy's toe nails against the name tag that dangles from her collar. This is the daily neurotic ritual she performs to get me out of bed before I am ready. She knows it drives me nuts.
I stumble out of bed, unzip the a pre-portioned packet of brekkie into her tin bowl and then one into Maya's. I should get up but the rumpled, warm duvet upon my bed beckons me back and into its fold I willingly fall. I don't want to fall back to sleep though. With no dream remembered from last night and still barely awake this is an opportune time to drift into the hypnogogic state.

A west coast village is nestled in a densely forested area. The random patter of droplets is just one reminder of the recent rainfall. The lush shades of green on the leaves of deciduous and coniferous trees and the low lying growth of the forest floor appear as splashes of luminous colour against the background of darkly glistening black-brown of the trunks, branches and loamy soil of the surrounding forest creating a visual feast.

The air, freshly transfused with life by ocean breezes and earthy forest scents energize me. I breathe full and deep as I walk towards the plank house in the distance where new construction is taking place. A powerful middle-aged native man has drawn excess boughs of cedar and pine from the roof line. He walks towards me cradling them in his arms. No words are exchanged as we meet. He holds the boughs out to me as gift offering which I accept without question.

My alarm goes off. Though it seems like hours, a mere 15 minutes have passed.

I have been given a gift of cedar and pine in the dreamspace. I know that these substances will provide me with healing and wisdom if I honour them in waking life. But what does this mean and how am I to use these gifts?

I decide to go for a walk to help me ponder these questions. As I step foot out the door a light, misty rain, not unlike that in my dream, has begun to fall. And I walk...
It is not the boughs that are important. It is the cedar and the pine leaves that hold the power. It isn't about size or bulk but about scent.


How is it that I never saw before the varieties of cedar and pines that exist just outside my door? I pluck only those samples that are given up willingly by the trees. Gently I crush their leaves and needles in my hand. To my delight and surprise each variety yields a distinctly different aroma. Who knew? I expected a generic scent - pine to smell like "pine"; cedar like "cedar". How did I not notice this before? Periodically as I walk I sniff the little bouquet I have gathered. My chest feels light, my sinuses clear and my breathing is free and easy; a big contrast to the inter-scapular tension and sinus congestion that has been plaguing me these past few days.

Is that it, I wonder?

Take them home. Have a warm shower (no problem as I'm getting wet AND cold) and place them on the floor of the shower as you do so.
I willingly comply. The scent of pine and cedar is heightened by the warmth and the steam of the shower. It's invigorating and uplifting.

Gather them up, run the fresh water through them and shake it off all over your skin.
I recognize this as a form of smudging used as an alternative to smoke. I sprinkle myself from head to toe.

What am I to do with the leaves once the shower is over?
When you are finished mix the batch with some tobacco, scatter it under the cedars outside your front door and give thanks for this day.
I do so gratefully.

What does this all mean? I haul out my reference books on aromatherapy and these properties/messages seem particularly relevant:

CEDARWOOD - Soothing and uplifting, good for nervous tension, appropriate if you have problems with self-identity, encourages interrelation with other people. *
Strength  Endurance  Centainty
Fortifies and strengthens, tonifies: the body's Qi energy, Kidneys, Spleen/Pancreas, Steadies the conscious mind and fortifies the action of the will to hold firm even against persistent external forces, bolsters the transforming power of will helping us to transform an emotionally charged negative situation into one from which we can derive strength and wisdom. **

PINE

PINE - Refreshing and opening, can be used to revive the nervous system, main action is on the respiratory tract - chest, throat and sinuses, decongestant, eases aches and pains.
Pine helps the adult, once rebellious spirited child with non-conformist attitudes, break through to reclaim sensitivity, enjoyment and happiness in life.*
It is psychologically fortifying, instills positivity, restores self-confidence and counteracts pessimism. Helps to restore balance where there is a weakness of "boundary" ("where one can't distinguish others' responsibilities from one's own") and self-identity replacing undue guilt with forgiveness, self-acceptance and self-worth. **

*        *        *

NOTE: a few days have passed since I had this experience and began writing this post. I'm glad to report that the mucus membranes in my sinuses, for the first time in months, are no longer bothering me. The day before the experience I'd done a kundalini practice a little too vigorously leaving my hips feeling achy; this too has subsided.

It is possible that these scents were given to me to further actions that I've been consciously working towards in my waking life since returning from Hawaii namely letting go of old emotional patterns that have plagued me all my life and left me feeling unworthy, negative and pessimistic. The result has been almost radical self-acceptance with a huge dose of Ho'ponopono (forgiveness towards others and myself for any misunderstandings that have caused pain) resulting in a renewed sense of purpose, self-worth, gratitude and HAPPINESS. 

My journey these last few months has been to allow myself to find out what it is to really enjoy my life.

* source - NEAL'S YARD REMEDIES ESSENTIAL OILS - Susan Curtis, 1996 Aurum Press Ltd.

** source - AROMATHERAPY For Healing the Spirit - Gabriel Mojay, 1996, Gaia Books Ltd.

IMPROVING DREAM RECALL-Dreamwork 101

The biggest challenge facing every beginning dream worker is remembering our dreams. How can we improve dream recall?

REALIZE THAT DREAMING IS A NATURAL ABILITY
First off realize that it is a skill that we naturally have. Notice how easily children recall dreams and engage in them. As we age we are told to let go of childish things, unfortunately most of us live in a culture which would include dreams and dreaming in this category. So, dreaming is a natural state, one that we all experience many times every night. Dream recall, also a natural ability, is honed and perfected with practice.

