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Mythic Dreams
June 4, 2015
— 2 Comments
sky
Symbols in dreams are personal. We dream only of faces we have seen before, even if we are barely familiar with the person. The character, or archetype played by the face depends completely on personal experience. Dream dictionaries and aids to interpret meaning found in dreams can only make references to universal archetypes. To grasp the personal message brought to the dreamer the images themselves must be savored and visited in waking time. Writing in a diary upon awaking before moving or engaging in the activities of the day is helpful. By keeping these notes on a regular basis you may discover themes that you can identify in a personal way.
Sometimes at crossroads in life a person will receive a vivid memorable message during sleep. The images and meaning of mythic dreams are significant beyond the every day way the unconscious communicates. The protagonists in the drama make a deep impression that lasts and speaks to the psyche for a long time. Carl Jung identified seven basic archetypes making appearances in dream time.
- The persona- the mask or personality you present to the public, your image
- The shadow- everything that is hidden in your personality, the unknown you
- The anima/animus- the masculine/feminine nature of your being, your sexuality
- The divine child- you in perfect innocence, uncomplicated childlike self
- The wise woman/man-wizardry and wisdom, a figure of authority and gravitas
- The great mother- the maternal nurturing quality that cares for life, provides
- The trickster- shows the error or the joke at the heart of the matter, points to poor judgement or precarious situations
Loaded images and story lines float through our heads while we sleep. If we have a problem on the mind it is possible to solve it during a dream. Practice and meditation on our own dream images will make clearer the point of the communication. Our subconscious warns us, encourages us, and sometimes tells us we are foolish. It is never straightforward, but over time we can dig more deeply into the messages our dreams deliver on a nightly basis. Have you ever kept a dream diary, gentle reader? Have you ever had a mythic dream that changed your thinking?
desert
Feng Po, Goddess of the Wind
May 26, 2015
— 3 Comments
Mistress of the Wind
In China the goddess Feng Po is in charge of wild animals, weather and movement. She must certainly be involved in global warming. She is seen riding a tiger. She holds the wind in a bag over her shoulder on the days when it is calm on earth. She has the power to move and or shake things into place. Her message is integrity. Representing the winds of change, she must discern the most appropriate velocity of wind for each purpose. Her energy can be very refreshing, cleansing and clearing the air for new ventures. Think of how many metaphors there are in English for this breath of fresh air.
Like other gods and humans she has a dark nature that is dangerous. She warns against all false agreements and conditions. Move carefully through your obligations and promises to others. Giving requires a cheerful heart. Quid pro quo, expecting something in return for favors, leads to resentment. Feng Po teaches a healthy balanced approach to the needs of others. If we allow space, time, and understanding into our decision making process we will be authentic. We will say yes only when we genuinely want to engage, and we will discover the beauty of saying no when we are really not into it. Feng Po will support and stay at the back of the sincere sailor on the winds of change. She is known to reek havoc, unleashing stormy gusts of destruction to tear down bonds built from guilt. She is sometimes called Feng Po Po, and even sometimes referred to as a male. She represents the value in conserving and preserving energy, and spending it wisely. On a personal basis she shows us how to say no to time wasting. On a global level she asks us to make some sense of the power balance at work around the world. We need to resist certain larger issues on the world stage in order to survive. It is time to both show power and control it wisely.
Lyssa, Stark Raving Mad
May 23, 2015
— 1 Comment
May is mental health month, so I want to pay a tribute to Lyssa, the Greek goddess of rage, rabies, and madness. In Rome she became known as Furor. She is the daughter of Nyx and Erebus, who was ruler of the underworld. She hangs out with other terrifying qualities like death and darkness, but she represents sudden uncontrollable rage and frenzy. Her sisters are vengeance and retribution. This is one very angry family. Lyssa is seen in the company of dogs because of her rabies association. Fits like rabies are attributed to her influence. She is the messenger the gods send to drive a victim into madness.
What does this character have to do with mental health? The acknowledgement that rage, fury, and madness really exist is very good because they do. The pantheon portrayal of mad dogs suggests that this misfortune can befall anyone. In Athenian tragedy she is a figure who has the power to drive humans and dogs suddenly out of their wits. Madness itself is a character that plays central roles in the plays of Aeschylus, Euripides and others. Anger, and repressed anger create illness and depression when left unattended. The sudden and supernatural anger experienced by victims of Lyssa show dark rage as a curse. Tragedy follows angry outbursts in these stories teaching the dangers of explosive fury.
It would be impossible to go through life without anger entirely. Some of us have more than others. Our mental health and well being depend on our relationship with anger. Finding constructive ways to engage in happiness producing activities is a life long search. Learning to control stress and personal need to be right can make the difference between a close relationship with Lyssa and her sisters and a walk in the park. Learn to recognize and avoid this goddess. Here she is dressed in a short hunting skirt, driving dogs mad and causing them to eat their master Actaeon:
Lyssa and Actaeon
If you see her coming run the other way.
