Not the most pleasant of dreams for my first entry but will be uploading more backlogs soon. What i remember was multiple knives/swords. I was being sliced and cut up, blood gushing, down to the bone. The perpetrator of this seemed to be both myself and something outside of me.
I had tuned in to the news of the "death" of Bin Laden and listened to Alex Jones tirades for a bit, so that probably streamed in...
Even in the dream I was aware of the shamanic symbolism of dismemberment to reduce the ego. I was aware as well of the alchemical symbolism of the stage Separatio, where the focused will of the alchemist must slice away all delusions of itself, connected with the evolved third chakra
Also, knives/swords relate to the Tarot Air element of mental functions, perhaps reflecting the need to slice away my ego attachments to my current mental creative output in order to realize it in form through the visions and collaborations of others.
The following is some of my writing on alchemical Separatio:
In order for the storyteller to channel the inspiring narrative, he or she must separate from the collective in order to detach and determine the most important tale to tell, whatever genre, using whatever appropriate instrument from the artistic toolbelt.
One needs to distance oneself from the world, and in so doing, also objectify from one’s own processes. The creative function necessarily is a severing. In most cosmogonic myths, Father Sky and Mother Earth must separate for creation to actually occur.
Separatio allows us the ability to call out our complexes and provide a linguistic mapping for our evolution. In astrology, as we divide and define more specificially, we notice that each planet corresponds to a separate intelligence inside of our psyche and an evolutionary urge in our soul. We are pluralities, composed of gods and forces that must negotiate between each other, which we means we must allow their particular voices to channel through.
As Edward Edinger writes, “Space for consciousness to exist appears between the opposites, which means that one becomes conscious as one is able to contain and endure the opposites within.” (187).
Each sign of the zodiac has its natural opposite, which is the great teacher, the reconciler of the shadow or distorted expression of a sign. For example, the selfishness, impulsiveness, and willful determination of Aries is healed by the strategic harmonizing and heart-ful listening of Libra.
Separatio can bring clarity, but can bring conflict. When Jesus said, “I come not to bring peace, but a sword,” the suggestion is that we have to slice away all that which is not essential, within ourselves and our relationships. Separatio is an absolutely integral step in order for healthy relationships to be initiated and to endure, for often it is our unconscious identification and habitual codependence on family, friend, employer, or lover that prevents us from truly living in the compassionate and loving heart.
The discord that can ensue from Separatio disturbs the status quo and the serene ignorance. We must sift through the illusions of our ego, divorce ourselves from it, and then apply the fires of the Holy Spirit to only that deemed worthy for redemption.
An important symbol lies beneath the act of tearing to
pieces, or tearing limb from limb. Let us begin with some examples of the way the
symbol is used. The best known is the myth of Osiris torn to pieces by Set, who
scattered the fragments which Isis then diligently sought out and pieced together
again, one piece excepted. There are a great many legends and folktales which tell
much the same story: giants’ bodies are cut to pieces and then magically put
together again. Siegmund’s sword, in the Niebelungen saga, is broken in various
places beyond repair; only Siegfried, his son, is capable of reforging it. According
to Heinrich Zimmer, the dismemberment of the formless dragon Vritra, in Indian
mythology, reveals the process whereby multiplicity sprang out of primigenial
unity. Indian mythology also maintains that the creation of multiplicity was the
outcome of the sin of Indra, whose expiation implies the reintegration of all
existence into unity. Coomaraswamy maintains that the meaning of sacrifice is
actually this creative and destructive movement—the systole and diastole of
reality; presentday theories of cosmogony support this view (60). From the
viewpoint of the individual and his spiritual life, it is interesting to note that the
Graeco-Russian philosopher Gurdjieff (according to Ouspensky in his In Search
of the Miraculous) founded his ‘Institute for the Harmonic Education of Man’
upon the basis of the need to end all dispersal (or ‘dismemberment’) of the
attention and of spiritual Oneness. In their time, the alchemists had already found
a way of symbolizing the state of inner separation of the spiritual components by
means of the stages of the opus, which they called solutio, calcinatio, incineratio,
portraying them sometimes in such emblems as personal sacrifices or mutilations
of the body, such as cutting off the hands of the mother, or the claws of the lion,
etc. (33). For Origen, the goal of Christianity was nothing less than the transformation of man into a being of inner Oneness. Conversely, for Jung, to be possessed by the unconscious (that is, by whims, manias and obsessions) is nothing short of being torn up into chaotic multiplicity. He also points out that the idea of
displacement or disiunctio is the counterfoil to the growth of the child in the
maternal womb (as well as to mystic coniunctio). In this way, then, every symbol
which stands for an involutive, degenerating or destructive process is based upon
the changing of unity into multiplicity, as, for example, the breaking of a rock into
many fragments. Mutilations of the body, the prising apart of what is united, are
so many symbols of analogous situations in the spirit.
