Let's Not Name It

By now, most of us feel the holiday aura in the air. Much of the world is celebrating because these are high holy days in the Jewish and Christian religions. For the Christians, it means the birth of their beloved Messiah, Jesus.

Besides the religious nature of these holidays, there's a frenzy of commercial activity, the buying and selling of things to be offered as tokens of our affection and esteem to one another.

I like the feelings associated with this time of year, Hope, the promise of Peace, and unconditional Love. Sometimes I get and give some very cool presents, too, but I'd be really happy to see it all change.

I've learned from my dream life that there is a ridiculous amount of Hope, Peace and Love available to me all the time. I've learned that I'm not alone; I have guides and guardians and many teachers. I have a place to be with my beloved dead and they to be with me. Just don't ask me to name the Source. I don't want to.

In the Old Testament, the divine name for the Hebrew god, Yahweh was taboo, could not be spoken. I've noticed that some Jewish people still spell god, g-d, to avoid naming the divine. To name, whether in dark or healing magic, is to control, to have power over that which is named.

I believe in regards to the divine, to name is to limit - the divine, but especially ourselves. In dreams the divine is constantly shape shifting. Sometimes it appears absurd and outlandish, others religiously conventional and sometimes it's just a feeling of riveting awe. The lesson here is that if I don't name it, shape it to my own all too limited projections, it will surprise, inspire and deliver me from evil. It will appear as I need it to appear; it will say what I need to hear, whether I know it or not.

That Which Is exists. I accept that my mind is too limited, that it is way beyond what I can ever imagine, but also that I am safe in this dance with my divine Love and, because there will be other lives where I will see and hear differently, perhaps I'll know more of it's true Nature. Something to look forward to in death, at least.
Here and now, all I need is to feel it, live it and be delighted and surprised constantly by the experience.

I believe a change from Naming paradigms would bring about Hope, Peace and Love on earth. Who can deny that religion is at the root of most of our tragedies? When we fight with God on our side, we think we have the only truth and can justify any atrocity in god's Name. Witness now as in history, the World Trade Towers in NYC, the centuries of genocide of Christianizing colonialism or the almost world-wide subjugation of women. Muslims for Allah, Jews for Yahweh, Christians for God the Father, these patriarchal religions advocate one Truth that must be served and is only in the keep of mean old men. There's also communism and other state oligarchies where the State becomes the god, but it's still run by mean old men. ("HL Mencken once defined a demagogue as one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots..")

We give power to forces of destruction when we name the divine. It's not meant to be named, just experienced. It's the ultimate ineffable Love that we know is the only answer to everything. It will not be described by puny little humans. It will not be the crucible for those humans who want power, control, whose greed and savagery are wielded in the name of Truth. It doesn't need defending or defining; it needs to be lived. We are each on a soul journey here. We use symbols to express what we can't define, but we must know that what we seek to name is beyond and greater still. It is in perpetual revelation mode, now as it was in the beginning.

Just like dream images, it cannot be the same for you as for me; it is extremely personal. It is Mystery that goes way beyond the cognitive to ways of knowing that are often ignored. Inner knowing, inner certainty, not rational explanation is the key to knowing god.

Yet, we are naturally clannish; we crave relationship and community. Religion satisfies our need to belong to a tribe of "just like mees" and that's cool, if we can keep the doctrines flexible. If a religion teaches rigidity of belief and woeful punishments to the disbeliever, it's a dangerous paradigm.

I use largely pagan metaphors to talk about my Divine, but I hold them loosely. They are and they aren't. If you're saying Father and I'm saying Mother, that's cool, but these are, after all, anthropomorphisms. We're creating a human projection; surely, there's much more of Love to experience than that.

So the thought I'm offering for these holidays is that it's about the Feeling, no matter what the religious paradigm. I believe the experience of Love and Loving is salvific and that's what I celebrate, that Epiphany. I wish for you the certain knowledge that you aren't alone and that neither is anybody else and I invite you to join that clan, the clan of Love is the Answer.

