In the Dream: House of Hecate

In this installment of “In the Dream” I am revisiting a spread that was created by a friend of mine many years ago (13 to be exact!) in an attempt to interpret the following dream: 

In the dream, I decided to visit a witch-friend of mine to see if she ccould help me solve a problem. The only way to get into her house was to float up over the roof and call her name, which I distinctly remember was "Hecate." It was the middle of the night and very dark. I floated up over the house and called her name a few times. The roof (which was flat) opened at the middle, kind of like sliding doors, so I could descend into the house.

As you may already know, Hecate or Hekate is a goddess in Ancient Greek religion and mythology. She is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. Her name means "worker from afar" from the Greek word hekatos. In statuary Hecate was often depicted in triple form as a goddess of crossroads.

HOUSE OF HECATE TAROT SPREAD

Layout

……..1…..…

2……………3

1. This represents an area of my life where I have come to a crossroad.

2. This represents a way in which I can step back and look at this situation with a new perspective (fresh eyes)

3. This represents a way in which I can forge ahead.

For this reading I am using The Book of Shadows (As Above) Tarot by Barbara Moore, with artwork by Gregorz Krisinsky, Simone Gabrielli, Franco Rivolli, Pietro Scola di Mambro, Sabrina Ariganello, and Alessia Pastorello (Lo Scarabeo).

1. This represents an area of my life where I have come to a crossroad.

MAIDEN OF WATER

As Barbara Moore so correctly observes in the guidebook that accompanies this deck, “Although the Element of Water is considered passive, it often feels very powerful.” I tend to view Water as “receptive” rather than “passive.” That just feels more appropriate to me. In any case, I love the young girl splashing in the water, playing with a dolphin. There are many things this card could represent in terms of “an area of my life where I have come to a crossroad.” Expressing emotions, communicating with my subconscious, connecting to others in a healing, meaningful way.

2. This represents a way in which I can step back and look at this situation with a new perspective (fresh eyes)

MAIDEN OF AIR

The Maiden of Air calls attention to my words and thoughts, world view, philosophy, and outlook on life. Like the Maiden of Water, she encourages a joyful, spontaneous approach. Certainly looking at a situation with fresh eyes can mean re-examining or analyzing the way I think about it, even the way I “talk to myself” about it. Am I sharp and divisive or uplifting and refreshing?  

3. This represents a way in which I can forge ahead.

MOTHER OF EARTH

When the Mother of Earth “forges ahead,” she does so with determination, consideration, and purpose. She does not run or “leap before looking.” She manifests the feelings and thoughts referenced by the Maidens of Water and Air, seasons those feelings and thoughts, and turns them into real-world results. At the same time, she moderates and gently manages that maidenly, immature energy, nurturing and encouraging growth.

I am, quite honestly, blown away by the fact that this reading -- named after the goddess Hecate, who is often depicted in triple form -- called forth three female characters, two Maidens and a Mother. Wow. The crossroads in question seems to exist at an emotional or subconscious level that can be brought into the light by communication between my conscious mind and subconscious mind. The practical, grounded energy of the Mother of Earth can bring the result of that communication into the physical, material world, where it can thrive.

In the Dream – Can’t Get There From Here

For this series here at Tarot notes, I describe a dream I had recently and devise a Tarot spread to explore possible interpretations.

Here is a description of the dream:

Setting: I am supposedly at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, a place I have been many times, with my mother and a few other people.

We arrive and my mother heads into the main office of our motel to register. Somehow I and the others wander off and soon lose any sense of where we are supposed to be. We end up following someone’s directions that take us through a ridiculous series of narrow tunnels, difficult climbing situations, and so forth.

We decide we are not getting where we want to be, and then, suddenly we are riding on a bus or in a van of some kind, being (supposedly) driven to our desired destination. We drive down a street that looks familiar, with shops and motels, but then we head down a series of long country roads, and eventually realize that – no – we are not going anywhere near the beach. When we stop, the driver doesn’t seem to care and tells us that we might be able to walk there, but it’s a very long way.

