The energies and power of the New Jersey Highlands

The Haunted Wood--Photo by Reiki Ruth Amarante

Nestled deep in the New Jersey Highlands, between what is now known as the towns of Mahwah, Ringwood, and Sloatsburg, NY, is a secluded mountain with mysterious lore.  Therein resides a melding of cultures from Native American to Irish, German and African American, as well as a rich mining history, historical moments in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Stories claim the Natives called the area "The Haunted Wood."

To Ringwood Manor graveyard--by Claire T. Dunn

Due to the geography—steep and often craggy mountains rich with iron ore—the largely inaccessible Haunted Wood was a haven for runaways, escaped slaves and others.  Its perimeters were settled early in our country's history, but predominately for the iron ore.  Even today, the heart of the Haunted Woods remains unpopulated. Descendants of the area's first settlers, many of whom became working members of the eighteenth century mining community, still live on this mountain.  Much of it is now parkland with many trails, but no roads run through.

Full moon over the Haunted Wood--Photo by Bobby Lynn of Stonetown Arts

This area may have once been a haven for hideaways, but even today, it is easy to get lost here—camera crews find their batteries dying quickly, and the unwary hiker will find the same goes for flashlights and phones.  Cell service is rare. Even compasses have been known to go a little crazy. Perhaps these strange occurrences are due to the magnetite, iron ore, and large number of underground streams, but some believe there is more to it.

Stories of time slips abound here. Visitors have recounted walking for hours along familiar paths that should have ended after only a few minutes, whereas others have heard and seen figures from centuries gone by in the distance.

There is belief that this secluded area of New Jersey is one of three powerful energetic vortexes in the region.  There are a number of instances of orb photography from the area, a quantity of ghost stories and sightings, and some belief in supernatural activity.

In these three photos from Ringwood Manor, Carrie Sheehan captures a light orb that follows her as she changes angles

Ringwood Manor, one of the most famous icons of the Haunted Wood with a history dating back to the Revolutionary War, has a number of ghost stories, although most of them likely stem from the property's rich history--something rare in our relatively young country. This State run park hosts tours during weekends in October to fund restoration on the site while sharing the manor's rich historical value.

Ringwood Manor--Photo by Alisa Daven Banta

Even I have felt the power of the ghosts on this land.  Once, during a hike through the Ringwood mines, I found myself overcome by fear of being pushed into one of the deep chasm mines.  I backed against a tree, stunned, clammy, and unreasonably afraid.  After un-freezing myself, I backed away and ran wildly to the trail. Later, I learned that Hope mine, although small, had been the resting place of many a miner and that evil spirits were often felt there.

Where have you felt the pull of the otherworld strongest?

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Confessions of a Ghost Hunter

There are really ghosts, spirits, whatever you wish to call them.  How do I know?  I’ve had conversations with them.    

After taking a paranormal certification course, I went on several “ghost hunts”.  Though initially reticent, I finally began asking questions in an empty room using a tape recorder, video camera, and K-2 meter. Although I wasn't speaking to a “human” being, I seemed to record real interactions with something otherworldly. The heck with those TV ghost programs, I’ve heard my name called and what sounds like guinea pigs squealing. I've since learned that angels sound like that because they vibrate at such a high frequency.  Soon after we got our black lab Watson, my Jack Russell named Jake passed away.  For a few months after, orbs would appear in pictures of Watson taken by several different people and several different cameras.  In the one taken on the sofa I swear I can see Jake's face in two orbs.  Orbs haven't turned up lately in pictures.  I can only presume he has moved on after spending some extra time with us.

Notice the orbs flying near and around Vera and Watson. Vera believes she can see the face of Jake in one of them

If you go our website you can see and hear lots of similar evidence.  

What I love most about Ghost Hunting is the group of people I investigate with.  No one ever runs out of a building screaming when something scary happens.  In fact, quite the contrary, everyone runs toward what’s happening.  We do a Blogtalk Radio show every Wednesday called Among the Realms during which time we discuss ghosts, spirits and so much more.  Other paranormal discoveries I have made include cryptozoology (you know Bigfoot, the Chupacabra, Jersey Devil), quantum physics, UFOs and elementals and faeries.  

So how does a lawyer of thirty years go over to the dark side?  I don’t really know, but listening to some of the strange stories clients have told me over the years was good training in keeping an open mind.  

