If you’re a reader of this website, you probably already know what runes are, but just in case you don’t; runes are an ancient Norse alphabet used for magic, communication, and divination. If you want to learn more, you’re in luck because I’m here to tell you about THE book about runes.
“The Big Book of Runes and Rune Magic: How to Interpret Runes, Rune Lore, and the Art of Runecasting” by Edred Thorsson is 320 pages of EVERYTHING rune. Thorsson has written THE book on runes. Actually, he has written over two dozen books about runes and all that research has culminated in “The Big Book of Runes and Rune Magic”.
It starts with an amazingly deep dive into the history of runes. Viking age, medieval, and modern runic history is discussed. This includes the history of runes in magic and divination as well. Then, utilizing this research Thorsson examines what he refers to as the hidden lore of runes. How the runes relate to cosmology, psychology, and the Gods. Only after a thorough study of these previous two sections are you ready to read the runes. Thorsson discusses divinatory theory and provides useful tables.
I’m loathe to say one book on any subject is all you’ll ever need, but “The Big Book of Runes and Rune Magic” by Edred Thorsson is as close as you’ll get.
I keep hearing that this strange season called spring is approaching. Flowers will be blooming and markets everywhere will be selling all kinds of arrangements for Mother’s Day. However, before you pick a flower based on its looks, wouldn’t it be cool to know what that flower represents? Enter “Loves Me, Loves Me Not: The Hidden Language of Flowers” by Peter Loewer.
If you read my review of the “Botanical Inspirations” deck then you already know that global culture and folklore has always attributed special meanings for flowers based on their appearance or practical applications. Peter Loewer specifically takes a look at the Victorian era and their love of the language of flowers. “Loves Me, Loves Me Not” profiles 50 flowers and better yet each entry is paired with a beautiful, full color illustration by Loewer.
Obviously this book is great for nature and flower lovers. Now I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but if I was considering getting flowers for someone as a gift, I would absolutely buy this book, pick the flowers based on their meanings, and then give the flowers AND this book as a gift. But you know, you do you. “Loves Me, Loves Me Not” is a delightful and informative read that is made for sharing!
Here in the northeast things are taking a definite fall-wards turn. However thanks to the “Botanical Inspirations” deck by Lynn Araujo I’ll be able to enjoy the delicate flowers of spring all year round.
First we have to talk about the fantastic artwork. The deck contains 44 cards featuring art by Pierre-Joseph Redoute. In Paris he did paintings of the flowers in the royal gardens. His etchings caught the eye of botanists who taught him more about plant anatomy. Redoute went on to do work for Marie Antoinette and Empress Josephine. That’s the guy whose illustrations make up this deck. Neat, right?
Deck creator Lynn Araujo dived deep into plant’s various roles as symbols throughout culture, leaning heavily on the “Secret Language of Flowers” from the Victorian Era that paired specific meanings to individual flowers. In fact, included with the deck is nice foldout sheet listing the “Secret Language of Flowers.”
Each card presents a flower with its common name, its Latin name, and a quote or key words to associate with the flower. To give you a complete experience I choose the share the Sacred Lotus card. You see “Sacred Lotus” with the alternative name “Nymphaea caerulea” directly underneath. Then there is the beautiful illustration with the word “Enlightenment” under it. It’s followed by the Thich Nhat Hanh quote, “No mud, no lotus.”
When you go to the book included with the deck, which is way more sturdy than your typical white print out style book that comes with many tarot decks, you’ll find more information about the Sacred Lotus and its “Inspirational Message”.
The lotus flower grows up out of the mud, yet each day as they unfurl and shed the droplets of water, the flower emerges perfectly pristine. For this reason, the lotus symbolizes purity and spiritual transformation. With its flower so distant from its roots below the water, the lotus also represents detachment, a necessary step for spiritual enlightenment. The golden center of the lotus is rarely shown in Zen artwork since it represents the elusive perfection of wisdom. The Egyptian sun god Ra is often depicted with a blue lotus. Because of this association with the sun, the lotus signifies rebirth.
Inspirational Message: Honor all the experiences that have brought you to this place on your path of spiritual growth but let go of the things that no longer serve you.
Araujo offers a few variations on how to use the cards in readings, but honestly, with decks like these I prefer to do a daily single card draw in the morning to offer insight into the day ahead.
“Botanical Inspirations” is a beautiful and fascinating deck that I would be hard pressed to find someone I wouldn’t recommend it to.
“Bowls of Happiness” (by Brian Tse and Alice Mak, and translated by Ben Wang) is wonderful little book that entertains with its whimsical art and story, and it also teaches about ancient Chinese bowls. The book is part of a series which aims to introduce children to Chinese culture at an early age. The publisher recommends “Bowls of Happiness” for children aged 4 and older.
First we read a story about a mother and her daughter she affectionately calls “Piggy”. Piggy’s mom decides to create a special bowl just for her, and as she works on it Piggy enters the world being painted on the bowl. Through the story we see classic Chinese porcelain bowl designs and learn their symbolism. Once the story concludes the next section shows photos of actual bowls and talks about the intricate meanings of the images and use of color. You also learn how the bowls were made. The last thing is a bowl you can decorate yourself.
Although obviously geared for children, “Bowls of Happiness” is actually a wonderful source of information for adults too. The original art is enchanting and the photos of the bowls are beautiful. “Bowls of Happiness” is a great little book for children and adults.
Let me start by saying Happy New Year! As we enter the year 2015, it is a wonderful time to intensify our exploration of dreams and their meaning. In December, we examined the influence of lunar energies on dreams and dream work. This month, I would like to explore the importance of dream journaling. While the immediate benefits of journaling might seem obvious, there are long-term benefits derived from documenting dreams as well. Journaling allows you to take a look back at the dreams you have had in the last few days, weeks, months, and years. Over the course of time, the analysis of your dreams can reveal the appearance of repetitious archetypes, running themes, the connections between two or more dreams, and may even hint at real life events.
In order to explore this idea further, I will present you with a couple of dreams I’ve had in the past few years. The meaning of the dreams and a connection between the two is, at first, ambiguous. Yet, through analysis you’ll soon discover significant meaning behind the dreams and precisely how both narratives are connected to one another.
