ANIMAL SYMBOLOGY/SYMBOLISM

ANIMAL SYMBOLOGY/SYMBOLISM

Spiritual and Native American Indian Animal Symbology

A

Aardvarks: Prolonging life (healing within)

Ant: Patience

Antelope: Grace of readiness, taking action

Armadillo: Keeping the feelings of others and troubles (reflected) boundaries

Ass: Time to move forward and not rest on your laurels

B

Badger: Taking charge aggressively, showing competence in difficult situations

Bandicoot: Finding inner strength and faith to attain inner harmony

Bat: Rebirth through darkness

Bear: Reflection and introspection

Beaver: Keeping busy and productive

Bee: Reproducing the good things in life, sharing the abundance of life, organisation

Beetle: Regeneration

Bilby: Releasing fears of the unknown

Birch: Discovering truth

Bison: Manifesting abundance

Blackbird: New understanding of life

Bluebird: Opportunities, happiness and confidence

Blue Jay: Using intuition to speak the truth

Bobcat: Reconnecting with inner self and accepting one's own company

Bowerbird: Dissecting situations to take a closer look

Brolga: Over analysing, being too critical of the self

Buffalo: Prayers being answered, being of assistance

Bull: Releasing excuses to cultivating productive ideas, ideal and plans

Butterfly: Making a transformation, being reborn

C

Canary: Using the power of the voice

Camel: Conservative and proper use of resources

Cardinal: Recognising the importance of your life and the role you play within it

Cassowary: To walk the walk and talk the talk

Cat: Enhancing independence, wisdom, magic and psychic connections

Catbird: Ability to communicate, new people being introduced into your life

Cheetah: Accomplishing tasks with speed and agility

Chickadee: Healing through truth

Chicken: Fertility

Chipmunk: Respect the smallest parts of nature through inter-relationship and equality

Cock: Optimism, resurrection and rebirth

Cockatoo: Taking pride in all your own attributes

Condor: Life, unity and equality for eternity

Cougar: Learning by trial and error, initiating what has been learnt and putting it to use

Coyote: The trickster, reconnecting with the inner child

Crane: Manifesting creativity and focus on life's significance

Crocodile: Digesting and assimilating truth

Crow: Divine law – wisdom, discernment, destroying deception

Cuckoo: Going with the flow of life, Intuitiveness

D

Deer: Tenderness and sensitivity, reconnecting with the innocence of life

Dingo: Be cautious before acting, uncovering the truth

Dog: Serving humankind with loyalty

Dolphin: Breath deep to tap energy, life force

Donkey: Shouldering the load of responsibility

Dove: Peace, feminine energies, letting go of the past

Dragonfly: Breaking through illusions of the tangible world

Duck: Finding comfort through understanding your own emotions

E

Eagle: Rediscovery, having foresight, flying above situations to get a better view

Echidna: Initiating changes and embracing new things

Eel: Conductor of love

Elephant: Old age wisdom, being of assistance to other

Elk: Stamina and persistence

Emu: Nuturing, being of assistance, unification

F

Falcon: Communication, receiving inner guidance through messages

Feather: Messenger of Spirit

Ferret: Answers by using deductions and reason

Finch: A busy time with new people and experiences

Fish: A need to stay focused yet going with the flow of life

Flamingo: Opening human heart

Fox: Learning to blend in, charm and charisma

Frog: Cleanse, refresh and replenish

G

Gazelle: Sure footedness

Giraffe: Far sightedness, seeing the forest through the trees

Goanna: Assessing situations, being observant

Goat: Starting new ventures and initiating changes

Goose: Breaking free of family restraints and conditioning

Gorillas: Communication and teaching through actions

Grasshopper: Taking a leap forward, bounding towards achieving goals or solutions

Groundhog: Exploring altered states, going within

Grouse: Dancing to a new beat in life

Gulls: Understanding what is and is not being communicated

H

Hawke: Communicating through visions, psychic powers

Hen: Tend to plans and ideas that need to be hatched

Heron: Listening to your wisdom and own inner self

Horse: The proper use of gifts, talents and abilities, will, endurance, authority and talent in proper manner without abuse or misuse

Hummingbird: Knower of loving all things is to love reflection

I

Iguana: Taking the time to understand situations, being patient

J

Jaguar: Secular and spiritual leadership potential

K

Kangaroo: To give unselfishly, nurture maternally

Kestrel: Patience is the key to attainment

Kingfisher: Peace and prosperity through new life experiences

Koala: Being supportive, looking to build on solid foundations of trust, love, sharing and nurturing

L

Leopard: Understanding the patterns that lead to self mastery

Lion: Taking pride in your life and achievements

Lizard: Dreaming solutions and envisioning

Llama: Nurturing and being of assistance

Lynx: Share when asked for wisdom (secret knower of)

Lyrebird: Being accepting of oneself, trust in your individuality and self expression

