The Art of Listening

Dreams are probably the most popular subject when it comes to listening for answers to your questions.  They are visual masterpieces of symbolism, and most certainly spirits way of communicating with a higher power.  Write a your question on a piece of paper and put it under your pillow at night.  To understand your dreams, you should write about the dream out as soon as you wake. Put pen to paper, or type it out on the computer.  You do this for two reasons, one of which is that you have a record of the dream to refer to later, if it is indeed a prophetic dream.  It has been my experience that prophetic dreams occur right before you wake up, and you swear to God the dream is real. 

Yet other times, dreams simply assist us in identifying behaviors that are detrimental to our spirituality; or assurances of our waking life choices.    Which is the Second reason you’ll want to record your dream for reference, it makes it much easier to identify the symbolisms of the dream. 

Your intuition is just as important in determining a dream message.  Listen to your heart and be honest with yourself. 

To assist you in determining a dreams message, there are dream dictionaries that you can purchase, as well as online dictionaries that are free.  I often use www.dreammoods.com – it’s free. 

Cloud Reading is another way of receiving messages from above.  Windy days are the best.  Close your eyes and quiet your mind.  Next, meditate on the question you seek the answer to.  Look up at the clouds and reference what you see.  Is it an animal, or an object, or person?  Next, research what you seen.  If it’s an elephant, the message may have to do with ancient wisdom.  A dragon often signifies luck.

“The divine always reveals itself in nature.” – Ted Andrews, who wrote the best seller, Animal-Speak teaches us how to communicate through animals.  Respect and honor the animals and they will guide you too. 

A raven once warned me of a speeding ticket if I wasn’t watchful.  Crows and raven are watchers.  They often fly ahead of wolves and warn them of impending danger. 

On this particular day I was turning onto an on-ramp that led to a freeway.  This particular part of the freeway was under construction and it wasn’t unusual to see a patrol car parked with his radar on, just ahead as soon as you merged with the traffic. Yet, I saw a raven sitting on the speed limit sign on the on-ramp.  I wondered to myself, “What are you trying to tell me?  I know there’s a cop up a head, I see him everyday.”  I was surprised when I merged and the cop wasn’t there.  Right as I was ready to punch the gas pedal, I glanced in my rear view mirror, and there behind me was a patrol car.  If I would have stepped on the gas as I had planned, I would have been busted for sure.

The radio is another tool; a source of solutions when pondering a question.  Random music isn’t always so random. For example, I’m driving along on my way home, when a song comes on the radio called “Somebody’s Watching Me,” by Rockwell.  Chills ran up my spine.  I decided to pull into a grocery store to see what I could see.  And sure enough, a car that I had seen earlier in the day pulled in behind me.  I approached the vehicle, and the driver squirmed and twisted trying hiding her face.   But I was determined to make eye contact, and sure enough I had actually sat and spoke to this same woman in a bar/restaurant earlier in the day on the other side of town.  She turned out to be a private investigator working for the federal government, investigating a federal complaint I made against an employer.

I have found that at times the answer to my questions comes immediately, and other times the answers may come later, like in the night time as dreams.  But still there is another more direct way of seeking knowledge; it is often referred to as shamanic journeying. 

Shamanic practitioners often access the subconscious mind through repetitive drumming.   Some traditions include rattles; Australian shamans use didgeridoos and click sticks.  It’s the monotonous sounds generated that is used to enter an altered state of consciousness, allowing one to access invisible worlds.

If you would like to learn more about journeying, I suggest Sandra Ingerman’s book for beginners; it comes with a drumming CD, but of course there’s always the internet as well.

This is where the magic is.  It’s in open minds and open hearts.  Those who do not believe in magic will never find it.

 

"Together we can face any challenges as deep as the ocean

and as high as the sky." - Sonia Gandhi

 

DREAM INTERPRETATION – The Dancing Bear

Today I want share a dream interpretation with you. 

Yesterday morning I dreamed I was on the beach and in the distance to my left, I seen a bear wondering around the stores and restaurants.  Eventually he finds his way to the other side of the wall, onto the beach.  On his hind legs he chases a white bird flying right above his head. 

Amused, I pointed the bear out to someone else who is sitting on my left.  They find it amusing too. As I turn to walk away, this person tells me, “Don’t be scared.”

I turn back to look, and I see the bear running towards us.  I do not trust the bear; I don’t know if it is friendly or not.

So yesterday I spent the entire morning researching the bear.  And throughout the day, the bear kept popping up on the television and on the Internet.  So I know the bear has a message for me, or has come to help me on my journey in some way.

I discovered the bear symbolizes many things to many different cultures.  At first I grabbed Betty Bethards, The Dream Book, and found that the bear not only signifies strength and power, but also inconsistent emotional energy.  Her book states that the bear can not be trusted; it can be violent or cuddly; charming or crabby.  But I didn’t feel that this was what the dream was trying to tell me, even though the word trust was mentioned in her interpretation. 