Dream #1: About two years ago, I dreamed I was in a row boat in a vast body of water. There was no land in sight and I was all alone. The boat was slowly taking on water. I put my feet up on the seat of the row boat to keep them dry. I didn’t notice the rainbow serpent curled up in the bottom of the boat until it was too late. The snake bit me. The creature was incredibly aggressive and would not let go. I was terrified as I struggled to get away from the snake. Then I awoke.
Rainbow Serpent by Dayna Winters
Dream #2: About six months after I dreamed of the rainbow serpent, I had the following dream where I was watching a scene as if I was outside my body. I could see a mound of earth and knew I was buried beneath it. The grass on the surface of the mound was green. I was terrified at the idea of being buried alive. I could see the mound of earth moving up and down slightly, as if it was breathing. I heard a female voice speak to me. I perceived the voice to be a divine being. The voice said, “Do not worry, you’ll be fine, this is only a rebirth – a resurrection.” Then I awoke.
Dreams Hinting At Real Life Events To Come
What makes the connections between the two dreams under discussion is not immediately evident. However, what is not revealed in the two dreams are real life events that occurred following both dream scenarios. Keeping a dream journal allowed me to take a look back and realize the startling connections. The events are as follows:
About a year and a half after both dreams, I became incredibly ill. The illness came on suddenly and aggressively. I was at the County Fair when I became sick. While there I saw a huge rainbow in the sky. I did not know it at the time, but I had a terrible infection and my condition worsened rapidly. I ended up with sepsis and had to have emergency surgery. Following the surgery I had a lengthy and painful recovery period. While recovering in the hospital, my home was under renovation. My daughter called my husband to tell him that somehow a snake got in the kitchen and just slithered out from behind the stove onto the coffee maker (And no one was pleased to hear this news!).
During recovery I had what I can only call a near death experience – there were moments I felt as if I was outside my body looking on to what was happening to me. I witnessed things that were otherwise impossible to witness given my condition at the time.
Both dreams pointed toward the potential for the occurrence of a terrifying event. What is amazing about the dreams I had was the fact that I got an infection in the exact location where I was bitten by the rainbow serpent I saw in my dream scenario about a year and a half prior to the actual incident. My illness was sudden, as was the strike of the snake, and the infection was rapid and aggressive, just like the serpent. The day I fell ill I actually saw a rainbow in the sky at the County Fair. The snake appearing in the kitchen of my home was yet another strange and amazing (and extremely undesirable) connection. Before and after my surgery, there were moments where I felt outside of myself, as I did in my second dream where a female voice speaks to me and comforts me by telling me that this time period is a resurrection and I am not to worry. Indeed, my surgery saved my life and my recovery time was, without question, life-altering.
What’s amazing is with some research, I found even more remarkable connections between my dream of the rainbow serpent and the divine being speaking to me. I looked up the mythological basis of the Rainbow Serpent in Aboriginal Australia. Scholars suggest a link between the serpent, the cycle of the seasons, and the incredible importance of water in supporting life (Note: In the dream I was surrounded by a body of water and the boat was taking on water. Also note that I attended the County Fair, where my illness began, during the shift of seasons from the end of summer to the early beginnings of autumn – this relates to the shift in the cycle of the seasons association of the serpent). Further research revealed that the Rainbow Serpent, because of its association with water, is considered “a giver of life.” However, the creature is also considered destructive when angry (Note: The snake struck me aggressively in the dream and the infection I ended up with was extremely destructive, destroying surrounding tissue and poisoning my bloodstream, just as if I was actually bitten by a poisonous serpent.) Remarkably, in some stories, the Rainbow Serpent has associations with blood, circulation, and the creature is considered a healer.
It’s important to note that while I was surrounded by a body of “life giving water” and the row boat was taking on the same waters, I removed my feet from it. The removal of my feet ultimately signified a withdrawal from the life giving, watery associations of the serpent and the potential destruction to follow. In fact, being in a boat at all serves as a symbol of a disconnect from the life giving waters; I was not in the water in anyway, but I was physically separated from it.
My research revealed even more incredible connections. According to some stories, the serpent is considered a Creator deity. The creature is told of in “Dreaming,” “The Dreamtime,” or Tjukurrpa myths – in Aboriginal mythos, “Dreamtime” is a real place where all time exists at once, past, present, and future. Dreamtime lies beyond space and time. Interestingly, it is a location one goes to just before being reincarnated (this notion seems to correlate with my dream about rebirth and resurrection.) In the Dreamtime or Dreaming stories of the aborigines, the Rainbow Serpent is described as a creature originating from deep within the earth – one that “pushes up mountains and gorges as it moves upward from deep within Mother Earth.” It is here that the subtle connection between dream one and two become evident (In my second dream I was buried beneath the Earth, and the mound of Earth was pushing upward as if it was breathing.)
In some cultures, the serpent is a symbol of an umbilical cord that connects a being to Mother Earth (Note: this literally connects dream one and dream two together via the suggestion of the serpent being a connection to the Mother Earth or female deity I encountered in my second dream.) In many cultures, the Goddess is associated with serpents, with the snake proving a symbol of immortality, healing, transformation, and fertility. The venom of a snake is thought to have a fiery-like quality – it can therefore serve as a symbol of will, strength, and a purification through a trial by fire.
Synchronistic Events
Even more remarkably, in a synchronistic event, a few days after researching the Rainbow Serpent’s meaning in various cultures and its connection to the Earth Goddess, I casually encountered a news article while browsing on the web. The article told of the recent discovery of a Goddess statue formerly buried by the Spanish Conquistadors because it is a pagan idol. Her name is Coatilcue, meaning “She of the skirt of serpents.” A replica was made of the statue and the item was reburied (Note: the remarkable connection between the serpent dream and the live burial in the second dream where I am addressed by a female deity.) The statue was rediscovered in 1804. Considered repulsive, the item was once again buried. She has since been rediscovered and the statue is now in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Once demonized, the statue is now viewed as a work of art.
