Dreams

[twosoul]

I didn't really know if I should have asked this here, but I figured it was worth a try.

I was wondering if anyone had knowledge/theories about dreams, specifically bad ones. The last year, I have been having deja vu of things in my daily life that I have done/dreamed before. It is vivid, and for things like answering the phone, but it is the intense, overwhelming feeling that I have been in that exact moment before. This happens all the time, but it has alway was from peaceful, daily life.

I got over this and just accepted it, but lately I have been having nightmares; vivid, surreal, and upsetting or frightening. They aren't like normal dreams to me because I remember them when I wake up, and I wake up groggy, dizzy, and disoriented, like I had taken sleeping pills but I hadn't. Thinking back on what I remembered after the haze was gone, I don't know why they scare me, but at the end of the dream, I have trouble waking up, as if something wants me to stay sleeping... I am sorry for my ranting, but this morning I woke up, nearly fell down the stairs because I couldn't see straight, and cried on my mother's shoulder because of yet another nightmare. If someone has any insight to anything, it would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Nightmares so often happen because of inner turmoil - stress, sadness - but in my case, when the stress resolves. Something that has worked for me is spending my time in bed waiting to sleep in a state of bliss - meditation on who I am in relation to the Divine and all that is in the universe, on the happiest things of my life, of my plans for the future, and all that is lovely. Abraham (Esther Hicks) calls this "Getting in the Vortex." You get into a bliss state of mind.

As well, ask your guides and angels for some healing and protection while you sleep. Smudging is always a good idea - smudge your entire bedroom, your bed, and yourself. Fill the room with bright and protective energy, and set up wards. State your will/intention clearly that only good energies (and hence good dreams) are allowed to come in, but all bad will leave, and that if you must heal/deal with an inner issue, for it to be resolved in happy dreams and not bad ones. If you can't smudge with smoke, smudge with sound. Tingshas are good, as well as "toning" (singing notes - I find the higher ones are particularly good for clearing, and sometimes even more powerful that smudging. The only hesitation is when the neighbours can hear! "OOOOOOOOOOO")

[Kystar]

Crazy Healer Lady has a great set of ideas, especially cleansing the area. Here's two of my own:
Make a dreamcatcher to hang over your head. Set runes of protection around your bed in addition to general wards.

Though it sounds mostly like you have an ability come to the forefront that isn't under control yet, there is a slim chance that something negative grabbed onto you because of this burgeoning ability. Cleansing and protecting should help a great deal. And talking to your guides or guardians will also help.

Good luck.

[twosoul]

I have insomnia, so to go to sleep in the first place, I try to simply be calm, turn off my mind. I also don't know how to put up wards, protection spells, or cleanse anything. Five or so years ago, I tried all that stuff, but it never worked, so I find ways around it. I don't have an alter, or tools, or any other such things. I have never communicated with angels or guides, I don't even know if I have any. All I have is my 'imaginary friend' Seth.

I have a big dream catcher my mom bought me years ago from the native american reservation near us hanging over my bed. I never go anywhere without it. I also have a small one across the room I made as child, as well as a 'witches' ball' by my window, a green glass ball with glass webbing in it that is said to capture negative thoughts and energy, then melt them away with the morning sun.

A lot has been happening me spiritually (I usually call it 'occult problems' to people), and the consensus on a thread I posted a while ago was that my senses were opening up for some reason, and I really hope that is all this is, but as I try to go about my daily life, it always feels like something is attacking me, or wanting to do me harm or something. I can reasonably cope with everything, but these dreams scare me so much...

[Kystar]

Cleansing is simple, really.

You don't need an altar or anything.

When you're cleaning your room, focus on the actions, focus on the intent...what you want to "remove" from the space. Don't think "dust and dirt"...think "Negative residue" or something. Just focus on that while you're going about cleaning, dusting, sweeping, what-have-you. Open a window and let fresh air in, circulate new air in, and imagine pushing out anything stagnant or harmful.

