Aww, many thanks dear Danielle! I do love to work creatively with my dreams. Poems and short stories help me dig deep into their symbolism and mystery. XO
Hi Deborah, Well you had me from the first sentence — your prose is poetry, evoking every sense with your beautiful descriptions interweaving our connections to each other, how our very being is a complimentary aspect to nature herself — and how necessary they are. Thank you 💚 🙏
Aww, many thanks Simone! I’m so grateful for the connection we share here and for your beautiful perspective on our interconnectedness with nature. The green witch and the poet thank you!
Dreams are the richest gifts I know! I love, love, love working with them, mine and clients. I'll miss working so much in these deep, archetypal and alchemical ways when I retire in a couple of years time. 💚 🙏
You will find other ways to weave your magic 🙏 … you already are … sharing your experience and beautiful weaving of words in this space. How fabulous. Not informed about witch archetypes, other than l am a self appointed fairy crone witch 💜. And of dreams - wrote the draft of my next post today, framed around two lucid dreams with my mother this week, … her guidance and confirmation re intergenerational patterns. Just wow 🤩 🙏.
Thank you, dear Fairy Crone Witch! 🧙♀️ I know that returning to my first love, words, is my first step as I transition over the next two years from 'role to soul.' Oh, I'm already looking forward to your next post! 💜
Yes, lovely. I am retiring at the end of this year. I am only working 2 days a week. The senior students have adopted Fairy Crone with me. It took them a while but hey, l am also teaching them to ditch negative associations around older women. They are a lot of fun. I actually whittle wands and burn sigils into them, so l am some type of witch 🧙 🤣💜. I also make and decorate staffs from fallen gum tree branches. 🙏🏼😂
Simone, it sounds like we’ll both soon be embarking on exciting new chapters. I’ll be retiring at the end of next year, stepping into my own beautiful period of transition. I ab-soul-utely love that your students have adopted you as their Fairy Crone witch. How wise of them! 🧙
Isn’t it incredible how life nudges us into these transformative phases, whether we’re ready, willing or not? It feels like we’re kindred spirits, navigating change with green fairy witchy charm and heartfelt words. 💜
The students are very sweet, they love that I am a bit recalcitrant 🤣.Yes, I think we may just be kindred spirits 🌱, funny, I have used that exact term in my next post. Life certainly does nudge us - i am just doing a final edit on my post, sometimes the Universe has to push when we're not listening — I must be a bit slow on the uptake 🤣 . BTW, Your writing is very beautiful in its descriptions 💚.
So….. this resonates so very deeply with me right now. Not just in my dreams but in my life. Dionysus the God of ecstasy, Jamie….., Inanna the goddess elevated by Enheduanna, the witch of my dreams whom I love and whom I dream about frequently. The creative process. The most momentous dream of the series was one wherein I drove a car in the dark with the lights switched off…. In the telling of this I usually embellish by saying that I was also wearing shades. I kept stopping the car and checking the lights, which were not working, getting back in and driving off into the dark again. This sequence repeated a number of times. Eventually I accepted that this was how things were and drove on. My dear witch was in the car with me. I had entered mapless territory. I was not out of my depth. The poem in my posts Maximum Darkness is built around this dream.
Charles, your dream and poem are deeply intertwined, each shedding light on navigating life’s uncertainties and transformations. Driving in the dark, lights off and shades on, echoes the courage needed to move forward without external clarity, relying instead on the inner light within. The presence of your dear witch feels like intuition personified, guiding you through uncharted territory.
Here in the UK, the driver's side is on the right, so I'm wondering if you were seated on the left and the witch was on the right? as this could help you make a little more sense of this scene. You see traditionally the left hand side represents the feminine aspect and the right, the masculine aspect. If you were seated in this arrangement, this could then be viewed as balance between the animus and anima (your masculine and feminine sides). In each other's place so to speak. Hmm, I'm going off on a tangent, as always, apologies ...
Your poem beautifully mirrors this journey ... the phoenix diving into the fire, discovering the brightest day at the heart of the flame. It reminds me of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where darkness and light are not opposites but parts of the same transformative process. Both your dream and poem seem to be inviting you to take a bold step into the unknown, trusting intuition and embracing the alchemy of light and shadow.
Together, they tell a story of resilience, renewal, and the creative process, guided not by the clarity of headlights but by an unwavering inner spark. What a dream! It’s simply wonderful to connect with a kindred spirit who works so creatively with their dreams too.