Repetitious Archetypes and Running Themes
The repetitious archetypes become evident when viewing all of the related information associated with both dreams. Here, appropriate dream archetypes include all images of the Goddess/Divine Beings, serpents, and Medusa, The Magician, The Healer/Wounded Healer, and The Prophet and Mystic are all appropriate dream archetypes to examine. Looking at the following Tarot cards can also provide insightful information: The Magician, The High Priestess, Strength, Death, and the meaning behind Swords, and Pentacles.
The running themes in both dreams become evident and a connection can be made between the two – both dreams refer to life altering events, change, death, rebirth, resurrection, and purification via a trial by fire. The dreams were vivid and lasting, making them easy to remember – thus, the dreams pointed to potential life events of incredible importance. For more detailed information on dream archetypes and themes, see “The Esoteric Dream Book: Mastering the Magickal Symbolism of the Subconscious Mind (Schiffer Publishing, August 2014).”
Dream journaling gives you the opportunity to document the dreams you have for further exploration. You can look to dreams for meaning you can extrapolate and use immediately, and you can use your journal to examine the potential long-term connections you might identify. Had I not documented both dreams, I might not have remembered the details of each dream with such incredible detail and I could have overlooked the connection between the two dream scenarios. Over the course of time, your journal can point to running themes, important dream associations, and potential dream connections that will prove more insightful than you ever imagined.
About Dayna Winters: Dayna Winters is a solitary Witch, author, and artist. She is the co-author of three books written with Patricia Gardner and Angela Kaufman including, “Wicca: What’s The Real Deal? Breaking Through the Misconceptions,” “Sacred Objects, Sacred Space: Everyday Tools for The Modern Day Witch,” and “The Esoteric Dream Book: Mastering the Magickal Symbolism of the Subconscious Mind”, all of which are published by Schiffer Publishing. You can find out more about Dayna and her work at her blog: http://daynawinters.blogspot.com/.
In October we examined the symbolism of house/home structures when such imagery appears in dreams. This month, I’m focusing on how to interpret dream fragments. I’ve often heard someone say, “I don’t remember much about the dreams I have, and of what I do remember, nothing makes sense.” Then, the individual recounts one or two images that seem meaningless. These small dream pieces are fragments of a larger dream or the images might be brief and fleeting visions. What’s important to remember is that even many small remembrances can provide you with plenty of symbolism, all of which you can analyze and use to improve your life physically, mentally, and/or spiritually. Let’s take a look at how to interpret dream fragments to see just how much insight these symbols can provide.
As an example, let’s imagine you have awoken from a long night’s rest only to remember the brief appearance of autumn leaves blowing in the wind. Believe it or not, such a remembrance hosts a wealth of symbolism. If you were to reflect or meditate on the image of the leaves you saw, you might realize an even deeper layer of meaning. The image of leaves on the wind can represent so many things, and what the vision represents for one person may prove to hold a completely different meaning for another. Let’s break down some of the potential meanings to explore this idea in greater depth.
Autumn Leaves by Dayna Winters
Take apart the images for analysis: In the dream fragment, the leaves are blowing in the wind. Here, there are two main symbols, which may not seem like much, but you’ll be surprised at how much meaning they can supply. Take a look at each symbol separately, and then take a look at them together. Much like snowflakes, every leaf is slightly different from the next, thereby symbolizing individuality. The wind is associated with the element of Air, and is therefore suggestive of communication. When viewing both symbols together, the dream might be a suggestion to be more expressive about your personality, or to focus on communicating your individuality to others. In an image of leaves, there is more than one leaf – this could symbolize the gathering/movement of many individuals or a crowd. Consider if a dream like this might mean you should make an effort to “stand out from the crowd.”
Color: If you remember the color of the leaves you see, you can dig even further into dream symbolism. Let’s imagine for this example you see red, orange, and yellow autumn leaves. Red is a color of strength, personal power, and the life force. Sometimes in certain situations, it can represent danger. Orange is a color of attraction. Yellow is a color signifying communication, but in some situations, it can indicate anxiety. What’s more, color symbolism can change when viewed through the lens of different cultural understandings. With the latter color symbolism under consideration, ask yourself, “are you attracting danger in your life or are you perhaps attracting things that empower your personal will and strength? Are you communicating effectively or is something causing you anxiety? Further dream analysis may clarify your questions.
Environment: Autumn signifies seasonal changes, cycles, and transitions. The season hints at the future dark and cold coming of winter, but its yearly return promises a future life cycle as well. The season signifies death, but the potential of rebirth. Thus, your dream might be telling you about events in your waking life relating to endings and new beginnings, cyclical changes, “a coming of age,” or a time of final harvest, whether it is literal or figurative. The environment of the dream can reveal much. Was the sky clear? Was there a storm brewing? Were the autumn leaves blowing in the wind while out of the appropriate season – for instance, was it snowing as well? All of the latter conditions can be interpreted in different ways. What about the direction of the wind? Are the leaves moving about in all directions or one? Is the movement East, South, West, or North? If moving about everywhere, the direction might signify chaos or chaotic energies. If moving in a specific cardinal direction, you might discover additional meaning. Leaves blowing East might signify new situations, conditions, or new beginnings stemming from the conclusion of something else. If the leaves are blowing in the direction of North, it can symbolize a need to ground or to turn inward to tap into your personal power. If the leaves are blowing South, it suggests the direction of the Fire element therefore connoting purification, personal will, ambition, drive, inspiration, and the spark of life. When the leaves are blowing West, it might signify the realm of emotion, the deep subconscious, or the world of spirit. Cardinal directions are also representative of seasons, and could signify a movement from one season to another. East is spring, South is summer, West is autumn, and North is winter. Thus, the dream might hint at the movement of a condition/situation/event from autumn to spring, summer, next autumn, or winter.
Emotion: Consider what emotions the images evoke. Did you feel a sense of peace or happiness? Were you calm or apprehensive? Did the leaves evoke memories, either fond or undesirable? Also note how you felt upon waking. Sometimes dreams produce lingering emotions you carry with you throughout the day. Make a note of your emotions and compare your feelings with those you might be having in certain waking life situations/conditions/events, or relationships. Do you see any potential correlation?