We find a woman who agrees to take us back to the beach. Suddenly we are on her boat out in the middle of a very large lake. I comment that I don’t recognize this area, and it doesn’t look like we are going to Myrtle Beach at all. Others agree with me, but we don’t know quite what to do at that point. I wake up.

I am asking the Mystic Dreamer Tarot the following questions:

(1) What type of energy will help me interpret and utilize the message(s) of this dream?
(2) What might “Myrtle Beach” (my intended destination) represent?
(3) What might the series of tunnels and difficult climbing situations represent?
(4) What might the bus/van and its driver represent?
(5) What might the woman with her boat represent?
(6) What might the lake represent?
(7) What message might the dream as a whole have for me?

Layout:

……….1………

2……………...3

4……..5……..6

……….7……….

(1) What type of energy will help me interpret and utilize the message(s) of this dream?

EIGHT OF WANDS – In short, Wands (Fire) energy is active, courageous, enthusiastic, imaginative, passionate, and confident. On the Eight of Wands in this deck, we see a woman who is ready to be off at a moment’s notice.  This energy at its best is focused, and directed -- fast-moving without being reckless.

(2) What might “Myrtle Beach” (my intended destination) represent?

SIX OF PENTACLES – My reaction to this image is to notice that one of the beggars is receiving coins from the woman who is standing up, while the other is not. To me, Myrtle Beach means vacation, enjoyment, relaxation, rest, a carefree spirit, a “treat.” I think perhaps in this dream it symbolizes for me something that I want and need, but a part of me feels or fears I might not receive it. There is a lot of feminine energy involved in both the dream and this card. Who is the person deciding whether to give or withhold what is needed? Are all of the women aspects of myself?

(3) What might the series of tunnels and difficult climbing situations represent?

THREE OF SWORDS – Typically, this card refers to new, raw pain. It can be an indication that the truth (Swords) hurts. The pain might be based on a misunderstanding or maliciousness, and it may be hard to discover the truth in that situation. In the dream, it was very uncomfortable (if not painful) trying to crawl through narrow tunnels and claw my way up. The pain was intensified when it became obvious that all of that effort was not getting me any closer to my destination (rest, relaxation, enjoyment). I had been misled or deceived. Who made me go through all of that? Again, could it be an aspect of myself?

(4) What might the bus/van and its driver represent?

FIVE OF CUPS – Fives often suggest difficulties, challenges, change, restlessness, or turbulence. The Five of Cups, specifically, is often about a loss that is difficult to deal with but provides an opportunity for growth. Even though three Cups are turned over, two are still standing. Something (represented by the driver of the bus/van) keeps taking me away, in the wrong direction from where I want to go or be. In the dream, the only option suggested to me to overcome this “loss” is to turn around and walk miles and miles back towards my destination. In a sense, the Five of Cups could be saying that I have “lost my way” by allowing an aspect of myself (the driver) to transport me in the wrong direction.

(5) What might the woman with her boat represent?

ACE OF PENTACLES – Aces often represent a new beginning or approach. The suit of Pentacles is typically about the physical, material world. Certainly at first, being on the boat seems like an improvement over the idea of trying to walk a long distance. It’s a “new opportunity” to get to my desired destination. However, gazing out over the vast lake, it is obvious that the boat is not taking me there, at least not quickly! The vehicle I am on is useful, but it seems to be in the wrong place.

(6) What might the lake represent?

KING OF PENTACLES – How interesting that the woman with her boat is the “Ace” and the lake is the “King” of Pentacles. We go from the lowest Pentacle to the highest. As the “King,” the lake represents abundance, pride, protection, generosity, and reliability. The lake seems to represent personal qualities belonging to another person in my life or perhaps to me. The boat floats on the lake (the lake “supports” the boat, allowing it to move forward). In general, I view water (as in a lake) as representing the subconscious, emotions, and intuition. Water is a feminine or receptive element; Pentacles is a feminine or receptive suit (Earth).

(7) What message(s) might the dream as a whole have for me?