There is though also the seed bursting from the soil. Pulled forth by the energy of the sun. Roots going deep into the darkness seeking sustenance, grounded support. Body and head drawn to the suns transformative energy to dance in the wind.
Thank you so much Charles for drawing my attention to your poem. I've enjoyed reading both and again, it's wonderful to meet another kindred spirit who works creatively with their dreams.
This was enchanting Deborah! I will check on previous posts where you created a fantasy story. I read them a little while ago but didn't comment then. Maybe I was too surprised! This one flows as does all your writing. The Muse makes music ...
Yes, dream journal next to my bed. I always check that my pen hasn't walked.
Thank you for this lovely diversion, full of imagery and wisdom :) Love,Susan
Hello lovely! I feel like we've been chatting all weekend, Susan. Wonderful! This little story was Thursday morning's waking dream. It was simply a-maz-ing! I did smile when I noticed the poet/animus stood beside an oak, my favourite tree. 'The Muse makes music', yes, so true! Hope you're slowly recovering from your recent fall. It's been great to catch up! Re Substack, as I've started writing my 'mosaic' memoir, there'll be lots more stories this year. Love and (de)light! x
Oooh Deborah! The poet and the green witch! Why do I love the sound of that? My anima(l) is a poet and my green witch dances with Dionysus, Apollo, and Aphrodite, of course! And a beautiful taste of Hermes maybe too. I love that dream. Part of me is living it now too! As I ease into older skin sprinkled with a few wrinkles of wisdom, and I get to connect on deeper levels with the energy of creative souls widening a ripple! I often catch those poems by a tail, but not my dreams.
Notebook ready for tonight!
How does Tarot intersect with the Archetypes? Where does the green witch fit into the priestess? I have not received your books yet, but I am wading in to Jung with a little help from my friends…
Oh Jamie, your words are an ab-soul-ute delight! Naturally, they carry their own kind of poetry. I love the image of your green witch dancing with the Greek Gods and Goddess! And yes, Hermes the Trickster is never far behind, is He? It’s wonderful to hear that you’re slowly easing yourself into the Elder path (whether you call it Crone, Wizard, Senex or another name altogether!) with such joy, energy, wisdom and creativity. That ripple you’re widening is really special!
Ah, “catch those poems by a tail” is a wonderful turn of phrase, I love it! And who knows? Maybe tonight, with your notebook open, some dreams will let themselves be caught too. As for your ‘living’ questions (I couldn’t resist!), Tarot and archetypes really do weave together beautifully - they’re like soul mirrors, reflecting universal energies. The High Priestess, for example, holds the same intuition and mystery as the green witch, while the Poet seems to resonate with the creative spark of the Magician or the passion of the Lovers. There’s so much richness in those intersections to explore.
If you feel inspired, you too might embark on a poetic journey through the Major Arcana. For six months, starting with The Fool, I wrote one poem a week. Everything was flowing beautifully until I reached The Hanged Man - that’s a tale you’ll find in my Animus Diet! After three weeks of reflection (another story in itself), I got back on the horse, so to speak, and finished the journey.
I’m so excited that you’re diving into Jung! I hope his ideas, along with the post-Jungians, bring you as much inspiration as they’ve given me over the years. Thank you so much for your truly kind and encouraging words. Keep catching those ripples and widening the poems, Jamie! 🧙♀️✨🧙♂️
Lovely. I used to record my dreams all the time. I also used to have lucid dreams pretty often but haven’t in a long time. Maybe I need to put a notebook and pen by my bed💕✨
Thank you so much for reading, Kristi. Keeping a notebook and pen by your bed is such a thoughtful gesture ... it’s all about setting the intention to capture those fleeting dreams before they vanish. I like to imagine my open journal and waiting pen as a 'butterfly net', ready to catch my dream-filled moments before gently releasing them into the pages. 🦋✒️
Ah, but there's always tonight and tomorrow ... Kristi! For those dark hours, a friend of mine swears by her 'dream pen' (lighted tip). I don't have one myself but I think I'm going to have a look on Amazon and see if they sell them there. Good luck tonight! <3
So beautiful. I remember few dreams these days even though my open notebook and pen are next to my bed. This has been the case for a few years, but I keep listening and occasionally get a glimpse. What a lovely animus figure you have shared and you are indeed a Green Witch. Sending you love from across the sea.