M

Magpie: Talent for relieving pain of others

Mammoth: Remembering

Mockingbird: Recalling and repeating all that is heard

Mole: Seeing the dark travel under earth, looking for what is buried beneath

Monkey: Relocation, embracing change

Moose: Self esteem, becoming more self aware

Moth: Bring intangible of spirit into tangible world

Mountain Lion: Leading through example

Mountain Ram: Tenacity and willingness to meet challenges head on

Mouse: Pay attention to detail – one task at a time

N

O

Octopus: envelop in love, able to undertake more than one thing at a time

Opossum: planning and strategy

Osprey: Breaking and setting of bones

Ostrich: How to interact through communication

Otter: Being young at heart, innocence, joy and delight

Owl: Being able to hear and see all that is hidden

P

Parrot: Understanding others more efficiently, healing through colours

Panther: Leaping fearlessly into the void of the unknown

Peacock: A need for stable foundations, wisdom and vision

Pelican: Overcoming the emotional ties, learning to let go

Penguin: Awakening of dreams, spiritual connections and dimensions

Pheasant: A strong connection with family, children, fertility

Pig: Intellect and reasoning ability

Pigeon: Returning to a place that symbolises feeling at home, messages

Platypus: solitude and self discovery

Porcupine: Faith and innocence

Possum: Staying focused on goals

Prairie Dog: Reconnecting with family, life and community, becoming more social

Praying Mantis: A need to wait patiently before moving into new situations or directions

Q

Quail: Being observant to all that is around whilst moving ahead without doubt

Quetzal: Totally free, uninhibited spirit who is willing to express all aspects of the self

Quoll: Being courageous, finding inner strength

R

Rabbit: Not to listen to unrealistic fears

Raccoon: Protector of the under-dog, weak, frail and elderly

Ram: Learn to trust in decisions and choices as being the right ones

Rat: Through persistence and sensibility success will be achieved

Raven: Keeper of magic, who sort the void of the unknown to effect change

Rhinoceros: Trusting in your own inner wisdom

Robin: Being creative with life and opening new doors, walking your walk and talking your talk

Rosella: Tapping the inner resources to bring forth sustenance and growth

S

Seal: Riding waves of emotions and feelings to discover one's self

Skunk: Reputation and ability to attract or repel what you need in life

Snake: Transmutation, Transformation

Snowy Owl: Eliminating lies and deception

Sparrow: Believing in the power of inner strength and self worth to undertake any situation or problem

Squirrel: Gathering energy and saving a little extra for lean times

Spider: Desire to create, deciding to create, taking actions

Starling: It is alright to be yourself, be a leader not a follower

Stork: Easy labour, giving birth

Sugar Glider: Listening to your inner guidance, guides and spirits

Swallow: Letting go of old limiting feelings or habits

Swan: Surrender to the flow

Swift: Taking responsibility for actions

T

Tasmanian Devil: Feeling defensive about what is significant to your needs or wants

Tiger: Awakening the passion for life, reclaiming your power

Toucan: Warning system in jungle (trouble, danger)

Turkey : Release and give away Turtle Dove: Nurture dreams of peace

U

V

Vulture: Waste not want not

W

Walrus: Altering actions and feelings in order to interact with the changes life offers

Whale: Remembering talents and using them

Weasel: guile, stealth, ingenuity and observing the obvious

Wolf: Ability to create new paths for learning teaching

Wombat: Perseverance and persistence

Woodpecker: Strongest protection against shadow and evil

Wren: A need to look at the big picture and not be so concerned about the little things

X

Y

Z

Zebra: Nothing final or absolute, all not as it seems.

NATIVE AMERICAN ANIMAL SYMBOLOGY AND

ANIMAL MESSAGE

Crow/Raven - portent

Bluebird - happiness

Chickadee - optimism

Cardinal/Red Bird - beauty

Quail - family

Bat - macabre

Hummingbird - joy

Robin - balance

Meadowlark - protection/protective

Hawk - opportunity

Owl - diviner/divination

Blue jay - pushy

Peacock - ostentatious

Wild Pheasant/Wild Turkey - quick

Sparrows - ordinary

Mockingbird - initiative

Magpie - knowledge

Roadrunner - traveller

Pigeon on the ground - inertia

Pigeon in the air - mission

Chicken - foolish

Turkey - forgetful

Parrot - playful

Heron - spiritual

Lark - weather

Pelican - saver

Eagle - highest power

Canary - joy

Snow Goose - fidelity

Domestic Goose - quarrelsome

Wild Duck - adventure

Flamingo - grace

Red-headed Woodpecker - resourceful

Ostrich - stubborn

Dog - loyalty

Cat - independence

Goat - friendly

Bighorn Sheep - conqueror

Domestic Sheep - follower

Cow - docile

Wild Horse - freedom

Race Horse - high strung

Work Horse - plodding

Pig - intelligence

Bull/Stallion - sexual energy

Buffalo - strength

Rabbit - gentle

Skunk - defended

Porcupine - protection

Raccoon - enterprising

Possum - avoidance

Otter - playful

Badger - aggressive

Armadillo - defence

Beaver - accomplishment

Squirrel - resourceful

Turtle/Tortoise - old wisdom

Llama - practical

Camel - ornery

Donkey - helpful

Mule - stubborn

Elephant - old memory

Elk - brave

Moose - pride

Antelope - action

Lynx - psychic

Deer - loveliness

Bear - strength

Mountain Lion/Cougar - leader

Coyote - cunning

Fox - wily/sly

Wolf - organizer

Snake - challenger

Lizard/Toad - wisdom

Frog - sorcery

Chameleon - adaptable

Cricket - disharmony

Cockroach - lowest

Fly - parasite

Butterfly - friendly

Spider - deceit

Beetle - hidden knowledge

Mole - lack of foresight

Rat - survival

Mouse - busy

Whale - universal mind

Dolphin/Porpoise - teachers

Shark - killer

Sturgeon - dominant

Sea Gull - freedom

**

Joanne Walmsley

Sacred Scribes

The Purpose of Dreams and Dreaming

Dreams and Dreaming ...