To dream that you are dismembered, suggests that some situation or circumstance is falling apart in your waking life. You feel cut off, isolated and disempowered. You may also be experiencing some great and significant loss. Consider also which part of your body is dismembered as that body part may offer additional significance or needs special attention. Alternatively, the dream may coincide with some significant life change as in a new job, new school, marriage, moving, etc. You are feeling a loss of power, potential, or identity.
Dreaming that you are dismembered, suggests that some situation or circumstance is falling apart in your waking life. You are feeling disempowered and experiencing some great and significant loss.
The real beginnings of alchemy date back to the first centuries
A.D., when it was practised mainly by Greeks and Arabs. Elements from
various traditions, including Christian mysticism, were later incorporated. It
was essentially a symbolic process involving the endeavour to make gold,
regarded as the symbol of illumination and salvation. The four stages of the
process were signified by different colours, as follows: black (guilt, origin,
latent forces) for ‘prime matter’ (a symbol of the soul in its original condition);
white (minor work, first transmutation, quicksilver); red (sulphur, passion);
and, finally, gold. Piobb analyses the symbolic meaning of the various operations. The first, known as calcination, stood for the ‘death of the profane’, i.e.
the extinction of all interest in life and in the manifest world; the second,
putrefaction, was a consequence of the first, consisting of the separation of
the destroyed remains; solution, the third, denoted the purification of matter;distillation, the fourth, was the ‘rain’ of purified matter, i.e. of the elements of
salvation isolated by the preceding operations; fifthly, conjunction symbolized
the joining of opposites (the coincidentia oppositorum, identified by Jung with
the close union, in Man, of the male principle of consciousness with the female
principle of the unconscious); sublimation, the sixth stage, symbolized the suffering resulting from the mystic detachment from the world and the dedication to
spiritual striving. In emblematic designs, this stage is depicted by a wingless
creature borne away by a winged being, or sometimes it is represented by the
Prometheus myth. The final stage is philosophic congelation, i.e. the binding
together inseparably of the fixed and the volatile principles (the male/invariable
with the female/’saved’ variable). Alchemical evolution is epitomized, then, in the
formula Solve et Coagula (that is to say: ‘analyse all the elements in yourself,
dissolve all that is inferior in you, even though you may break in doing so; then,
with the strength acquired from the preceding operation, congeal’) (48). In addition to this specific symbolism, alchemy may be seen as the pattern of all other
work. It shows that virtues are exercised in every kind of activity, even the
humblest, and that the soul is strengthened, and the individual develops. Evola
(Tradizione Ermetica) writes: ‘Our Work is the conversion and change of one
being into another being, one thing into another thing, weakness into strength,
bodily into spiritual nature. . . .’ On the subject of the hermaphrodite, Eugenio
d’Ors (Introducción a la vida angélica) writes: ‘That which failed to “become
two in one flesh” (love) will succeed in “becoming two in one spirit” (individuation).’
To dream of alchemy, suggests that you are going through a period of turmoil, inner transformation, and self-renewal. You are striving toward perfection. Although these may be tough and difficult times, it will have a positive outcome.
