Recipe
for Life
“Instructions
for living a life...
Pay
attention,
Be
astonished.
Tell
about it.”
Mary
Oliver
In
yesterday's spirituality group, we worked with our dreams. Snakes
figured prominently—everybody, when they first begin working with
the unconscious portion of the mind, has a snake dream. The snake is
one of the oldest symbols in the pantheon of archetypes—the
earliest being the uroboros, the snake circle, head clasping tail.
The Sword of Asclepius is the symbol even today of the American
Medical Association, because snake is associated with healing. And in
the story of Eden, it was the snake who brought consciousness to Adam
and Eve. Yet, we are universally terrified of snake dreams. It's a
good symbol, y'all! Give the snake a break!
Something
that astonishes to me, after thirty years of looking at my dreams
and those of others, is the accuracy of the images. And the way the
dream maker has of pulling up images that aren't even in our
experience and yet they are right on point. Or, inserting people who
haven't crossed our mind for decades, who we may barely remember, yet
there they are in the dream, bringing with them whatever subtle
associations we may still possess. One of my favorite dream images is
my sister, Missy; unlike the other members of my family, she makes a
regular appearance in my dreams. In real life, Missy could do nothing
for herself; was completely disabled by cerebral palsy, and yet
possessed a strength of character at her core that was undeniable.
She represents in me some essential, stripped down, unvarnished and
untarnished heart. When she shows up in my dreams, I know I'm in good
hands.
Is
there some part of life that still astonishes you? Something
you've experienced dozens of times, yet still has the power to drop
you to your knees? My friend Anna said the symphony on Saturday night
did that for her. We need Wonder. She is the grandmother of Hope and
Faith, those essential sisters of a happy heart. Go out there today
and live life...pay attention...be astonished and tell others about
it.
In
the spirit,
Jane
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