I'll be more focused in my dream prayers before I sleep tonight. (Issue might be the vertigo medicine I have to take since dreams were plentiful just a few years ago.) It could happen again. Thanks for the inspiration and love from your friend who is swimming in politics these days.
Elaine, thank you for your love-ly reply! I'm so sorry to hear about the challenges you're facing with vertigo medicine and remembering your dreams. Even so, it's wonderful that you're staying open to those glimpses when they come. Keeping your notebook and pen nearby is a hopeful act, and I have faith the Dream Maker will send you vivid ones soon.
I’m deeply touched by your kind words about my animus figure and me being a "Green Witch." You're such a well of inspiration and warmth yourself, and I'm grateful for our soul connection across the oceans between us. Sending much love, light and strength your way as you navigate those political waters you're swimming in. May it be so my dear friend.
Thank you so much for reading, Amanda. I can honestly say my life changed the day I started working with dreams, both my own and those of my clients, deepening my understanding of the human psyche in ways I never imagined.
This very much resonates! I attended a course in dreams a couple of years ago and have been working with them for a short time. I am still learning and I know I have a long way to go, but it has very much deepened both my personal reflections and professional ones.
That’s so wonderful, Amanda! As we both know then, working with dreams can be such a deeply healing, transformative journey. Working with them creatively is revolutionising my writing.
Thanks, Amanda. Sometimes poems and stories just seem to write themselves in my dream journals. This is precisely why I keep them: no matter which notebook I open or page I turn to, there it is, another story waiting to be written.
Best of all, not only do I entertain others, but I also entertain myself. After all, I can think of no better work than doing one’s inner work. All the characters and archetypes are waiting for us in the dream theatre of the soul.
Hmm, I wrote a poem about this a few years back; I’ll dig it out later.
Such delightful and gentle words, Deborah. I loved reading the story of the poet and the green witch and how their deep, spiritual meeting simply was. Without having to mean anything beyond the moment but still effecting lasting change. Do you ever feel like you have meetings like this in real life, I wonder?
Last night I dreamt a word, and had the feeling it was important for me to remember it, and that I would. Repeating it for myself before I drifted off again. Of course I have forgotten. Having a tendency to remember dreams more often and clearly when waking in the middle of the night than in the morning, the notebook approach doesn't work too well for me as I need to turn on the light to see what I'm writing and by that action wake myself up too much. Sometimes I try on the notes app on my phone in night mode, or whisper a voice recording to myself (though I'm always a little fearful that I'll accidentally send my nightly ramblings off to the last person I texted).
Thank you so much, Sarah, for sharing your thoughtful reflections. You have such a gift for expressing depth. Those meetings you describe, where a moment can feel profound and lasting without needing explanation, truly are magical. I’ve certainly experienced moments like that myself, though they often catch me by surprise. I’ve felt them here on Substack too, that sensation of two souls brushing up against each other, simply as themselves, without needing to be ‘somebody.’ It reminds me of the beauty in what the Buddhists say about ‘being Here now.’
As for dreaming of a word, how very intriguing! I completely understand the challenge and frustration of capturing dreams without disrupting our sleep. I’ve had similar experiences. Your voice recording idea is a wonderfully creative solution! I’ve also seen ‘dream pens’ online that write with light, though I don’t have one myself. But I truly believe the best way to remember dreams is by first of all inviting them into our life. Our psyches, I believe, will then respond to the value and importance we place on them, encouraging us to dream more often.
My dreams are MUCH more prosaic, but nonetheless significant. I forget most of them, but I remember when I first had terrible menopausal symptoms (over 30 years ago) and I had a dream that I owned and lived in a flat, but for some reason had rented out part of it to some new people who after they moved in, I discovered that they liked to drink, smoke and party all night. I was very unhappy about that and checked into whether I could get rid of them, only to discover that they had a very tight lease which meant I couldn't evict them. No points for working out the meaning!
Interestingly, it was my own nightmares that first brought me to Jungian Psychology, Ann. I had yet to learn about archetypes, symbolism and the deeper meanings behind dreams, but slowly I have. I felt blessed to spend the next nine years growing and healing with a small group of older, wiser and most wonderful female psychotherapists. It sounds like you met your archetypal shadow in the dream you describe. That side we keep hidden not only from ourselves, but from others too. It's taken me years to befriend mine, and it's still a work in progress. Thanks so much for reading.
Many thanks, Kristin! I wasn't sure how my structuring of this post would be received with my little intro, short story and brief analysis. Thanks for reassuring me.