Alchemy is a sign of change, inner change. You might be going through a period of transformation, which will not be always easy, but the rewards will be greater than the pain.
a medieval chemical philosophy or art, having as its asserted aims the transmutation or transformation of base metals into gold. the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity. The miraculous power of transmutation or extraction. Now considered a "psuedo-science" commonly recalled for experiments to transmute base metals into gold, the formulation of a universal cure to remedy all known diseases, the indefinite extension of life through chemical and magical means, and the production of artificial life forms in a laboratory setting. Richly illustrated in symbolism and steeped in arcane traditions, the practice of alchemy eventually led to the formation of accepted sciences such as chemistry. Today, sometimes regarded as a symbolic philosophy for the evolution of the human spirit from 'base man' to 'enlightened man' through the use of alchemical symbolism and imagery.
The symbolism of the moon is wide in scope and very complex. The
power of this satellite was noted by Cicero, when he observed that ‘Every month
the moon completes the same trajectory executed by the sun in a year. . . . It
contributes in large measure to the maturation of shrubs and the growth of animals.’ This helps to explain the important rôle of the lunar goddesses such as
Ishtar, Hathor, Anaitis, Artemis. Man, from the earliest times, has been aware of
the relationship between the moon and the tides, and of the more mysterious
connexion between the lunar cycle and the physiological cycle of woman. Krappe
believes—with Darwin—that this follows from the fact that animal life originated in the watery deeps and that this origin imparted a rhythm to life which has
lasted for millions of years. As he observes, the moon thus becomes the ‘Master
of women’. Another essential fact in the ‘psychology of the moon’ is the apparent changes in its surface that accompany its periodic phases. He postulates that
these phases—especially in their negative sense of partial and gradual disappearance—may have been the source of inspiration for the Dismemberment myth
(Zagreus, Pentheus, Orpheus, Actaeon, and Osiris for example). The same might be said of the myths and legends of the ‘spinners’ (35). When patriarchy superseded matriarchy, a feminine character came to be attributed to the moon and a
masculine to the sun. The hieros gamos, generally understood as the marriage of
heaven and earth, may also be taken as the union of the sun and the moon. It is
generally conceded nowadays that the lunar rhythms were utilized before the
solar rhythms as measures of time, and there is also a possible equation with the
resurrection—spring follows upon winter, flowers appear after the frost, the sun
rises again after the gloom of night, and the crescent moon grows out of the ‘new
moon’. Eliade points to the connexion between these cosmic events and the myth
of the periodic creation and recreation of the universe (17). The regulating function of the moon can also be seen in the distribution of the waters and the rains,
and hence it made an early appearance as the mediator between earth and heaven.
The moon not only measures and determines terrestrial phases but also unifies
them through its activity: it unifies, that is, the waters and rain, the fecundity of
women and of animals, and the fertility of vegetation. But above all it is the being
which does not keep its identity but suffers ‘painful’ modifications to its shape
as a clear and entirely visible circle. These phases are analogous to the seasons of
the year and to the ages in the span of man’s life, and are the reasons for the
affinity of the moon with the biological order of things, since it is also subject to
the laws of change, growth (from youth to maturity) and decline (from maturity
to old age). This accounts for the mythic belief that the moon’s invisible phase
corresponds to death in man, and, in consequence, the idea that the dead go to the
moon (and return from it—according to those traditions which accept reincarnation). ‘Death’, observes Eliade, ‘is not therefore an extinction, but a temporal
modification of the plan of life. For three nights the moon disappears from
heaven, but on the fourth day it is reborn. . . . The idea of the journey to the moon
after death is one which has been preserved in the more advanced cultures (in
Greece, India and Iran). Pythagorean thought imparted a fresh impulse to astral
theology: the “Islands of the Blessed” and all mythic geography came to be
projected on to celestial planes—the sun, the moon, the Milky Way. It is not
difficult to find, in these later formulas, the traditional themes of the moon as the