STRENGTH – A Major Arcana card comes forward to sum all of this up for me. Strength presents us with a woman sitting with a lion, which represents her own inner animal instincts and passions. The woman and the lion are compatible. Neither tries to dominate or control the other. How might this apply to the dream? In general, the dream definitely has a push-pull energy to it: I arrive at a desired destination, wander off track, wrongly believe I have found the way back, and end up floating on a lake in a boat. Is it possible that I am being encouraged to look again at the lake, to consider the possibility that it can offer me the same or similar “rest, relaxation, and enjoyment” that I intended to get from Myrtle Beach? In other words, am I being told that a change in destination does not have to mean disappointment or feelings of loss? That I need to take a closer look at a new opportunity that is right in front of me instead of focusing on getting somewhere else? Perhaps I am trying too hard to get or be somewhere when it really isn’t necessary to achieve satisfaction.

In the Dream – Reading Tarot in a Church

For this series here at Tarot notes, I describe a dream I had recently and devise a Tarot spread to explore possible interpretations.

Here is a description of a recent dream:

I am in a church building, where preparations are under way for a large event, with a lot of different activities for people to do. As I walk through the building, I happen upon a man and a woman talking about reading Tarot cards at the event. I recognize the woman as a well-known Tarot reader. I know her name, and repeat it to myself several times so that I can look it up on the internet when I wake up (so in some sense, I am aware that I’m dreaming).

I am surprised that Tarot readers are being featured at a church event, as many churches consider Tarot cards evil or, at the very least, inappropriate for a church setting. I want to talk to the woman Tarot reader about possibly participating in the Tarot reading, but she is focused on her discussion with the man, and then turns and leaves the room without noticing me.

I follow her, still hoping to speak with her, but when I find her, she is standing on a small stage or platform at one end of a large room. She is chanting or singing in a language I do not understand. As she chants/sings, her voice separates into two or maybe more notes at once, creating beautiful harmony. She seems to be consecrating the space in which she stands, to prepare it for the readings.

I am amazed, and I realize that she must be at a much higher level in her spiritual journey than I am, and that I am not at a level where I could "share the stage" with her at the event.

Just then, a priest (judging from his attire) enters the church through the front door. He crosses himself and murmurs religious phrases that seem designed for protection against the energy invoked by the Tarot reader. As he enters the building, the Tarot reader hurries out. It is obvious they do not want to be in the same space together, yet they don’t appear to be enemies or interested in keeping the other one out. This intrigues me. I wonder how this is going to affect their ability to both be involved in the same event in the same place at the same time. 

I wake up.

Below are the layout and the questions I will be asking the Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras, accompanied by The Dreamer’s Journal by Barbara Moore (Llewellyn Worldwide):

1) What type of energy will help me interpret and utilize the message(s) of this dream?
2) What might the church building represent in this dream?
3) What might the male Tarot reader represent in this dream?
4) What might the female Tarot reader represent in this dream?
5) What might be the purpose of her chanting/singing in the dream?
6) What might the priest represent in this dream?
7) What might it mean that I don’t have a chance to talk to the Tarot reader in the dream?
8) What message might the dream as a whole have for me?

And here is my understanding of what the Mystic Dreamer Tarot has to say:

1) What type of energy will help me interpret and utilize the message(s) of this dream?
FIVE OF PENTACLES – The suit of Pentacles usually points to energy of a physical or material nature, but can also refer to values, security, and power. On the Five of Pentacles, we see people outside a church door – fascinating, given the setting of my dream. Fives often represent difficulties, struggles, and hard times.

The people on the card linger outside the door, unable or unwilling to seek help that might lie within the church. They seem to have given up, to believe that nothing they do will improve their situation. One may be injured or ill. The other’s posture suggests pride or an attempt to shut people out. This is the image I need to keep in mind to help me interpret and utilize the message(s) of the dream.

2) What might the church building represent in this dream?
SIX OF WANDS – The central figure on this card is a somewhat bedraggled, armor-clad knight on horseback. (When considered as a reference to “the church building,” I immediately think of The Crusades --  a series of intermittent Papal sanctioned military campaigns beginning in the late 11th-century.) Although he has been through a tough fight, the knight on the Six of Wands has emerged victorious, which should result in satisfaction or happiness. Yet the card seems dark and heavy to me in general rather than joyous or triumphant. The color black can symbolize mystery, grief, justice, absorption, death, or emptiness.

