I am in the neighborhood I grew up in as a child. One of our tenants has a little girl who started life out as an elephant. The mother loves this child but keeps admonishing the child to stand up straight, believing the child’s poor posture is a matter of laziness and lack of will power rather than genetic. The mother is in denial of her child’s beginnings. You can tell the child’s beginnings only in certain aspects of her face and in her feet which are broad like an elephants. They keep her feet hidden in socks at all times.
Recognizing the injustice of what is being done to this child, I am angry.
Later, I am asked by a boss from the past to be a master of ceremony at another elephant child’s event. This time it is a boy. I have no idea of what I’m doing but figure I’ll just follow the script. The boy is an entertainer at a hotel. He is full of life and energy. The only audience is a gay couple. While I’m waiting for more people to show up, the boy jumps up on the stage and enthusiastically begins to sing just for the couple. People are drawn to the performance and the room fills up with dancing.
Later, my boss asks why I didn’t do my job. I say that the boy was so full of passion that he just took over and I really had nothing to do.

I have just discovered your forum and believe it to be a beautiful gift. Thank you. I have always been a vivid dreamer and for the last decade have noticed but ignored my dreams. As I am going through both an early retirement and menopause I am in a deep transition. I read your interpretation of one dream which was helpful and looked up Ganesha. I found that in one country the god is addressed by a name which means "little child". Also, as background I have a very bad back which appears to be beyond the help of medicine.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 53 & California

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You may feel that your childhood could have been better. you may not have gotten the nurturing you needed, and you also may have not been given much confidence so that you can strive for the things you want in life.

If this is in the ball park, I think that the second half f the dream is about you wanting to overcome these early negative influences. You want to be comfortable in your own skin, and want to make people in a similar situation feel good with the harmony of your song; that song is overcoming your obstacles, your fears, your doubts. But, your fears are trying to stop you from this.

This would mean that you have had bad programming. The good news would be that it is not your father , in the dream, inhibiting you. A father is a veryu personal symbol and would indicate that the self doubt is a force that is very closely associated to you. A boss is a less personal symbol, so you have made strides in the right direction and have moved thee self doubts and fears out of the core of your life. :)

As you continue to overcome this, the fear will appear in images of people or things more distant, and less powerful, and maybe even criminal.

If I didn't help, I am sorry. I am sure others can give it a try.

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I do believe you are close to the mark. Lately, I had been feeling pretty blue and impotent. The boy elephant with the passion for life has inspired me. This week I began a diet, put on some music and danced around the house. Felt wonderful. I am feeling a little more empowered.

Thank you for stepping out of yourself for others.

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Replying to:

You may feel that your childhood could have been better. you may not have gotten the nurturing you needed, and you also may have not been given much confidence so that you can strive for the things you want in life.

If this is in the ball park, I think that the second half f the dream is about you wanting to overcome these early negative influences. You want to be comfortable in your own skin, and want to make people in a similar situation feel good with the harmony of your song; that song is overcoming your obstacles, your fears, your doubts. But, your fears are trying to stop you from this.

This would mean that you have had bad programming. The good news would be that it is not your father , in the dream, inhibiting you. A father is a veryu personal symbol and would indicate that the self doubt is a force that is very closely associated to you. A boss is a less personal symbol, so you have made strides in the right direction and have moved thee self doubts and fears out of the core of your life.

As you continue to overcome this, the fear will appear in images of people or things more distant, and less powerful, and maybe even criminal.

If I didn't help, I am sorry. I am sure others can give it a try.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 53 & California

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Joyce,
In addition to Carlos' great insights the following interpretation may have bearing. The interpretation correlates to Carlos' interpretation in some areas.

Joyce,

The overall dream message may be in relation to rediscovering and developing a natural aspect of Self through mid-life stage to as a form of personal development.

Dream symbols often hold multiple and interrelated meanings. The dream stage is set with ‘I am in the neighborhood I grew up in as a child.’ This could infer knowledge the dream will communicate through symbols – in the neighborhood being an approximate of close in resemblance yet not quite exact (to conscious). This may also refer to raising consciousness on this issue and the issue relates to some inner Self trait prominent in your childhood.

A natural trait being present for life and a foundation of true Self, within Psyche. This is not an act of choice, it simply is. However, this wonderful trait voided due to the promise or perceived need of external security now realized as a sense of defeat felt as frustration leading to anger. Innocence lost to compliance to external demands and expectations from either ego or exacted by an external authority, more likely a combination of both. This created a new foundation, that of receptivity to external influences. At this current stage of life, mid-life, you begin to think about what to do next. Accustomed to meeting those external expectations and demands leaves you uncertain (about what now to do, who to be).