ASSIGN DREAM RECALL AND RECORDING SOME IMPORTANCE

What will you GAIN from remembering your dreams? What is your motivation? How will this practice benefit you? Increased creativity, problem solving, fine tuning intuition, exploring lucid dreams, travelling to different realities, time travelling (past, present, future of our present life), travelling into past and future lives, fun, healing, entertainment, future spiritual gain - developing mindful awareness and mind training to help in times of challenge and transition when emotions may be high, pain intense and as a preparation for the dying process, to explore the nature of "reality", mend the past, set a nightmare right and reclaim personal power, to resolve and release recurring dreams, a form of self-study... these are and have been just some of my motivating factors. What are yours?

MAKE DREAM WORK AND RECORDING THEM A HABIT: Realize that you will have to dedicate some time EVERY DAY to dream working. Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth. How much time do you want to allot to dream work?

PREPARE YOURSELF: Set your alarm clock to go off anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes before your normal arising (this means you may have to go to bed earlier). Find an alarm clock with a soft sound. If it is too loud or "alarming" you will be woken up too abruptly, as will your bedmate. You want to become gently aware that you are rousing from sleep. Place a pen and a journal within easy reach (mine is in a basket under my bed. I simply roll over and reach down and have accessed it with very little disturbance). Some people like to use a recording device but I find the act of writing accesses the subconscious mind most effectively.

BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP SET AN INTENTION that, "I will remember AND record my dreams upon awakening." Repeat it mentally as you set your alarm reminding yourself that the alarm is to trigger you to recall and record your dreams.

MORE ON INTENTION: Sometimes our motivation and intention needs to be more enticing and fun than just, "I will remember AND record my dreams upon awakening." Set yourself a fun assignment i.e. I'm going to explore and relax on a beautiful, sandy beach and get some sun or I'm going to meet that great guy/girl that I saw yesterday. Make it interesting, something to look forward to; an adventure. As you drift off imagine your chosen scenario. When you awaken check. Did you go to the beach or meet the guy? If yes, you may find it easy to ask your dream self to tell me (your waking self) all the details.

THE ALARM CLOCK REMINDS YOU OF YOUR INTENTION not only to remember your dreams but to record them as well:

Many people open the door to dreams but don't do the follow through because of laziness it takes too much effort I'd rather go back to sleep for a few minutes more, or they hit the ground running as their mind gets flooded with other things that seem more important I've got to get going, got to do X and X and ..... 

Do not allow yourself to rush into your day! That's why you've set the alarm for an earlier time. Its ring or buzz is a reminder that you have set aside this 15, 30 or 60 minutes for dreamwork. It is also a signal to get your journal and pen which you placed within easy reach the night before.

USING THE ALARM CLOCK AS A TOOL TO DREAM RECALL AND RE-ENTRY - 3 different scenarios and the approaches I employ for each.
Note: Though I don't usually need 60 minutes for dream work I set aside that amount of time. 

1. The initial alarm goes off. I turn it off, grab my journal and pen and the dream virtually spills onto the page. I may or may not need to re-set the alarm clock to ring at the time I NEED to get up.

2. The initial alarm goes off. I grab my journal and pen. I know the dream is there but it's not willingly revealing itself to me. I leave my alarm on snooze (it goes off at 4 minute intervals) and draw it close to me so that if, during dream re-entry, I drift off I will be brought back to my intention to write my dreams. I have recaptured full dreams using this technique. They may have been from earlier that night or taken place during a 4 minute period (In dream time a lifetime can be lived in 4 minutes!) Once I'm well on my way to dream recording I effortlessly and without disturbance, re-set my clock for the time I NEED to be up. 

3. The initial alarm goes off. I grab my journal and pen. I sense nothing. I set my alarm for 15 minutes later and allow myself to go back to sleep "perhaps to dream". Upon awakening I either set my alarm for when I have to get up and begin recording what I've recalled or do the snooze technique. 

A NOTE REGARDING INTERRUPTING SLEEP - some people recommend setting the alarm to go off at specific intervals (timed to maximize contact with REM sleep) throughout the night to increase the likelihood of capturing a dream. Personally I don't like this interruption until the later hours of the morning when REM sleep is longer and more vivid, intervals between shorter, and the hypnogogic state (state between waking and sleeping; sleep and waking) more easily accessed. Recent research shows that our natural sleep cycle (and one that existed before the invention of the light bulb) is to sleep for about 6 hours, wake up for an hour or so and then go back to sleep for an hour or two more. This second sleep is rich in dream offerings and increases the likelihood of experiencing lucid dreams.

Others recommend recording a dream if it has woken you up during the night. Good advice! Either write in full, write a word, phrase or dream fragment that can serve as a doorway into fuller dream re-entry in the morning.

Still others, recommend drinking a glass of water before sleeping so that you will have to wake up to use the washroom in the middle of the night and perhaps recall a dream. As a Shiatsu Therapist I don't recommend this - it is unnatural, taxing to the bladder and kidneys and I believe, may be disturbing to the nervous system if done to excess. 

If you want to try the water technique, use it as a memory prompt. Have a glass of water by your bedside and drink a small sip before bed while repeating the suggestion, "I will remember and record my dreams upon awakening." Some people have found that upon awakening the act of drinking the water, even just reaching for the glass, triggers dream recall.

BODY POSITION DURING RECALL AND RECORDING:

Disturb yourself as little as possible. Lay in the position in which you awoke. If no dreams come or if you think there is more to be recovered, change into another sleep position and wait there. Record what comes. In changing positions I often gather more info and glean a new perspective from each position. I record with my free arm (it helps but isn't necessary to be ambidextrous).