Dreams are a window to understanding the human mind and psyche and are closely related to our everyday lives. Dreams are not random, senseless images caused by our over-active brains.


Every night as we sleep, we enter into another level of awareness; another form of existence. In our dreams we can be away in a far off country or island, or people and places and other things we may or may not recognize in our waking life, appear real. We often switch from one ‘life’ or ‘scene’ to another and can even visit people, be they living or on the Other Side.


During our dreams we are able to ignore the usual restraints of time and space and experience the cryptic world of our psyche, without the constraints of our waking life.


In our dreams we see people, events and places that we don’t recall or remember in our waking state; some people get hunches, ‘messages’ and solutions from dreams, whilst others are inspired to invent, write and/or create art, being inspired by their dreaming experiences.


Both ancient and modern philosophers have spoken about the heightened capacity for insight during sleep. Sleep opens up a whole other world to nourish, inform and expand our souls. During sleep our conscious minds take a break, allowing our subconscious minds to take over. There are hundreds of theories on dream interpretation and thousands of studies have been done, but no one has yet solved even a fraction of the mysteries hidden in dreams.


According to the ‘Gestalt’ theory, all the elements of your dreams are part of you, separated into symbolic pieces for you to examine and work on.


The Bible, as well as many other great books containing historical and ancient texts, show traces of a substantial belief in dreams. Notable identities of history, such as Plato, Goethe, Shakespeare, Napoleon, Sigmund Fraud and Karl Jung, to name a few, assigned prophetic value to certain dreams. How we learn from dreams and utilize the information obtained from them, has been the basis of much study by some of the world's greatest philosophers, researchers and presenters of information in the field of personal growth.


Prophets and others who have stood close to the fountain of Universal knowledge, have used dreams with more frequency than any other mode of Divination. During the third and fourth centuries, the 'supernatural' origin of dreams was generally accepted.


Dreams are far more than night-time fantasies sent to amuse and confuse us. They carry a lot of valuable information which we can easily learn to access and use in our daily lives. If we don't remember or bother to interpret our dreams, it doesn't mean they are not working. But for those of us who do, there can be an enormous amount of 'food for thought' contained within in our dreams.


The benefits of problem-solving or creative dreams are obvious today, and it is natural for all of us to have such inspired dreams from time to time. You may have noticed that often you feel better about a problem after a night's sleep, even if you don't recall dreaming. This is where the phrase 'to sleep on it' comes from.


There are ways in which we can harness the power of our dreams to provide solutions to our daily problems and emotional dramas. These solutions are not just a matter of chance, they are healing or teaching dreams that can actually be 'incubated' along certain topic lines and themes.


Often, we are expected to be consoled with explanations of it being 'just a dream', only to find that dismissing it as 'nothing' doesn't in fact lessen the nagging feeling that drives us to want to get to the bottom of its true meaning. This wasn't always the case. Ancient Eastern and native cultures recognised dreams as the 'television network' that the spirit or non-physical side uses to give us guidance on matters about our health, general well-being, personal happiness and future. Only in the Dark and Middle Ages did Western Civilizations come to believe that we were too insignificant to receive direct communications from a deity or Higher Being, and all dreams were therefore dismissed as heretical delusions.


Nevertheless, our dreams continued to niggle and nag us until once again we were encouraged to take them seriously. Sigmund Fraud suggested that dreams were the manifestations of our conscious conflicts or frustrated and repressed desires.


Our dreams can reveal to us every aspect of ourselves or our lives, anything in need of healing and any details we may need to know. Given the importance of the information that dreams reveal to us about ourselves, no wonder most people immediately ask why the information doesn't come straight out and say to us "This is your current issue and here is the solution". The answer is that the intricate and peculiar right-brain language of dreams communicates directly with our emotions.


To the Eastern mind, which is open to more intricate right-brain influences, this question would not arise, as Eastern culture and religious practices are rich sources of right-brain stimulation. The same is true in other ways for all the indigenous peoples of the world. For Anglo Saxons and Europeans or Mediterranean culture, however, the left-brain tends to overrule and rationalize, often dismissing the validity of our feelings, emotions and instinctive information from the more intuitive right-brain. This has led Western society to some pretty convoluted, weird and wonderful interpretations of the meanings of dreams.


The fact is that we probably wouldn't perceive, feel, listen to, or take on this information in our waking hours. We humans don't, as a general rule, like the crystal-clear, plain truth about our innermost fears and insecurities, told to us straight. Just think back to a time that you tried to tell a friend a 'home truth', with all the best of intentions, and you'll identify with the dilemma our Higher Self is confronted with on a nightly basis. We tend to most appreciate our inner revelations and truths when we come to them ourselves, step by step, little by little. That's why our dreams can, at first glance, seem like befuddled, bizarre mazes of images, ideas, emotions and situations.


Every night as we sleep, we enter another level of awareness; another form of existence. In our dreams we can be away in a far off land, and people and places and other things we may or may not recognise in our waking life, appear real. We often switch from one 'life' or 'scene' to another, and can even visit people, both living and passed.


During our dreams we are able to ignore the usual restraints of time and space, so we are able to experience the cryptic world of our psyche, without the constraints of our waking life.


In our dreams we see people, events and places that we don't recall or remember in our waking state; some people get hunches, 'messages' and solutions from dreams, whilst others are inspired to invent, write and create art, being inspired by their dreaming experiences.


THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Our dreams will show us not only our present focus and whether that is currently a physical/material, emotional, mental or spiritual one, and also, any incomplete issues from the past that need to be resolved before we can move on to the next step in our current waking life.