The raven perched on the back of the horse is associated with death, loss, and war in western Europe, but widely venerated elsewhere. Perhaps the card is saying that the church building (or the Church in general) is viewed differently (negatively or positively) by different cultures and groups. Similarly, opinions concerning the conduct of crusaders have varied from laudatory to highly critical.

3) What might the male Tarot reader represent in this dream?
THREE OF WANDS – Interestingly, this card features a woman rather than a man. The energy of the suit of Wands, however, is masculine or active. In addition, the Three suggests the completion of an initial stage of something, which required action. A crescent moon, mostly hidden, hangs low in the sky, reinforcing the female energy of the card. In the dream, I am not especially impressed by the male Tarot reader. There is a sense that he may be more advanced in the craft of reading the cards than I am, but he is not the equal of the woman Tarot reader in the dream. In the Three of Wands perhaps we see that he represents the initiation of the first stage of something – Wands are symbolically masculine – with the understanding that female energy is also needed to move toward the next stage, toward completion, even as the crescent moon “evolves” into a full moon over time.

4) What might the female Tarot reader represent in this dream?
THE HIGH PRIESTESS – This is the first card in the reading that makes obvious, immediate, and absolute sense to me. Clearly, in the dream, the female Tarot reader is of “Major Arcana” importance. If I were to choose any one card to represent the female Tarot reader in my dream, it would be The High Priestess. I think what strikes me most at this point is that The High Priestess is often about one’s own spiritual journey, searching within oneself for wisdom, using one’s intuition to gain understanding. I feel this card is telling me that not only *can* I be like the woman in my dream, I am already like her. She is already a part of me, a part that I need to explore and comprehend.

5) What might be the purpose of her chanting/singing in the dream?
THE DEVIL – Wow. This one, I didn’t see coming. One thing that strikes me right away is that when people chant or sing, we are releasing something, sending something out into the world, setting something free – not just notes or sounds, but feelings and other aspects of ourselves. The Devil card is often about being enslaved or held captive, or certainly believing that we are under someone or something else’s control. I am encouraged here, I think, to explore what I am holding back or keeping inside me, trapped, when I need to set it free, thereby setting myself free. What restricts and restrains me? Why and how have I allowed that to happen?

I notice there is a raven on this card. As I mentioned before (when discussing the Six of Wands), ravens often represent death, loss, and war in western Europe, but are widely venerated elsewhere. Perhaps there is something in my life which I have been viewing in a negative or oppressive way, when I could just as easily consider more positive connotations and meaning for my life. Two ravens represent “mind and memory” in Norse mythology. Ravens are seen as solar, oracular symbols, as guides who warn of danger, and as gods.

6) What might the priest represent in this dream?
TEN OF WANDS – My first thought upon seeing this card is that the priest represents the burdensome nature of organized religion – or, I should say, my experience with organized religion. The figure on the card struggles to carry his large bundle of wands as he staggers across a field, probably unaware of his surroundings, totally focused on keeping himself upright and moving. Yet the Ten of Wands also represents the imminent end of a burdensome journey, a victory or achievement of a goal, a time to put down the burden and “lighten up.” Certainly that resonates with the priest’s belief in salvation at the “end of the road.”

7) What might it mean that I don’t have a chance to talk to the Tarot reader in the dream?
PAGE OF SWORDS – Curious and sharp thinking, this Page has lots of questions and doesn’t hesitate to ask them. She would certainly want to ask the female Tarot reader (The High Priestess) many, many questions and be disappointed if prevented from doing so. I have a mental image of the young Page of Swords sitting at the feet of The High Priestess, eager to learn anything she can. The fact that I don’t get to talk to the woman in the dream suggests that I remain a “Page” (inexperienced, young, immature, not fully informed or developed). This Page is persistent, however, and I think I will continue to learn and seek resources for the answers I need.