Blessed holidays.

Music:
"I Can Hear the Angels"
Shapeshifter
Podsafe Audio

Politics or "Remind me again why I came to this planet?"

I've recently had the great good fortune to cyber-meet a wonderful author and blogger, Trish MacGregor. She and her author husband, Rob MacGregor, have a very worth reading blog titled Synchronicity, (link at the end of this post). I've found that besides illuminating discussions on "all things mystical" they also address some challenging political issues. Trish posed this question to me; "So if politics were a dream, Adelita, what would it all mean?"

A dream from May of 2005 flashed to mind. It's titled "Galactic Travels #1". It's long, so here's an excerpt.

I’m traveling through the galaxy with a group of people I know (not sure who). We’re stopping on several planets, looking for a suitable place to live. On one, we’re adopted by the people there, and after a time, we’re conferred citizenship (or whatever they called it, they made us one of them.) But then something happens, some kind of raid from another planet and we’re rounded up by these men in khaki uniforms with weapons (that look like guns)... At the end of the dream I say to a woman from the khaki army who's questioning me about my education, "I'm not from your planet."

In the dream, my dream self is somewhat passive, yet thankfully, pretty resourceful. I slip out of custody and also confront the woman with the knowledge that I'm not from this planet. Throughout the dream, I'm also interacting with the others I know aren't from this planet. I'm not alone.

"Galactic Travels #1" has stayed with me as the knowledge that we move about in the universe, planet to planet, between levels of reality, living an existence here and there. After this dream, I read some of Robert Monroe's work on astral travel and OBEs. In his OBEs he hops around all over the place, often to some less than tantalizing spots, but the key he offers to all this out of body travel is the knowledge of the power of intention. We move around in other than physical planes with the power of our focus and intention.


"Politics", the word comes from the Greek, "polis", the body of people we are. (Interesting that you add the ending "ticks" and it becomes the mess it is today.) If politics in it's contemporary manifestation is part of the dream I'm living on this planet, at this moment, I remember I'm here of my own volition. I wanted to come here. I came with a group of people I know. When I incarnated here, I had a plan, a purpose. My heart fell in love with some possibility; it's a dream that is mine to fulfill and that needs to be fulfilled here, on this planet. How I do is a crap shoot; there are significant obstacles and crazy thinking people. I'm in a militant plane where the paradigm of fear is created by the few in power and enforced by their armies of minions with brutality. But there are many aliens visiting, like me. We don't live that paradigm and we're here to make a difference.

We're a body of people who've chosen to come to this planet to live among another body of people who think crazy. But we chose to come here to see what we could do, perhaps to make a better home for ourselves and future generations on this gorgeous planet.

(Every time I slip and complain to my husband that this is a horrible world, he corrects me; it's not the world, the planet is beautiful, it's the people.)

So, we have a purpose, those of us who think Love is the answer. We came from somewhere else, but it's important that we're here and we do what we can.

Trish also commented: "Years ago, when I read Jane Roberts Seth books, I was struck by his discussions on dreaming, that in a sense, we dream ourselves into existence, that collective we could dream a better world".

Robert Moss speaks frequently about his dream of creating a dreaming culture, a people who use their night and waking dreams to shape the reality we want to live. I for one am on board with it. We know we're dreaming. We know we're here for the duration of a visit and then we're gone; it's not forever, just now. We are many. We can connect and with the power of our focus and intention, dream the body polis we want to be.

I can re-enter my dream of Galactic travels and rehearse what I want to bring about without fear of the guns; in my dream, I can do what I want. Then, I can transfer what I discover to what I do here, in this waking dream, and I can do it with others, with people like Trish and Rob who are doing it. We joked about meeting in cyber space, but that's where we are really. We are out there as well as here. Our dreams are a portal to that awareness.

When I go back into this dream, I see myself participating in all sorts of ways in the education of the citizenry already here; I want to win them away from fear and brutality. I know that I must assess each battle for its win-ability and stay close in communication with my fellow travelers. I'll do what I can, then I'll be moving on.