I’m curious ... do your dreams weave themselves into your short stories too? I ask because so many of my own poems and stories spring directly from my dream world.
I understand. Interestingly, it was my nightmares that led me to Jungian psychology in the first place, because I kept wondering, 'what’s wrong with me?!' Thankfully, I found answers. I hope tonight brings you dreams that are uplifting and inspiring. 🌙✨
Well, back in 2008, I attended a Jungian workshop on dreams, and from that first introduction, I was hooked. The psychotherapist who facilitated the training later sent out an email asking if anyone was interested in forming a Women’s Dream Group. Having struggled with nightmares for years, I decided midlife was as good a time as any to explore the reasons behind them. So, I joined the group, which ran for nine incredible years. Sitting in a circle and discussing our dreams in depth for all that time was transformative. I learnt so much from the women who interestingly were all older than me. So you could say I’ve been dancing with the Crones for quite a while now. I’ll post some more dream stuff in the coming weeks. Maybe an intro post.
Troy, it’s so wonderful that you’ve seen this! Seeing the photo of you and your beloved mother earlier moved me deeply ... it felt as though I’d stepped back into my dream. These synchronicities happen so often here on Substack; it’s like we’re all tuned into the collective consciousness in such a beautiful way.
Thank you so much Veronika for letting me know that my dream story resonates with you. I find using my dreams creatively to be one of the best ways to deepen my understanding of myself, and others too. I don't even know where the idea came from in the first place, if that makes any sense ... I just know that as soon as I transform them into poetry and short stories, I can access something deeper within me. I also integrate the outcomes of Jung's 'active imagination' into my creative process. Your response inspires me to take a deeper dive into the captivating world of dreams. Maybe it's time to pull back the stage curtain and reveal the archetypes and their backstage antics a little more.
This ability to use dreams as a portal into self-knowledge and creative process is fascinating to me, especially since I don't have this skill. I hardly ever remember my dreams. However I can resonate as a day-dreamer. Thank you for sharing your skills.
✨ “You may say I’m a dreamer … but I’m not the only one!” ✨ Yes, another poet and dreamer here! I’ll share my ‘behind the scenes’ poem next time I post.
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words too, Caroline. Ah, that line was a gift from the Green Witch, Herself! I ab-soul-utely love working with dreams.
The story you created from your dream is beathtakingly beautiful, and the language of nature you use is a soothing and healing balm for the soul. I'm thrilled to see that you're opening up the world of dreams for your readers here. A huge gift for your readers. Like Elaine, my dreams come much less often these days. But after a long dry and barren season I had two in a row last week that spoke to a strong desire to create and share items I'd made that would be useful and helpful to others. Working with these dreams brought the realization that I was ready to begin a writing project I've thought about for years. It's underway now, and I'm excited to see what comes of it. Love, Jeanie
Dear Jeanie, what a beautiful reflection! Thank you so much for reading. Wow! It’s incredible how last week's dreams have reignited your creative spirit and guided you toward a writing project you've been contemplating for years. The connection between creativity and dreams is truly magickal, and it’s so inspiring to hear how you're channelling that energy now into something meaningful. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes you. Another wonderful adventure for sure, my dear friend! Love and blessings, always. Your poet friend, Deborah. x
This. Is. Gorgeous! I ab-Soul-utely LOVE everything about it. It's tender and eternal. Thank you for sharing this!! XO
Aww, many thanks dear Danielle! I do love to work creatively with my dreams. Poems and short stories help me dig deep into their symbolism and mystery. XO
Hi Deborah, Well you had me from the first sentence — your prose is poetry, evoking every sense with your beautiful descriptions interweaving our connections to each other, how our very being is a complimentary aspect to nature herself — and how necessary they are. Thank you 💚 🙏
Aww, many thanks Simone! I’m so grateful for the connection we share here and for your beautiful perspective on our interconnectedness with nature. The green witch and the poet thank you!
Dreams are the richest gifts I know! I love, love, love working with them, mine and clients. I'll miss working so much in these deep, archetypal and alchemical ways when I retire in a couple of years time. 💚 🙏
You will find other ways to weave your magic 🙏 … you already are … sharing your experience and beautiful weaving of words in this space. How fabulous. Not informed about witch archetypes, other than l am a self appointed fairy crone witch 💜. And of dreams - wrote the draft of my next post today, framed around two lucid dreams with my mother this week, … her guidance and confirmation re intergenerational patterns. Just wow 🤩 🙏.