8) What message might the dream as a whole have for me?
PAGE OF PENTACLES – Another Page, perhaps reinforcing the idea that I am still in a learning or “student” role, reinforcing the message that I need to continue in that way along my path. Here we return to the suit of Pentacles, where we began the reading, focusing perhaps on the physical, material world but also on values, security, and power. I think perhaps this suit also reminds me that in addition to mental and spiritual activity, I can pursue the knowledge and experience I seek in the physical world (the guidebook by Barbara Moore mentions “structured learning, classes, workshops, and programs”). Because the Page can represent “someone in a position of servitude or under someone’s control” (Moore), I also need to ask who or what I serve in this life and who or what might control me (a question also prompted by The Devil card).

* ~ *

I came to this reading with some preconceived ideas about what the dream might mean. I was raised along traditional Christian religious lines. Although I entertained a few questions and felt open to other spiritual paths in my teens, I became heavily entrenched in the beliefs instilled in childhood in my twenties and continued to try to fully embrace those beliefs into my mid-thirties. I say “try” because internally I struggled and questioned and was dissatisfied with what I had been taught and told.

From my late thirties to the present day, I have been open to a wide range of possibilities in terms of spirituality. I don’t feel a need to label or “pigeonhole” myself, or to sign on for a complete set of anyone’s religious tenants. I am one of those people who exemplifies Tolkien’s words: “Not all who wander are lost.” Upon awakening from the dream, I thought it probably represented the mix of spiritual notions and possibilities swirling inside me (with the church building representing my spiritual or religious foundation in this life). Within me, ideas and beliefs that are barely compatible (or downright incompatible) surface, subside, and resurface. Clearly the dream shows me the importance of the Feminine in my life (the female Tarot reader).

The question is: Can I reconcile or at least permit these factions to coexist at my “church-based event”? Or are they mutually exclusive? How does any attempt to reconcile them affect my own spiritual path and the possibility of growing and maturing along that path?

In the Dream – Driving the Car – Part 2

To read Part 1, click HERE. 

If you have already read Part 1, please note that I did edit it to add: Upon further thought, I can even see a possibility that the appearances of my brother and son refer to a generational issue. In other words, perhaps I see my generation (represented by my brother) as growing tired and needing a break, but I fear that the next generation (my son) is not yet ready (mature enough?) to take the wheel.

Having written down my dream (an unusually short one that I could record – and you could read -- in a reasonable length of time), I am now faced with deciding what question(s) to ask the Tarot and/or what spread to use as I attempt to decipher this dream and/or find out if it has any useful advice or insights I can use in my waking life.

Let’s try an 8-card spread, specifically designed to help with the interpretation of this dream. Layout is like this:

Positional Definitions

1) Type of energy that will help me interpret and utilize the message(s) of this dream (Major Arcana = spiritual; Pentacles = physical; Swords = mental or intellectual; Cups = emotional or subconscious; Wands = ego, sense of self)
(2) What am I in danger of forfeiting (or have I already forfeited) control of?
(3) What do I fear I cannot do properly because of a lack of ability or experience?
(4) What area of my life is currently causing anxiety for me?
(5) What might my brother represent in the dream?
(6) What might my son represent in the dream?
(7) What might the field represent in the dream?
(8) What is the overall message I need to receive from this dream?

Okay, I think I can work with that.

Now… which deck will Spirit choose for this reading? No contest: It has to be the Dreaming Way Tarot by Rome Choi, illustrated by Kwon Shina (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.) To read my review of this deck, click HERE.
Here we go!

1) Type of energy that will help me interpret and utilize the message(s) of this dream (Major Arcana = spiritual; Pentacles = physical; Swords = mental or intellectual; Cups = emotional or subconscious; Wands = ego, sense of self)

PAGE OF WANDS

Well, well, well. If it isn’t the very card I recently explored on Tarot Notes from the perspective of two different decks. As I may or may not have mentioned in the past, I identify quite easily with this card from an elemental standpoint because Pages traditionally represent the element Earth and the suit of Wands (in the system I use) represents the element Fire. My own birth chart is very much a Fire/Earth chart in terms of the key players (Sun, Moon, Ascendant). It seems that a blend of that elemental energy will be helpful to me in interpreting the dream.