Next I grabbed my Animal-Speak book (by Ted Andrews) and read about the bear.  What caught my eye was, “Like birds, the bear is often considered among Native American peoples as kin to humans because, like birds, it (the bear) can walk upon two legs.”

In the dream, the bear was chasing a bird. Which then lead me to a Native American web site that says, “If the bear is standing up, this is a sign that you need to defend your beliefs.”  It also went on to say that the bear is often associated with healing and medicine.

In addition, restaurants and beaches are places of nourishment.  Beaches are also symbols of healing and balance; earth, wind, water and fire.  Birds symbolize balance as well (among other things).

Considering I’ve had to drastically change my diet this week, due to a possible bladder infection, I believe the dream is actually a reflection of what I’m doing now to heal.  The thing is that I don’t truly know if it is a bladder infection (unsure of myself, a trust issue), because I refuse to see a doctor.

Therefore, I believe the dream is telling me that the change in diet will heal me; don’t be scared, you are doing the right thing.  The bear moves from the cement in front of the restaurant and into the sand on the beach; nature.  I’ve been using natural remedies to cure myself.

Next the bear is playing with a bird on the beach; a white bird, which symbolizes purity.  I’m working towards purifying my body. 

I am sitting on the beach, a place of relaxation – relax, your beliefs are justified. 

The most important element of dream interpretation is how did you feel while you were dreaming, or when you first awoke from the dream.  Were you scared, angry, amused, calm, etc.? 

When I awoke from this particular dream, I thought, wow, cool!  I was intrigued, even though I didn’t quite understand the message at that moment.  If I would have felt fearful about the dream, I would treat the dream as a warning to go seek medical assistance instead.

It’s always best to interpret your own dreams.  You can ask a hundred different people to analyze your dream and I guarantee you’ll get a hundred different interpretations.  Only you know what you felt in your heart while dreaming. 

As in the case of the bear, the symbolism can vary widely.  You have to ask yourself, what does the bear mean to me?  And of course, incorporate all the dream symbols.

 

For an online dream dictionary visit - http://www.dreammoods.com/

 

WHAT IS FAITH?

Dream Journal Entry -
 I’m in a wooden house. There are people coming and going. There’s a conveyor belt in the middle of the room. It brings water up into the house.

 Next, I’m in the front yard of a stone house, and I want to get to the backyard. Some guy sees me and tells me if I like, I can cut through the house to get to the back yard. I walk into the house and into a large stone room. It’s beautiful. There are two pillars and three windows. The windows are large (from the ceiling to the floor) and facing the backyard. I notice water from the ocean is splashing along the bottom of the windows. I wonder how it is the water does not leak into the house.

 I walk to the windows and look out in awe. There’s a giant conveyor belt that is bringing the water up to the house. There’s children playing and climbing along the rafters. And right before I wake up, the name King Solomon is spoken.

Wood and stone; old and new; evolution - Solomon was the son of David. When David ruled, it was a time of war. But when Solomon reigned it was a time of peace.

The Catholic reading for the date of February 15, 2005; the morning I had the dream:

                Isaiah 55:10-11, “Thus says the Lord: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows, and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”

A friend had asked me why I felt compelled to share my stories. And that is my answer, “I must do what I was sent here to do.”

That’s kind of what faith is all about. It’s about believing in yourself, and in your dreams.  

You are special. You wouldn’t be here today, if you weren’t. I need you. The world needs you! And God is speaking to you. Whether is be in dreams, or the people, places and animals you encounter throughout the day. Life truly is magical, when you learn the language.

There is a poem I found on the Internet long ago.  I have no clue who wrote it.  But it is too great of a lesson not to share.  It is an example of how God speaks to us through His Creation:

                The man whispered, “God, speak to me.” And a meadowlark sang. 

But he man did not hear.

                So the man yelled, “God speak to me!” And the thunder rolled across the sky. 

But the man did not listen.

                Then the man looked around and said, “God, let me see you.”  And a star shined brightly. 

But the man did not notice.

                And the man shouted, “God, show me a miracle!”  And life was born. 

But the man did not know.

                So the man cried out in despair, “Touch me God, and let me know you are here.”  Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. 

But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

Don't be like the man who brushes the butterfly away.  God does speak to you through His Creation.  You just have to make an effort to learn the language.   Question what you see.  What you dream.  Unplug the computer and the television and any other distractions you have humming around you, and quiet your mind. Sit outside somewhere. Walk barefoot, with your feet touching the Earth, not asphalt or concrete.  Talk to God, it’s the best medicine.

If you would like to know more about how to communicate to the Creator through nature, I recommend a book by Ted Andrews called Animal Speak. 

 If I had to name a book to help you interpret your dreams, I would recommend Betty Bethards, The Dream Book, because it does have a dream dictionary included.  But there are free online dream dictionaries available as well.

And now I say, “Aloha! Water the Earth and make it fertile and fruitful.  Achieve what you were sent here to do.”