Language: Occasionally dream symbols are a play on words – the images may point to sayings, cliches, or idioms you know. For instance, perhaps your dream of leaves is telling you it is “time to turn a new leaf,” or is a situation about to “leaf out” for you by expanding and “budding?” Perhaps you are in a situation where you should leave, “no leaf unturned,” or are you behaving like another in such a way that it is like you are “taking a leaf out of someone else’s book?” Consider some of the sayings you are familiar with when you are assessing your dream imagery.
Themes: As you review the dream symbols, you might note a running theme. For example, if the leaves in the wind were yellow and spinning around chaotically, you’ll see a commonality in symbols. The wind and yellow are both symbols associated with the element of Air and are therefore connected to the cardinal direction of East, new beginnings, individuality, communication (particularly through sound.) As mentioned earlier, leaves are representative of individuality, but so is the chaotic dispersing of the leaves – the leaves are separated, moving to and fro in an individual way in different directions. Thus, you can see a running theme of communication, individuality, expression, and differences.
Synchronicity: Sometimes dreams are a part of synchronistic occurrences. Synchronicity refers to two or more events that appear connected, related, and meaningful, without an identifiable causal connection: events that seem like more than mere coincidence. For instance, when I began writing this article I knew I would use leaf imagery to explore dream meaning. I came up with the title: “Leaves in the Wind,” after I thought about the image of autumn leaves and windy days. A few days later I encountered one of the myths about the Sibyl in ancient Greece. The story tells of a woman/priestess with prophetic powers, the Cumaean Sibyl, who lived in a cave. She would prophesize people’s fates and document them on oak leaves. The leaves were placed within her cave near the entrance. The Sibyl’s votaries would consult the leaves to prophesize the fate of each individual. Here is where the strange synchronicity comes into play: if a wind blew through the entrance of the cave and dispersed the oak leaves everywhere, scattering them on the wind, the Sibyl would lend no assistance in bringing the original prophetic messages back together again – fantastically, I had no prior knowledge of the latter story when I created the title for this article!
I have given the latter example so you can do the same when you are reviewing dream imagery. If you see leaves in the wind in your dream, pay attention to what goes on, not just in future dreams, but your everyday surroundings. You might encounter leaves actually blowing in the wind, or you could encounter the imagery in myriad ways in your waking life. I absolutely love synchronistic events. I believe they are “sign posts,” telling us to pay attention, that we are on the right path, and that we are where we are meant to be in our lives. Synchronistic events can also serve as confirmation of a higher power and the role it plays in our lives – a subtle reminder that the Universe is responding to your heightened awareness. Indeed, the more you pay attention to synchronistic events, the more such events occur.
Archetypes: It is often quite easy to identify dream archetypes once you assess the symbols you see. For instance, as I spoke of earlier, the Greek Sibyl is a priestess who writes prophesies on oak leaves. If you saw oak leaves, your dream might connote a connection to the prophetess or priestess archetypes. Autumn leaves represent a part of the life cycle where one is aged and has accumulated wisdom via experience as well – thus the imagery connects to the archetype of the Crone. You can find more information on the prophetess, priestess, and other important archetypes and how they relate to dream messages, in The Esoteric Dream Book: Mastering the Magickal Symbolism of the Subconscious Mind (Schiffer Publishing, 2013.)
Leaf Types: The type of leaves you see will give you an indication about the archetype associated with your dream images. Let’s look at a few examples. As we have already mentioned, oak leaves are representative of the Sibyl, but they are also representative of the Oak King. Which archetype is correct? Only you will know by how you connect with the archetype you choose. Perhaps you have an affinity for the Oak King or you feel a deep connection with the archetype of the Sibyl. Your feelings will point the way to choosing the right archetype to examine further.
Since anything can happen in dreams, what if you saw mistletoe leaves? Or grape leaves? Or Laurel leaves? Mistletoe might represent Christmas for one person and the Holly King for another. Grape leaves might suggest an archetype of Bacchus or Dionysus. Laurel leaves might be representative of Apollo. The images you connect with personally when you think of the leaves you have seen are the appropriate symbols for you to consider – there are no wrong or right answers when making symbolic connections.
Questions to ask yourself:
What parts of the dream fragment do I remember?
What colors were present?
In the example of leaves, what type did you see? Can you identify specific elements of the image that will give you more clarity on dream symbolism?
What was the environment like?
How does the dream make you feel?
Have I experienced events in the recent past that relate to the imagery?
Are there any archetypes relating to the images I’ve seen? If so, what do the archetypes symbolize?
Future Steps to Take:
Note if any of your future dreams feature similar imagery. How is it the same? How are the images different?
Keep an eye out for synchronistic events. What do the seemingly connected events mean to you?
About Dayna Winters: Dayna Winters is a solitary Witch, author, and artist. She is the co-author of three books written with Patricia Gardner and Angela Kaufman including, “Wicca: What’s The Real Deal? Breaking Through the Misconceptions,” “Sacred Objects, Sacred Space: Everyday Tools for The Modern Day Witch,” and “The Esoteric Dream Book: Mastering the Magickal Symbolism of the Subconscious Mind”, all of which are published by Schiffer Publishing. You can find out more about Dayna and her work at her blog: http://daynawinters.blogspot.com/.
Animated Cake
And no, I do not mean animated as in part of an animated movie. I mean, Disney has a special wedding package for folks getting married at the enchanted castle (Disney World, mind you), and it includes a cake that they project various animations on top of. It looks like the cake itself is showing short little movies.
Not Your Average Zombie Survival Guide
It has all the links, illustrations, and how-to’s you could ask for and more. Just be sure to read, and prep, all this stuff before the actual End of the World.
Paper Airplane Machine Gun
Words you didn’t think would go together, right? Well, engineers can be crazy, and what happens when you put science and crazy together? Mad science. Or I guess, mad engineering.
Soviet Space Image Catalog
Ever wonder what happened to all the photos the Soviets took with all the space probes they got into space? Well, someone else did, too, and they went out and collected them into one handy web page. Plus digital remastering. Want to see the surface of Venus?
Super Geeky LEGOs
Check out this gallery of photos from BrickCon, the largest LEGOs con around.
Force Field Umbrella
Ok, not exactly a “force field”, and more like a “field of forced air”. Picture carrying around a very special fan, which blows a field of air around you to not only keep the rain off your head, but also the rest of you.