Pages can represent youth, immaturity, inexperience – childlike or childish energy. The natural curiosity of children applies, as does a desire and need to learn more. The suit of Wands often speaks of impatience or impulsiveness, but also of passion and action, optimism and enthusiasm.

As outlined above, the suit of Wands points to “ego, sense of self” as a useful type of energy in this situation. I can certainly see how that would work. Rome Choi, creator of the Dreaming Way deck, writes that Wands cards often relate to creative works and the things we do with passion. I can certainly see “creative energy” as being useful in dream interpretation.

(2) What am I in danger of forfeiting (or have I already forfeited) control of?

KING OF PENTACLES

Wow. Okay, the physical, material world is involved here, which doesn’t surprise me in the least. And the King, of course, is the one who is (or *should be*) in control of everything. This guy is often described as stable, unchangeable, and protective. From an objective point of view, I don’t think anyone is truly “in control” of their physical, material world. Oh, we have influence and impact, but anything can happen to anyone at any time. Yet knowing this at an intellectual level does not necessarily prevent anxiety about it at a visceral level. I may fear this lack or loss of control regularly, day by day, as I go through life.

(3) What do I fear I cannot do properly because of a lack of ability or experience?

THE TOWER

There you go. I fear that I cannot handle a Tower experience, that such an experience will arise and I will not be able to deal with it at all -- as if I am at the wheel of a car speeding down the highway, and I can’t find the brakes. I have had what I would call “Tower experiences” in the past, and though I did survive them, their impact on my life continues. It’s never really over for me, even though I have moved on. So perhaps I not only fear a future Tower experience that I can’t handle, but I fear I am not handling past Tower experiences well, as I continue to let them haunt me.

(4) What area of my life is currently causing anxiety for me?

KING OF CUPS

Cups typically represent emotions, relationships, the desire to be close to others. And here we have another King, that “control factor” again. Perhaps anxiety is being caused by trying (or desiring) to maintain total control over emotional matters and relationships. Guess what? It can’t be done, any more than we can maintain total control over our physical, material state.

(5) What might my brother represent in the dream?

TWO OF SWORDS

Interesting. With the suit of Swords (in the system I use), we are usually looking at making rational judgments or decisions. The number Two suggests a choice or crossroads situation. The blindfold, to me, suggests an ability to be impartial, detached, and objective (“justice is blind”). My brother is an engineer by trade, a career that demands logic and rational decisions. In the dream, his choice appears to be whether to keep driving or take a break. He chooses to take a break. Is this a message for me?

(6) What might my son represent in the dream?

SIX OF WANDS

Something just occurred to me. In the dream, I am expecting my son to take over the wheel of the car, but I discover that he is playing a video game instead. At least, that is what I assume he is doing. But what if he is actually steering the car via the device in his hands? I recently saw a report on TV in which computer hackers took control of a man’s car and caused it to do all kinds of things. He was at the wheel but not in control of the vehicle. It can be done. Yet in the dream, that does not occur to me. Instead, in a panic, I leap over the seats to take the wheel, clearly believing I have to take charge in order to avert disaster.

What if my son is simply using modern technological advances to accomplish what he is expected to accomplish? In the dream, briefly, the car is speeding down the highway with no one sitting at the wheel – yet it travels in a straight line, just like it was when my brother was driving, not hitting anything or swerving off the road.

The Six of Wands often represents success, honors, and recognition. Is it possible that my son and his behavior in the dream represent success through an alternate method, or the importance of considering alternate approaches to problems and situations – a caution against assuming we must approach a problem the way we have always approached it in the past? Perhaps a caution against allowing my ego to get in the way of a viable solution (“my way or the highway!”)

(7) What might the field represent in the dream?

THE HERMIT

What an interesting comment on this question from the cards! The car finally comes to a stop in the middle of a field – nothing around but some trees. Wide open. In the Dreaming Way Tarot, The Hermit is shown in a forest, holding up a lantern to light his way. As Rome Choi puts it, he “seeks to find his own truth. . . This card indicates a time of solitary withdrawal from the world to focus on quiet, inner reflection.” In a similar way, being out in the middle of a field brings a sense of quiet and an opportunity for reflection. It is a very natural setting, away from the hustle and bustle of civilization (the highway). The Hermit “holds the light of truth in his own hands” (Choi), and the field where I end up in the dream could symbolize the need to stop and reflect, a chance to be still and see clearly in all directions.