I’ll keep investigating for as long as I can.  I know I have spiritual guides and helpers that watch over me.  I recommend training (ECRIPT can help with that) and investigating as a pathway for you to better understand yourself and your relationship to the world.  

To learn more about Vera and the paranormal visit www.mindkey.me/community and listen to Among the Realms every Wednesday night.

Hunting ghosts in your backyard--A kid-friendly craft

Getting in touch with your paranormal side sometimes means having a little fun with little ones.

These cute little ghosts are great to make with kids-at-heart of all ages and look great swinging from a tree.

You will need:

White tulle,
scissors,
elastics,
rubber bands or thread,
fishing twine,
a black marker.
 

Cut about an arm's length rectangle of tulle.

Fold the rectangle in half long-way, then in half again.

 

Pinch the folded end to make the head of the ghost

  

Use an elastic, rubber band, or string to secure the pinched end at the "neck."

 

Finishing touches:  Using the holes in the tulle, thread a length of fishing twine through the ghost's head, and use the sharpie to add eyes.






Now your ghosts are ready to hang from your favorite haunt.

Loving spirit contact

As a sensitive psychic and tarot reader, when your own loved one dies, you don't really think of using your gift. You are just like anyone else, you just lost a loved one and are sad and at a loss.

On the day of my own Grandfather's wake, Everett Henry Casson (my Grandfather), was at the funeral home awaiting our families’ arrival. I am never early, in fact, I’m usually late but, for some odd reason, I was the first one there. I was 20 minutes early. I walked through the doors and the Funeral Director asks me who I was there to visit. I tell him that I'm there to visit my grandfather, and the man informs me that I’m the first one and that I can wait for the others in the sitting room. I told him i would be fine and would like to go in. He said ok. I walked right up to the open casket and looked at my grandfather.

Out loud I told him that he looked wonderful. I didn't even realize I had spoken. The Director came up to me and asked if everything was ok? I told him he did a great job with my Grandfather and that I would like to be alone with him.

I pulled up a chair right by the casket and told Pop-Pop how much I would miss him and how much I loved him. Then, all of a sudden, I got a weird feeling that he was there. I wasn't scared, I just knew.

So i said, “Pop, if you are here, stand by the head of your casket.” I just kept asking him to stand in different places snapping pictures with my iPhone 4.

He was there and he heard my words. They are around us. Just talk to them... they can hear you.

I still miss him every day.

(All photos are real. None have been altered in any way. The blurred area is where I asked him to stand, and he did. You can tell how half is blurry half is clear in the photo.)

Editors note:  This blog gave us numerous issues: from strange HTML cropping up, to images rotating, to previews not loading. Three separate writers and editors had to work on it... and we're still not sure if it's running correctly.  Take that as you will...

In a Nutshell: All about the Darkness

Darkness has always been associated with the scary, frightening or evil. The light, on the other hand, seems to represent goodness, comfort and ease. 

Mind Key writer, Rebecca Godina sums it up in her blog Embrace the Dark, when she said: "We have been taught to fear the dark. After all, our myths inform us that is where the monsters lurk."

But what of those peaceful moments at night? Those sweet dreams, or midnight trysts?

Destruction is often represented by darkness, Rebecca said, and destruction represents change, and change can be scary.  But it doesn't have to be this way.

"Imagine how much more painful the process of transformation would be if it was done in the full light of day," Rebecca said.

After all, in Three Reasons to Love the Darkness, Tara Ann quotes Anne Frank in saying, "Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness."

Some of the points Tara makes for loving the dark are the body's need for darkness to create the sleep-inducing, disease-fighting hormone melatonin, and how the  so-called "Dark Ages" spawned huge advances in literature, music, art, architecture, education and more.

"There is no better time than the orange veils of autumn to evaluate (or perhaps reevaluate) the lighter or darker half you need to achieve wholeness," Tara said.



In this time of great change, indigo children are the souls born to pave pathways through the darkness for future generations.  They are considered the spiritual warriors of our time.

In Battling the Darkness as a Spiritual Warrior, Ara MacDonald shares with us some of the astrological implications of being born into the energy of a spiritual warrior.

Being misunderstood, having intense childhood experiences, being labeled troublemakers, rebels or ADD are all examples of warrior initiations of our time, Ara said, particularly those directly related to the spiritual awareness of an indigo child.