WRITE IT DOWN:

The smallest, most insignificant "dreams" or waking thoughts can prove to be filled with information or be the vehicle to synchronic happenings during the day. If you've read any of my other entries on dreams, dream work, dream circle you know that dreaming constitutes more than just sleep dreams.

I GOT NOTHIN' - WRITE IT DOWN:

If you really have no dream to record WRITE DOWN, "No dreams recalled" this act, oddly enough, has spurred on many a dream recording.

What are you feeling, thinking, sensing? Write it down.

Tell yourself a story. Write it down.

DURING THE DAY:

Be open to the fact that your dream may spontaneously come to mind as you're engaged in daily activities. Take a moment to review, remember and write it down as soon as possible. 

TALK ABOUT DREAMS with: your family and/or friends who are open to this material.

READ ABOUT DREAMS - reading about dreams increases the likelihood of recall.

JOIN A DREAM GROUP - learn from the wisdom and experience of others. Being in the company of other dreamers inspires us to becoming more skilled in the art of dream navigation. In dream groups/circles we explore the many facets of dreams and dream-related states. There is also plenty of time for Q&A.

CONSULT A DREAM WORKER WHO KNOWS THAT THE DREAMER, AKA THE AUTHOR OF THE DREAM, HAS THE ABILITY TO UNCOVER AND DISCERN ITS WISDOM, who will help you develop facility with dream work. Challenging dreams such as nightmares, night terrors are not suitable for most dream groups/circles and are best explored one-on-one in private consultation with a dream worker.

I host a dream group at my place every second Wednesday of the month and at various locations in the Oakville, Burlington area.
I do one-on-one dream consultations and lead dream circles for individual and corporate groups.

Mirror Mirror

"Real" life spills into our dream world and vice versa reminding me that the veils between the worlds are permeable indeed.
A friend buys a beautiful one of a kind hand crafted mirror at an exclusive art and craft show. She hangs it on a wall in her office. When it is unveiled, the natural light streaming upon it reveals a less than perfect product. During the fabrication process perhaps the grinding plates were too coarse as the reflective metal surface under the glass is scratched. We take it back to the seller's booth and on second viewing in this space the flaw is so obvious it is inconceivable that it could have been missed during the stages of production and by artisan, seller and purchaser alike; but it was.
It happens. While working as a camera operator, in the composing room of a local newspaper, I occasionally subbed as a proof-reader. I performed the latter duty in a small cubicle papered with clippings of the "ones that got away" such as the headline proudly declaring "PUBIC MEETING A RESOUNDING SUCCESS!"
But I digress.
Back to the mirror and my point. This waking dream-like event fuelled a waking dream spurred on by an uncomfortable "real" life interaction that I had had with a woman who was acting in a, perhaps self-appointed, authoritarian capacity. The details are not important except to say that we had widely differing assessments of a situation. What is important is that we were both acting from what we felt was the best interest of another person. Our perspectives spoke volumes about us as individuals and our particular take on life.
What causes some people to have such a narrow, uptight, shame based, constricting, dour and solemn view that distorts the intentions and actions of another? I asked myself later that night weighed down by the event.
As I posed the question I drifted off into a waking dream enveloped in a grey, fog-like mist. The mist swirled around me leaving misshapen forms in its wake as I backed away. I latched on to one form, squinting to get a clearer picture of the image before me. An odd sensation took over me. I began to embody it.
Walk away. 
I stopped
Walk away. I was warned.
Stealthily I backed away until I emerged from the spell of a fun house mirror. There I stood gazing at the distorted reflection of myself.
Do not gaze too deeply or you will be ensnared once more. Look around.
There were many such shadowy, misty mirrors; each with their own particular pattern of distortion.
Your image in any of these mirrors will reflect a distorted view of yourself. 


Like a moth drawn to a flame I was strangely fascinated by each and felt compelled to delve deeper into their shadows.

GAZING INTO THE CRYSTAL MIRROR
©Nance Thacker '12

Gaze too deeply into any of these and you will be transported into a world of distortion fitting the reflection. You are familiar with these worlds. Though it will be challenging, it is time to let go of your fascination with these things. You have many choices. Look around. Find the mirror with the impeccable finish. The one that reflects most accurately the brightest, clearest, lightest image - your true self.
Mirrors in frames ranging from ornate and opulent to mere ribbons of metal or unfinished wood, hung in the air or stood self-supported forming a brilliant, shining maze in an otherwise black space. Looking from mirror to mirror, I caught glimpses of multi-reflected selves and infinite possibilities.
Find the mirror that shines brightest. The one ringed with gems and crystals. They will strengthen and amplify all the positive feelings and thoughts that you put into it and will reflect this world back to you.

*      *      *

GAZING INTO THE MIRROR OF
GROWTH
©Nance Thacker '12

A few days later my elderly client wants to go over Kahuna Harry Jim's FOUR DECLARATIONS with me. She's not sure of the meanings that they hold. I know them by heart as I recite them before and during my treatment sessions but I decide a re-reading of his book WISE SECRETS OF ALOHA is in order so that I may relay their wisdom as clearly and accurately as possible.

To my shock and amazement I have been reciting one of the lines in the first declaration incorrectly as:

"My presence in the Halau is a sacred manifestation from me to myself to shower gratitude, GRACE, and bliss to my whole being and through me to the receiver."

THE CORRECT VERSION IS:

"My presence in the Halau is a sacred manifestation from me to myself to shower gratitude, GROWTH, and bliss to my whole being and through me to the receiver."

I wonder what will be freed up in me once the seeds of welcoming growth take hold?

From Uuugh to Ahhh

Uuugh, that was one of those dreams I'd rather forget! 