Once we are in the right place at the right time, our dreams will become more prophetic and assist us to take advantage of our future opportunities. Most of our dreams are asking us to look at ourselves from a different perspective. Some dreams can solve our current problems and help inspire us to take appropriate action. Others alert us to anything that is unhealthy in our personal relationships. When we make the right connections we are able to solve our current problems and gain inspiration which enables us to take appropriate action. This enables us to make the right decisions and choices in our lives – decisions relating to the values we choose to embrace, how we communicate and express ourselves in our relationships, our present life choices and how they influence where we want to go next.


Our dream settings are always fascinating. Every mountain and precipice, each abode and every path, is a rich tapestry of symbols woven together to create a complete message for us, personally. Your dream may occur in a location you are already familiar with, particularly somewhere you've lived – especially during the significant first seven years of life, when our personality develops. This is frequently a 'time-warp' dream; one that alerts you to a particular time scale in your life. The purpose of time-warp dreams is to inspire you to work on resolving an issue that stems from this time in your life.


DEATH, DYING and PAST LIVES
Because death is often connected with suffering or violence, we as humans, fear it. There are lots of dreams of death that are actually past-life time memories. Often the clues to past life-times comes through your dreams. You may wake up knowing you have been speaking a foreign language in your dreams, or see yourself wearing clothes that could only come from either a movie set or a memory of one of your past-life times. These are some of the ways past-life memories bleed through into present time.


You could actually be working out some past karma with the dream characters in your present life, so it is vitally important when these types of dreams occur to ask yourself "Who might this represent in my life now?" Use your intuition with this one.


However, just one dream like this is not always enough evidence of a past-life. You will always get a very strong emotional reaction with the dream aswell. Its either a déjà vu feeling or that 'ah ha' feeling. The dream scenario will give you greater insights into what the issues between you might have been, so that you are better equipped to deal with them effectively in this life-time.


As souls, we all know everything about ourselves and when we take on our new physical bodies in each life-time, we move from the limitless, timeless spirit world, into the physical, limited, time-zone of the material world, where we 'forget' our past experience, bringing the essence of our talents and what is unresolved into our current 'birth-script', as well as the traumatic events in our first seven years.


Even if we never consciously consider our past realities, we can still carry these unresolved issues within us as unconscious negative beliefs about ourselves.


DREAM SYMBOLS
The symbols and signs are not universal because we each have our own unique feelings or attitudes to a various range of images, your personal symbols often become your dream symbols and its special connection you have with a particular symbol that should always be incorporated into your general reading of dream symbols that should always be incorporated into your general reading of dream symbols. Variances occur because of the way we individually relate to our environment, surroundings, family history and all the other factors that make us uniquely ourselves.


Analyse your dreams by putting ALL the dream symbols down on paper and write next to each one what the symbols mean to you personally.


Write down the emotional essence of your dream: sad, scared, happy, joyous, angry, stressed, secretive, resentful, bashful, bewildered etc. Be honest with yourself about your true feelings; how you feel about your life, your relationships, your future career and especially how you feel about yourself at the time of the dream; and your true feelings about how the dream made you feel.


DREAM LESSONS
For most people, the type of dream most commonly remembered is the 'Dream Lesson'. It is in this area that remembering our dreams can be of immense value; the messages from our Higher Selves that are otherwise available only to our subconscious minds and brought closer to our conscious awareness. Dream lessons ask us to be aware of our motivations and encourage us in our new ventures, whilst continually revealing the issues we are currently tackling in our lives.


Quite often our dreams will serve us by bringing up into our conscious mind, the fears and fantasies we have hidden from ourselves, especially childhood one that life deeply buried in our subconscious minds. As you face these fears, night after night in your dreamtime, you will access your inner courage and move through the fears you face in your waking life, with more ease.


PROPHETIC DREAMS
At some time we will all experience a prophetic dream about ourselves and/or those close to us. These prophetic dreams often help us to avoid ugly situations. The purpose of a prophesy is to avert any potential disaster or to warn us to change something in our lives. The purpose of other types of prophetic dreams is to help you to correct one of your unconscious negative patterns. These dreams are showing you probable realities. They are encouraging you to change, and their purpose is to shake you from a fatalistic view of life.


The prophetic nature of dreams have been recognised and respected by many cultures, and dreams have often played a significant role in the decision-making process within these cultures. A great example of this comes from Native American tradition, where the initiation ceremony of a Vision Quest is undertaken by initiates to attune with the Great Spirit, and receive spiritual, emotional, mental and physical gifts of power and protection from the spirit world and Mother Earth.


DÉJÀ VU
Déjà vu is an experience that all of us have had on occasion. It is the feeling that we are walking in our own footsteps. It explains that sense of replay that occurs when we find ourselves in a situation we know we haven't been in during our waking life, yet where we instantly recognise some of the surroundings, the participants or the actions taking place. People who experience a lot of déjà vu often don't recall their dreams until they re-live them; that is, when they get the feeling or know that they have seen this before, identically.


HOUSES in DREAMS
When you dream about a house or home, it will universally represent your self – your authentic self. Each room relates to an aspect of yourself, and the functions you associate with each room will give you more clues to work with. When you find extra rooms in your dream home/house, it represents the aspects of your future self and your hidden talents, as well as your hidden personality traits, and any current waking life situations.


NIGHTMARES
Nightmares give us the opportunity to release our fears and frustrations in the dream state, thus allowing us to get some of our most negative experiences out in the open where we can deal with them.