Land of the Dead or as the regenerating receptacle of souls. (But) . . . lunar space
was no more than one stage in the ascension; there were others: the sun, the
Milky Way, the “supreme circle”. This is the reason why the moon presides over
the formation of organisms, and also over their decomposition (as the colour
green). Its destiny consists of reabsorbing forms and of recreating them. Only
that which is beyond the moon, or above it, can transcend becoming. Hence, for Plutarch, the souls of the just are purified in the moon, whilst their bodies return
to earth and their spirit to the sun.’ The lunar condition, then, is equivalent to the
human condition. Our Lady is depicted above the moon, thereby denoting that
eternity is above the mutable and transitory (17). René Guénon has confirmed
that, in ‘the sphere of the moon’, forms are dissolved, so that the superior states
are severed from the inferior; hence the dual rôle of the moon as Diana and
Hecate—the celestial and the infernal. Diana or Jana is the feminine form of Janus
(26, 17). Within the cosmic order, the moon is regarded as a duplication of the
sun, but in diminished form, for, if the latter brings life to the entire planetary
system, the moon influences only our own planet. Because of its passive character—in that it receives its light from the sun—it is equated with the symbolism of
the number two and with the passive or feminine principle. It is also related to the
Egg of the World, the matrix and the casket (9). The metal corresponding to the
moon is silver (57). It is regarded as the guide to the occult side of nature, as
opposed to the sun which is responsible for the life of the manifest world and for
fiery activity. In alchemy, the moon represents the volatile (or mutable) and
feminine principle, and also multiplicity because of the fragmentary nature of its
phases. These two ideas have sometimes been confused, giving rise to literal
interpretations which fall into the trap of superstition. The Greenlanders, for
example, believe that all celestial bodies were at one time human beings, but the
moon in particular they accuse of inciting their women to orgies and for this
reason they are not permitted to contemplate it for long (8). In pre-Islamic
Arabia, as in other Semitic cultures, the cult of the moon prevailed over sunworship. Mohammed forbade the use of any metal in amulets except silver (39).
Another significant aspect of the moon concerns its close association with the
night (maternal, enveloping, unconscious and ambivalent because it is both protective and dangerous) and the pale quality of its light only half-illuminating
objects. Because of this, the moon is associated with the imagination and the
fancy as the intermediary realm between the self-denial of the spiritual life and
the blazing sun of intuition. Schneider has drawn attention to a highly interesting
morphological point with his observation that the progressive change in the
shape of the moon—from disk-shape to a thin thread of light—seems to have
given birth to a mystic theory of forms which has influenced, for example, the
manner of constructing musical instruments (51). At the same time, Stuchen,
Hommel and Dornseif have demonstrated the influence of the lunar shapes upon
the characters of the Hebrew and Arabic alphabets, in addition to their profound
effect upon the morphology of instruments. Eliade quotes Hentze’s comment to the effect that all dualisms find in the moon’s phases, if not their historical cause,
at least a mythic and a symbolic model. ‘The nether world—the world of darkness—is represented by a dying moon (horns=quarter moon; the sign of a double
volute=two quarter moons facing in opposite directions; two quarters superimposed back to back = lunar change representing a decrepit, bony old man). The
upper world—the world of life and of the nascent sun—is symbolized by a tiger
(the monster of darkness and of the new moon) with the human being, represented by a child, emerging from its jaws’ (17). Animals regarded as lunar are
those which alternate between appearance and disappearance, like the amphibians; examples are the snail which leaves its shell and returns to it; or the bear
which vanishes in winter and reappears in spring, and so on. Lunar objects may
be taken as those of a passive or reflecting character, like the mirror; or those
which can alter their surface-area, like the fan. An interesting point to note is that
both objects are feminine in character.
To see the moon in your dream, represents some hidden, mysterious aspect of yourself. It is often associated with the feminine mystique and intuition. Alternatively, the moon signifies your changing moods.
To see the eclipse of the moon in your dream, signifies that your feminine side is being overshadowed. Or it may mean that some hidden aspect of yourself is coming to the surface.