"The true warrior energy is about protection of creatures, people and beings that can’t protect themselves, and it’s about defense rather than attack," Ara said.
As we move into the darkest half of the year, explore the dark and light sides of the human dichotomy by supporting Mind Key's newest Anthology, "Yin and Yang: The Duality of Balance," a beautiful, full-color glossy coffee table book great for holiday gift giving today.

Battling the darkness as a spiritual warrior

In this time of great change, indigo children are the souls born to pave pathways through the darkness for future generations.  They are considered the spiritual warriors of our time.

Indigo children, so called because of the predominant indigo color in their aura, often undergo periods of great turmoil and personal stigma, and must accept and embrace the shadow side of themselves in order to transform the the world into light. 



Ara MacDonald explains the astrological implications of being an indigo child, and what it means to be a spiritual warrior.



"Spiritual warriors encounter the urge to fight, but the spiritual side asks if it’s a battle worth fighting… having a battle with self to discover the answer," Ara said. 



The indigo children are born with an aspect of Scorpio somewhere in their chart. Scorpio energy initiates the death of the ego, Ara said, particularly accepting and integrating the dark side of nature into the whole being.



"The true warrior energy is about protection of creatures, people and beings that can’t protect themselves, and it’s about defense rather than attack."





Indigo children, predominately those born within the years 1983-1995, have a double dose of this Scorpio warrior energy, Ara said. They were born under another warrior sign, Pluto, which rules the sign Scorpio. The planet Pluto represents transformation and transmutation of selfish desires into proper use of power.




"Western culture has a warped view of what a warrior is," Ara said.  "They’re looking at the warrior energy the wrong way and they want to shun it.  That’s part of the initiation of being a spiritual warrior, to be attacked, traumatized, beaten down.  Not having support.  That’s how they become spiritual warriors."



Historically, a warrior—both the physical and spiritual variety, such as shamans—were ceremoniously initiated. Sometimes this took the form of a spirit quest, being bitten by a poisonous snake, or taking plant medicine.  In our generation and culture, Ara said life does much of the initiation for us.

Being labeled as ADD, being misunderstood, having intense childhood experiences, being labeled troublemakers or rebels are all examples of warrior initiations of our time, particularly those directly related to the spiritual awareness of an indigo child. Depending on how "well aspected" Pluto is can determine the intensity of the initiation

."

A lot of people have had a hard time understanding that energy, so they don’t want to delve into it, but you must acknowledge and accept them, and integrate [that energy] into our beings so we can be fully understanding and accepting of who they are."


If this first stage of initiation can be considered the "death of ego," then Ara said the next stage is self-training. For the spiritual warrior this often happens like the first stage—internally, and alone.




"It doesn’t matter how it happens, as long as you are going through your spiritual truth," Ara said.  "It’s battle with self, it never ends.  The point is to keep on training and… it gets easier. Once you accept your power, working with it and transforming it, then that feeling of being alone starts to vanish and you meet other warriors."

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Ara has been studying astrology for the past 20 years, and has been teaching others in the art for the past seven. She also reads tea leaves, tarot cards, palms and charts. She can conduct a phone reading in tarot or astrology. 



Ara is preparing to write her first book on the energy generations, including the indigo children.



Contact Ara at fortuneteller69@yahoo.com or visit her on Facebook to receive a reading or learn more about taking one of her astrology classes in the Crestone area of Colorado.

To learn more about the Indigo Children and other astrological archetypes, listen to Ara's radio session on "Thinking Outside the Box" or check back soon for more blogs on the topic.

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Click here for a look at Mind Key's new Anthology featuring Darkness and Light!!

3 Reason to Love the Darkness

Now that autumn has cast its shadows on us, here are a few points that may lead you to love the darkness a little bit more, for we should all take a moment and, "Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness." - Anne Frank    

1. Darkness Is Healthy.
 Our bodies produce the hormone, Melatonin, to help us sleep. According to a May 17th report from Bill Blakemore of ABC News, scientists discovered that only when there is complete darkness can the body produce enough of this hormone.

Even if there is a little light around your bed, say from a street lamp shining through your window or from an exceptionally bright alarm clock, this tells the body to stop melatonin production.

Melatonin also aids us in fighting some huge diseases such as breast and prostate cancer. Our power to fight the common cold can become an issue if we don't spend enough time in the dark. "Even watching TV turns on other immune system hormones that should be active only in daytime. They get depleted, and you're more likely to get a cold," Blackmore states.

So why play Russian roulette with the body's need for sleep and total darkness? We need to completely shut down to survive. The dim and cabin-fevered days of Fall and Winter offer us plenty of opportunity to give our bodies the sustenance that it needs from darkness.