Random Island Generator
No, not a giant machine that actually makes islands (although that’s only a matter of time), but a web-based program that creates maps randomly. Useful if you’re building a world and need a few islands pronto.
City Built in Minecraft
Apparently it’s all about the Minecraft this month. Take a virtual tour of a city that took 2 years to build. It has 96 buildings, and the creator plans even more. These are full-sized skyscrapers, people, not some kind of model, they’re functional.
Random Generators, Various
Speaking of tools to generate things, here’s a website with a way to come up with names (in varieties like dwarf, Drow, orc, arabic), treasure, magic items, Giant’s bags, calendars, baubles, cities, and spell books. Enjoy!
About John: John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).
Geek Credentials: RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee. Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993 Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983 His Blog:http://www.glenandtyler.com/
I’m Dayna Winters, and I have practiced interpreting dreams for well over a decade. Through this column, I will help you explore the messages your dreams convey. Dreams are a form of communication between the subconscious and conscious mind: a way the higher self, universe, or divine uses to communicate. Your nighttime visions are richly embedded with significant symbols, all of which you can explore for personal meaning. Dreams are sometimes precognitive, lending hints about future events. Typically, dreams have multiple layers of meaning even when they are not predictive. Much like the Tarot is a tool for gaining personal and spiritual insight, dreams are a tool you can use to make personal discoveries and epiphanies; And as it is with the Tarot, every interpretation is deeply personal – what one person might get from a dream symbol, another person might derive an entirely different interpretation. And that’s what this column is all about; here, we will explore the fascinating world of dream symbols, and how you can use them to enhance your mundane and spiritual life.
To begin our exploration, lets examine what the appearance of a home/house in your dreams might symbolize. Common dream scenarios involving a house/home include the appearance of a childhood home; being in a strange home you have never seen or been inside before; being in a dilapidated house, and a house that is surprisingly larger than it first appears – one that often possesses secret corridors. The key to understanding house symbolism is to realize a building often symbolizes the self. The home is sacred space, your personal temple, and represents your physical body, and/or your emotional or spiritual state. Each room in a home, the condition of the house, and your familiarity with the interior/exterior of the house, all elicit meaning. Let’s break down each image and explore its meaning in-depth.
Childhood Home – The childhood home is a symbol of your roots and where you came from – the home represents fundamental concepts and beginnings. Dreaming of your childhood home signifies a longing for more innocent times where there is less responsibility and stress. This dream image suggests you either miss something/someone from that time period, or, if you have happy childhood memories, you might “long for the comforts of your childhood home.” If the home of your childhood is a place connected with traumatic experiences, the appearance of the home in dreams might indicate a karmic cycle coming up in your life where you will need to address past issues you have not yet emotionally resolved.
The appearance of your childhood home may also signify a deeply rooted connection to the past, or a desire to return to a former way of being. The important thing to remember if you see your childhood home in a dream and you feel a driving need to return to an old condition, situation, or way of being, is often when you attempt to “go back home again,” or revive a past condition, the experience is never the same, and is sometimes an incredible disappointment. Thus, the appearance of the home of your younger years could suggest a need to carefully consider if you want to revive an old condition, situation, or relationship at all.
On a more positive note, the childhood home might suggest a need to get in touch with your inner child. Remember when you were a kid and everything seemed magical? Remember when every life experience was a new discovery and when your creativity was encouraged? Do you remember the joy you use to find in the simplest of things? The childhood home image is one that might be urging you to bring back the joy in your life, become more creative, have more fun, and to simplify your life.
A Strange Home – The appearance of a strange home in dreams relates to “fish out of water” experiences. In your waking life, whether you know the owner of the home or not, a strange home most likely feels unnatural and uncomfortable for you, at least until you gain your bearings. Thus, a strange home in your dream indicates that you are either uncomfortable/uncertain of a new situation you have recently entered into, or you might soon be faced with a “fish out of water” experience where you are outside your natural environment or comfort zone. If the strange home belongs to a friend or a loved one, then your dream suggests that the situation you face is one where you will be able to recover your sense of comfort/balance relatively quickly. If the home belongs to someone you don’t know, then the recovery of your sense of comfort/balance might not be as simple or possible at all.
If you have entered into the strange home willingly, your dream suggests you are open to new situations, despite your uncertainty about any potential outcomes. If you are dragged or forced into the strange home, the dream suggests quite the opposite – it can signify your unwillingness to participate in new situations or that you have a stubborn nature that making it difficult to embrace new things. If the strange home has some familiar elements (for example, parts of the house’s interior has rooms from your own home), it can indicate that you will be familiar with some, but not all of the elements of a situation/condition/relationship in your waking life, and such familiarity will give you some comfort even though you are really going beyond your personal comfort zone. Being in a strange environment might also indicate an upcoming event where you feel socially isolated. Further, if you consider the strange home as a depiction of the self, this dream signifies a need for personal exploration, or the need to get in touch with the parts of yourself that you intentionally/unintentionally left untended or abandoned, like creative pursuits or hobbies once enjoyed.
A Dilapidated Home – When the home in a dream is run down, it can signal it’s time for self-improvements. The part of the home in need of repair can prove important in determining exactly what parts of your life require attention. For instance, if the entire exterior is run down, but the interior of the home is beautiful, your dream might signify a need to pay more attention to your body – perhaps you need to engage in more exercise, or your subconscious could be telling you it’s time to change up your external appearance with a new wardrobe, look, hairstyle, or image. If the interior rooms of the home are in disrepair, think about what a room symbolizes to you. As an example, let’s say you see a kitchen with broken appliances or the room is empty and in total disrepair. Since the kitchen is a place where you cook nourishing foods, it might be time to re-examine how you are nourishing your body. And since food is transformed into energy once consumed, it might also be time to consider how you nourish your spirit. Now imagine you dream of seeing broken windows throughout the home – this image may signify that it is time for a new view or perspective related to an old condition/situation.