Thank you, dear Fairy Crone Witch! 🧙♀️ I know that returning to my first love, words, is my first step as I transition over the next two years from 'role to soul.' Oh, I'm already looking forward to your next post! 💜
Yes, lovely. I am retiring at the end of this year. I am only working 2 days a week. The senior students have adopted Fairy Crone with me. It took them a while but hey, l am also teaching them to ditch negative associations around older women. They are a lot of fun. I actually whittle wands and burn sigils into them, so l am some type of witch 🧙 🤣💜. I also make and decorate staffs from fallen gum tree branches. 🙏🏼😂
Simone, it sounds like we’ll both soon be embarking on exciting new chapters. I’ll be retiring at the end of next year, stepping into my own beautiful period of transition. I ab-soul-utely love that your students have adopted you as their Fairy Crone witch. How wise of them! 🧙
Isn’t it incredible how life nudges us into these transformative phases, whether we’re ready, willing or not? It feels like we’re kindred spirits, navigating change with green fairy witchy charm and heartfelt words. 💜
The students are very sweet, they love that I am a bit recalcitrant 🤣.Yes, I think we may just be kindred spirits 🌱, funny, I have used that exact term in my next post. Life certainly does nudge us - i am just doing a final edit on my post, sometimes the Universe has to push when we're not listening — I must be a bit slow on the uptake 🤣 . BTW, Your writing is very beautiful in its descriptions 💚.
So….. this resonates so very deeply with me right now. Not just in my dreams but in my life. Dionysus the God of ecstasy, Jamie….., Inanna the goddess elevated by Enheduanna, the witch of my dreams whom I love and whom I dream about frequently. The creative process. The most momentous dream of the series was one wherein I drove a car in the dark with the lights switched off…. In the telling of this I usually embellish by saying that I was also wearing shades. I kept stopping the car and checking the lights, which were not working, getting back in and driving off into the dark again. This sequence repeated a number of times. Eventually I accepted that this was how things were and drove on. My dear witch was in the car with me. I had entered mapless territory. I was not out of my depth. The poem in my posts Maximum Darkness is built around this dream.
Charles, your dream and poem are deeply intertwined, each shedding light on navigating life’s uncertainties and transformations. Driving in the dark, lights off and shades on, echoes the courage needed to move forward without external clarity, relying instead on the inner light within. The presence of your dear witch feels like intuition personified, guiding you through uncharted territory.
Here in the UK, the driver's side is on the right, so I'm wondering if you were seated on the left and the witch was on the right? as this could help you make a little more sense of this scene. You see traditionally the left hand side represents the feminine aspect and the right, the masculine aspect. If you were seated in this arrangement, this could then be viewed as balance between the animus and anima (your masculine and feminine sides). In each other's place so to speak. Hmm, I'm going off on a tangent, as always, apologies ...
Your poem beautifully mirrors this journey ... the phoenix diving into the fire, discovering the brightest day at the heart of the flame. It reminds me of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where darkness and light are not opposites but parts of the same transformative process. Both your dream and poem seem to be inviting you to take a bold step into the unknown, trusting intuition and embracing the alchemy of light and shadow.
Together, they tell a story of resilience, renewal, and the creative process, guided not by the clarity of headlights but by an unwavering inner spark. What a dream! It’s simply wonderful to connect with a kindred spirit who works so creatively with their dreams too.
Substack seems to be that very place
I was seated on the right. I am left handed. I chose to keep stepping into the unknown.
Then there was balance between you, your witch and your intuition. Very good. What a powerful, insightful, and truly unforgettable dream. What a gift!
My witch appears in poems for A.
I’ll take a look a little later. 🧙♀️
Rather witches have taught me so much
I have leaned so much from witches.
There is though also the seed bursting from the soil. Pulled forth by the energy of the sun. Roots going deep into the darkness seeking sustenance, grounded support. Body and head drawn to the suns transformative energy to dance in the wind.
Thank you so much Charles for drawing my attention to your poem. I've enjoyed reading both and again, it's wonderful to meet another kindred spirit who works creatively with their dreams.
I think I may just have taken a step further with this.
Oh, how wonderful!
This was enchanting Deborah! I will check on previous posts where you created a fantasy story. I read them a little while ago but didn't comment then. Maybe I was too surprised! This one flows as does all your writing. The Muse makes music ...
Yes, dream journal next to my bed. I always check that my pen hasn't walked.
