Rejoice, for my dreams have returned!
Join me for a communal dream circle in the comments
It was nigh on one month ago that I posted about the loss of my dreams. And perhaps I should have known that by talking about a thing, you summon it forward. Because since then, the well that had run dry began to flow once more1. Dreams, in all sorts of shapes, tones, and expressions came back to me. It has been a comfort, a relief, like a dear-old friend that finally returned after a long journey away.
The dreams themselves have been very interesting! In one, I was cleaning and packing up to move out of my father’s home—the actual home that I lived in with him after my parents divorced in my teenage years. I awoke with the words, “I am leaving my father’s house” echoing in mind. And as my awareness brightened, I recalled Marion Woodman’s book of the same name. Grabbing it from my bookshelf, I flipped open to a random page, an inspired act of bibliomancy, and my eyes landed on this passage:
“I realize that the time has arrived for me to face the Witch in me. Although my outer life is free-flowing, my inner life is like an erupting volcano.” p.143
Ah, now this was indeed very curious, because I have long referred to the outpouring of emotionality I experience as “eruptions.” In fact, I wrote about it here on The Artemisian last year after a very intense volcano dream. And the Witch, a close archetypal companion of mine (I tend to experience her as a Sorceress), as the source of that power, in both its creative and destructive expressions.
Another dream featured someone I knew. We were discussing a very sensitive topic, and in the midst of it, he transformed into a much younger and distraught version of himself. Now we Jungians love to say, look inward first, consider your dream figures as parts of your psyche cloaked in the likeness of another2. But an unyielding conviction in me whispered that this was a dream come as an omen and warning. Not a few weeks later, I was engaged in conversation with this person, recalled my dream, and used its wisdom to navigate some very tricky and delicate subjects. The conversation turned out well, more then well, actually—powerful, grounding, a deepening intimacy and relating. I thank my dream for that.
In another, I dreamt I was lying in bed, my eyes just lifting from sleep3, and I noticed a long-legged spider crawling towards me. If you’ve read my work for a while now, you might have seen me mention this before. When I was a child, I experienced extremely intense night terrors where I saw spiders crawling all over my bed. It awakened a terrible arachnophobia in me. But, once again thanks to my dreams and their associated states, I’ve had a change in my relationship to the spider in recent years, seeing it now as a powerful psychopomp who comes calling to pull me deep into my inner world. This dream made me quite curious about what is stirring within, and I’ve since begun to investigate.
These are just a few snippets of the dream presences that have visited me. After being without them for so long, I am deeply grateful to remember these encounters and take them into waking life.
To celebrate, I thought I’d open up a community style dream circle in the comments!
Share a dream in the comments below—perhaps a recent dream, or one that’s been calling for your attention—and any relevant context, questions, or other thoughts you have.
I’ll be joining, offering insight and archetypal reflections as needed!
And if you feel called to comment on other dreams, please do so.
See you in the comments,
~Alyssa
~Upcoming Events~
There’s many workshops coming up! In-person, online, via The Artemisian, and publicly. I hope you’ll join me :)
The Heroine’s Quest pt II. : Bluebeard @ The Artemisian [online]
Saturday, August 15th · 11:00 AM PST
Part two of our explorations of the archetype of the heroine and her journeyings through various myths and fairy tales continues this Saturday!
The Alchemy of Relationships @ The Berkeley Alembic [in-person]
Saturday, August 22nd · 1:00pm - 3:30pm PST
I’m finally returning to teach at The Alembic, located in Berkeley, CA. This class will be a blend of the Alchemical Inner Work technique, with a relationship focus.
The Heroine’s Quest pt III. : Rapunzel @ The Artemisian [online]
Saturday, September 12th · 11:00am PST
The Heroine’s Quest series concludes with Rapunzel, with special focus given to Donald Kalsched’s interpretation of the fairy tale.
Alchemical Inner Work @ JUNG Archadmey [online]
5 sessions beginning Thursday, September 24th · 4:00pm - 6:00pm PST
A thorough introduction to the Alchemical Inner Work technique over 5 weeks!
Jungian Dreamwork @ The Berkeley Alembic [in-person]
Sunday, October 25th · 1:00pm - 3:00pm PST
Learn the foundations and core concepts of Jungian Dreamwork with me at The Alembic!
Descent to the Underworld @ Maine Jung Center [online]
Sunday, November 22nd · 2:00pm – 4:00pm EST
I’m dropping in to teach on another Jungian platform, this time with a student favorite—my class on mythic descents.
After 5 long months without them.
This is the subjective interpretation of a dream symbol.
The ‘ol dream within a dream!