posted July 15, 2003 08:55 PM         

So here goes...My 'family' (no resemblence to my real life family) moved...left their somewhat shabby home (again, none of htis resembles what's real) with a swimming pool in front (can't recall, but I think it was empty), and moved several hundred yards in front of the old house. They built an entirely new one. I don't think I was living in either house.

Left in the old house was a puppy, a golden retriever puppy who was had a very lovely reddish tint to his coat. Very happy little guy...I didn't know what to do about the puppy...I was walking around with my boyfriend (In real life, unfortunately I don't have a current bf), in a city I didn't recognize, when I finally decided to keep the puppy for myself...and foresaw a long life ahead for us both. I went back to the house to get him, with bf, and my "mother" was there (nice lady,I think she was African American, in the dream. I am caucasian), and we discussed the puppy. He was a little older, and very happy to be mine, very enthusiastic. I really liked that puppy, he was beautiful, especially his golden-red curly hairr.

OK, that's all I can recall...thank you for reading, and any insight is most appreciated!

posted July 15, 2003 10:25 PM         

And you are certainly not imposing in the least. I will have a look at this tonight!

posted July 16, 2003 02:06 PM         

I do not have enough time to type out my thoughts at the moment, but they are not exactly complete yet anyway.

I do have a couple of questions though, and perhaps these will help me clarify the symbology a bit.

What do you make of your dream "family"? How did you feel about them?

Have you lately come to some sort of realization that is making you feel more complete?

Have you "retrieved" some aspect of yourself from the past - some memory, experience, or situation that has shone some light into your life?

Do you feel like you are entering into a new energy or new reality, something sexual or sacred - a goddess type energy?

Have you recently experienced some positive change?

Thank you for answering whatever you can, it should help.

posted July 16, 2003 04:20 PM         

Just remember, if you don't stir things up ... all the good stuff stays at the bottom.

posted July 16, 2003 09:17 PM         

Ra...as for your (always) insightful questions/remarks....yes, I do indeed feel I have entered a new phase in my life...things that were once important, are not so anymore. They were trivial things. Which isn't to imply that I have become immaterial...just, well, a lot more positive, really generally relaxed with me, and in turn, more relaxed with others. I'm a 'no BS' type person, that will likely never change! But yeah...things are shifting...

I spent the last 6 months getting up at 4 a.m. six days a week to write for two hours, then go to my full time job which sometimes requires more than 40 hours a week. And in that time I wrote and finished my first novel. It was a labor of love. It's sexy, saucy, filled with the power of a modern woman, but it's not tawdry. And I feel really good about it...like it's going to do really well, I'll find a literary agent, get published, etc!

Family...all in my immediate family are deceased except my sister. I do have a birth-family (I was an adopted child), who I've known for about 11 or 12 years, and I recently went on one of my annual visits to see them. My birth-family, I have mixed feelings about. I love them, and enjoy seeing them, but prefer to do so from a distance. They can never be my mom and dad, even though my mom and dad died when I was young. Every morning as I wrote my book, I meditated a few moments, and every morning, I saw my mom and dad walk with me, helping me through the process...that was wonderful.

I do feel like the book is heralding in a new phase to my life...I don't know what awaits me, I don't know what will be left behind but I am very, very ready, overly-eager, in fact!

Didn't mean to write such a treatise! But I hope this helped, and thank you again for your time and consideration.

posted July 16, 2003 11:48 PM         

Sorry to butt in, but I wanted to say that it's SO exciting about your book! Best wishes for its success. Please keep us posted.

posted July 17, 2003 10:08 AM         

I will keep you and all here posted...when there is something to post!

posted July 17, 2003 01:30 PM         

...today, I was SHOCKED when a man I was terribly wrapped up in for the longest time, and he with me, though it couldn't work for various reasons, including distance...came to me and asked me if we could try again, and get together sometime soon... this came from nowhere, I was, and am, still trying to digest it. But I'm very happy about it...and he is...a strawberry blonde.

posted July 17, 2003 01:52 PM         

Especially if we have this interpretation correct!

I thank you for the 'treatise' trillian, it has helped a great deal.