As for your dream catcher, I have to ask...the crystals or beads on it, are they still clear? Like anything designed as a "filter", so to speak, Dream catchers get full...they get dirtied, they stop working b/c they're not able to do what they're designed b/c of limitations.

If the beads and crystals are dark, it's full, and it can't stop anything else. You would need to put it in the outside air for a full day (sunrise to sunrise) and hope that it clears it...or you would need to make or acquire another one. (Some traditions even burn the old one so that the spirits and dreams captured are destroyed.)

[twosoul]

I never knew any of that about dream catchers. There are no crystals, but a black bead in the middle, and beads near the feathers hanging from the bottom. No crystals, nor anything clear. They have always been black, and I've never thought about it before.

BTW, thank you all for helping me!

[Kitsune]

I would suggest giving both a good cleaning in the way that Kystar suggested. If the beads were black to start with, you may want to collect some fresh rainwater and run them over the beads, thinking all the while "clouds of black, return to the earth, stars of light, fly to the bead".

Repeating a chant (this one, or something that works better for you) will help to focus your mind. The symbolism is what is important here. For instance, in the chant above, you are cleansing the beads specifically by commanding the "clouds of black" (negative energy or bad dreams that the bead has caught) to return to the earth to be recycled. 'Stars of light" will command what is often referred to as "White light" or "Divine light" , basically Positive Energy to return to the bead to fill in the space that you are clearing. Rainwater or mineral water left to charge in the sun is the best for this, because running water cleans most stones of negative energy that they may be holding onto.

Regardless of which way you clean them, replace the dreamcatcher with reverence. Believe it or not, it is a tool, and as one that you use every night, it will become stronger and better at protecting you if you acknowledge the work that it is doing, even if you don't notice it every night.

As for guides, I think I can help you out there. Unlike our good friend Crazy who is on a first name basis with all hers, my guides are more background figures. Everybody has at least one, and they change as we grow and need different things. The first thing I ever learned about guides is that they can hear you long before you can hear them, and so asking them to guard your sleep, even if you don't know who they are, is a good idea. You may wish to ask them to appear in your nightmares helping you in such a way that empowers you to remove the threat (Ex. - You are stuck in a dark room with something scary that you can't see. Your guide might become a torch allowing you to see that the sound is not a threat). Ask before you go to sleep, and they'll do what they can to help you.

Crazy, feel free to correct me if I've assumed something about guides that you know is too advanced or if I've explained something incorrectly. You're the resident expert on guides. I tend to treat mine like "friends in need" since they only come about and really make their presence known when I need the help. They know I prefer dealing with issues as independently as possible. Fortunately, most of them seem to agree that, for me, this way of "learning" works best.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Kitsune, you're fantastic and that's absolutely true, they hear you before you hear them (again). Kids talk to their guides all the time, but then they forget about them.

Angels are fabulous to talk to as well because they are VERY strong, you don't have to worry about "posers" (and thus your safety), and they are non-attached so they can help everyone in the world (at once if that is necessary). They specifically want to help, but don't generally do so unless asked first.

[twosoul]

Are guides ever dark creatures? Not necessarily evil, but dark rather than light. I ask because I am drawn to darkness many times, I feel more comfortable at night rather than the day. I have a book I have been reading about Nocturnal Witchcraft, and though I don't identify with witchcraft, it feels like a better tool than others I have found. Anyway, I was wondering this because of reasons I don't like to discuss much... too many people called me crazy, so I avoid the subject... but I thought I'd ask. I tend to believe, and this may be wrong, since I am untrained and alone, that just because something is dark doesn't make it evil...

I'll do the cleansing ritual on my beloved dreamcatcher when I have the chance, after work tomorrow. Last night I couldn't sleep again, which made work pretty crappy on one and a half hours of sleep... i am hoping tonight will be better. Or, rather, everything in general gets better, since it was hard to cope with all this stuff today, and I am afraid it will get worse and worse....

[Kystar]

Ravens are associated by most people with death and negativity, but they make good guides and guardians.