Poet Hollow
April 30, 2015
— 1 Comment
orchid
Woods dripping with Spanish moss and voodoo shrines
Down the hill from the oracle cave the hermit still declines
To give you the secret magic word you use to save the day
Find the sorcerer’s manuscripts then interpret what they say
Squandered youth, wild stormy stories, hidden truth of night
Dreams bring colorful vibrant myths, strong psychic insight
The realm inhabited by poetry and poets, invisible to some
Portrays life more intensely, gives clues to why we have come
flora
NaPoWriMo 2015
It has been a real privilege to inhabit the place of the poets this April. Thanks to all who contributed and read.
Positively Charged
April 29, 2015
— 5 Comments
leap
Ancestral chieftain ritually bound to honor natural forces
Protect the seasons, the directions, the winds over the seas
Passing that mastery to students of physical magical realms
Thunderous laughter is carried and amplified on the breeze
Followed by flashing bolts of lightening, blinding light overwhelms
NaPoWriMo 2015
Read, write, recite poetry this April. Meet new poets to enjoy here.
Truth by Mother Goose
April 28, 2015
— 7 Comments
field of sunflowers
Early years fill with nursery rhymes, stories designed to teach
Suspended between fictional characters dialog is made to preach
Current popular opinion, political outrage hidden between the lines
The villain and the hero match wits whilst the wicked witch opines
These morality plays change very little with the passage of time
Forces of good conquer evil and the story is set to rhyme
When you meet a character who comes straight from Mother Goose
You have discovered archetypal imagery that will help you to deduce
If you are the victim or the hero, the popular victor or the slimy creep
We all have parts to play, ego hiding under shadowy cover of sleep
field of sunflowers
NaPoWriMo 2015
The poetry train has almost arrived at the destination…May. Hop aboard for a poetic ride here.
Oil Field Orphans
April 27, 2015
— 5 Comments
Ruby and Her SistersThe Taylor sisters of Humble, Texas met tragedy early in life
Their mother died in childbirth leaving ten children in grief and strife
Their father rode a black horse around the oil field reading gauges
Recording the data from each well in production for very low wages
When their father killed himself at home he was discovered by his son
Who was only 5 years old. The deed could never be undone.
They had no preparation or reserves for this sudden change
Suicide had swept away home and security, memories forever stained
NaPoWriMo 2015
Poetry is the sport of the month in April. Please indulge yourself in all kinds of poetry here.
Electing Apathy
April 26, 2015
— 4 Comments
Thorny issues
The candidates align on left and right with eager well lit faces
Chirping sound bites with sincere well tested spinning phrases
They will sprawl all over the airwaves, call your home and send mail
Proclaiming vague tattered arguments that strike everyone as stale
We will resume campaigns for presidential power through bribery
Lavish spending on election shenanigans supports the corrupt dynasty
To protect yourself from Republicans and Democrats you must be firm
Political parties spend like sailors spreading untruths to make you squirm
As they trot out their make up and their speeches, reject the fallacious
Look at the images they are projecting and recognize the mendacious
After the spending and insincere rhetoric we elect the same jerks
As if nobody has been paying attention to the way this all works
NaPoWriMo 2015
Enjoy poetry this month here. Take time to read and write some poems in April.
Spylight
April 24, 2015
— 3 Comments
skeleton
Windows of stained glass, gothic arches reaching down from heaven
Contain secret hiding places from which to see the world in procession
Between clouds and stars light years have passed uncounted, forgotten
Pathways of comets, trails of meteors falling to earth, and fools misbegotten
Bright illumination shines through the veils, the curtain, and the hidden door
While multitudes enrolled in rival schools of thought collapse into war
Youth, athletic performance, strength have become the peak obsession,
Playing games is a metaphor when competition is the prize possession
NaPoWriMo 2015
Poets and poetry are celebrated during the month of April here. Enjoy reading writing and reciting!!!
Keep the Beat
April 23, 2015
— 8 Comments
Snapdragon
On stage alone declaring how holy is everything
Drama and grit in bohemian glory, unafraid, uncensored
Blazing through the living backwoods of words, bongos,
Coffeehouse in some village overflowing with reform
Of letters, of institutions, of all the powers who regulate
On fat asses that be in charge of declinations that articulate
Judgements for society not listening, nor daring to perform
Shocking truthful rage behind the masks worn as uniforms
Marching single file, lost in the mass shuffle of minds in thought
Keep the beat, a tribute to those poets who knew not what they taught
NaPoWriMo 2015
Ride the poetry train in April by boarding here. Enjoy reading writing and listening to diverse poets and beatnik bards.
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