I inhaled roughly 5 or 6 hits of the sacred vapor. I laid back and closed my eyes. I was thrown into this expansive dark void. I couldn't see anything around me. Slowly, two great beings appeared to me, giants. Whom I know now to be the Hindu gods Shiva, and Parvati. The two were dancing, and I was in the middle of this great dance. Shiva was dancing vigorously, almost destructively. Parvati was complementing his dance with graceful, yet erotic movements.They then picked me up, and I became this tight little ball, that they were tossing back and forth with the rhythm of their dance, catching me perfectly and continuing dancing. They eventually dropped me and transformed me into a lotus flower. I still can't make sense of this entire experience, but it was the most profound thing that has happened to me. Previous to this experience I had no knowledge of the goddess Parvati, and was not interested in Hinduism. Only after I had researched some of the symbols in that experience, was I able to identify Parvati.
There is a certain parallel between the symbolism of the lotus and that
of the rose in Western culture. In Egypt, the lotus symbolizes nascent life, or first
appearance (19). Saunier regards it as a natural symbol for all forms of evolution
(49). In the Middle Ages it was equated with the mystic ‘Centre’ and, consequently, with the heart (56, 14). As an artistic creation it is related to the mandala,
its significance varying according to the number of its petals: the eight-petalled
lotus-is considered in India as the Centre where Brahma dwells and as the visible
manifestation of his occult activity (26). The figure eight is like the mandorla of
Romanesque art, signifying the intersection of the earth (four, or the square) with
heaven (the circle). The ‘thousand-petalled’ lotus symbolizes the final revelation;
in the centre there is usually a triangle and inside the triangle is the ‘great emptiness’ symbolic of formlessness. René Guénon has examined lotus-symbolism at
great length, observing that The potentialities of being are realized by means of an
activity which is always internal’ (this is the ‘growth’ of Father Gratry) ‘since it
is exercised from the centre of each plane; furthermore, from the metaphysical
point of view, it is impossible for external action to be brought to bear upon the
total being, for such action is possible only on a relative and a particular plane. .
This realization of potentialities is depicted in various symbolisms as the . .
unfolding of a flower on the surface of the “waters”; generally, in oriental traditions, it is a lotus, and a rose or lis in the West. There is a further relationship
between these flowers and the circumference as a symbol of the manifest world,
as well as with the cosmic Wheel. This symbol finds other forms of expression in
many different ways, but always related to the symbolism of numbers, that is,
depending upon the number of petals’ (25). From the remotest days of antiquity,
the lotus was the unanimous choice of the Chinese, the Japanese, the Hindus, the
Egyptians and the Aryans. The lotus flower growing out of the navel of Vishnu,
symbolizes the universe growing out of the central sun—the central point or the
‘unmoved mover’. It is the attribute of many deities (9). In lotus symbolism, the
idea of emanation and of realization predominated over that of the hidden Centre,
which is a Western accretion.
To see a lotus in your dream, represents enlightenment, growth, purity, beauty and expansion of the soul. The image of the lotus serves as encouragement and provides hope in dark and murky times.
Seeing a lotus in your dream, represents growth, purity, beauty and expansion of the soul.
The corporeal image of a given process, or of becoming, or of the
passage of time. In Hindu doctrine, the dance of Shiva in his rôle as Natarâjâ (the
King of the Cosmic Dance, symbolizing the union of space and time within
evolution) clearly has this meaning (6). There is a universal belief that, in so far as
it is a rhythmic art-form, it is a symbol of the act of creation (56). This is why the
dance is one of the most ancient forms of magic. Every dance is a pantomime of
metamorphosis (and so calls for a mask to facilitate and conceal the transformation), which seeks to change the dancer into a god, a demon or some other chosen
form of existence. Its function is, in consequence, cosmogonic. The dance is the
incarnation of eternal energy: this is the meaning of the circle of flames surrounding the ‘dancing Shiva’ (60). Dances performed by people with linked arms
symbolize cosmic matrimony, or the union of heaven and earth—the chain-symbol—and in this way they facilitate the union of man and wife (51).
To dream that you are dancing, signifies freedom from any constraints and restrictions. Your life is in balance and in harmony. Dancing also represents frivolity, happiness, gracefulness, sensuality and sexual desires. You need to incorporate these qualities in your waking life.
To dream that you are dancing with a partner, signifies intimacy and a union of the masculine and feminine aspects of yourself. If you are leading, then it indicates that you are in control of your personal life. It could also mean that you are being overly aggressive and assertive.
To dream that you are attending or going to a dance, indicates a celebration and your attempts to achieve happiness. Consider the phrase the "dance of life" which suggests creation, ecstasy, and going with what life has to offer you.
To see children dancing in your dream, indicates a happy home life.
To see ritualistic dancing in your dream, denotes your need to get in touch with the spirit within.
To dream of seeing a crowd of merry children dancing, signifies to the married, loving, obedient and intelligent children and a cheerful and comfortable home. To young people, it denotes easy tasks and many pleasures.
To see older people dancing, denotes a brighter outlook for business.
To dream of dancing yourself, some unexpected good fortune will come to you.