You know the kind. Filled with frustration, missed connections, rapidly changing scenarios littered with events gone wild and threateningly dark characters. Everything seems out of my control leaving me feeling lost and out of sorts upon awakening.

I lay there in a stupor. This type of energy rises up in you this time of the year; EVERY DAMN YEAR. You shouldn't be so surprised, I told myself reassuringly. My mind had raced ahead and was throwing in the towel to all my hopes and dreams. When this mood settles upon me like a weighted black robe its darkness envelopes me making it near to impossible to see and feel the light. I'm in limbo, unable to get a clear view of my surroundings, let alone envision a future of my own choosing. A future which just a few days ago seemed full of adventure and promise.

I'm not going to record this dream. I'd rather forget it. What's the point. It's all so depressing. I tossed back the duvet, sat up in bed and was just about to step onto the floor...

Don't be such a wimp. At least write down a title and maybe a little summary; no biggie. What can it hurt?


I gather up my journal and pen and lay back snuggling into the dreaming posture from which I'd awakened just moments before. 


TITLE: I've lost my ID and my money.
FEELING: upon awakening - lost, out of control, out of sorts.
FEELING: in the dream...Wait! Was I really lost? I didn't lose my ID or my money I actually got them back...
Before you know it a full dream recording and re-entry took form.

SUMMARY: 
- I'm participating in a course where there's been some dissatisfaction amongst the participants. Things haven't been brought to resolution as expected during the last few days.
- As we are disbanding I see a folk dance line forming. With hands linked they snake their way through the crowd. I hear the music and know the steps to this Greek dance and decide to join in. I tuck my ID and the leather money folder under my black windbreaker and leave it on a chair. I have some reservations but I think it should be OK.
- The leader is speaking in a foreign language, there is a woman between us so I can't quite see the steps and I'm making mistakes which affects the whole line. A friend's husband takes the woman's place. I feel much better about this as he knows what he's doing.
- I'm in a car driven by a friend. She's taking me and the workshop leader to the airport, but I realize I don't have my ID or money and have to go back. She's not offering to take me so I get out and take a bus to Sheridan College where I hope to go to their lost and found department.
- But, I realize that I know where my stuff is and this realization transports me there which is not Sheridan after all but a park setting.
- I see a bunch of shadowy types mulling around my stuff. One of them is sitting on the chair and beginning to take the money out when I say, pleadingly, tearfully, "This is my stuff. Please give it back to me. You have no idea how much I need it". He's moved by my plea and gives everything back to me. One of the shadowy types says, "How do we know it's yours." I know this is a ploy to get the stuff back so I hold it closer to my body. I KNOW WHO I AM AND I DON'T HAVE TO PROVE IT TO ANYBODY!  I keep talking over him as I walk away thanking the other man.
- I'm in my car now being directed to a detour lane by a traffic cop. Cars move slowly in single-file on a winding ramp lane. He's looking me in the eye and waving a flag commanding that I move to my left. But I don't want to go there...

This is where I woke up frustrated at being commanded to go somewhere I don't want to go. I remain in the dream this time and ask Do I have any options?

YES. I pull my gaze away from the cop. To my right is a freeway where cars are moving along quickly and directly to the destination of their choice. The ramp to my left would get me there eventually but it would be a slow and tedious process and traffic is backed up. I have choice, the cop is just trying to get me to make one so that the traffic can flow. I feel greatly relieved as I pull on to the freeway and come up to full speed merging with the traffic.

Ahhh, I emerge from the re-entry refreshed with renewed optimism and energy.

There were a lot of elements in the dream that related to past event happenings and to possible future ones. One warning I take from the dream is to keep a head's up on my ID and money during future travels and especially not to be too casual with them when I find myself distracted by social situations.

I believe that my day was vastly improved as a result of this dream work/re-entry. My initial feelings upon waking were misplaced due to the emphasis I'd put on losing my ID and money rather than on the fact that I'd recovered them. As a result a defeatist attitude prevailed. Had I left the dream unresolved the sense of dissatisfaction, being at a loss and out of sorts would have plagued me throughout the day and sapped my energy. The fact that my emphasis changed upon re-entry and that I completed the action at the end of the dream turned a negative almost nightmarish dream to one of inspiration and liberation.

BANNER: KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND GO WITH THE FLOW

I know nothing

nance thacker © 2012

On Sunday March 25th I facilitated a dream circle at De La Sol Yoga Studios in Hamilton. Curiosity brought nine participants with varying levels of experience in dream work/play to the circle.

I am always excited to share the technique of shamanic lucid dreaming, a wonderful way of dipping into the wisdom of soul, heart and our subconscious. Where will the journey will lead us?

In dreams anything is possible! We can sprout wings and fly like eagles or grow gills and swim like fish. Or sometimes seeking home can take us on a wild taxi ride, zipping through unmarked streets that seem more like sheet metal chutes than roads. This was how one woman's dream began. After describing her dream to us she permitted us to present lines of inquiry beginning with, "If it were my dream I would want to know..." following the lightning dreamwork process originated by Robert Moss.

We went around the circle expressing what, in her dream, aroused our curiosity. What we would want to explore in more depth.

One woman began, "If it were my dream... I'm not going to do it this way. Instead I'm going to tell you what I usually do. When I think about roads, it usually means..." Sensing a premature analysis of symbology coming down the road I stop her there.

A symbol can have totally different meanings for different people; context refines meaning. It's not that we don't employ the analytical mind; we just ask it to take a back seat until the subconscious has had time to play, reveal its wisdom and communicate using its own language. The meaning of symbols can be ascertained through observing how the "symbol" expresses itself and impacts on our dream and waking life experiences.