Mid-life offers you an opportunity to redevelop that natural Self in a manner more suited to your current life stage, rather than childhood. This now requires receptivity to and a newly developing animus to counter arrested emotional development. This would also enable you to develop emotional balance. Readiness to proceed is apparent along with skill. This desire and readiness naturally originates from the individual Psyche, and the collective Psyche. The rewards of fully developing an arrested aspects/traits are obvious resulting in skillful performance and ability without difficulty. Intuitive awareness of mid life as an appropriate time for intervention although probably experiencing normal level of apprehension.

Perhaps the effect of those childhood event(s)/actions appears harmless due to it’s very small interval of time, in comparison to adult life, so question how this could have such a large impact. Yet you possess an inclination and defiant nature which will lead you to examine and resolve this.


As always, the interpretation must fit with the dreamer as only the dreamer truly knows what a dream means. The interpretation may or may not be close. If this seems to fit with your thoughts on the dream then I’d venture the trait(s) repressed are along the lines of spontaneity, daring spirit and confidence. All traits prominent in childhood and most often repressed in favor of ‘proper behavior and maturity’. And they appear to fit with the dream motif.

Kind regards,
Kathy

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Kathy,

You hit the nail on the head with your last sentence. I was definitely a "wild child" who loved adventures with a repressed, intensely religious father who as he said "loved, but didn't like like me".

Over the years, I kept modifying my behaviour in order to survive. My early retirement was because my job had become so oppresive that I saw good people losing their livlihood and sense of self. I wasn't going to let that happen to me.

I am now exploring my creative side with landscaping and metalsmithing jewelry. But I feel guilty about it. Initially, I thought it was because of the money drain. Now, I believe it goes deeper. My husband has been absolutely wonderful with all of this so I know it's my own baggage.

Thanks to both of you for giving me this insight.

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Joyce,
Thank you for responding. You make a good point in that ‘it goes deeper’. Perhaps the behaviour modification required to survive a negative situation at your previous employer mirrors the childhood experience thus unconscious recognition (of a similar situation) was the stimulus to leave. This may be the actual trigger of the guilt you feel. Not leaving your job but rather a desire to and acting upon leaving symbolic of escaping the repression of true Self imposed by your father.

The masculine animus, the body of masculine traits within the feminine Psyche, is normally comprised of traits from the most influential adult males in a female’s childhood. Psychological role models. Re-developing or returning the animus to its fully functioning aspect is difficult. (click anima/animus to the left for in depth information.)

As with everything, meeting and overcoming difficult challenges brings equivalent reward. I believe you are up to the challenges. As you continue to pay attention to your dreams these messages from the unconscious will help guide you.

Many thanks,
Kathy

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Hi Joyce,

I think that having the boss in the dream dissapointed with you, and going through that change of work thing is related. That last scene is sums the change you made pretty well. Your sub, details it as the lil elephant boy is singing and entertaining the audience (those are traits aligned with intuitiveness as well as joy) and your boss comes up and scolds you.

Some other things I was able to put together with the new info., and you probably already put them together too. The old neighborhood, is of course in reference to your childhood. the stand up straight (rigidness) is your father's regimentation. But, I wonder why the mom is admonishing the child? Was your mom also the same on those issues as your dad?

What the mother could symbolize as well, is that your own intuitive sense did not know any better so you may have developed an aspect which flagalated you constantly through out your childhood. This same attitude may be the attitude that today was making you feel as f you have done something wrong for changing your life.

The answer can also be a patch work of both as dreams, like a symphony can contain many sources all playing a harmony and a melody that create a whole movement (song).

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Hi Carlos,

My mom had a lot to do with my own poor body image. One of the issues I'm dealing with now is my severe scoliosis which has made me feel older than my years. I think for a while I just threw in the towel on trying to rise above it. Little by little I'm reclaiming back joy in my body regardless of my back issues. I believe the transition from the "crippled" little elephant girl to the joyful elephant boy might be part of the that journey.

Who could believe one little dream could encompass so much? Thanks for your insights.

JJ

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the pleasure was mine. I mean that sincerely. I am glad that you are on your way to closure on these issues. It has made my day much better.

It is good that you are moving away from the efects and making them less personal to you. Your dream does indicate that. YOur anger in the first half of the dream was justified and healthy. Now we need to continue that trend when doubts and fear crop up in other forms, like the manager that scolded you. Continue to reject those negative influences. Let your inner song come out without fear or doubt.
:)
You can deserve a good life and good feelings about yourself. Tell yourself you are worth it everyday.

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