My dream has two distinct sections:

1. I am with a (my?) family but am not an integrated or respected member. The family faces some (unknown) threat or danger from outside in a snow storm. Outside there is a winter wonderland in which there is a demonic? force from which everyone is trying to protect themselves. I tag along (despite being ignored in the proceedings) with this family and their attempt to flee the pending danger in their car. The danger then appears to be a wolf or some kind of beast. As the beast or threat (it was quite abstract) approaches us in the car the dream radically (antitheticallly) switches to a desert in Africa.

2. Suddenly - as if the threat has captured me, I am in the desert in Africa, and there is a tribe that have captured me and are putting me on trial for a crime I have not committed. (I do not recall what the crime is; it did not seem to matter in the dream as the "court" seemed intent on finding my guilty.) (It was quite a formal proceeding run by men and one man in partcular. These men were indigenous in tribal dress but I was a white outsider.

As it came to giving my testimony a woman dressed in black (who seemed to have magic or witch like powers) but a tube into my mouth so that I could not speak and placed a black cloth over my head so I could not see. She canthed the number 13 as a magic spell so that even though I wanted to say "no" to the accusation my head nodded "yes" - under her spell. I felt devestated and powerless.

Then a girl child yelled out in my defence and said I did not commit the crime. She was banaised from the proceedings by the head male who said - "be gone with you". At this point I fell on the floor in a state of hopelessness knowing that the crime was punishable by death.

Please help me understand this dream...it was most disconcerting.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 40 Sydney

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

Anna,
Are there any family conflicts of recent that may be related to the dream? A conflict where you felt like an outcast {not an integrated or respected member}? The snow storm and winter wonderland may be reflecting feelings of being left out {in the cold}.

The family may represent your total self and some aspect of your psyche needs integrating. The dream may be addressing personality issues, the snow storm, winter, possible metaphors for particular traits you possess. This aspect may threaten to isolate you from a community of people, and may be an emotional aspect that is outside your normal actions.

Since in the dream the 'trial' is 'run by men' this emotional aspect may be directed toward men in general, or a specific incident within the past few days. The cold winter may left you feeling as an outcast, precipitated by an experience or experiences having to do with men. It may have isolated you from a group or made you feel isolated.

Try the above possibilities on for size and see if any fit.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

There are ongoing issues with my ex partner, particularly in relatin to out son. I have a general sense of being unprotected by the law in so far as my ex-partner indulges in highly moraly questonable behaviour but is still maintains legal rights. This has been both and intelctual and emotional conflict for me...this surely relates to the dream.

I am interested - if you would indulge me - in the second half of the dream in which the figure of the "witch" chanting 13 and the little girl appear. Are these figures also conflicted aspects of my psyche. Why does the witch silence me? And the little girl speak for me?

With thanks

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 40 Sydney

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? yes

Anna,
The woman dressed in black is most likely your own deep unconscious. The collective unconscious does have special powers {metaphorically speaking} in it has the ability to reveal aspects about the dreamer that was unavailable without the dream message. There may be deeper aspects to the 'masculine' control in your life. The number 13, often thought of as a bad omen, can actually be seen as a positive, 1 + 3 = 4, the number for wholeness in Jungian psyche. It could also be pointing to experiences at the age of 13. The spell you would be under may be experiences in earlier life that are stored in the unconscious, something you may wish to forget or may have repressed. The last part of the dream may fit with experiences as a child where you felt guilty. But that guilt would actually be something placed on you by others {males}. a threat made to you making you feel it was your fault.

Were there experiences in earlier life that may fit with the above? Look at the age of 13. If so then the power of the number 13 would not only be an age issue but also a healing process. Something that is repressed, a negative experience must be brought to light if there is to be a healing process.

As for current problems, feeling unprotected by the law may be revisiting earlier life issues where you felt unprotected. Again you may need to go back to earlier life to determine the associations. There may be causation of personality at play, habits you formed from earlier life that still reside in your psyche today.
Let me know your thoughts.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

Many thanks J.

I will need to sort through some memories. I started high school at 13 but do not recall (as yet) any significant trauma - except significant reaction to a migraine medication. It made me "fat", wasn't effective, and when I stopped taking it began to develop anorexic tendencies to get thin again. (Crikey!) But that doesn't seem to connect to the dream (?).

As a little girl the obvious trauma was the death of my father at the age of 7. I may harbour issues of guilt about that (?).

Perhaps the two figures are connected - both being female. That is, the significant trauma is the death of my father, and 13 (1+3=4) is linking that trauma to an aspect of myself that I need to address in moving towards individuation.

I will meditate on the issues, see what comes through and get back to you.

Cheers
Anna

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 40 Sydney

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? yes

Anna,
There could possibly be a link with you father's death at such an early age. But that would primarily address the last part of the dream {although such influences could contribute to other emotional issues later in life}. The issues of guilt could definitely be emotionally powerful enough to last a lifetime {or until the guilt is resolved}. Do research the possibility and see where it leads. We must remember that the earliest years of life are fundamentally the cornerstone for who we become later in life. Emotional influences at an early age are most important in forming personality and an emotional foundation in later life.

Jerry [meditate[pray]

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male