Kiva And Castle

(Monday, July 24, 2023) first quarter moon Libra / tarot Emperor

The dream takes place in my large new property. Like a party or an event, the outdoors and indoors are being visited by a friendly community, most of whom I do not know.

The many-acre yard feels like New Mexico, but it may be a Minnesota landscape that has been altered by climate change: draught and heat. Most of the soil is desert sand, but there are plenty of draught-tolerant trees, bushes and flowers. There are lots of wooden and stone fences, and courtyards, as in downtown Santa Fe.

I stand outdoors and observe a shallow, circular ditch in the sand. It reminds me of the sacred kivas at Chaco Canyon and Bandelier, especially the ones at Bandelier National Monument. Two middle-aged women are meeting in the kiva. One dark-haired woman is the guide (as I often see in my dreams). She is teaching the other woman, verbally. I move far enough away so that I no longer gaze at them but can hear the guide’s wise, calm, informative voice.

I listen for a while, then turn to my house and enter the seemingly unlimited building. The house is more like a royal castle than a noble mansion. I walk into a huge kitchen that is visibly connected to many of the other spaces. The rooms have wide thresholds instead of narrow, closed doors. It is full of active, yet relaxed, people. Busy.

I meet with my dark-haired childhood friend Nicki. I express my anxiety about working on such a giant, historical castle/house and she tells me not to worry. She has examples of other old structures in the neighborhood that have turned out just fine. In real life Nicki was a county attorney: informed and very logical.

I walk out of the kitchen and notice a remodeling project to my left. The kind workers have done such a beautiful job I immediately feel overjoyed. I love it. The walls are covered floor-to-ceiling with white satin-glazed ceramic tiles. One of the workers (maybe my sister Jo?) has found a pristine, antique, carved-wooden cabinet, tall and narrow, for books or china. She has also installed a lovely old chandelier. The room is the perfect combination of old and new, a white room with mahogany furniture plus brass-and-glass light fixtures.

Day notes:

I am trying to think more like Wise Bonnie: I interpret Nicki in the dream as Yvonne, a writer and former coworker who explained to me this week how her unemployment insurance experience unfolded. She calmed me down tremendously. Her process followed my instincts. Having my “home” full of friendly people that are willing to assist me is a wonderful sign in the dream. A supported life, without limits.

I love having a kiva in the dream occupied by one of my recurrent spirit guides. Perhaps it is New Mexico, and I should pay attention to “new.” My new life. From Nigel Hamilton: Someone standing in the middle of a circle indicates that the dreamer has integrated the archetypal theme that has been emerging through the dream sequence.

When dreaming, I felt that the “castle” was the same structure I had in my 2013 Big Dream with Sabina Lucas and Carl Jung. In real life, I visited both Sabina and Victoria in Santa Fe. Maybe this is a message to visit Victoria (dark-haired dream teacher) and Santa Fe again some day.

The Landscape of Transformation

Nigel Hamilton summaries, the purpose and power of dreams

Six planes of consciousness (plane / level of self / attunement)

Earth plane / physical self / physical body
Gross mental plane / worldly self / mental body
Subtle mental plane / creative self / mental body
Third plane / loving self / soul nature
Fourth plane / wise self / mixture of mind and soul
Fifth plane / sacred self / light body (soul)
Sixth plane / pure self / light body (soul)

Alchemical stages, phases and operations

Alchemical stages
Nigredo / black / dark night of the soul
Albedo / white / ascent
Citrinitas / yellow / marriage of soul & spirit (the peak of Albedo)
Rubedo / red / descent, unfolding of pure spirit

Primary alchemical operations (present in each stage)
Purification
Marriage
Death
Rebirth

The seven alchemical operations
Solutio / purification by water
Calcinatio / purification by fire
Sublimatio / purification by air
Coagulatio / purification by earth
Separatio / separation of the subtle from the gross in psyche
Mortificatio / death of the old self
Coniunctio / marriage of opposites in the psyche

Imaginal experiences

Fantasy
Constructive imagination (memory)
Creative imagination (awakened state)
Personal, collective and impersonal realms
Psychic and lucid dreams
Revelatory visions
Absolute imagination

Chakras

Base / base of spine / instincts
Sacrum / pelvic area / sexuality, creativity
Solar plexus / below the rib cage / power, sense of self
Heart / between the rib cage / emotions, love
Throat / Adam’s apple / expression, inner sound
Third eye / central forehead / seeing, inner sight
Crown / top of head / spirit

PTP: Psychospiritual Transformation Process






Short Nightmare: Driving Backwards, Away From An Attack

(Tuesday, July 18, 2023) new moon Leo / tarot Judgement

I am the passenger in a car being driven by a man up a huge, steep black hill that is the entrance to a very long bridge. The elevation is so abrupt I cannot yet see the overpass section of the bridge. The dream includes no vision of the side of the road. I see the lane of the road and the interior of the car. No land, no clouds. The open sky is a strong presence.

As we near the top of the precipice, another vehicle appears directly in front of us, driving in the wrong lane. I can see two people through their front windshield, passenger and driver. They are androgynous, completely unconcerned about hitting us. Malicious, smiling. They keep heading toward us, front bumper to front bumper. My skilled motorist immediately begins to drive in reverse, down the slope at full speed. He is able to stay straight, does not swerve or crash, which I find unbelievable. I am terrified and I wake up. My heart is pounding with fear.

Day notes:

This weekend my mother (88 years old) fainted outdoors and had very low blood pressure. She did not go to the doctor. Yesterday and today she has had very high blood pressure. My Dad and all of my siblings want her to go to the ER, but she refuses. It was such a stressful family discussion last night that I could not sleep. My sister Jo and I have to settle with the fact that our suggestions about what our parents may need are not considered. Jo describes our sister Jamie and brother Kurt as codependents and I agree. They are in charge, but often make choices that Jo and I find extremely frustrating.

My bank account is dwindling pretty seriously (anxiety!) but my unemployment payment should arrive by Friday. Hopefully I get a payment each week until the end of January. Unemployment is more income than social security would be right now. Thank god.

After this dream I fell back to sleep and woke up with Gordon Lightfoot’s song “Carefree Highway” in my head:

Carefree highway
Let me slip away on you
Carefree highway
You’ve seen the better days
The morning after blues
From my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway
Let me slip away, slip away on you
Let me slip away on you

The Dreamsters Union