The dissociated nature of this dream family seems to correspond well with your real life. It is difficult to explain my perceptions about this, but there is some dynamic created by your various relations with family, both physical and emotional, that seems to have imparted to you a gift of sorts, something that you may not have gained otherwise - a depth and perception or creativity.

This 'gift', as I see it, has most recently manifested as the golden retriever puppy, which could easily represent your book. His colouring stands out to me, as it did to you in the dream. Gold symbolizes something precious, among other things (like enlightenment/divinity/immortality), and red symbolizes life-force. Both gold and red are alchemically connected, as they each represent the fourth and final stage in transformation. Your book, a labor of love (red), imbued with your life-force and most certainly a precious thing to you, has indeed been transformed from a thought to an actuality, a completion! And just like the puppy, the book has just begun it's life and has you in an enthusiastic, very happy, energetic state. And just as you "didn't know what to do about the puppy", so too there are uncertainties as to exactly what to do about the book. But of course these are mere technicalities - you know that you will do whatever you need to do.

As if to solidify this symbolism, your dream mother appears as a black woman. Some "dreamists" call her the Black Madonna, and she is the complementary opposite of the Virgin Mother, symbolically. What you said about your book describes her with uncanny precision. She is "sexy, saucy, filled with the power of a modern woman, but [she's] not tawdry". She represents earthiness/grounding as opposed to airiness/spirituality, although she is still a spiritual creature. She represents the unleashing of creativity and feminine energy. And, like I mentioned in my question, she heralds the beginning of "a new energy or new reality, something sexual/(sensual) or sacred - a goddess type energy" which re-verses your old life patterns.

Discussing the golden-red puppy (your book) with this woman (book's energy) is so very appropriate! It is as if you have consulted with, and have the blessings of, Mother Nature herself!

All I can say is that if we are anywhere near being correct about this dream (which would not have been so clear without your 'treatise'), you are in for some wonderful experiences!

posted July 17, 2003 01:56 PM         

So, does the puppy symbolize the book, or him? Could be either!

What do you think?

posted July 17, 2003 08:34 PM         

The puppy is the book. I felt that as I was writing the original 'treatise,' and then remarked on the red hair of my heroine. Your perceptions are amazing to me...and I am thrilled and so thankful for your time. As I read your post, I knew your insight was right and correct, and it is indeed true that this past week or two, I have been wondering what to do/how to present it to literary agents, working on letters and a synopsis.

My strawberry blonde man is so special, and I feel I will always know him...but I also feel he is someone who will always remain a bit ethereal...in other words, he will never be able to commit to a traditional relationship (triple Gemini + Sag moon). Also, the dream included a dark-haired boyfriend, who had no impact on the puppy at all, so I am very sure, after reflecting, that the puppy is not he, but is in fact my book.

Whew. Before I remark further, I 'm going to contemplate your wonderful words.

posted July 18, 2003 10:07 AM         

...and it was meant to confirm your analysis of my original dream posted here. I've never had such a confirmation during a dream before, but I know better than to question these gifts, I am simply happy to accept them.

The image itself was of a very large yellow and white mansion-sized house, an old home but very stately and beautiful and well-preserved, kind of Victorian. The house was yellow, the trim and the pillars were white...and the windows, really big long windows, were almost blindingly brilliant with warm yellow light emanating from the inside.

The image was meant as a gift for you too. I don't know how to explain that further, it's just something I knew as it was happening.

I...I don't even know how to articulate such a gift as a visit from the Black Madonna. It's like there is a juxtaposition of both humility (in the curteous and respectful way) and pride...and I don't want to ever forget or take for granted these sorts of gifts.

There is so much synchronicity in my life these days it's hard to keep track of...and serendipity too...and I am sure that being here, in Linda-land, is also an important gift for me. I have remembered things I had forgotten, and learned things I never knew...

I'm still kinda blown away and just want to thank you again, Ra, for your help and time. I wish I had something more powerful than words to give you.
It just seems somehow inadequate to be only able to say 'thank you.'

posted July 19, 2003 10:12 PM         

You are welcome, and I thank YOU for giving me the opportunity.

I do not know how many dreams I have attempted to interpret, but this dream was the first in which I encountered the Black Madonna symbology, so I found it intriguing!

And thank you for the message bearing image from your confirmation dream, that was splendid!