2. The Dark Ages Were Actually Awesome

The period of human history, from 476 AD to 1000 AD, was known as The Dark Ages. Petrarch, an Italian Scholar, coined this term in the 1330s to refer to the weakening of Latin Literature. The term was later used by the people of the Enlightenment (18th century) to refer to earlier periods that weren't so "enlightened".

Overall, the time period isn't completely deserving of a name with a negative connotation, so now it is referred to as the Early Middle Ages. Here are a few things that made the Dark Ages not so dark, according to Jamie Frater of listverse.com.

The Carolingian Renaissance - welcomed advancements in literature, writing,    architecture, and music (particularly Classical music). Checking out the art work is highly recommended.

Algebra was born! Ok, maybe this isn't the greatest thing to come out of a presumed  "dark" time, but like it or not, it's still a notable achievement.

Universities flourished - The University of Bologna was the first to grant degrees    starting in the year 1088. Even though universities did not admit women at that time,   convents educated young women using The Classical Education system developed in the universities of The "Dark"Ages.

Historical examples of light coming from a perceived state of darkness.

3. The Yin and the Yang
 There is no better time than the orange veils of autumn to evaluate (or perhaps reevaluate) the lighter or darker half you need to achieve wholeness. Find who or what may give the Yang to your Yin or the Yin to your Yang once the carefree days of summer are gone. As Tao Te Ching beautifully asserts...

 "When people see things as beautiful,
 ugliness is created.
 When people see things as good,
 evil is created.
 Being and non-being produce each other.
 Difficult and easy compliment each other.
 Long and short define each other.
 High and low oppose each other.
 Fore and aft follow each other."
 So why can't the dark be as alluring as the light?

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Explore the darkness in each of us with The Mind Key Project's new Anthology: Yin and Yang the Duality of Balance.  Click here for more information!

Embrace the Dark

  We have been taught to fear the dark. After all, our myths inform us that is where the monsters lurk.
 

 Is this the truth, though? How can we be so sure something evil awaits us in darkened closets and
   shadowy places under our beds? We aren’t sure, and therein lays the real root of our fear. Ours is a
   culture obsessed with knowing, and the darkness reminds us of that which is inherently unknowable.
   What is it that really waits for us in the formless dark?

         Anything-- like the Void preceding all of Creation, the darkness houses limitless possibilities.

         It’s interesting to note that darkness was often attributed to a Goddess figure in many cultures.
   Take, for example, the Goddess Kali. Most often, she is seen dancing on the bodies of those she had
   slain, her neck decorated with a string of skulls and wearing a skirt of severed arms. As fearsome a
   figure as she is, her destructive ways are not wanton. She is a bringer of justice. Through her
   destruction comes transformation. The darkness in this context, then, is really a place of change.
   Change, of course, is a frightening concept in and of itself. Even when faced with the worst of
   situations, too many of us resist. Change is painful. Change is the death of the comfort of the familiar,
   hurling us to an unknown fate.

        Whether we bravely face change, or get dragged along kicking and screaming, we should be grateful
   for the darkness that envelops us during this times. Imagine how much more painful the process of
   transformation would be if it was done in the full light of day. As clichéd of an example as it is, the
   caterpillar’s transformation to a butterfly illustrates this concept perfectly. Yes, we all know the
   story—Caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly—but most of us don’t realize that the caterpillar’s body almost
   completely breaks down while safely tucked away. The darkness is our cocoon, insulating and
   protecting us during our most vulnerable moments.

         Don't fear the darkness. Take comfort in it.

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Don't forget Mind Key's new Anthology, exploring darkness and the light.  Click here to check it out and support us! 

In a nutshell: Making sense of the dreamworld

"Ever since the inception of civilization dreaming has fascinated humanity," Tamara Rokicki writes. 

Whether an exhilarating or frightening, dreams reach deep into our psyches and find the soft places that have deep meaning—often only to us.

In The Inconspicuous Dream, Tamara shares how she finally made peace with a life-long recurring dream.

"Sometimes we spend an immeasurable amount of time hoping to decipher the darkest, deepest crooks of our minds, but what if they’re meant to remain that way?

In A Dreamy Interview with Jefferson Harman, Jefferson explains that dreams are conversations with one's higher self that come through in a way that we can accept.  Disturbing dreams come when we aren't paying attention—when we are focused on one thing, but the important information is flying around in the periphery.