Thank you for this lovely diversion, full of imagery and wisdom :) Love,Susan
Hello lovely! I feel like we've been chatting all weekend, Susan. Wonderful! This little story was Thursday morning's waking dream. It was simply a-maz-ing! I did smile when I noticed the poet/animus stood beside an oak, my favourite tree. 'The Muse makes music', yes, so true! Hope you're slowly recovering from your recent fall. It's been great to catch up! Re Substack, as I've started writing my 'mosaic' memoir, there'll be lots more stories this year. Love and (de)light! x
Oooh Deborah! The poet and the green witch! Why do I love the sound of that? My anima(l) is a poet and my green witch dances with Dionysus, Apollo, and Aphrodite, of course! And a beautiful taste of Hermes maybe too. I love that dream. Part of me is living it now too! As I ease into older skin sprinkled with a few wrinkles of wisdom, and I get to connect on deeper levels with the energy of creative souls widening a ripple! I often catch those poems by a tail, but not my dreams.
Notebook ready for tonight!
How does Tarot intersect with the Archetypes? Where does the green witch fit into the priestess? I have not received your books yet, but I am wading in to Jung with a little help from my friends…
Keep writing. We need you. 🧙🏻♀️❤️
Oh Jamie, your words are an ab-soul-ute delight! Naturally, they carry their own kind of poetry. I love the image of your green witch dancing with the Greek Gods and Goddess! And yes, Hermes the Trickster is never far behind, is He? It’s wonderful to hear that you’re slowly easing yourself into the Elder path (whether you call it Crone, Wizard, Senex or another name altogether!) with such joy, energy, wisdom and creativity. That ripple you’re widening is really special!
Ah, “catch those poems by a tail” is a wonderful turn of phrase, I love it! And who knows? Maybe tonight, with your notebook open, some dreams will let themselves be caught too. As for your ‘living’ questions (I couldn’t resist!), Tarot and archetypes really do weave together beautifully - they’re like soul mirrors, reflecting universal energies. The High Priestess, for example, holds the same intuition and mystery as the green witch, while the Poet seems to resonate with the creative spark of the Magician or the passion of the Lovers. There’s so much richness in those intersections to explore.
If you feel inspired, you too might embark on a poetic journey through the Major Arcana. For six months, starting with The Fool, I wrote one poem a week. Everything was flowing beautifully until I reached The Hanged Man - that’s a tale you’ll find in my Animus Diet! After three weeks of reflection (another story in itself), I got back on the horse, so to speak, and finished the journey.
I’m so excited that you’re diving into Jung! I hope his ideas, along with the post-Jungians, bring you as much inspiration as they’ve given me over the years. Thank you so much for your truly kind and encouraging words. Keep catching those ripples and widening the poems, Jamie! 🧙♀️✨🧙♂️
Lovely. I used to record my dreams all the time. I also used to have lucid dreams pretty often but haven’t in a long time. Maybe I need to put a notebook and pen by my bed💕✨
Thank you so much for reading, Kristi. Keeping a notebook and pen by your bed is such a thoughtful gesture ... it’s all about setting the intention to capture those fleeting dreams before they vanish. I like to imagine my open journal and waiting pen as a 'butterfly net', ready to catch my dream-filled moments before gently releasing them into the pages. 🦋✒️
Of course, I forgot last night, haha, and didn't remember any of my dreams. But, yes, just having the notebook there helps me to remember: intention<3
Ah, but there's always tonight and tomorrow ... Kristi! For those dark hours, a friend of mine swears by her 'dream pen' (lighted tip). I don't have one myself but I think I'm going to have a look on Amazon and see if they sell them there. Good luck tonight! <3
Oh what a great idea I’m going to look too! Half the time I can’t read what I wrote in the dark😅
So beautiful. I remember few dreams these days even though my open notebook and pen are next to my bed. This has been the case for a few years, but I keep listening and occasionally get a glimpse. What a lovely animus figure you have shared and you are indeed a Green Witch. Sending you love from across the sea.
I'll be more focused in my dream prayers before I sleep tonight. (Issue might be the vertigo medicine I have to take since dreams were plentiful just a few years ago.) It could happen again. Thanks for the inspiration and love from your friend who is swimming in politics these days.
Elaine
Elaine, thank you for your love-ly reply! I'm so sorry to hear about the challenges you're facing with vertigo medicine and remembering your dreams. Even so, it's wonderful that you're staying open to those glimpses when they come. Keeping your notebook and pen nearby is a hopeful act, and I have faith the Dream Maker will send you vivid ones soon.