The best approach to take is the Zen-like attitude of the "I don't know" mind or empty mind. We don't want to replay what we already know. We want to discover what we don't consciously know.

"Let's not make the dream fit established confines about what symbols mean. That will only take us down a well worn path and bog us down as we try to make the parts fit our pre-conceived notion of how things work. It will suck the life out of the dream. Rather than telling the dream what it is trying to say wouldn't it be much more fun and interesting to let the dream speak for itself? All of our answers are contained and much more easily found within the dream world not out here."

She paused as she took in the new possibilities.

"The best way to do this is to gather intentions for dream re-entry. What would you like to know about the dream itself? What questions do you have for the road, the taxi driver, the policeman, even the rocks and the trees? You can ask them directly, embody them or receive information telepathically. In dreams you can have a discussion with anything that occurs even events themselves. You can walk around the dream and take a different vantage point. You can, through your intention, dream the dream forward or backward. Why did you choose one way of acting instead of another? What would have happened had you taken a different action?"

Like the other members of the group, she was quick to catch on and revised her question. This took her into a totally delightful and surprising course of events when we, fuelled by our curiosity, carried on the beat of the drum, re-entered the dream.

My intention for re-entry was to find out what would happen if I took the path instead of lay on the grass as the dreamer had done in the original version. She was content on the grass though she did wonder herself what would have happened had she journeyed on.

The "dreamer's" original dream (to the best of my recollection) is in regular text. My questions, the answers I received and further dream details are in coloured italics. Here it is...

I'm seeking home. I'm on a wild taxi ride, zipping through unmarked streets that seem more like sheet metal chutes than roads. My amiable, competent, reassuring, though seemingly misguided Middle Eastern cab driver takes me instead to a restaurant at the end of his line. He joins up with family here and I'm offered a meal and an invitation to the party that is in progress.
Q - Why were there no road signs? Why did you bring me here without asking for directions to where I wanted to go?
A - This is the route I always take. I shuttle people here on this direct line so there is no need for signs. You wanted to go home; this is the way. You can stay if you like. My day is done and I'll do the route again tomorrow as I always do and bring more people here. Now it's time for me to enjoy my home and celebrate the end of a day with my family and friends.
Realization - Due to work that I've done, I've been expedited to this place. And though the party looks fun and inviting...
I decline his offer as I'm curious about where I am and I want to see if anyone knows how I can get home.  I wander off into the street where a number of people are clustered around an imposing, authoritative police man in the garb of a motorcycle traffic cop. (Whereas in the "dreamer's" dream she saw a phone booth and tried to call someone without success, the phone booth doesn't appear in my version.) The officer is in control, answering their questions and giving each of them directions (by drawing routes and making notes on the road maps they hold before him) to help them along their way. I look beyond the group and see an overgrown path winding its way to the top of a hill.
Q - Where does this lead? I wonder to myself. 
A - The policeman glances up at just that moment. Noticing that I have seen the path, he waves me on giving me passage. I recognize that he is not only a traffic cop but a gatekeeper. Had others noticed the path they too would have been given permission to move on but instead they are being directed back to where they came. They won't be shuttled back but instead must find their own transportation — the way back is difficult and different for each of them.

Somewhere along the way in the original dream, the dreamer lay down in the beautiful lush grass.
My dream however, continues on...
I walk past the group wending my way through the dense overgrowth of lush greenery and long grasses following the barely detectible worn-thin, dirt path under my feet and emerge in a country setting atop the hill. The landscape is verdant and bursting with colour. An ocean-fresh, crisp, clean breeze caresses my cheeks. There is a classic, pristine farmhouse and barn at the end of a long driveway. I inhale long and deep; exhale with a sigh of relief. I know that all the potential I feel in this place will extend into my waking life. I feel free. I am HOME.


I turn to look to the vista beyond the cliffs towards the ocean. A translucent, luminous yin/yang symbol floats in the sky - one half overflows with green leaves, vines and flowers; the other is made of ice-cold brushed steel, nuts and bolts. Each half contains a dot of the other within. 
Q - What does this mean? 
A - The next part of my life (the green) is informed by all that has come before (the nuts and bolts). There is no conflict no need to reject any part of myself. In fact each informs the other and always has (the dot of the opposite in each). I need the balance of both.


I return refreshed and inspired and we begin to share our dreams. The "dreamer" is the last to tell the story of her re-entry. Experiences and images not contained in the original dream are echoed in many of our dream stories. Different courses of inquiry led to different actions and new realizations. Each dream has specific relevance to its "tracker" because the initial dream has become their own. Yet their versions may also prove to contain useful insight for the "dreamer"; only she will know if this is so.

Thanks to the "dreamer" for this rich and magical dream!

"DEAD" FUGITIVES

I'm sitting at the information desk of the local library in Burlington, Ontario. A young, black woman wearing a worn, dull brown wool coat with green lapels and fingerless gloves has come up to my desk. She's holding her 8 year old son close to her, one arm draped protectively over his shoulder and across his chest, the other gently resting on his head. He stands at shoulder height. They both seem tired after a long journey.

"What is the black community like here? Are they friendly?" She asks quietly.

I'm feeling very excited at the prospect of informing her that the community is very welcoming. We have a population of over 2,000 black people here and are an inter-racial community. But before I can get the words out, she continues speaking.

"We have been through (she lists a number of the States and their respective cities) and they weren't hospitable to us. They wouldn't take us in."