These dreams are so powerful that they insist we wake up and pay attention to them. The more tightly we have kept a lid on a belief, a feeling or a trauma, the wilder our nightmares will become. Nightmares are very effective in alerting us to trouble in our subconscious self. Nightmares are essentially, keeping you emotionally healthy.


TRAUMA RELEASE DREAMS
Deeply buried and traumatic emotions can also result in nightmares that will reveal to us all of our fears, and even some aspects of our emotional nature, which we have consciously repressed. These nightmares can, in some cases, be connected to deeply repressed trauma or childhood issues relating to either physical, sexual or emotional, mental or spiritual abuse.


FLYING DREAMS
If you're unsure whether you flying dream is an 'astral-travel' experience or if it is merely symbolic, examine your feelings and the other events in the dream. You will discover where its meaning holds truth for you. Astral-travel dreams feel different from normal dreams. You may wake up with a sense that his was not an ordinary dream; you may sense that you have actually been to some place and/or met someone who is, has been, or will be special to you. Either way, a dream about flying is a great sign that you are rising to an elevated position in some area of your life.


FALLING DREAMS
A falling dream can also be symbolic and may have a number of meanings. It could imply 'taking the plunge' or making a commitment to something or someone in your life, 'slipping up' or 'falling down' means you may be off-track in what you are doing or it could even be a symbol of delving into the scary aspects of the issues in your life.


The fast return of your astral body back into your physical body can sometimes manifest in your dreams as an experience like falling from a great height.


ASTRAL TRAVELLING
Indian Yogis believe that we leave our bodies and that our spirit moves freely in the astral realm, or spirit dimension, during sleep and also in some deep states of meditation or trance. The spirit is connected to the body by a 'silver cord', a kind of energy cord which allows us to leave our bodies and return again safely. (This 'silver cord' can be seen dissolving and dissipating once the human body has died) Death occurs when the silver cord that connects the spirit to the body is broken, and the spirit passes over to the spirit dimension, leaving the physical body to return to the dust of the earth.


The presence of this energy or spirit within our bodies is confirmed with Kirilian photography (an aura or energy photo) which shows the electromagnetic field, or bio-electrical aura around all things.


DREAM RECALL and AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy is the use of pure essential oils which have been derived from plants. It has been used to enhance relaxation, healing, prayer and meditation for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used plant oils such as Frankincense and myrhh for adornment and worship, Arabic medicine in medieval times consisted of recipes using herbs, flowers and spices to cure illness, and incense has been burned by many cultures throughout the ages.


Aromatherapy is a way for people to stay in touch with nature and receive its wonderful benefits through the sense of smell.
Dreams can be remembered with increased clarity, by triggering the memory through the sense of smell. The essential oil blend you use to help you drift off to sleep can be used again the following morning, when you wish to interpret your dreams. The fragrance invokes a memory.


EXIT
We can look beyond the surface of our dreams to uncover the hidden treasures that lay deep within our subconscious. Underneath the daily conscious reality of life we experience, there is an unlimited potential of spiritual wealth and beauty. We can explore the realms of intuition and discover the essence of who we are with greater clarity and insight, by understanding the nature of our dreams.


Dreams fall into three categories: release, wishes and precognition.


RELEASE DREAMS
Release dreams are your subconscious mind letting go of all the emotions your conscious mind has not dealt with and expressed. When you have a dream that seems to be about one very strong emotion in particular (passion, anger, grief, fear, embarrassment, confusion), it is almost certainly a signal from your subconscious mind that it is time to confront and resolve that emotion during your waking hours. Release dreams are a great safety valve, and they can be very helpful guide to some important unfinished emotional business that needs your attention.


WISH DREAMS
Wish dreams are exactly that – a wish your heart makes when you are fast asleep. Wish dreams can throw a spotlight on wishes you may not even put into words for yourself yet. Always look at the overview rather than the specifics of your wish dreams. You may be surprised how much you can learn about yourself and what you’re really wishing for.


PROPHECY AND PRECOGNITION DREAMS
Men and women of all creeds and cultures, throughout the ages, have accepted that dreams could foretell the future or reveal long-forgotten images of the past.


Our experiences during our sleep and dream state can provide us with enlightening information. We need to be able to unlock the mysteries of our dreams by being able to interpret our dreams in our own unique way. By understanding our dreams, we are seeking a better understanding of ourselves.


INTUITION
When you are working with the intuitive aspect of your mind, you will quickly develop your ability to interpret and receive the messages that your dream is telling you.
Intuition is the key to this ability.


Intuition has been part of the human psyche since the beginning of mankind.


DREAM DICTIONARY AND DIARIES
It is virtually impossible for only one meaning of a dream symbol to be accepted, when we are all unique individuals.
Jot down short sentences and phrases that will help jog your memory about the circumstances of a particular dream scene or symbol.


You do not have to write an essay – but you can if you have the time and inclination.


Write down any dream symbols that are still vivid in your mind. Write your own interpretation of your symbol. In this way you will build up a dream guide that is totally, absolutely unique to yourself. This guide need never have an ending and should be expanded upon at regular intervals, as new icons and symbols appear and become noteworthy.


FALLING
Falling represents (from an archetypal perspective) a feeling that you don’t have anything solid underneath you and are not supported. By being made full aware of this emotion, you can easily begin to sift through your life, and address any problems or issues you may not have noticed prior to the subconscious signals through your dreams.