A Larger Home with Secret Corridors – I can’t tell you how many times I have dreamed about a home that, once inside, is far larger than it appears and hosts endless secret corridors. This image represents a need for self-exploration and such a quest will lead to fascinating self-discoveries. If you see rooms and corridors filled with objects of all kinds or hidden storage areas in the home, this symbolizes a time to release unnecessary emotional baggage so you can make room for better things. The secret corridors represent the parts of yourself yet unexplored. In your waking life, if you have ceased being creative or partaking of spiritual practices, such as meditation, ritual, or prayer, the dream of the secret passages in the larger home (temple of the self) suggests a need to return to such practices where personal/spiritual epiphanies await you.
Associated deities – If you want to connect with dream archetypes representing the home, there are a number of deities associated with the hearth. Among such deities are the the Roman goddess Vesta and the Greek goddess Hesta. Also, in the Roman pantheon, there are Lares Domestici and Lares Familiaries, protective deities of the house and family respectively.
Questions to Ask Yourself
In your dream, what was the condition of the home?
Was the house yours or did it belong to someone else?
What primary colors are in the home (colors are highly symbolic and can elicit meaning for you.)
How did you feel about the home; were you comfortable or uncomfortable with the environment?
What rooms did you see and what do those rooms signify for you?
If known, what was the external environment surrounding the house like? For instance, was the home near a body of water (symbolizing the subconscious and deep emotions)? Was it sunny outside or was there a storm on the horizon (indicating potential trouble ahead.)
While it is impossible to cover every dream scenario involving a home in this short column, this article should give you a good sense on where to start when you want to interpret the meaning of house images in dreams. The important thing to remember is the home is a symbol of the self, with the exterior of the building representing the physical body and the home’s interior symbolic of the emotional and spiritual bodies. An examination of home dream imagery in this context can elicit deep, symbolic meaning you can extrapolate and use for personal growth on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.
About Dayna Winters: Dayna Winters is a solitary Witch, author, and artist. She is the co-author of three books written with Patricia Gardner and Angela Kaufman including, “Wicca: What’s The Real Deal? Breaking Through the Misconceptions,” “Sacred Objects, Sacred Space: Everyday Tools for The Modern Day Witch,” and “The Esoteric Dream Book: Mastering the Magickal Symbolism of the Subconscious Mind”, all of which are published by Schiffer Publishing. You can find out more about Dayna and her work at her blog: http://daynawinters.blogspot.com/.
I would like to thank Rebecca Elson for hosting me, through this interview, as part of the virtual book tour celebration for my book, EVERYDAY ORACLES – Decoding The Divine Messages That Are All Around Us. – Ann Bolinger-McQuade
1. Your new book is called “Everyday Oracles: Decoding the Divine Messages that are All Around Us”. How do you define a personal oracle?
Personal oracles are mysterious messages of guidance and support. We all receive them. They may seem random in nature until we consider them through the paradigm of personal oracles and realize, they are not random at all. The universe is responding to our needs! These timely messages resonate through every form imaginable, and as they do they illuminate the divine energy that flows through and connects everything in the universe!
2. In your book you explain that personal oracles fall into five major categories. Can you explain the categories? Personal oracle formula:
Conduits – Think of a conduit as a pipeline or channel through which personal oracles are delivered into your life. A favorite example comes from Rhonda who was taking her two little dogs Taz and Toto for their daily walk. Suddenly a hummingbird flew right in front of her face and stopped her in her tracks. Rhonda immediately sensed that she was in danger. As she turned on her heels and headed for home the word “Danger” sounded repeatedly just outside her left ear. When she got back to the house she noticed a message on her answer phone. It was from her neighbor across the street, urging her to stay inside. A pack of wild dogs had just killed some of their sheep and their pet dog that was sleeping beside their front door. Thanks to this little hummingbird on a mission Rhonda and her dogs were protected from imminent danger.
Mirrors – Clouds can serve as great mirrors to reflect what is occurring in our life at time. Sometimes when I’m feeling out of sorts I notice cloud images that look like they are laughing. My message – lighten up!
Synchronicities – According to Carl Jung, synchronicities are coincidences with a purpose! Mary had the responsibility of getting the copy for the fundraiser to the newspaper. The deadline was only hours away and she was still struggling. She knew if she could talk to Dawn, she would polish it up in no time. Unfortunately Dawn was traveling and Mary didn’t have her new cell number. Suddenly the phone rang. It was Dawn. Talk about perfect timing. At the moment Mary’s frustration peaked, Dawn happened to call her. Dawn was riding the train from Burbank to San Diego and was checking to see if her new phone worked. Mary explained what was going on, and within five minutes Mary and Dawn had polished the article into perfect form.
Signs and Symbols – Signs and symbols are like billboards that announce messages designed for our eyes only. Some messages are as clearly understood as stop and go traffic lights. Like Kerri who was making her way through the physical and emotional damage left behind by the fires in her neighborhood of Colorado Springs. A year later, as she hiked through the burnt area she spotted a perfect heart at her feet. The heart looked as if it had been carved into the ground. Kerri interpreted it as a sign, a signal from the universe of love that remains even in the midst of devastation. The message of Kerri’s heart was uncomplicated. Other times signs and symbols operate more like secret codes and take a little deciphering.
Invisible Moving Sidewalks – Imagine people movers in large airports. You step on at one end and it delivers you to a predetermined destination. An invisible moving sidewalk is comprised of a series of synchronistic events that are designed to carry you to a specific destination. Noreen stepped onto an invisible moving sidewalk the day she and her husband had a huge argument. She stormed out of the house, “Get a life” she yelled as she slammed the door behind her. She drove around for a while to cool off and ended up at the library. Inside, she spotted a bulletin board with a flyer advertising a writing conference. She wished she was still writing but felt since she wasn’t she wasn’t qualified to attend. The next day at work Noreen heard a co-worker talking about the same conference. She expressed an interest and her friend suggested they go together. The workshop was just what Noreen needed. Before leaving the conference she signed up to attend the following year. At the end of this invisible moving sidewalk Noreen’s passion for writing had been rekindled – and it was Noreen who got a life!
The formula for personal oracles:
Need + delivery system + message + personal oracle
The need or request functions like a summons to the universe; it’s a call to action. In Rhonda’s case the call was urgent. Imagine the call going out across the web of interconnections to any available and willing delivery system within range. In Rhonda’s case the urgent call was received and accepted by a tiny hummingbird. It became the delivery system. Many of us might have brushed away a hummingbird or ignored the clairaudient message. Don’t worry, the delivery system is always tailor made to resonate specifically with you and your circumstances.