I’m deeply touched by your kind words about my animus figure and me being a "Green Witch." You're such a well of inspiration and warmth yourself, and I'm grateful for our soul connection across the oceans between us. Sending much love, light and strength your way as you navigate those political waters you're swimming in. May it be so my dear friend.
Deborah this was so enriching to read! Thank you
Thank you so much for reading, Amanda. I can honestly say my life changed the day I started working with dreams, both my own and those of my clients, deepening my understanding of the human psyche in ways I never imagined.
This very much resonates! I attended a course in dreams a couple of years ago and have been working with them for a short time. I am still learning and I know I have a long way to go, but it has very much deepened both my personal reflections and professional ones.
That’s so wonderful, Amanda! As we both know then, working with dreams can be such a deeply healing, transformative journey. Working with them creatively is revolutionising my writing.
I love how you weaved creative storytelling with yours!
Thanks, Amanda. Sometimes poems and stories just seem to write themselves in my dream journals. This is precisely why I keep them: no matter which notebook I open or page I turn to, there it is, another story waiting to be written.
Best of all, not only do I entertain others, but I also entertain myself. After all, I can think of no better work than doing one’s inner work. All the characters and archetypes are waiting for us in the dream theatre of the soul.
Hmm, I wrote a poem about this a few years back; I’ll dig it out later.
Such delightful and gentle words, Deborah. I loved reading the story of the poet and the green witch and how their deep, spiritual meeting simply was. Without having to mean anything beyond the moment but still effecting lasting change. Do you ever feel like you have meetings like this in real life, I wonder?
Last night I dreamt a word, and had the feeling it was important for me to remember it, and that I would. Repeating it for myself before I drifted off again. Of course I have forgotten. Having a tendency to remember dreams more often and clearly when waking in the middle of the night than in the morning, the notebook approach doesn't work too well for me as I need to turn on the light to see what I'm writing and by that action wake myself up too much. Sometimes I try on the notes app on my phone in night mode, or whisper a voice recording to myself (though I'm always a little fearful that I'll accidentally send my nightly ramblings off to the last person I texted).
Thank you so much, Sarah, for sharing your thoughtful reflections. You have such a gift for expressing depth. Those meetings you describe, where a moment can feel profound and lasting without needing explanation, truly are magical. I’ve certainly experienced moments like that myself, though they often catch me by surprise. I’ve felt them here on Substack too, that sensation of two souls brushing up against each other, simply as themselves, without needing to be ‘somebody.’ It reminds me of the beauty in what the Buddhists say about ‘being Here now.’
As for dreaming of a word, how very intriguing! I completely understand the challenge and frustration of capturing dreams without disrupting our sleep. I’ve had similar experiences. Your voice recording idea is a wonderfully creative solution! I’ve also seen ‘dream pens’ online that write with light, though I don’t have one myself. But I truly believe the best way to remember dreams is by first of all inviting them into our life. Our psyches, I believe, will then respond to the value and importance we place on them, encouraging us to dream more often.
My dreams are MUCH more prosaic, but nonetheless significant. I forget most of them, but I remember when I first had terrible menopausal symptoms (over 30 years ago) and I had a dream that I owned and lived in a flat, but for some reason had rented out part of it to some new people who after they moved in, I discovered that they liked to drink, smoke and party all night. I was very unhappy about that and checked into whether I could get rid of them, only to discover that they had a very tight lease which meant I couldn't evict them. No points for working out the meaning!
Interestingly, it was my own nightmares that first brought me to Jungian Psychology, Ann. I had yet to learn about archetypes, symbolism and the deeper meanings behind dreams, but slowly I have. I felt blessed to spend the next nine years growing and healing with a small group of older, wiser and most wonderful female psychotherapists. It sounds like you met your archetypal shadow in the dream you describe. That side we keep hidden not only from ourselves, but from others too. It's taken me years to befriend mine, and it's still a work in progress. Thanks so much for reading.
There are so many lines in here I want to share as quotes! The entire story and analysis are captivating and insightful! I love it!
Many thanks, Kristin! I wasn't sure how my structuring of this post would be received with my little intro, short story and brief analysis. Thanks for reassuring me.
I’m curious ... do your dreams weave themselves into your short stories too? I ask because so many of my own poems and stories spring directly from my dream world.
Mine do not. If they did I'd be a horror writer. 😳
I wish I would have dreams that inspire. That may be partly why I enjoyed this post so much.