Dreaming that you are dancing means freedom from constraints and harmony/balance with yourself. You are working in cooperation with yourself. It also represents frivolity, happiness, gracefulness, sensuality and sexual desires. Alternatively, it may signify intimacy and a union of the masculine and feminine aspects of yourself. Dreaming that you are attending or going to a dance indicates a celebration and your attempts to achieve happiness. Consider the phrase the "dance of life" which suggests creation, ecstasy, and going with what life has to offer you. Seeing children dancing in your dream means that you will have a comfortable home, and healthy, well-behaved children in the future. Seeing ritualistic dancing in your dream indicates your need to get in touch with the spirit within..
This may be a happy dream that suggests that on some level you feel joy, happiness, and a sense of victory. If you are not in a good mood, and don't feel very joyful, this dream may be compensatory in nature. It may be trying to balance negativity and stress that you feel in daily life. Superstition-based dream interpretation says that dreaming of dancing predicts happy times ahead. Depending on the content of this dream, it may have some sexual connotations.
To see the Hindu god Shiva in your dream, signifies struggle and conflict. You are undecided between two choices you have to make.
Different flowers usually have separate meanings, but, as so often
happens, flower-symbolism is broadly characterized by two essentially different
considerations: the flower in its essence, and the flower in its shape. By its very
nature it is symbolic of transitoriness, of Spring and of beauty. The sixth of the
‘Eight Immortals’ of China, Lan Ts’ai-ho, is generally depicted clad in blue and
carrying a basket of flowers; it is said that he was given to singing of the brevity
of life and the ephemeral nature of pleasure (5). The Greeks and Romans, at all
their feasts, always wore crowns of flowers. And they would strew flowers over
the corpses as they bore them to the funeral pyre and over their graves (not so
much as an offering as an analogy) (8). We have, then, another example of an
antithetical symbol, like the skeleton which the Egyptians would bring to their
banquets, as a reminder of the reality of death and as a stimulus towards the
enjoyment of life. Now, because of its shape, the flower is an image of the
‘Centre’, and hence an archetypal image of the soul (56). ‘Celestial flower’ is the
name given to a meteorite or a shooting star by the alchemists (57), and the flower
was, for them, symbolic of the work of the sun (32). The significance would be
adapted according to the colour of the flower. So, for example, orange or yellowcoloured flowers represent a reinforcement of the basic sun-symbolism; red flowers emphasize the relationship with animal life, blood and passion. The ‘blue
flower’ is a legendary symbol of the impossible, and is probably an allusion to the
‘mystic Centre’ as represented by the Grail and other such symbols. The ‘golden
flower’ is a famous parallel in Chinese mysticism, a non-existent flower which is
also spoken of in alchemy; in the Epistola ad Hermannum Arch. Coloniensem
(Theatr. Chem. 1622) it is given the name of ‘the sapphire-blue flower of the
Hermaphrodite’ (32).
To see colorful flowers in your dream, signify kindness, compassion, gentleness, pleasure, beauty, and gain. It is also symbolic of perfection and spirituality. Your dream may be an expression of love, joy and happiness. Alternatively, flowers in dream, especially if they are blooming, represent your hidden potential and latent talents. Flowers can also denote a particular time or season. If the flowers are white, then it symbolizes sadness. Consider the color of the flower and the type of flower for additional analysis.
To see withered or dead flowers in your dream, denotes disappointments and gloomy situations. It may signal an end to a love relationship. Or it could indicate that you may not be utilizing your full potential and talents and letting it go to waste.
To dream that you receive a bouquet of flowers, represents respect, approval, admiration, and rewards.
To see flowers blooming in barren soil, signify that energy and cheerful nature will enable you to overcome your grievances. If you are picking flowers, then the dream symbolizes blooming love or a new developing relationship.
To dream of seeing flowers blooming in gardens, signifies pleasure and gain, if bright-hued and fresh; white denotes sadness. Withered and dead flowers, signify disappointments and gloomy situations.
For a young woman to receive a bouquet of mixed flowers, foretells that she will have many admirers.
To see flowers blooming in barren soil without vestage of foliage, foretells you will have some grievous experience, but your energy and cheerfulness will enable you to climb through these to prominence and happiness.
``Held in slumber's soft embrace,
She enters realms of flowery grace,
Where tender love and fond caress,
Bids her awake to happiness.''
Seeing colorful flowers in your dream means kindness, compassion, gentleness, pleasure, beauty, and gain. It is also symbolic of perfection and spirituality. Your dream may be an expression of love, joy and happiness. Alternatively, flowers may denote a particular time or season. If the flowers are white, then it symbolizes sadness. Seeing withered or dead flowers in your dream indicates disappointments and gloomy situations. You may not be utilizing your full potential and talents. Dreaming that you receive a bouquet of flowers, represents respect, approval, admiration, and rewards. Seeing flowers blooming in barren soil means that energy and cheerful nature will enable you to overcome your grievances.
When we look at flowers, most of us feel some joy and vitality. At the very least, we appreciate their beauty and see their value. Flowers are beautiful and in our dreams they could represent the simplest feelings of contentment to the deepest feelings of spiritual completeness. A circular flower is a friendly sign that could be the symbol of wholeness that represents the "psychic centre of the personality." Additionally, the colours could symbolize the psychic centers in our bodies called chakras. Flowers also represent hope and positive growth, along with simplicity, innocence, and possibly virginity. A flower can also symbolize the vulva.
If you dream that you are arranging flowers, you could be trying to make improvements to your waking life. Dead or dried flowers in a dream can symbolize poor health or obstacles in your life. Flowers in a bouquet may symbolize a marriage.