REPETITIVE OR RECURRING DREAMS
We often dream about situations that are unresolved. Once the problem has been overcome or resolved, or an answer created, the dream often stops recurring.


Often you must decipher whether the dream is part of the solution, or part of the problem. If it is repetitive, it generally indicates that it is part of the problem. If the dream occurs just the once, it is generally part of the solution.


ANIMALS IN DREAMS
To understand what a particular animal in a dream indicates, look at what that animal represents to you.


NUMBERS in DREAMS
Our dreams have an important purpose in our lives, with personal meanings, symbology, associations and messages.
Numbers play an important role in our dreams. Each number has its own spiritual power, vibration and significance. Essentially, numbers are symbols. Numbers, a series of numbers or number sequences are significant if they clearly appear in your dreams.


Seeing numbers in our dreams can represent stages of spiritual growth and the archetypal energies of the collective unconscious.


Numbers appearing in dreams may sometimes appear indirectly and may present as a number of characters, a repeating sequence, a number of objects etcetera.


Numbers have a personal significance associated with them which needs to be taken into account. Numbers in dreams may refer to our age, an indicator of a house number or address, or signify when an event took place (or will take place). Numbers appearing in our dreams may represent important and/or significant dates and events. These may be dates such as anniversaries, birthdays and the like.


Numbers can play an important role in our dreams as time-keepers or indicators of time. The numbers that appear in the dream may give clues to events that have taken place during the waking hours. Most dreams draw on recent events and memories, generally within the week.


Many of us have a ‘lucky number’. Dreaming of our lucky number may be our subconscious mind assisting us with our life choices and major decisions.


Identifying number patterns and repeating number sequences (Angel Numbers) in our dreams can reveal deep meaning patterns in our lives. In another context, the numbers appearing in your dreams may indicate a significant event, age, date, anniversary etcetra. A dream number may also symbolize a specific item or number of items (eg. children to enter your life etc).


Listen to your inner-wisdom and intuition when interpreting and deciphering the meaning of the numbers appearing in your dreams, as our dreams are as unique as we are and have personal significance.


DREAM COLOURS
Each of us sees colour differently. Science has proven that individuals may dream in black and white, colour, or both. Black and white dreams are usually connected with the emotions and events that you are dealing with on a day-to-day basis. Colour dreams usually come out of a deeper subconscious level.


Traditionally, RED means sexual drive, energy and survival.
ORANGE means social interaction.
YELLOW deals with the intellect.
GREEN deals with compassion.
TURQUOISE deals with communication.
BLUE indicates knowledge and healing.
VIOLET is to do with the intuition.
MAGENTA indicates the imagination or the spiritual.


DYING
Dying in a dream very rarely indicates that the dreamer (or the person they may be dreaming of), is about to pass over. Usually, a dream of this type indicates transformation, change or renewal.


EMOTIONS
Experiencing fear in dreams often occurs because the dreamer feels they don’t have the resources to deal with what’s confronting them.


Frustration in dreams deals with a lack of fulfilment and satisfaction.


Joy deals with levels of contentment, and when this feeling is experienced in a dream, it implies that happiness will follow.


Detachment is often experienced in the dream state. This is a feeling of observation without any emotion attached to it. Detachment is a unique way of dealing with life situations occurring in both our sleeping and waking state.


SPRING
Spring is a time for new ideas, a blossoming, nurturing, the start of new things, the early manifestation, perhaps an awakening.


SUMMER
Summer is a time of harvest, collective effort, the orchestration of human endeavours, more light, heat, holidays, a vast supply of the fruits of nature.


AUTUMN
Autumn is a time for things to fall away, but preceded by an expression in the most brilliant way in the physical, a time of a final display of life before moving on, the last moments, a sense of things to come to an end.


WINTER
Winter is a time of hibernation, darkness, imagining, internalizing, solitude. Winter is a season where you can’t expect to see things grow or blossom, a time for an inner, unseen development, a time of potential energy.


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The experience we call dreaming could be the bridge between our physical and spiritual life – the ethereal link between the conscious and the unconscious. If we acknowledge our dreams, we can cross the bridge into an infinite world of balance, creativity and abundance.


We can look beyond the surface of our dreams to uncover the hidden treasures that lay deep within our subconscious.
Underneath the daily conscious reality of life we experience, there is an unlimited potential of spiritual wealth and beauty.


We can explore the realms of intuition, and discover the essence of who we are with greater clarity and insight, by understanding the nature of our dreams.


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Interpreting Your Dreams  -  10 Ways to Interpret Your Dreams
Colours in Dreams  -  Colour Dreaming
Tarot and Dreams   -  Using Tarot to Interpret Dreams
Dreaming of Numbers - Numbers in Dreams


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Joanne Walmsley  
Sacred Scribes

Interpreting Your Dreams

Interpreting Your Dreams



It is possible to determine the meanings of our dreams and to understand the symbols and process the emotions associated with them. It can be important to take the time and make the effort to try and unravel the meanings of our dreams as they are an interplay between the unconscious, subconscious and conscious minds. Understanding the dream images that play out in the conscious mind is the key to understanding information stored in the subconscious and unconscious minds; information that is often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. Our dreams, therefore, can give deeper meaning to our lives: our thoughts, feelings, aspirations and relationships.


Below are 10 ways to help you become an expert interpreter of your own dreams.


1. Recognize the importance of your dreams
In order to understand the meaning of your dreams you must recognise and respect that they have great value. Neuroscientists may believe that they are only discordant images of the mind, but these images can and do give you insights into who you are and how you feel about things.