I find this is all very confusing. Why did she need to be taken in by a black community? And why wouldn't her own people take them in? What had they done? What crime could they have committed? All I see before me is a tired woman and child. It feels to me as if she's just arrived from somewhere and for a moment I feel like I'm displaced. Like I'm an attendant at a booth? Does she even know where she is? Do I?

I shake off my questioning mind. I'm going to tell her that, in fact, it's Black History Month here in our community and they will find a warm welcome here. I'm proud that our neighbouring community (and my hometown) Oakville was one of the underground railway's gateways to Canada as early as the 1830's. This was where many African Americans seeking freedom could start a new life, so we have lots to celebrate.

Before I speak, my supervisor reaches over my shoulder to my computer on which I've located an information package to print out for the black woman. He brings up a new window.
"They might find this helpful". He points to the screen on which is written "DEAD" FUGITIVES. I realize that this information is intended for me, not for them. "But there's not a lot about them left these days" he says and then casually walks away without further comment.

I turn to ask him if it means what I think it does and am surprised to see that my supervisor is Joseph, a past life self.
__________________________________________________________________________
NOTES on Joseph:
"Joseph" was brought to the southern states on a slave ship out of Africa. Strong, resilient and intelligent he most certainly would have been used for hard physical labour. Freed under the guise of purchase at auction by a New England lawyer, he was educated in the ways of his new country and its laws. Joseph served as a paralegal to the lawyer. With the full knowledge and support of his mentor, he provided legal advice to members of the black community and was an integral part of the underground railroad. He died, a well-respected man, having lived a long life of service to his community.
__________________________________________________________________________

Christopher Columbus Lee
an early African American
citizen of Oakville, Ontario
(Oakville Museum collection)

NOTES on dreaming:
I woke up a little disoriented and spent the rest of my day with my "head in the clouds".
The information on Oakville's role in the underground railroad is fact. READ MORE HERE.
During a dream when I find I'm asking myself questions (and especially of the WHY? nature - as I rarely engage in this line of inquiry in daily life, due to infinite possibilities) it is a signal that I am dreaming and an it's an invitation to become lucid in the dream.
Upon awaking I re-entered the dream to glean more information — my post combines the initial dream and the re-entry.

Some believe that in dreams we slip into other times and places and that is possible for dream visitors to slip into ours. Were this mother and child fugitives, time travellers from that period who had slipped into present day? Or was the scene around me shifting? If I had remained in the dream and turned back around would I have found myself into their time and place?

Perhaps today a few people still trickle into this area, driven by the energies of such fugitives - past-life or genetic ancestors. To what extent are our motivations purely self driven? How much do the unfulfilled yearnings and strivings of our lineage influence our daily actions?

No dreams recalled

"No dreams recalled" is one of the most common statements you'll find at the beginning of my dream journal entries. What's odd is that it's usually followed by a dream entry.

On those mornings I typically wake up without a dream in memory. Note that I don't say, "No dreams last night" or "No dreams to record". The statement "No dreams recalled" acknowledges that I do have dreams I just haven't recalled or remembered them. Fact is that we all dream. We all dream every night.

Though I'm reluctant to write that I haven't captured a dream, something nags me to do so. Maybe it's because writing in my journal when I wake up has become a habit and though I'm generally not a person of habit this ritual is the exception. Maybe it's because the dream is just waiting under the surface and some small part of me feels its presence. Maybe it's because I've made a commitment to my dreams, promising that I'd pay attention to them, so that even recording their lack is paying attention.

Whatever the reason, the fact is that 9 times out of 10 once I've finished declaring my lack of awareness they come spilling onto the page. And as I "feel" it/them out with pen in hand I'm instantly transported back into the feeling of the dream(s) complete with all the details that I need.

This has me realizing how quick we are to declare that we don't dream. In fact a few years ago, when I manned a "TALK TO A DREAMWORKER" booth at a local New Age shop for their Wellness Fare, the people that recounted the most incredible dreams were the ones who'd walk by me dismissively declaring, "I don't dream." or "I don't remember my dreams." Sure enough somehow they'd sheepishly make their way back to my table and sit across from me.

"I don't remember my dreams but..." they'd lean in closer, look this way and that to make sure no one else was listening and in a whisper continue, "there was this ONE dream..." As if testing the waters, a fragment of a dream would be revealed. When they realized that they were talking to a non-judgemental, genuinely interested and receptive audience, with a sense of relief the dream would unfold in great detail. Often these individuals had a long history of dream experiences which for some reason got stashed away but remained just under the surface waiting to reveal their stories and their wisdom.

Our culture has lost connection to dreaming. As a result we as individuals suffer as does our culture.
We lose:

• our natural ability to heal body, mind and spirit in an easy manner
• contact with creative resources and innovative ideas
• experiential knowing that death is a natural part of life
• a "movie" night out in which we are the creator, director and star in far flung adventures

and so much more...

So, if you have problems with dream recall. Don't be embarrassed, just write down "no dreams recalled". Sometimes we just need to coax them out into our mind and onto the page.

And for more help with recall and all things dreaming...
come join me at our monthly Dreamcircle (for further info click on: workshops, dream workshops, monthly dreamcircle) at Akasha's Den Wed night Feb 15 from 7 - 9pm and learn more about dreams and dreaming. Join us in bringing the dreaming back. Novice and experienced dreamers welcome. No personal information needs to be shared. Come ready to share a dream or just to take in the healing energy of the dreamcircle.

Dream Lovers

DREAMS ARE SOUL JOURNEYS

INTO UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

TO UNCOVER THEIR WISDOM IS A PRACTICED ART

OF CALLING OUT AND RECEIVING FROM THE HEART 

poem © Nance Thacker 2012

Artwork © Nance Thacker 1983

This art originally appeared on the cover of Yoga Centre of Victoria Newsletter, Feb. 1983.

