A Curious Dream

I had a strange and evocative dreams last night. The characters in it were my partner John and my mother's new husband, whom she married after being widowed for five years. In the dream, John and I had to go to Washington because I had been nominated to sit on the Supreme Court. This was in the midst of my trying to find some Mozart music to play on the piano. Of course this whole thing is plain silly. My stepfather was there too, but only to be supportive. (I still don't know what his presence meant in the dream except for possible a feeling of general acceptance of my and John's relationship.) At the swearing in ceremony, the officiant (whom I either didn't recognize or don't remember exactly who was) held up a wooden spoon to the sky. We all laid hands on it, as if it were a holy idol, and swore allegiance to it. It was all very strange. Needless to say I wanted to do a reading on it!

I used the The Opening of the Key Spread and used a spread by Aecletic Member Amaretta called Dream decoding simple spread:

1.....2.....3

4

1. What was it all about? This card shows what did actually happen in the dream, what the whole story was about.
2. Why did you see it in a dream? This card indicates the situation in your real life which could produce that dream.
3. What was that dream for? This card contains some wisdom your unconsciousness try to tell you about the situation recognized by the card 2.
4. The practical advice. This card tells what you must practically do to resolve the problem.

“What was it all about?” VI Lovers confirms that this dream was about my relationship. This is no surprise, as I got these cards from the “Heh” stack. This letter represents the element water and concerns itself with, what else, interpersonal relationships. Don’t you love it when tarot is so direct?! If only all cards could be so simple.

“Why did you see it in a dream?” XIII Death would be a strange card to have in this position, but Amaretta clarifies this by saying, “This card indicates the situation in your real life which could produce that dream.” Since this card has been coming up to describe what is going on with me physically, the changes I am going through as I approach middle age (gracefully, I might add), it stands to reason that this card is referring back to this issue. (On a side note this card has come up in two different decks in two different readings recently.) As we both move through life together, it is inevitable that we change. This card indicates a physical change, again, as it has come up as such before. But it is typically a card indicating "Scorpio," suggesting that some emotional change will also be an issue. 

"What was that dream for?" 6 of Pentacles is an altruistic card. It reminds me that I need to be patient as we make this journey together. The wooden spoon in the dream is the stablility of our relationship, its core. In Feng Shui, the element Wood is the center element. It is the one element that all of us have in common. The other elements lie in different directions depending on the day, time, and season that one is born on. The spoon is a cooking utensil, too. And sharing food, and by extension sharing a home, is the most intimate activity that two people can share. Reading this card in comparison with the XIII Death card shows me that no matter what changes we find ourselves going through, that our intimacy will win through and is the most important aspect of spending our lives together.

"The practical advice" of the King of Pentacles suggests to me that I should concentrate on being in control of my own health (and sobriety) and not worry about my other half's. To be honest, I don't like the fact that he still smokes, even if it is just a little bit. He is fourteen years older than me, so this too is an issue. And he has the odd glass of wine which I don't like. So this card really is about my svardharma, my "finding my own way" on not at all about trying to force John to find his. Who knows, he may have already found it! Who am I to say. The advice of this reading, as the King of Pentacles says, is to make sure my own house is in order and perhaps others will want what I have got (i.e., my sobriety) and go through any lengths to get it.

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