2. Make sure you have a good night’s sleep
A good night’s sleep can stimulate the dream state and assist with our dream recall. To ensure a good night’s sleep eat a light dinner early; avoid exciting, dynamic or focused activity in the evening prior to bedtime; avoid sleeping pills, alcohol and drugs; take a short five- to 15-minute walk after dinner to aid digestion.


Make your sleeping area and bed comfortable and cosy, and make sure that the room is dark and clear of distractions.


3. Create your own dream dictionary
Your understanding of a symbol in a dream is unique to you. For example, an apple in a dream may mean forbidden fruit, a new computer, acknowledgment, health or abundance.


Buy an address book and start your dream dictionary today. Don’t go through it and fill it with symbols and interpretations straightaway. Wait until you dream of a symbol then write it in along with any personal meaning(s) and association(s). If you feel you need assistance, consult a dream dictionary and look at the author’s interpretation. See if they resonate with you.


4. Keep a dream diary or journal
It is important to keep a record of your dreams. You may want to keep a written record, or use a tape recorder or dichtaphone. Take special note of any emotions you felt in the dream, particularly if they lingered. Did you feel fear, frustration, anger or lust?


Also write down such things as the time you went to bed; whether you took any medication/s; what you did prior to going to bed; and what was on your mind before you went to sleep.


5. Look for puns within your dreams
We speak and write in metaphors but we often dream in symbols. We often say things like, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”. We don’t really want to devour an actual horse, we only wish to express the depth of our feeling.


Because we dream in symbols, we must be conscious of puns. If you dream that someone is photographing you, do they want to ‘shoot’ you down? If you dream you are playing cards with someone does it mean you want to ‘deal’ with them? Or is it an indication of a future event, such as the saying ‘its on the cards’. If you see yourself squeezing a lemon in a dream, it could mean that you are ‘dejuicing’ a situation or thought. It is important to isolate and recognize the symbol/s and play around with the pun in order to conclude its meaning to you.


6. Relive the dream
We are often able to interpret and understand our dreams and unravel their meanings by reliving them. To do this, either write down or speak out loud, in the present tense, your experience of the dream. Free-flowing with what the images and emotions represent, you are able to discover quite a lot about the dream in relation to your life.


7. Take note of your feelings and emotions
Every symbol carries an associated emotion or feeling. Within our dreams the symbols in the dream call forth a feeling or emotion. If you dream you are falling out of an aeroplane, being chased down a dark alley, or without two cents to rub together, you may recognise that although each symbol is different, the emotion it calls forth is similar - that of 'fear'. The fear is associated with being unsupported, running away from something, or a lack of money.


Take note of any feelings or emotions associated with the dream, and the symbol/s or circumstances that caused them.


8. Expand your knowledge on dreams
Read books and listen to tapes, podcasts and seminars available on the topic of dreams. Search magazines and papers for articles on the mind and dreaming. There is a great deal of information out there regarding dreams, some of which will resonate with you. The more you know, the easier it is to decipher and interpret your own dreams.


9. Share your dreams with someone
Recount your dreams to someone close to you who you trust and respect. Having a ‘dream buddy’, someone you can exchange dreams with is a great way to honour your dreams. It can also help with recall.


10. Be patient
Practice patience and silence. Patience is a key to unravelling our dreams as not everything is instantly obvious to us. Often, our answers come to us when we are silent within.
Once you discover the meaning of a symbol, remember that it is your meaning and may be unique to you only. When it comes to interpreting dreams, each individual is an expert at interpreting their own according to their own life, lifestyle and circumstances.


DREAM EMOTIONS
A Latin word for emotion is ‘disturbance’, from the word emovere meaning ‘to disturb’. When we experience an emotion or feeling, we are disturbed from our inner-peace. By examining the emotions that arise within a dream, we learn to be present with our emotions, and from there it may be possible to determine what caused the disturbance. The idea is to learn to observe the emotion so we become conscious of the circumstances that created it.
Refer to the emotion/s that were present in the dream. Next, define the emotion/s. Then determine what it was in the dream that aroused the emotion/s or disturbance/s. Finally, ask what the connection is to events taking place in your life. Record your observations in your Dream Journal.


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The Purpose of Dreams and Dreaming
Colours in DreamsTarot and Dreams   -  Using Tarot to Interpret DreamsDreaming of Numbers  - Numbers in Dreams


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Joanne Walmsley  
Sacred Scribes

BIRTH MONTH STONES - Stones and Crystals of each Month

BIRTH MONTH STONES
Stones and Crystals of each Month

Birth Stones and Crystals are not only associated with Astrology but with the Numerological co-relation of the 12 months of the year.

Very often the stone of the Zodiac is different than that of the Month. The stones of the Zodiac are based upon Astrology, whereas the Birth Month stones are based upon ancient Numerological traditions. The choice of a Zodiac stone sometimes conflicts with the Birth Month stone, and some of the stones also cross over to Astrology.

The origin and theory of the twelve monthly birth stones are believed to have originated in the Bible as they are found on the breastplates of Aaron.

JANUARY
The crystal for January is the red Garnet. The red Garnet is named as the Birth Stone representing January in Polish, Arabic, Hebrew, Roman and Russian traditions.

In ancient Hindu tradition, the stone for January is known as the ‘serpent stone’. This was said to be either a Ruby or black stone.

FEBRUARY
The symbolic stone of February is the Amethyst.

In ancient Hindu tradition, the stone for February was the ‘chandrakankta’ which is a stone that no one today has ever seen.