Here's the link to "Sychronicity"
http://ofscarabs.blogspot.com/

Photo: NASA - "Spiral and Elliptical Galaxies"

Garden Variety Synchronicity

Have you ever had the experience of finding a book, hearing a song or opening the link to a you tube video your friend has sent you that speaks to the very core need in you, that thing you've been praying for help about, and lo, here it is?

That is garden variety synchronicity. A coincidence that maybe isn't, that maybe is really an answer to our most urgent prayers, spoken or unspoken.

To me, this is my proof that I am not alone. Synchronicity is Jung's way of describing this spiritual, psychological and emotional phenomenon. It doesn't always come with lighting bolts and hair raising realizations, sometimes it's gentle and subtle and just a consistent presence in our lives that leads us to discover something, something that holds the key and helps unlock the door where love and healing can make us whole.

It's a gentle arm around our shoulders and a loving voice in our ear that speaks directly to our hearts. I'm posting the link to Brene Brown's talk in the hopes that her message just happens to be the one your heart has been longing to hear. I think her work is so liberating that my new mission is to read more of her work and listen to her many other talks.

Dream Mojo: Nightmares Big and Small

I'm still feeling the loving support of my angel dolphin guide from the dream I wrote about last Sunday; it's like the high from a great therapy session and it didn't cost any money.

Dreams are my connection to Spirit. The older I get, the more dreaming and waking interweave the experiences of my life and underscore the truth of this connection. In the Way of the Dreamer DVD series, program 2, Robert Moss says; "I know this about dreaming, it's all about soul."

After so many years of paying attention to my dreams and reaping dream rewards, I scratch my head at how dismissive or fearful some people are about their own dream life. It's understandable, but puzzling. Why dismiss direct and uberpersonal information that can benefit your mind, moods, body and spirit? How do you know it doesn't mean anything if you don't pay attention and you don't learn the language?

Some people say that all they ever remember are nightmares; these people would just as soon forget their dreams. I spend a bit of time on nightmares when I do dreamshops and presentations because I've heard this so often. I have several previous posts on nightmares, but let me reiterate my views on scary dreams and nightmares. Number one, it's extremely important to be sensitive to the source of these nightmares. Many people suffer from post-traumatic stress related dreams that require great sensitivity and knowledge of trauma in order to help the dreamer through these dreams. No one should presume one theory covers all. However, nightmares in ordinary circumstances are usually our best friends, as Robert Moss teaches in this youtube clip from the DVD program I quoted earlier:

Following his challenge to dreamers to face their nightmares, Robert gives a wonderful example from a dream re-entry in one of his workshops. In Active Dreaming there are many ways, like through dream re-entry, dialogue with dream characters, or other numerous creative approaches, to harness the energy of a nightmare image for our good and growth.

The other special consideration I take with scary dreams and nightmares is when I'm teaching children how to address their fears and get beyond bad dreams to good dreaming. I have a theory that part of the reason children are prone to nightmares is the size and power difference between their world and the adult world. Also, some children have more external supports and a higher degree of personal security than others; this is a factor to consider in guiding them concerning dreams. Here's a story that illustrates how much children can benefit from an Active Dreaming approach: (Robert asked me last week if he could post a story I had written to him a few years back on this topic, so here's the post at his blog, DreamGates on Belief Net

Dreaming with inner city kids

"Let It Be" Sung By A Chorus of Thousands

In my previous post I share a dream that was an answer to my prayers; "Angel Dolphin, Where Have You Been?" I needed that spiritual reassurance to get back on track. One of the practices of Active Dreaming as taught by Robert Moss is honoring a dream by manifesting it's energy in the waking through some tangible action. That's why I often do drawings from my dreams; I've shared with you several incidents of uncanny, unpremeditated results.