To see the crescent moon in your dream, indicates cyclic changes, renewal, and movement. You are progressing smoothly toward your life path. A full moon signifies completion and wholeness, while a new moon symbolizes new beginnings.
To dream of seeing the moon with the aspect of the heavens remaining normal, prognosticates success in love and business affairs.
A weird and uncanny moon, denotes unpropitious lovemaking, domestic infelicities and disappointing enterprises of a business character.
The moon in eclipse, denotes that contagion will ravage your community.
To see the new moon, denotes an increase in wealth and congenial partners in marriage.
For a young woman to dream that she appeals to the moon to know her fate, denotes that she will soon be rewarded with marriage to the one of her choice. If she sees two moons, she will lose her lover by being mercenary. If she sees the moon grow dim, she will let the supreme happiness of her life slip for want of womanly tact.
To see a blood red moon, indicates war and strife, and she will see her lover march away in defence of his country.
Seeing the moon in your your dream, represents something hidden, mystery and the feminine aspect of your self. In particular, a full moon means completion, whereas a new moon symbolizes new beginnings. Dreaming that the moon in odd in any way means infidelity of your lover and disappointments in business. Seeing the eclipse of the moon in your dream means that your feminine side is being overshadowed. It also foretells of illness of someone near you. Seeing the crescent moon in your dream indicates cyclic changes, renewal, and movement. You are progressing smoothly toward your life path.
The Moon is an interesting symbol that signifies feminine energy; it is associated with the irrational and the intuitive. The Moon affects the ocean tides, and it has been linked to madness. As a dream symbol is can represent all of these things and more. As always, pay attention to the details in the dream before making conclusions. The moon could represent romance and our earthly impulses and passions. It could reveal things about the nature of soul and the unconscious. The Moon can also reflect inner peace and feelings of serenity and security.
Often associated with the destination or repository for souls after death. The gods adn goddesses of the underworld, the realm of the dead, are often lunar deities. The association of the moon with death and rebirth is due to it's waxing and waning: every 28 days, teh moon "dies" and is "re-born". The ancient Greeks believed the moon to be a midway point for souls traveling from Earth to Heaven or visa versa. The souls of the newly dead first went to the moon where their astral bodies were cleansed before continuing on to Heaven. According to the Upanishads, the sacred Hindu texts, the souls of unenlightened people go to the moon after death where they await reincarnation. Enlightened souls who have been liberated from reincarnation go to the Sun.
Astrological Sign: Pisces.
Positive associations with this tarot card:
imagination, unexpected possibilities, illumination.
Negative associations with this tarot card:
fear, confusion, highly charged emotions, bewilderment, lies, deceit.
When The Moon appears you can be sure it will be a time of highly charged emotions and confusion .
Despite any fear you may have, the wan light of The Moon will illuminate the way, and even if the path you are on is tough, all will turn out right in the end.
Upright and in a favourable position in a reading this card is a good omen if you are involved in a clandestine affair, otherwise it may signify that your secret may be exposed.
The Moon can lead to artistic expression through art, writing or music, which may lead to unexpected opportunities.
Negatively this card stands for lack of progress because of deep rooted fears and anxieties. It tells of failure of nerve, it also warns of lies and deceit - perhaps this is the cause of your worries.
Mystics have always traditionally considered the feminine aspect of
the universe as a chest, a house or a wall, as well as an enclosed garden. Another
symbolic association is that which equates the house (and the above, related
forms) with the repository of all wisdom, that is, tradition itself (4). In architectural symbolism, on the other hand, the house carries not only an overall symbolism but also particular associations attached to each of its component parts.