I've got an owl...which is in some cultures a sign of death. Definitely a "darker" creature.

Serpents are associated with evil, but also represent secret knowledge.

There are a lot of things that certain people consider evil that aren't...but Shadowed.

[Kitsune]

Realistically speaking, humans fear of the 'Dark' started because humans cannot see as well in it. This means that whenever it got dark, our ancestors tended to become more afraid since they couldn't see as well as in the daylight. (Does make you wonder though... humans are almost completely night-blind now, and yet, a night outside of the city away from the lights, and unless it's a new moon, I can usually see clearly enough to not worry. Our ancestors must have been able to see even better... what were they so afraid of in the night to cause a general shunning of it? Hmmm, anyone up for a full discussion on that?)

Dark doesn't mean evil anymore than Light means good. It's all in the symbolism and how you see them. I would suggest looking for guides that stick to a "light" side for now when you're still learning to access them... after all, when you're beginning its easier to be fooled by things trying to trick you.

When in doubt, look for creatures from the Animal Kingdom. The best book (and one that we mention on here a few times every year) for this would be Ted Andrews, Animal-Speak. This brilliant book has a lot of good information on connecting to your animal guides as well as basic information on guides in particular (especially nice, since in the animal kingdom it's a lot harder to separate them into "good" or "evil"). He has a few meditations he suggests for finding your guides and the rest of the book deals with descriptions of what your power animals mean about you, your personality and how you're currently dealing with issues (as well as ideas to get back on track and putting those issues behind you).

If you don't have any money, you can probably find this book in your local library, but I'd suggest picking it up if you have the cash (and can find it)... I've yet to meet someone who said it didn't help them in some way.

And you are our resident expert on guides Crazy... of course I defer to your greater knowledge! ( Somehow, knowing how you squirm whenever I give you an honest compliment makes me smile. We all do it, but you are so darned cute about it!)

[Kystar]

I remember, as a child, telling my doctor I could see colors in the moonlight. And I could read by starlight. At night, a single match strike could blind me. He was baffled.

Sticking to "lighter" creatures only works if you can form some sort of connection to them...something that makes you recognize they're a guide or guardian. I know a few people who SHOULD have had a "light" guide, but they just couldn't emotionally connect to them the way they did with the dark guide that presented itself.

It's all about what you can form a bond with, really. Not saying their light guide didn't help them...but the people I knew didn't recognize it was a guide at all b/c they couldn't understand its symbolism and purpose.

[Kitsune]

Can't everybody still tell colours (perhaps not fine shades, but still the colour) by moonlight? That I can do, and my eyesight is pretty bad (the doctors say night driving is a no without glasses... since I don't drive, I don't consider it an issue).

I'm certain you got the same confused look as I did when I first told my Father that I dreamed in colour! More when I'm not exhausted and sleepy...

[Kystar]

When I talked to members of my family at the time, they couldn't see the landscape colors in moonlight...and couldn't make a good judgement on clothing colors either. They say it "washes out" colors. My older sister went on this long explanation about since moonlight is "reflected" it's not strong enough to show the full prism properly.

Have you ever seen a "moonbow" ? I want to. Apparently, if the moon is full enough, and the rain at night is soft enough, you can actually get a pale version of a rainbow at night.

I dream in colors all the time.

[Kitsune]

I don't think I've ever seen a "moonbow"... that would be pretty cool though.

I've never really noticed colours being washed out... for me the only trouble is when they are very dark colours they do get a bit harder to tell... If it's too dark, it'll just appear blackish to me.

The most awesome effect I ever saw was about 10-11 years ago, here in Calgary. It was probably due to pollution or something, but for a single night, the moon was honestly blood-red, casting the night in a faint reddish hue. I was still very new to paganism at the time, but just seeing it charged me up like nothing else... I didn't feel any threat from it, just a sense of wonder.

It was in September or October, and I know that the "blood moon" can be due to regular phenomeon, but I've never seen it go that red before... usually a orange-y red is what we get.