Another way to honor a dream is to journey back into it, not by falling back asleep, but by slipping into the mild trance of daydreaming and continuing or extending the dream from any point of choice. Robert calls it "Dream Re-Entry"; it's similar to journeying practices in many shamanic cultures and to what Carl Jung called Active Imagination.

Angel Dolphin was definitely a dream I wanted to re-enter and to my delight, I got to share this dream re-entry with a dear friend. Here's my journey back into "Angel Dolphin":

When I recognize that my guide is a dolphin, I lose my fear. I slip off the raft and into the sultry ocean waves. Swimming under the dolphin, I emerge on the other side of him in my Mermaid form. I'm singing the Beatles song, "Let It Be" to the music being performed by a band on shore. Everyone joins in singing the song; the dolphin, my cousin, who has also taken mermaid form, and then voice by voice, thousands of others, merpeople and dolphins everywhere. It's our anthem to our Lady. I am a small voice in this chorus, but the joy I derive from singing it is immense.

When we shared our trips, my friend's journey had many features in common with mine, and also extended to areas that I welcomed as more insight to my dream. Later that evening, along with her musician son on guitar, we sang our rendition of "Let It Be." I've learned the lyrics and sing it periodically as a centering practice and a way to honor my dreams.

Some may consider dream re-entry a frivolous flight of the imagination; I find it's an excellent intuitive tool for Self balancing through dream play.

The picture above is "Our Lady of Good Counsel" (a fitting a.k.a. for the Lady in my dream re-entry); it's a picture I took recently of the church I attended sporadically as a teenager. It's also the dream setting for one of my most treasured Big Dreams, "Howling Mary." Let It Be.

Angel Dolphin, Where Have You Been?

I've mentioned before how there's a rhythm to my dream recall and my dream play. Sometimes I experience a dream drought, a time when I'm not remembering much of what I've been living in the sleeping state. Not everybody has these dry periods; some people, who may not even be keeping track of their dreams, remember their dreams every time they wake from sleep. I do get jealous, but it doesn't really matter. One dream remembered from ten years ago can change your life now if you pay attention to it. Still, when I have a phase where my dreams slip away too fast for me to catch them, I do miss them very much.

I know many people have experienced what we're fond of calling depression. We might go through the paces of life, but there's no zeal or passion for the life we're living. Some people turn to religion to fill this void; I find my dreams are my surest source of comfort, inspiration and teaching when I feel this way. Even though I'm in a drought, I still ask for their help most every night. During a recent bout of the blues which had me adopting a rather scaredy-kitty approach to life, I went to sleep asking for a dream that would help me get back to feeling my Self again. I remembered this brief dream in the morning.

I'm floating on a raft, my cousin is with me on her own raft, and we're floating feet first out towards deep ocean. I'm relaxed and comfortable, feeling the wonder and beauty of the Caribbean blue/green ocean, looking up at the clear, beautiful blue sky. I notice that the light is beginning to go golden, signaling sunset is not far off. I tell my cousin we need to turn around and head back, I don't want to be drifting in the ocean at night. She turns on her stomach and begins swimming her raft towards shore. I stay on my back, holding her raft with my left hand and swimming the back stroke with my right. I look out to the right and see the glistening blue-grey skin of a large fish with a fin diving into the water about 12 feet away. At first I fear it's a shark and hold my breath, but quickly I see it's not; it's a dolphin. It's obviously guiding us back to shore. It continues swimming along side us till we get to the beach, then turns around and swims back out.

I drew a very fast sketch, just a few lines with colors from the dream and the quick unthinking strokes I use for dream drawings. I looked at my scrawls and judged that the shape of the fish was all wrong. The fish looked like it had wings. I thought, that's not what a dolphin looks like. Eureka! They are wings; angel wings, I realized. My dolphin is an even greater guide than I first apprerciated, so I titled the dream: "Angel Dolphin." I also wrote on the drawing, "Where have you been?"