Nevertheless, the house as a home arouses strong, spontaneous associations with
the human body and human thought (or life, in other words), as has been confirmed empirically by psychoanalysts. Ania Teillard explains this by pointing
out that, in dreams, we employ the image of the house as a representation of the
different layers of the psyche. The outside of the house signifies the outward
appearance of Man: his personality or his mask. The various floors are related to
the vertical and spatial symbols. The roof and upper floor correspond to the head
and the mind, as well as to the conscious exercise of self-control. Similarly, the
basement corresponds to the unconscious and the instincts (just as sewers do, in
symbols pertaining to the city). The kitchen, since this is where foodstuff is
transformed, sometimes signifies the place or the moment of psychic transmutation in the alchemical sense. The intercommunicating rooms speak for themselves. The stairs are the link between the various planes of the psyche, but their
particular significance depends upon whether they are seen as ascending or descending. Finally, there is, as we have said, the association of the house with the
human body, especially regarding its openings, as was well understood by
Artemidorus Daldianus (56).
To see a house in your dream, represents your own soul and self. Specific rooms in the house indicate a specific aspect of your psyche. In general, the attic represents your intellect, the basement represents the unconscious, etc. If the house is empty, then it indicates feelings of insecurity. If the house is shifting, then it suggests that you are going through some personal changes and changing your belief system. To dream that a house has no walls, represents a lack of privacy. You feel that everyone is looking over your shoulder or up in your business.
To dream that you are cleaning your house, signifies your need to clear out your thoughts and get rid of old ways. You are seeking self-improvement.
If you live with others in your waking life, but dream that you are living alone, suggests that you need to take new steps toward independence. You need to accept responsibilities and be more self-reliant.
To see an old, run-down house in your dream, represents your old beliefs, attitudes and how you used to think or feel. A situation in your current life may be bringing about those same old attitudes and feelings. Alternatively, the old house may symbolize your need to update you mode of thinking. To dream that your house is damaged, indicates your waking concerns about the condition of your house.
To see a new house in your dream, indicates that you are entering into a new phase or new area in your life. You are becoming more emotionally mature. If you are locked out of the house, then it represents rejection and insecurity. You feel you are being left behind.
To dream that your house is broken into, suggests that you are feeling violated. It may refer to a particular relationship or current situation in your life. Alternatively, it indicates that some unconscious material is attempting to make itself known. There are some aspects of yourself that you have denied.
To dream of a haunted house, signifies unfinished emotional business, related to your childhood family, dead relatives, or repressed memories and feelings.
To dream that a house has disappeared, indicates that you are not feeling grounded. You feel uprooted by a particular circumstance or relationship in your life.
To dream that water is rising up in your house, suggests that you are becoming overwhelmed by your emotions.
To dream of building a house, you will make wise changes in your present affairs.
To dream that you own an elegant house, denotes that you will soon leave your home for a better, and fortune will be kind to you.
Old and dilapidated houses, denote failure in business or any effort, and declining health.
Seeing a house in your dream, represents your own soul and self. Specific rooms in the house indicate a specific aspect of your psyche. In general, the attic represents your intellect, the basement represents the unconscious, etc. If the house is empty, then it indicates feelings of insecurity. If the house is shifting, then it suggests that you are going through some personal changes and changing your belief system. Dreaming that you are cleaning your house means your need to clear out your thoughts and getting rid of old ways. You are seeking self-improvement. Seeing an old, run-down house in your dream, represents your old beliefs, attitudes and how you used to think or feel. A situation in your current life may be bringing about those same old attitudes and feelings. Alternatively, the old house may symbolize your need to update you mode of thinking. Dreaming that your house is broken into, suggests that you are feeling violated. It may refer to a particular relationship or current situation in your life. Alternatively, it indicates that some unconscious material is attempting to make itself known. There are some aspects of yourself that you have denied. Dreaming of a haunted house means unfinished emotional business, related to your childhood family, dead relatives, or repressed memories and feelings. Dreaming that a house disappeared, indicates that you are not feeling grounded. You feel uprooted by a particular circumstance or relationship in your life.
It is common to dream about houses. They usually symbolise our emotional and psychological selves. All of your experiences, stages of development, and parts of your conscious and unconscious life may be represented by that house. The house may be representing issues concerning a particular dilemma in your life, or it may be more general and comprehensive. Either way, if you pay attention to the details in this dream, you may learn a thing or two about yourself.