"[Dream symbols] come at particular moments, because it's something specific that they're revealing to us in that moment," Jefferson said.

In Online Dream Interpretation, Charla Dury explains that "How my brain processes my environment and my feelings is shown in my dream world."  She shares with us some of her symbols and how she interprets them with the help of online dream dictionaries.

In Using Personal Symbols to Interpret Dreams, Danielle Rose explains that a myriad of sources including fiction, religion, totem animals and even wikipedia can be utilized as "dream" dictionaries.

"Just because something came to you in a dream, doesn't mean that the image is unique to the dreamworld," Danielle said.

For me, dreams are places where I can work on projects that couldn't possibly exist in this world, places where I can meet people I can't communicate with on the earth plane and make peace with them (which can take years, as I remember happening with one estranged ex from my twenties).  It's also a place where I can learn more about myself and my personal path.

Check out our posts from this week to delve deeper into dream symbols and interpretation and get more from your sleep each night!

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The Inconspicuous Dream

'Tangled Branches'- Kely Luzio-Cardona

Ever since the inception of civilization dreaming has fascinated humanity.  From Joseph interpreting the King of Egypt’s dreams to modern psychological research, dreaming has always exposed a captivating and mysterious aspect of our minds.

Throughout the years, as most people, I’ve had my share of colorful dreams; in particular one that has occurred since I was a little girl.  It is an incomprehensible dream, one that focuses more on sounds and feelings rather than the visual aspect of what happens in it.  The emotions tied to this recurring dream have left me drained, confused and really unsettled.  In my waking hours, I’ve tried to analyze exactly what the dream means or better yet, what message it tries to send me.  The fact that it doesn’t have a cohesive visual—not even a comprehensible series of flashes to shed light on what it is about— makes it much harder to decipher.

After several years absent, the dream recurred about two months ago.  As in the past, I woke up feeling upset and anxious, unable to figure out what message it sent. I asked myself “Why now after being gone for so long?” and “What does it say about my childhood, the person I am now, the things I’ve endured?”

I let these thoughts settle for a few days and that’s when I finally realized that the mystery associated with dreams might not always be so bad.  Sometimes we spend an immeasurable amount of time hoping to decipher the darkest, deepest crooks of our minds, but what if they’re meant to remain that way?  What if some dreams are prophetic and insightful while others are simply a way to flush out the negativity associated with the events taking place in our lives?  Indeed, I believe that each dream does have a purpose, even if it’s simply to let something go.  I now realize that this dream, which touches on someone very close in my life with whom I’ve had a very shaky relationship, is meant to send me this message:  Heal.  Heal and let go.

It is as easy as that….yet as equally complicated.  I keep trying to uproot the twisted branches that wind around the need to find a resolution; still the message is much more subtle than that and possibly more powerful.  I’ve noticed that over the years, as I've matured and entered different stages of my life, the dream has also given me a different outlook.  What once disconcerted me the most has shown me a way to forgive; the uneasy feeling that accompanied the dream asked me to be kinder, to myself and to the person I’ve come to associate it with.  Again, the subtle voice that once beckoned me to find a meaning to the dream, now asks me to heal, to allow myself the courage and permission to let go.  And that’s it.  It took thirty-one years and waking up with knots in my stomach to finally face the truth.  It wasn’t a prophetic message, a sign to find closure in a bizarre relationship, or something that urged me to find peace anywhere.  It urged me to find peace in my own heart.

I haven’t had the dream for a couple of months now.  Perhaps its purpose has been served, the observant spirit whisper having succeeded in delivering its message. Or maybe it’ll return, enlightening me with more subtle messages until my soul realizes what it needs to truly heal. 

A dreamy interview with Jefferson Harman

Jefferson Harman

Jefferson Harman has been interpreting dreams professionally since his early thirties.  As a small child he had a nightmare so vivid it made him hyperaware of his other dreams.  As a result, Jefferson began connecting patterns and was able to see that his daydreams, and the path he thought his life was taking, were closely related to his dreams.

"As I … began to articulate this with my friends, I was able to interpret dreams for them, and then for others as I do on my radio show."

Jefferson speaks on Life Unedited radio show, (usually on the first Saturday of each month, but check his events calendar for schedule changes).  Life Unedited will run a special Halloween edition featuring Jefferson on October 31st.

