by Leotine

Leotine was a regular contributor to alt.religion.wicca.moderated in its early years — warm, humorous, and practically minded. This post arose from a run of vivid "critical" dreams she could not wake from. Rather than framing the experience as a problem, she frames it as practice. The six lessons she offers are grounded in genuine technique (reality checks, the logic of dream space, the transfer of magical tools) but delivered with enough wit that Lesson Six has become something of a cautionary tale about rose petals.

I've been having a lot of good — well, "critical" would be a better word — dreams lately. You know, the ones that you can't wake up from, and when you do you are drenched in sweat and tied up in the bed clothes.

I like riding the Night Mare. Lots of power in those dreams.

If I was a psychologist, I would explain that it is the subconscious mind trying to reevaluate the events and situations you find yourself in. But I'm not, so I won't.

Dream Working. First thing to do is when you are dreaming, lift up your hands in front of your face, until you can see them clearly. Lesson One.

Lesson Two. Remember you are in the Dream World, so don't try and be logical. Don't walk. Instead FLOW. Follow, but know you can choose where to go. But then, if you don't follow the white rabbit, you'll never get to Wonderland!

Lesson Three. Know the Archetypes and Places. Some things are common to all dreams. So when I am squishing in the boggy marsh in the dark forest by the old oak tree, I know it is a place of power and I charge up on the electricity. Also I don't squish. Flow, remember. Pull yourself up by your boot straps. And if it is dark then there must be light (no logic in dreams — but a lot of poetry), so call up some light.

Lesson Four. The rituals, invoking, banishing, and tools you use in magic work just as well if not better in dreams. Don't get washed away by the white water — take control. Or get washed away, but take along Mae West with you.

Lesson Five. Write it all down on waking. In fact, wake slowly. Keep beached between the sea and strand until you've penned it to hand.

Lesson Six. Make a Dream Pillow. Get a pillow case and go fill it with rose petals. Sew up with pretty ribbon. Sleep on it. The rose petals will go all soggy, the pillow will get wet, and creepy crawly things will come out in the night. This is how we learn. Maybe I should have dried the rose petals first and given the inhabitants a chance to scuttle off back to the garden. Hey-ho. As I say, this is how we learn.

And finally: learn what your dream is telling you. Then you can tell your dreams to take you where you want to go. And one day when you wake up you will find yourself there.

Be Happy — Be Blessed.

Colophon

Written by Leotine and posted to alt.religion.wicca.moderated, 5 July 2003. Original Message-ID: <[email protected]>.

Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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