MARCH
The Aquamarine is the crystal for the month of March in many traditions and cultures.

However, Roman, Arabic, Polish, Hebrew and Russian traditions name the stone for March as the Bloodstone.

In ancient Hindu tradition the stone for March was called ‘gold-sivalinga’, which is not a stone seen today.

APRIL
The Diamond is the birth stone for the month of April.

In Persian and Russian tradition the stone symbolizing April is the Sapphire.

MAY
The stone symbolizing the month of May is Emerald according the modern North American tradition.

Ancient Hindu tradition also sees the Emerald as the stone for May, whilst Hebrew and Roman traditions name Agate as the stone for May.

JUNE
Many stones represent and symbolize the month of June, including the Moonstone, Pearl and Alexandrite.

Ancient Hebrew traditions claim the Pearl to be the birth stone for June, whilst in ancient Roman and Hebrew traditions the Emerald was named.

Agate is said to rule the month of June in Polish Russian and Arabic cultures.

JULY
The stone representing the month of July, according to modern North American, Polish and Russian cultures, is the Ruby.

Roman and Hebrew traditions name the Onyx as the stone for July, whereas in Arabic culture the Carnelian is attributed to July.

In Hindu tradition the stone for July is the Sapphire.

AUGUST
The month of August has many different stones associated with it. Modern North American tradition sees the Peridot as the stone for August.

Roman and Hebrew traditions attribute the Carnelian to the month of August, and Polish and Arabic traditions name the Sardonyx as the stone representing August.

In Hindu tradition the Ruby is the stone associated with August, whilst Russian tradition assigns it to the Alexandrite.

SEPTEMBER
September is said to be ruled by the Sapphire in modern North American traditions.

In Roman, Hebrew, Polish, Russian and Arabic traditions the Peridot is stated as the stone for September.

In Hindu traditions the stone representing September is the Zircon.

OCTOBER
The month of October is usually represented by the Opal and Tourmaline.

However Hebrew, Arabic, Polish and Roman traditions state that Aquamarine is the symbolic stone.

In Russian tradition the stone attributed to October is Beryl.

Ancient Hindu traditions name Coral as the stone representing the month of October.

NOVEMBER
The month of November sees Yellow Topaz and Citrine as its stones in modern North American culture.

The Roman, Hebrew, Arabic and Russian traditions attribute Topaz to November, and in Hindu traditions November is symbolized by the Cat’s Eye.

DECEMBER
The month of December has various stones attributed to it. Modern North American tradition assigns a choice of the blue stones Tanzanite, Turquoise and Blue Topaz.

Russian and Polish tradition state that the stone for December is Turquoise.

The Roman, Arabic and Hebrew traditions name the Ruby as the stone for December.

In Hindu tradition, Topaz is the stone symbolizing the month of December.

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Joanne Walmsley  
Sacred Scribes

What your signature says about you

What your signature says about you ...

You are able to tell a great deal by the way a person signs their name. Your signature is a very personal mark which can distinguish personality traits.

Compare your signature to your usual handwriting.

Same size and style of your usual handwriting:
Indicates a person who is straight-forward and uncomplicated.

Signature very different from your usual handwriting:
Falls below the line: Indicates a pessimistic person who puts on a brave face to the world.

Rises above the line:
Indicates an optimistic person who prefers to see the positive side of things.

Signature larger than usual handwriting:
Indicates a person who is highly ambitious and very capable.

Signature smaller than usual handwriting:
May indicate someone with an inferiority complex and possibly quite a shy and/or timid person.

Signature very small compared to usual handwriting:
Indicates an anxious and easily stressed person.

An illegible signature:
Can indicate a person who could be hiding something and who can be an inconsiderate of others.

A signature slanted to the left:
Indicates a person who is more reserved that what they may appear. Can indicate a sensitive person who may be unsure of themselves.

A signature slanted to the right:
Indicates a clever, quick-minded person, who can be secretive and possibly manipulative.

A swirly signature with lots of loops:
Indicates a creative and assertive person who is a natural-born leader.

An underlined signature:
Indicates an honest and responsible person who has high personal integrity.

Placement in the middle of a document or signature line on a document:
Signing in the middle (eg ___***___) of a line indicates a person who seeks security and who can be quite indecisive at times.

Signing at the right of a document or signature line on a document:
Signing at the right (eg ______***_) of a line indicates an optimistic and enthusiastic person who likes to live their life to the full.

Signing at the left of a document or signature line on a document:
Signing at the left (eg _***______) of a line can indicate a person who is a little pessimistic and who tends to dwell on the past. This person does not like to take risks.

First and surname are the same size:
Indicates a very balanced person who is able to balance their work, home and play.

Larger first name:
Can indicate a person who likes to be in the limelight and can be quite a ‘social butterfly’.

Larger surname:
Indicates a person who puts family first at all times, and who is happy to go with the flow.

Prosperity Signatures:
Prosperity signatures point to the right and are upwards slanting and the first letter of the name has an upward slant. The last letter of the name ends the same way (upward slant).

DO’s and DON’T’s of Signatures:
* Do NOT circle your signature as this locks you in and holds you back in life.

* Do NOT leave the letters O and G open. Closing them seals deals and can indicate financial success. On a contract (or even a wedding certificate) make sure O’s and G’s are closed to ensure success.

* DO cross your T’s and dot your I’s. Completing the letters properly reduces the chance of loosing money

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Joanne Walmsley  
Sacred Scribes