In addition to Life Unedited, Jefferson is filming a new show with Adam Rothenberg called "Dreaming with…" where Jefferson will be interpreting the dreams of various entertainers. 

During a dream interpretation Jefferson said the words, inflection, emotion and energy people use reveal much about what the dream really means.

Dreams also have a timeline that depends on how the dreamer feels at a particular moment.  A dream about a house could signify issues with the dreamer's house, or if there are no issues with their house it could represent something deeper.  The question then becomes, "why this dream? Why now?"

"[Dream symbols] come at particular moments, because it's something specific that they're revealing to us in that moment," Jefferson said.  "It can be about something in this life, or past lives, or earlier in our lives."

Sometimes dreams foretell future events, such as meeting someone at a party, or visiting a place from a dream. Jefferson explains this through mathematics.  From the Big Bang, everything began in a trajectory, he said.  From that point, lines of information and probability stretch out in multiple directions. The probability curve is the choices one makes, determining points along their path. People have the potential to dream possibilities and probabilities based upon the mathematics of prior events.

"De ja vu is to some extent being aware of what's coming based upon what was," Jefferson added.

Recurring dreams, on the other hand, is the universe sending a message that wasn't integrated the first time around.

"It has to do with growth of the soul," Jefferson said.

He explains these dreams as conversations with one's higher self that come through in a way that we can accept.  Disturbing dreams come when we aren't paying attention—when we are focused on one thing, but the important information is flying around in the periphery.  Sometimes the psyche understands the need for a disturbing dream in order to jolt the awareness to more important concerns.

"There's always something calling our attention, and that distracts us," Jefferson said.  "You're putting life on hold without realizing it.  You're receiving a message from your soul in your dream telling you this is the next step to take, and you're not taking it.  So you're behind, and you're out of balance, and so the dream comes again.  Part of my work is to make people aware of that."

Jefferson conducts private dream interpretation sessions in his office in Butler, NJ as well as sessions via telephone. Visit him at everydaysymbology.com or by calling 973-839-9317

Using personal symbols to interpret dreams

art by Grace Ng Dung

Interpreting dreams can be tricky business.

Dream dictionaries offer great insight, but they aren't the only ways to interpret the often strange symbols that come late at night.

Interpreting dreams is only part "dream" dictionary.  The other part is compiling the multiple meanings of the image or symbol throughout a variety of different sources.

Just because something came to you in a dream, doesn't mean that the image is unique to the dreamworld.  In other words, water symbolizes emotions.  It doesn't matter if you dreamt it, crave it, or are drawn to it.  In each case it the symbolism is the same.  Certain animals represent certain qualities—again, whether dreamt, envisioned during a journey, or seen over and over again in the waking world.

There's also morphic fields. These are symbols that gain traction due to the large amount of belief and truth poured into them.  Words, colors, animals, emotions… all of these actually mean something and physically and energetically affect us because of the energy put into the image and symbol over the course of years and years of belief.  Ie: we all have an interpretation of pink and baby blue based upon the morphic fields created around these colors, not only that, but these colors actually change the way people act around them, when viewing them, or while wearing them.

Webster's dictionary, wikipedia, resources for herbal remedies, totem animals, chakras, pagan practices, mythology, religion, folklore, even greeting cards are all fantastic resources for helping you discover the meaning to your dream symbols.

We also create our own images. For some people a house with a front porch may symbolize the comfort and acceptance of home. For others a house with a porch may be a symbol of fear and hatred, depending on the events of that person's life. How we feel about a certain animal or person means much when that image appears in a dream.  People who keep dream journals often discover the meanings of certain recurring images upon reading through their journals weeks, or even years later.

The other side of the coin is putting the stream of symbols together into something meaningful.  This isn't always easy.  Dreams have a tendency to jump from one moment to another, and it's not always easy to tell if each jump is related to the prior one, or if it is a new story all its own. Sometimes the dream itself is so obvious we overlook it. 

For example, often when I'm dreaming of water or bathrooms, it's because my bladder is full, and not because of any deep seeded emotional issue I need to resolve.  It's the combination of outside events, current life situations, personal emotions, and symbols that make a truly complete dream interpretation.

Visit our Community page to learn more about interpreting your dreams and symbols via some of our fantastic healers and readers like Vera Remes, Sarah Loukos, and me, Danielle Rose

Online Dream Interpretation

I don’t have a Shaman or a psychic on hand every time I have a dream.  In fact, I just plain don’t have either of those folks in my life.  I do, however, have dreams.  As we all do.  We may not remember them when we wake up, but we all dream.

