“The world is full of
magic things,
patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
-W. B.
Yeats
DREAM. Sunday, February 28, 2016. “Human, hawk, hen”
I am walking in a grassy natural area, maybe something like a state park, near the perimeter of a circular space. In the near distance and toward the center of the circle I spot a hawk on or near the ground, barely visible above and through the tan tall grasses (is it dormant season?). I also see spots of color that I identify as beautiful birds of which I often don’t get to observe – two goldfinches (or bright yellow birds of some species) and a vivid blue bird and more, flying and landing, so only occasionally observable.
Then I see bright
yellow and orange splotches of color – it’s a beautiful wild/undomesticated
hen, being scared up by the hawk. It appears it’s jumping up out of the grass
when the hawk lunges toward the vividly colored and intricately marked hen.
The
hawk’s beak poke is being provoked as it’s startled by a human. Later I see the
human is Jim Prichard. I want to talk a bit.
In the first months of 2016 I am reading through Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active
Imagination for Personal Growth by Robert A. Johnson. I attempt to do as
the author suggests of identifying all the dream images and then follow a
four-step approach:
1) Make associations - record any associations with each
dream image;
2) Connect dream images to inner dynamics - apply the
images to parts of self or dynamics in my inner life;
3) Interpret – put together the information gleaned in
the first two steps to arrive at a view of the dream’s meaning;
4) Do rituals to make the dream concrete.
A recounting of my process (and I’m still processing!) can
be found in footnote “Human, hawk, hen dream images.” I offer a crude interpretation
here
(the long footnote offered below is for my reference) -
The me of now wants to talk a bit to the me of yesteryear.
Early spiritual me is represented by the adult male human, indicative of my
more certain and steadfast religiousity. There is a nudge from that certainty
that provokes my sense of authority, represented by the hawk. That hawk is
strong but aloof, a predator but for the reason of survival. But the hawk is
grounded now – unusually so: I think that may be a picture of my feeling of
spiritual power: that though I perceived my power as soaringly hawk-like
previously, now is most often grounded. This grounded hawk though is not
keeping still: it’s lunging toward the hen, causing the hen to come up out of
the weeds, high enough to be seen.
I think the dream hen offers a vivid picture of my being
that gives life and nurtures life. The hen has beautiful markings and color, with
primary color of orange. I claim orange now as “my color” and it indicates an
acceptance of the energy in me that I used to label as frenetic, and now try to
accept as lively and beautiful, such as when paired with purples as is seen in
a sunset. Probably this truer hen self has opportunity to be “seen” more when
the old authoritative egoic-hawk me is more grounded.
I want to see more of this undomesticated amazingly
marked beautiful yellow and orange hen. And more too of the delightful colorful
birds flying freely.
“Suffering everywhere, look it’s
everywhere…
We must risk delight.
We can do without pleasure but not delight,
not enjoyment.
We must have the stubbornness to accept our
gladness
in the ruthless furnace of the world.”
– Jack Gilbert
Footnote --
--Human, hawk, hen dream images
Associations and dynamics
*Grassy state park/natural area
Assoc: wilderness, desired environment,
serene, tan grass so dry or dormant?, where the wild or undomesticated is,
state park is God’s good created natural, good family times and memories,
peaceful, a place I like to go but don’t get to everyday
Dynamics: wild, undomesticated may be
the natural, created part of me that sometimes covers a place within I don’t
easily access or walk in everyday even though it’s natural/wild; desirable but
not easily accessible to me; I don’t live there, but when there I see the
beautiful and interesting things (birds, activity) I want to be there.
*Hawk,
almost hidden
Assoc: strong but aloof, predator but
for a reason (survival), fascinating and unusual to see on the ground, beady
eyes, penetrating, somewhat scary, souring (on currents, but not in dream),
watchful
Dynamics: power, courage, strength
symbol, power of the Great Spirit, watchful; a kind of strength but rather
unapproachable, skittish, flighty, maybe authoritarian, usually soars on high
(but this dream has the hawk on ground) so unusual; my hawk – spiritual
power/awareness – has more often been on the ground lately
*Birds, brightly colored, yellow and
blue
Assoc:
desirable to see, vivid in color, unusual, flighty but mighty in beauty
Dynamics:
flighty but mighty in beauty: ethereal and elusive, hard to see, harder yet to
catch
*Hen, undomesticated with roundish belly
Assoc:
usually domesticated but this one is wild and free, great detail of feathers
and markings, soft= vulnerable, nurturing (like Jesus saying “I long to gather
you under my wings”); giver of sustenance (my favorite food is eggs!), in
myth/archetype: symbol of vigilance and betrayal; “chicken” = scared of dare
Dynamics:
the part of me that is vulnerable, easily startled? Or gets scared or jumpy but
still has valor and is worthwhile?; gives life (eggs); nurtures life (protects
its young/chicks); beautiful in color and markings. Want to see more of the
chicken – let the chicken be seen
*Yellow
Assoc: sun’s brightness, God’s nature
glory; the color of our bedroom, a color that’s grown on me
Dynamics:
*Orange
Assoc: MY color (recall Sylvia’s
question “If you had to describe yourself as a color, what would it be?”; I
have journeyed from thinking of orange as frenetic to now a favorite); vivid;
noticeably desirable, the fruit (sweet), sunsets (with purple amazing), symbol
of creativity and joy
Dynamics:
*Human- Jim P.
Assoc: steadfastly religious, start of
my deeper faith practice, seemingly not too much fun, both an embrace of
another/God and a rejection; serious, baptism, push/pull in relationship;
critical of my lack of boundary
Dynamic: my religious beginnings, start
of maturity; the early part of my adult faith journey and relationships,
seriousness, intense steadfast, except when life gets in the way; part of me
that thinks it knows what it’s doing, or things it’s right; part of me that’s
trying to find the way
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