Dreams & Synchronicity - our teachers

SATURDAY JAN 7/12:
There were no dreams hovering around my awareness as I awakened this morning. Disturbing myself as little as possible, I lay on one side and then the other, but none came to call or even brushed by me. But, I'm not disappointed as there are many different ways of accessing the Dreamtime. One of my favourite is to pull a card from an amazing deck that I've used since the lomi training with Harriette and Birgit in 2005.

My mind drifts and floats in nothingness as I shuffle the Journey to Kanaka Makua cards. Unless clarification is needed I will only seek guidance from one card today. This deck is stunning in its clarity and accuracy, so one is usually sufficient. The deck fans out in my hands and my fingers find the one in 49 that is the vibrational match.

AHI - Fire emerges.

From within the message, these words feel important and right and are recorded in my journal:
"Burn away what stops you. Make way for the new." and "To create and destroy".

I don't seek out what is stopping me, from what am I being stopped, nor what new thing is coming my way. Rather I feed the cats, move to my mat for my yoga session, prepare for and treat my clients and later clear the bathroom for Rod to begin our long planned renovation. I keep Flippy and Maya company downstairs as bashing and crashing resounds from their upstairs lair and open up the book  AWAKENING TO THE SPIRIT WORLD - the Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation, to where I left off last night. At the top of the next page - page 103 is A FIRE CEREMONY. Authors Ingerman and Wessleman describe this ceremony used to release core beliefs that are blocking one from using their creativity to its fullest and living ones' life purpose. Fire with the power to destroy, transform, transmute and create is the perfect vehicle for this task. They describe how to discover your blocking belief(s) or attitude, create a symbolic power object and imbue it with these qualities. The object is then burned in ceremony releasing these blocks in the process.

As I was typing this blog I referred back to my journal entry to make sure that I have the wording of the message from the cards correct and I'm drawn to glance through my previous night's dream. Something, I can't recall just what, is calling me. My last recorded dream describes a small fetish wearing blue and wrapped with a leather cord. I can call up the image as vividly now as I experienced it in the dream. I was curious about it but gave it no other thought once I began my day. Ingerman and Wesselman describe such a stick with some yarn wrapped around it and perhaps a letter or picture.

The synchronicity of these events is staggering. I have been given an answer to the question I'd posed before dreaming the other night How can I move forward and manifest my dream workshops? and was shown a vehicle to help make it so. To make it all the more clear I was provided with a book that explains just what this is, how to make it and its ceremonial purpose.

As I walked today I meditated on these blockages, recalled my dream object and later crafted it out of found and natural objects. The monthly fire ceremony in Ancaster is tonight, I will go as planned and burn it all away.

Note: I haven't taken a picture of the object. Once it has served its purpose it is meant to be destroyed.

JUST STEP IN IT!

I love a bright, sparkly, shiny, New Year better than any other time of year! It holds so much promise for newness or at least freshened resolve to try yet one more time to make it a great one.
Take this observation that I posted on FB just the other day...

If I could step into opportunity the way I step into cat poo, I'd be unstoppable. How is it possible that in a space of 1100 square feet, my foot (unbeknownst to the rest of me) smells it and makes a bee line to it like a fly on shit. PBG (poopy butt girl) strikes again. She gets a butt shave and the house is sanitized within an inch of its life.


I know this doesn't sound very promising, but if you really look at it, it's surreal, kind of like a dream.

TITLE: I'll call it - STEPPING INTO OPPORTUNITY. Feels better already, doesn't it? Better than STEPPING INTO CAT POO.

FEELING: How do I feel in the "dream"? You'd think my primary feeling would be pissed off, but it's not. It is amazement!

REALITY CHECK: How can this possibly happen with such unerring accuracy? I find it especially significant that Rod NEVER EVER smells it nor steps in it. Why just the other day, the warm, wafting odour of freshly made poo found its way all the way down to the nasal receptors of the thing that lives at the bottom of the stairs (that would be me). I followed its trail like a bloodhound in search of a missing child. I sniffed my way up the stairs and all through the ground floor, then up another flight of stairs and directly to the top floor only to find the steaming pile not 2 feet away from Rod who was merrily, obliviously surfing the web. Though there was an exception to the rule in that I didn't step in the pile, the incident proved categorically that this delivery is for me and me alone.
So, does this happen in real life? Of course it does :)
Is it likely to happen in the future? Of course it will :(
Are the people in the "dream" acting like they do in waking life? Yes.
Could it be a metaphor for something else...? Here's where it turns around as evidenced by my opening sentence. If I could step into opportunity the way I step into cat poo, I'd be unstoppable. And this leads me to...

WHAT DO I WANT TO KNOW about the dream: Could I step into opportunity the way I step into cat poo? What if I was able to refine my sense of smell, a primary survival instinct which resides in the  first chakra and the primitive brain, to sniff out opportunity? What if I was able to step unerringly into opportunity just like I do cat poo, without agonizing about it or trying to figure it out, just going with the flow and letting it find me; without weighing the pros and cons, doubting myself and my abilities but just trusting that, YES I CAN STEP IN IT! Not only that, but I WILL STEP IN IT with as much total conviction as I do with poo. WOW I truly would be unstoppable. The world would be my oyster instead of a steaming pile of shit (note, in real life I don't feel that life is a steaming pile of shit, it just makes a nice comparison).

HONOUR: How will I honour my "dream"?
Go with the flow, do what I love and let opportunity find me. Stop resisting and putting up barriers when things are going my way. Trust that, when it comes to my "big dreams" I too can have them become reality, just like they do for so many people I know.