3. How can we find and recognize our own personal oracles?
Pay attention to your gut feelings. Trust that small still voice of your intuition when it draws your attention to personal oracles that are trying to speak to you. When coincidences happen – stop – ask yourself – what is the specific need this “coincidence” is responding to? I believe there are no coincidences, only synchronicities!
4. Is a personal oracle message always immediately obvious?
Many personal oracle messages are immediately clear. Other messages are not. Some messages need to crystallize over time. In my October 8, 2013 blog I share an account of 2 men who saw the same vision but needed the assistance of a Native American Shaman to help them understand what was occurring: the universe was waylaying them to keep them from danger.
5. Can our understanding of a personal oracle message change over time?
Yes. Often it is just a matter of allowing time for it to process, and letting a deeper message emerge. Some messages are one piece of a larger puzzle. When we have all of the pieces the message slides easily into place. When we work with our personal oracles they will expand our awareness and teach us even more.
6. What steps do you recommend people take to discover their personal oracles?
Here are a few key steps.
1. Begin by setting your intention to recognize the messages that are coming your way.
2. Open your heart – accept the support and guidance that is yours for the taking.
3. Trust the voice of your intuition.
4. Gather your own body of evidence. Record personal oracles as they occur. Write them down, photograph, draw, save feathers stones whatever is speaking to you. Then keep everything in one place. I like the sticker note shoebox method. Write your experiences on whatever is handy and toss the pieces of paper in a shoebox. When you read them later you will be amazed by the number of personal oracles that have revealed themselves to you.
7. In your book you discuss “monkey mind chatter”, which for me coming from a meditation background is what we call your wandering mind. What is it in relationship to discovering your personal oracles?
Monkey mind chatter is a cousin to the wandering mind! Both try to pull us back into left brain thinking. (Left brain analytical – right brain creative/being) Sometimes when a gut feeling signals us – pay attention – spirit is sending a message, the mind chimes in with chatter like, “there you go again – that’s all in your imagination – people will think you are crazy.” Whether meditating or decoding a personal oracle, the trick is to step to the right of the left brain and close the door! Then return to your personal oracle message, “Sorry we were interrupted. What do you have for me?”
8. Do you have a favorite personal oracle story you’d like to share?
Instead, if I may, I would like to share a favorite quote that sheds more light on how the universe operates to guide and support us. It comes from an old Apache storyteller who reminds us, “The plants, trees, clouds rocks, fire, water are all alive. They watch us and see our needs. They see when we have nothing to protect us, and it then they reveal themselves and speak to us.”
9. Do you have an upcoming projects my readers can be on the lookout for?
I’m so glad you asked. I’m very excited about Personal Oracle Café’s. Inspired by Socrates Cafés, Personal Oracle Café’s are a place where people meet to celebrate, validate and share personal oracle experiences. Using the personal oracle formula as a jumping off point they contemplate the structure and science of the energy that flows through and connects everything in the universe. The first Personal Oracle Café met Oct. 4, 2013 in Taos, NM at Optymism book store. This Personal Oracle Café meets the first and third Friday of each month. I welcome your readers to contact me through my website if they would like to start a Personal Oracle Café in their area.
I also share readers’ personal oracle stories in my weekly blogs. Stories are submitted through my website www.personaloracles.com
Another project that is dear to my heart is Cloud-Speak Personal Oracle Cards. They will be available in 2014. I use the oracle cards in workshops and book signings and never cease to be amazed by the way they relate to what is going on in everyone’s life.
EVERYDAY ORACLES Decoding The Divine Messages That Are All Around Us is the foundation book for a series of books that are in work, so you can expect more amazing books from me in the future.
10. Parting shot! Ask us here at The Magical Buffet any one question.
What shall we call you when you become supreme ruler of the world?
They say you can’t give yourself your own nickname, and I think that should go with titles too. Fortunately for me I’ve already been given an AWESOME nickname, and if it happens to become a title too…..
Killer, a nickname and a title? You be the judge.
About the Ann Bolinger-McQuade: Ann Bolinger-McQuade always has sensed the world as alive, nurturing and filled with guidance and support, concepts deeply seeded in her Native American ancestry. A regular talk-show guest, lecturer, and workshop facilitator, McQuade divides her time between Tucson and Taos with her husband Kenneth, two dogs and one cat.
Personal oracles have been playing a major role in Ann’s life for almost three decades. She fully recognized them after her diagnosis of breast cancer. They have guided and offered comfort to her as she dealt with the loss of her father, the passing of a close friend, and the death of a beloved animal companion. Before his death in 2009, Native American Elder Richard Deertrack of the Taos Pueblo honored Ann in a sacred ceremony. Deertrack supported her vision to expand the consciousness of an interconnected universe through the awareness of personal oracles.
When discussing Judaism it’s generally broken down into three levels of adherence: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Technically, I’m Jewish. Having only been to a synagogue a few times in my life and never having had a Bat Mitzvah, I feel safe in saying technically. The overall level of observance and philosophy I adhere to puts me about three or four levels down from Reform. It’s sort of like that t-shirt, “I’m not Full-Blooded Jew, I’m Jew-ish”. That’s not exactly how this works, but you get the point; by technical religious law I’m Jewish but I suck out loud at it. Back in 2009 I wrote a little ditty about it that shared a comic strip from one of my favorite webcomics “Least I Could Do”.
Each year my husband and I would switch off with another couple, featuring another “bad Jew”, hosting a Passover seder (a special ritual dinner done for Passover with the word seder coming from the Hebrew word for order, referring to the order of the ritual). Now that my parents have moved back to the area they’ve joined into the rotation, and although not Orthodox they’re more experienced and polished with the seder observances, but they seemed to have decided to suffer us fools gladly.