Receiving this great spiritual reassurance that my guide is with me, in deep water and on shore, made all the difference to me. I could feel the blues evaporating and my energy increasing. I took this dream to one of my favorite dream friends to gain even greater insight by journeying back into it together. I'll post more on dream re-entry soon and perhaps share more of the insights this little dream opened to me.

Dreams can provide, in just one image, a metaphor that anchors the soul in times of trouble. They can open the door to deeper possibilities in the practical matters of life and they can lead us back to emotional Terra Firma, where we can find our footing and move on.

Finding a spiritual guide is one of the most profound gifts of dreaming. If you pay attention to your dreams, they will surprise you with allies in the most wonderful guises, bearing just the right tidings, just in the nick of time.

I Told You So

Back in March, on the 5th actually, I posted twice, writing to you about a dream I had that morning and sharing a lovely synchronicity from later that day. Today I caught up to the media storm around Anne Rice quitting Christianity and all I can say is, I told you so.

What I mean is, isn't it marvelous the way dreams prepare us for future events? If you read what I said then in both posts of this blog thread and listen to what Ms Rice is saying publicly, I believe you'll see the future glimpsing dynamic of dreams in effect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Wb5CnYrmA

On a deeply personal level, I applaud her and thank her for her courageous, intelligent and articulate public statements. She's a remarkable woman opening a dialogue that has been long in coming.

I titled the dream I'm referring you to "Remember Who You Are." It's so important to stay true to my spiritual certainty in the face of organized, big business religion telling me I'm not worthy in "gods" eyes. My dreams assure me I'm worthy, as can yours. The spiritual connection to who we are at our deepest core is a dialogue within ourselves that leads us to our true Self. It is a dialogue with our Soul; we don't need the intervention of others, nor should we project our life interpretation on to others. In Active Dreaming,Robert teaches that we should be careful not to project our interpretations on others' dreams; we can play with understanding others'dreams by making them our own, a rule of Lightning Dreamwork. We can understand another soul by walking in their mocassins, not by sitting in judgment.

To give over spiritual authority to some "ordained"leader who does not consider himself or herself just as vulnerable, human and subject to error as me, to hear someone interpret the word of god for me is like hearing someone tell me what my dream means.

William Blake, that great metaphysical poet described religion as "mind forged manacles." Nothing binds like a paradigm. It's ideology that leads to what Blake lamented in his brilliant poem, "London," "and the hapless soldier's sigh, runs in blood down palace walls." That the ideology of religions world wide at the moment are leading to wars, to just such bloodshed, should be our first clue. I guess, as my dreams have taught me, giving up religion does not mean giving up your Christ. As Jesus himself encouraged, love is the answer and living it is your religion. When some shyster money lender is fleecing you in the temple or causing you undo anguish and guilt, throw the sot out. Jesus took the bull whip to organized religion; what an irony for him that he became it's shill.

I know many, many beautiful people who call themselves Christians and live as they believe Jesus would have them do. Hurray for them. I chose to leave the organized religious scene all together because I didn't want to use my talents to promote an organization I believe manipulates the basic human spiritual instinct and enslaves the human spirit. You don't need to be told how to love Jesus or how to arrive at your truth; you can find out on your own and share it without trying to convert anyone.

I think Anne Rice has done us an amazing public service by speaking out. I'm thankful that my dreams helped me arrive at the same decision a while ago, but she's chosen to use the bully pulpit of her fame at this crucial time in history to raise this issue; it makes her a hero in my eyes, a person risking all that public backlash to speak her controversial truth rather than shut up. Another great metaphysical poet, William Butler Yeats wrote in his poem, The Second Coming, "the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." The airwaves are full of hate mongering rhetoric condemning people who don't fit the sanctioned paradigms of organized religions; thank goodness the voice of a good Christian questioning the madness is also being heard.

I'm happy to add my two cents and my two recent dreams. If we all dream together a future of possibilities and then take steps to act our dreams out, then maybe we can change the hateful paradigms that forge malignant ideologies that shackle us and create a world that would make Jesus proud.