BANNER: JUST STEP IN IT!

Wow, I love a bright and shiny New Year!
May you all have the best year ever and remember to JUST STEP IN IT!

KEEPING THE WOLVES AT BAY

I woke up today with a dream that had occurred on many levels, containing strong and unsettling sensations. It was one of those dreams that you just want to shoo under the bed and ignore, but the feeling hung upon me like a heavy weight. This sense remained even after I'd recorded the dream and done the lightning dreamwork process I've learned from Robert Moss. I realized that in order to go deeper I needed to re-enter the dream as I lay there in a still somewhat hypnogogic state. As I re-entered my dream I found myself taking a broad overview in that:

1.  I viewed what was occurring from a higher vantage point in terms of my visual perspective
2.  I saw the dream events happening concurrently 

Immediately this phrase came into my head I'M KEEPING THE WOLVES AT BAY; accompanied by a strong visceral sensation of physical tension and exhaustion.

Though there were no wolves in the dream the peoples in it were like wolves who had trapped their prey (I and my people) as they gathered and awaited in a bay offshore in huge galleons prepared to attack our small, peaceful, agrarian island. We had no choice but to surrender. I was organizing the colony to prepare a welcome. I would go out to meet our conquerors and arrange terms takeover and peaceful co-habitation. As I set out I was somewhat relieved and optimistic (this threat must have been hanging over us for a long time) perhaps some good will come of this I told myself.

As soon as I committed that phrase to paper I felt relief as an AH HA moment washed over me. The feeling in my dream and the one crawling under my skin were congruent and had been named. That's how I'm feeling, accompanied by a sense of loss and sorrow (the latter emotions are not new to me, they arise just before Christmas every year). I told myself, just get through it (these emotions) you know it will pass as it always does, but today I agreed to rather let it and all associated thoughts, sensations and emotions pass through me because it will pass as it always does and went about the day's activities mindful of this intention.

This afternoon during a pre-shiatsu discussion my client comments that she's KEEPING THE WOLVES AT BAY with self-care preventative measures so that she won't have more difficulty later on or have to resort to more invasive therapy after recently suffering a motor vehicle accident.

OK you've got to look deeper into this, I told myself.

So here's what I found:

• If you keep the wolves at bay you make enough money to avoid going hungry or falling heavily into debt (UsingEnglish.com)
• TO KEEP AT BAY - to keep someone or something at a safe distance - the bay tree was supposed to have protective powers and it is said that the bay laurel was used as a remedy during the time of the Great Plague of London. Abai is the Old French word for "barking of hounds in a pack" the English word baying as of hunting hounds shares the root. This source goes on to talk about French idioms connected with stag hunting used when the stag tires of the chase and turns to face the pursuing hounds and at this point the stag is itself at bay as it holds the hounds at bay which conveys the sense of the English phrase. Source: http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/gswithenbank/sayindex.htm

AWAKENING CHOICE DREAMS

Everything that exists began as a dream.

You don’t have to sleep to dream. Dreams weave their way into our consciousness through daily coincidences, synchronicity and flights of fancy. Dreaming connects us with our Heart, Soul and Inner Wisdom. When we know how to dream lucidly we can reclaim parts of ourselves we thought we had lost and in so doing restore our personal power & well-being. Nightmares bear unresolved important messages and lessons because they are, as Robert Moss says, "Unfinished" dreams.  When we journey for resolution in what I call the dream fields (different levels of dream states) their energy is transmuted. As we gain proficiency in the skill of active lucid dreaming we empower and heal ourselves, our relationships and our environment. 

One of the easiest ways to develop the skill of lucid dreaming is to re-enter a dream. Sounds impossible? It's really very easy and you do it all of the time. Whenever you recall a dream (or anything else for that matter), whether you are telling it to a friend or recording it in your journal, you are calling up again those images, words and events and inviting them to play in a creative state of mind which slightly different from wakefulness.


DREAM RE-ENTRY
Over the years, through the practice of recording my dreams, I've developed  the ability to re-enter a dream when I'm in the hypnogogic state between sleep and wakefulness. When I go to bed I set my alarm to ring 1 hour before I have to get up. When the alarm goes off I re-set it for 30 minutes and then record my dream(s) while laying on my side with the journal propped up on a pillow. I've set the clock just in case I fall back asleep. I want to drift on the verge of sleep to see if any more of my dream or its details are lingering there. If I have fallen back to sleep perhaps I'll have a dream to record on the second sounding of the alarm.


Sometimes a  dream is fully delivered and immediately words spill seamlessly onto the page as I record in an experience of automatic writing. At other times mere fragments appear which I'd like to flesh out more fully so     I go back into them and look around to get a clearer image or see events from a different perspective. I can ask questions of the dream or its characters and wait for the answer. Now, this is a most interesting place to be because since the answer resides in the question all that is needed is a sense of the question - the words don't need to be fully formed before the answer begins to unfold. The answer may be spelled out clearly or in a cryptic nature but at any rate there is "knowing" that the question has been asked and that the answer has been received. 


Sometimes just a feeling, sensation or thought is present when the alarm first goes off and these too are worth exploration and noting: What am I feeling? What thoughts are going through my mind? What do I first notice as I look around in the dream field that I've re-entered.


I don't invite the critical, analytical mind to come into action; I'm not analyzing the dream, I'm re-experiencing it and there is a difference. There is a light, wispy quality to the dream state whereas the state of analysis feels heavy and solid. 


Stay simply with the facts, observations and feelings and play with them in the dream fields and they will unveil their wisdom.