(8) What is the overall message I need to receive from this dream?

SIX OF PENTACLES

For the overall message, we return to the suit of Pentacles (physical, material realm). The image on this card suggests, to me, giving and receiving fairly (notice the scales in the giver’s hand). The message could be about the importance of giving or sharing what I have, but could also refer to being willing to accept someone else’s generosity when it is offered. One hopes that if the tables were turned, the people receiving coins on this card would, in turn, share their gifts with someone less fortunate.

Interestingly, this card appeared for me way back in 1999 in response to a specific question, and its appearance prompted me to make significant, dramatic changes in my life – with a very positive outcome. Perhaps the card is saying, “You did what you did, and it all worked out for the best. Accept that there are no guarantees. Stop worrying and go with the flow.”

If you have made your way through this analysis, thank you for your time. It seems a bit long-winded to me, but I found it useful. I hope it helps others as well.

In the Dream – Driving the Car -- Part 1

Every morning when I wake up, I usually recall one or more dreams, sometimes many. Here is one from the night of August 12 which I plan to “analyze” using the Tarot.

I am riding in a van or SUV being driven by my brother (who is his current age, around 60). We have been on a major highway for several hours, and he is ready for a break. My son (who is a lot younger than his real age but able to drive) is supposed to take the wheel. Sitting in the back, I am not paying much attention, but when I look up, I realize that my son is not driving. Instead, he is sitting behind the driver’s seat playing a video game on a hand-held device. No one is driving, and the vehicle is speeding down a major highway in traffic.

Alarmed, I clamber over the seats and take the wheel, but I have never driven this type of vehicle before and I feel very unsure of myself. I steer off the road into a large field, intending to stop, but neither of the two pedals at my feet seems to be the brakes. I stomp and press on what should be the brake pedal in an effort to stop, but the vehicle keeps going. I steer it around and through the field. Finally, someone (my brother?) tells me the brake pedal is at the base of the seat instead of its usual place. I slide my right foot backwards and sure enough, there is a pedal where the floor meets the base of the seat. I press my heel on the pedal and the vehicle gradually comes to a halt.

Field Grass by xxtgxxstock

In traditional dream analysis, automobiles usually symbolize the ego, the “vehicle” we use to travel through our lives, or into the unconscious or spirit realm. I start the dream sitting in a back seat with someone else driving, which may indicate that I am forfeiting (or feel that I am forfeiting) control of my life to another person. In general, dreams about automobiles being out of control are symbols of stress and anxiety, or perhaps of being emotionally overwhelmed. (I actually do dream regularly about being at the wheel of a car that I cannot control, for one reason or another.)

Other items to note:
(1) The vehicle is a large one – a van or SUV with 2 or 3 rows of seats. This could suggest that I have a big ego, or maybe that I “have room for” other people in my unconscious mind.
(2) I am not alone in the vehicle. My brother and son are with me.

One possible interpretation of dreaming about one’s brother or son is based on how the brother or son appears in the dream (for example, whether he is healthy and energetic or weak and sickly). In my dream, my brother has been driving on a highway for several hours and needs a break. My son is supposed to take his place at the wheel, but neglects to do so, focusing instead on a video game.

One more option is to consider my brother and son, in the dream, as representing the “masculine side” of my own psyche. That gives a sense that there is a part (an “older” part?) of my masculine side that is tired and needs a break, but another (a “younger” part?) is not stepping up to the job, preferring to “play.”

[Edited to add] Upon further thought, I can even see a possibility that the appearances of my brother and son refer to a generational issue. In other words, perhaps I see my generation (represented by my brother) as growing tired and needing a break, but I fear that the next generation (my son) is not yet ready (mature enough?) to take the wheel.

Tomorrow or the next day, I’m going to see what the Tarot can do with all of this stuff. Stay tuned!