As I said, the Passover meal is a ritual, to the point where you essentially use an instruction manual to guide you through the meal. It’s called a Haggadah. It helps you retell the story of Exodus, tell you what prayers to recite, sometimes they’ll suggest songs and activities, and more. There is no one Haggadah. The first year we decided to do a Passover dinner with our friends the only Haggadah he could find was some sort of “scholar’s” Haggadah, that seder took FOREVER! After that year I asked my family to get me copies of the ones we’d always used for the next gift giving occasion. And so the next year I was prepping our first year hosting Passover using “A Family Haggadah II” by Shoshana Silberman.
I had never actually sat and read the Haggadah’s commentary before, but when I did I stumbled across something that became an immediate tradition in our household and then our friend’s. The Passover table features a seder plate containing symbolic foods that are displayed and eaten during the course of the meal. (For example, bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery that the Jewish people endured in Egypt. That kind of thing.) When reading “The Seder Plate” section of Silberman’s Haggadah I found this:
Some families have adopted the custom of placing an orange on the seder plate. This originated from an incident that occurred when women were just beginning to become rabbis. Susannah Heschel, lecturing in Florida, spoke about the emerging equality of women in Jewish life. After her talk, an irate man rose and shouted, “A woman belongs on the bimah (pulpit) like an orange on the seder plate!” By placing an orange on the seder plate, we assert that women belong wherever Jews carry on a sacred life.
And so each year, despite having to look up what goes on the seder plate (Hey, I said I was a bad Jew!) I always remember I need an orange. I suppose it’s fun to feel like I’m flipping a citrusy middle finger to the narrow minded, and that’s why I liked it initially. However I think the reason it resonates with me this year, and perhaps why this year I felt compelled to share it with you (Considering this will be what, six Passovers since I’ve had this website?), is I think I needed a reminder that Judeo-Christian religions are capable of evolution and change.
In watching the news lately I have been so bombarded by religious politicians that appear to be absolutely intractable in beliefs that are growing more outdated by the minute. It is just nice to think that a religion as old as Judaism has a bunch of people putting oranges on seder plates, a ridiculous idea (If you own an actual formal seder plate there is no spot to even make an orange fit!), but they do it anyway because of what it means to them. In doing so, they share that belief with their friends and family and they carry that home with them to share with others.
In a bit of postscript, I stumbled across this info on Wikipedia:
Since the early 1980s, a custom has arisen (especially among more liberal and feminist Jews) to include an orange upon the Seder plate. This custom is often falsely explained as having arisen in response to a man who confronted a Jewish feminist who was giving a speech and opposed the right of women to become rabbis, supposedly declaring that women had as much place on the bimah as an orange had on the seder plate. However, Susannah Heschel, a Jewish scholar who began this custom, has explained it as a symbol of the fruitfulness of all Jews, including women and gay people. After hearing that some college students were placing crusts of bread on their seder plates as a protest against the exclusion of homosexuals from Judaism, Heschel substituted the fruit (originally a tangerine) on the plate instead.
If this is the true origin, it still works for me, because a person who doesn’t believe that a woman or homosexual is entitled to a fruitful life (including Jewish spirituality if they choose it) belongs at my seder dinner like an orange on the seder plate. And you can quote me on that.
“The Big Book of Runes and Rune Magic: How to Interpret Runes, Rune Lore, and the Art of Runecasting” by Edred Thorsson is 320 pages of EVERYTHING rune. Thorsson has written THE book on runes. Actually, he has written over two dozen books about runes and all that research has culminated in “The Big Book of Runes and Rune Magic”.
If you read 
Here in the northeast things are taking a definite fall-wards turn. However thanks to the “Botanical Inspirations” deck by Lynn Araujo I’ll be able to enjoy the delicate flowers of spring all year round.
The lotus flower grows up out of the mud, yet each day as they unfurl and shed the droplets of water, the flower emerges perfectly pristine. For this reason, the lotus symbolizes purity and spiritual transformation. With its flower so distant from its roots below the water, the lotus also represents detachment, a necessary step for spiritual enlightenment. The golden center of the lotus is rarely shown in Zen artwork since it represents the elusive perfection of wisdom. The Egyptian sun god Ra is often depicted with a blue lotus. Because of this association with the sun, the lotus signifies rebirth.
“Bowls of Happiness” (by Brian Tse and Alice Mak, and translated by Ben Wang) is wonderful little book that entertains with its whimsical art and story, and it also teaches about ancient Chinese bowls. The book is part of a series which aims to introduce children to Chinese culture at an early age. The publisher recommends “Bowls of Happiness” for children aged 4 and older. 
The repetitious archetypes become evident when viewing all of the related information associated with both dreams. Here, appropriate dream archetypes include all images of the Goddess/Divine Beings, serpents, and Medusa, The Magician, The Healer/Wounded Healer, and The Prophet and Mystic are all appropriate dream archetypes to examine. Looking at the following Tarot cards can also provide insightful information: The Magician, The High Priestess, Strength, Death, and the meaning behind Swords, and Pentacles. 
I’m Dayna Winters, and I have practiced interpreting dreams for well over a decade. Through this column, I will help you explore the messages your dreams convey. Dreams are a form of communication between the subconscious and conscious mind: a way the higher self, universe, or divine uses to communicate. Your nighttime visions are richly embedded with significant symbols, all of which you can explore for personal meaning. Dreams are sometimes precognitive, lending hints about future events. Typically, dreams have multiple layers of meaning even when they are not predictive. Much like the Tarot is a tool for gaining personal and spiritual insight, dreams are a tool you can use to make personal discoveries and epiphanies; And as it is with the Tarot, every interpretation is deeply personal – what one person might get from a dream symbol, another person might derive an entirely different interpretation. And that’s what this column is all about; here, we will explore the fascinating world of dream symbols, and how you can use them to enhance your mundane and spiritual life.
To begin our exploration, lets examine what the appearance of a home/house in your dreams might symbolize. Common dream scenarios involving a house/home include the appearance of a childhood home; being in a strange home you have never seen or been inside before; being in a dilapidated house, and a house that is surprisingly larger than it first appears – one that often possesses secret corridors. The key to understanding house symbolism is to realize a building often symbolizes the self. The home is sacred space, your personal temple, and represents your physical body, and/or your emotional or spiritual state. Each room in a home, the condition of the house, and your familiarity with the interior/exterior of the house, all elicit meaning. Let’s break down each image and explore its meaning in-depth.