I understand. Interestingly, it was my nightmares that led me to Jungian psychology in the first place, because I kept wondering, 'what’s wrong with me?!' Thankfully, I found answers. I hope tonight brings you dreams that are uplifting and inspiring. 🌙✨
I'd love to hear more about how you began investigating your dreams!
Well, back in 2008, I attended a Jungian workshop on dreams, and from that first introduction, I was hooked. The psychotherapist who facilitated the training later sent out an email asking if anyone was interested in forming a Women’s Dream Group. Having struggled with nightmares for years, I decided midlife was as good a time as any to explore the reasons behind them. So, I joined the group, which ran for nine incredible years. Sitting in a circle and discussing our dreams in depth for all that time was transformative. I learnt so much from the women who interestingly were all older than me. So you could say I’ve been dancing with the Crones for quite a while now. I’ll post some more dream stuff in the coming weeks. Maybe an intro post.
What a journey! Thank you for sharing about it. 💖
What a dream, what a story, what a message. Inspiring and beautiful. Thank you for sharing your inner world with us.
Troy, it’s so wonderful that you’ve seen this! Seeing the photo of you and your beloved mother earlier moved me deeply ... it felt as though I’d stepped back into my dream. These synchronicities happen so often here on Substack; it’s like we’re all tuned into the collective consciousness in such a beautiful way.
I completely agree. There is a beautiful connection of souls in this place. I’m truly grateful for it.
I have no idea how synchronicity works, I only know that I love it when things like this happen.
Let’s stay tuned, attuned,
so that synchronicities
find and surprise us!
Yes, let's do that, Marisol. Thank you.
Substack seems to align itself with synchronicity’s art,
Connecting our voices, despite being worlds apart. 🙏
A stunning piece, Deborah.
“A green witch, with mossy tendrils woven into her silver braids and a lifetime of seasons whispering in her soul, approached him with quiet wonder.”
So many unexpected twists in a single sentence!
“They spoke little, for the air between them was filled with the hum of growing things and the cadence of poetry.”
So much said in a description of near silence.
“the fleeting moments when two souls brush against eternity and walk away, forever changed.”
The essence of transformation caught in the grace of eternal presence.
Thank you so much Veronika for letting me know that my dream story resonates with you. I find using my dreams creatively to be one of the best ways to deepen my understanding of myself, and others too. I don't even know where the idea came from in the first place, if that makes any sense ... I just know that as soon as I transform them into poetry and short stories, I can access something deeper within me. I also integrate the outcomes of Jung's 'active imagination' into my creative process. Your response inspires me to take a deeper dive into the captivating world of dreams. Maybe it's time to pull back the stage curtain and reveal the archetypes and their backstage antics a little more.
This ability to use dreams as a portal into self-knowledge and creative process is fascinating to me, especially since I don't have this skill. I hardly ever remember my dreams. However I can resonate as a day-dreamer. Thank you for sharing your skills.
✨ “You may say I’m a dreamer … but I’m not the only one!” ✨ Yes, another poet and dreamer here! I’ll share my ‘behind the scenes’ poem next time I post.
I love "only then can you catch what wants to slip away." Beautiful and generous insights, thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words too, Caroline. Ah, that line was a gift from the Green Witch, Herself! I ab-soul-utely love working with dreams.
The story you created from your dream is beathtakingly beautiful, and the language of nature you use is a soothing and healing balm for the soul. I'm thrilled to see that you're opening up the world of dreams for your readers here. A huge gift for your readers. Like Elaine, my dreams come much less often these days. But after a long dry and barren season I had two in a row last week that spoke to a strong desire to create and share items I'd made that would be useful and helpful to others. Working with these dreams brought the realization that I was ready to begin a writing project I've thought about for years. It's underway now, and I'm excited to see what comes of it. Love, Jeanie
Dear Jeanie, what a beautiful reflection! Thank you so much for reading. Wow! It’s incredible how last week's dreams have reignited your creative spirit and guided you toward a writing project you've been contemplating for years. The connection between creativity and dreams is truly magickal, and it’s so inspiring to hear how you're channelling that energy now into something meaningful. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes you. Another wonderful adventure for sure, my dear friend! Love and blessings, always. Your poet friend, Deborah. x
Wonder whether wise
witch weaves while we sleep, weep, write
through this world’s woes woods.
Thank you so much Marisol, for weaving your haiku magic of connection, insight and inspiration.