Since I don’t have a live dream interpreter handy, if a dream is weird, troubling or interesting to me, I turn to www.dreammoods.com.  There are a multitude of websites that claim to be the “correct” interpretation of your dreams, all backed by someone or other who says they know.  I chose dreammoods because #1, it was the first website of its kind that I had seen, #2, It has a dream “dictionary” where images are sorted by letter that I find very handy and #3, it has a convenient app for my iPhone. 

I am such a child of technology, I tell you!

I figure this dream dictionary has been built by studiers who delve into dream imagery and juxtapose it against the life events of the dreamer in order to provide some sort of context—hence the relative continuity of image definitions across multiple platforms.  There are even multiple definitions of images.  It could mean this or it could mean that.

But back to knowing…

How would they know?  I mean, seriously…?  How could they know?  Studiers of the brain know so little as it is, no one really knows what a dream means to an individual.

Why would you even seek answers then, Charla?  If you are so sure that no one really knows what a dream means to you?  Because I’m naturally curious what someone else might think the images in my dream mean. 

Sometimes a dream image or so-called “definition” of a dream image will hit home as something I’m dealing with in my life and give me pseudo-insight. And pseudo-insight can become deeper insight as I explore my feelings, other images from my dream, and how they could connect within my life at that moment.  How my brain processes my environment and my feelings is shown in my dream world.

There are certain images that hit home for me. 

When my mother (deceased) appears in my dreams, I’m yearning for comfort.  This makes sense to me.

When I’m in a house in my dream, that house represents me and rooms signify parts of me.  Each room or floor is a part of my psyche or soul and I can usually tell which part based on the furniture/inhabitants of the room.

When I dream about school, being in school or class, it signifies the expansion of learning or knowledge.  Either it’s happening now or it needs to happen.  I need to expand my horizons or they are being expanded for me.

When I see water, it represents my emotions and the state of the water is a gauge of my emotional state.

These are my recurring dream images.  They’re saved in my online dream dictionary.  They feel to be a given in my dream world.

Do you have “given” images in your dream world and where do you go for answers about your dreams?

Find more of my blogs and technological musings at www.charladury.com.

Please post some of your dreams or dream symbols and what they mean to you, 
or stop by tomorrow to discover more on dream interpretation.

Flowers--spirit medicine for the body and heart

Evening Primrose by Danielle Rose

Flowers are more than just beautiful to look at.  They are powerful medicine for both the body and spirit.  This week we discussed several flowers and how they can benefit healing on many levels--from alleviating the winter blahs, to dissolving life-long trauma.

In Flowers of Fall--Harvesting strength for body, heart and soul Danielle Rose writes, "[Autumn

flowers] are bright and cheery, and these attributes are mirrored in their emotional and physical benefits, perhaps to strengthen us for the winter ahead."

While on a family vacation less than a year after her mother's passing, Charla Dury also recognized the spiritual power of flowers in Wild Flowers are God's Make-up. 

"I smiled a sad smile, but with hope in my eyes because of the flowers," Charla said.  "The small touches of color that bloom, un-manicured, uncultivated, un-watered and supposedly unloved, but blooming nonetheless despite their circumstances. 

photo by Charla Dury

On the other end of the spectrum, easy-to-care-for bulbs such as amaryllis bring color, spirit and strength indoors all winter long.  

Amaryllis

Danielle shows the basic of caring for amaryllis in Amaryllis: Bring pride, beauty and success into your home all winter long.

"This stately flower symbolized success after a battle or struggle, and that the amaryllis' height symbolized intense pride in Victorian England," Danielle writes.  "They were often given as gifts of recognition in the arts. It has also been said to symbolize inner beauty.
And perhaps the most powerful of all spirit medicines is the flower essence.  Tara Ann introduces us to the power of flower essences in Flowers Healing Body & Mind, and Dr. Lisa Avila shares a case study of a woman with a life-long fear that was all but banished thanks to the help of star of Bethlehem in Spiritual trauma and Star of Bethlehem: A case study.

Star of Bethlehem

"Within a month, she reported feeling substantially better, and as this treatment progressed, her fears retreated to what she described as 'very low level,'" Lisa said. " Flower essence therapy is a very subtle yet powerful therapy that can deeply shift all levels of the human condition, regardless of the origin of the insult or injury."

Have you ever felt the healing power of flowers in your life?

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