I am with a man. We are totally in love and blissful. We hug and laugh on park grass and the people around us want us to leave. A few throw water on us to dampen our spirits but we just ignore them, and then the sprinklers come on and we laugh even harder.

The dream switches. I walk through a hallway and there is shattered crystal on the floor. Where did it even come from? I then go into the kitchen to make coffee and the coffee pot, a unique glass antique, slowly falls apart. I say to a commiserating male friend "None of this makes sense. Everything I touch is breaking." He says "For every positive there is a negative." Then there is a rambling sequence where I am attempting to unsuccessfully clean it up.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 56 California

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.

Joyce,
My sense is the dream is addressing matters of the heart, and then reflecting on how such matters seem to have fallen apart and feelings of self blame. The real problem may lay with making wrong choices in men, getting into relationships, watching them fall apart and then trying to clean up the emotional mess.

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Oops. Sorry about this one. I feel very blessed in finding the love of my life a decade ago. I think the "negative" may come from being given what I've always wanted - the time to write and make jewelry. The creative juices flowed for about a year and I felt so joyful. Then they suddenly dried up and I've not been able to recover the joy again. I keep trying to tell myself life is ebb and flow but at heart I fear I may never get that creative productivity back. I also feel guilty about feeling sad when I have so much in life. Thanks for giving me the chance to express myself.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 56 California

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.

Thanks Joyce for the response. It does seem this could be truly a matter of the heart, or should I say soul. When you talk about creative matters you are speaking of the soul's intent. But what is in the opening of the dream and does not a fit with the creative aspect is "I am with a man" statement. The creative aspect is a feminine aspect. Perhaps the man is the 'adjective' and the love and bliss the descriptive creative self. That would make it plausible and fit with your waking life experiences.

The crystal would represent the true self but with everything breaking apart. And the inclusion of the male friend. This would be speaking to the animus. Instead of a 'man' this is an animus aspect which in Jungian speak would be 'social duty', the opposite of the giving to the creative self. Campbell's directive is to 'follow your bliss' which does take courage {a masculine aspect, the animus}. If we substitute the creative 'need' in the place of the male as your true love, it fits. Of course only you could know of your 'break' from the creative self. Dreams are seldom specific but they do usually provide an outline of what is trying to be addressed. The love of your life, other than your real life man, is your creative self. And at mid-life that aspect most often provides as much joy as would a true love of amor {Cupid}.

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

One thing you said is very true. Whereas, the thought of my man brings a smile of contentment on my face, my creativity brought excitement and the promise of possibility. When I completed my novella, a publisher was interested but I never heard from her again. I lost my sense of possibility (where my creativity is concerned I have no confidice). I thought the shattered glass might be a metaphor for shattered dreams.

Then I read some definitions in the dream dictionary that said broken glass meant the possibility of change. That confused me which is why I threw this out for interpretation. Trying to fit Jungian theory into all this makes it even more complex. Frankly, I'm just trying to mix things up a bit so I can move on rather then stay stagnant.

After a few minutes of reflecting on this I just had an aha. I have no idea if this fits in with Jungian theory but here it goes: Rolling joyfully around in the grass with the man reflected perfectly how I felt when I was writing. I wouldn't let anyone throw water on my joy. At that time, the criticism of others was far off. In my mind, assertively taking hold of the new adventure felt male. I was boldly going . . . you get the picture.

Then as soon as I was finished, people started asking about how I was going about getting published. It was no longer about creativity but success or failure. I internalized those expectations and lost the joy. I need to get back to the adventure and hold strong against both the internal and external expectations for commercial success. Now, if I can only make this all happen ....

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 56 California

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.

Joyce,
A wonderful story, still in the making. Thanks for sharing your journey. There is little doubt you will continue on the correct path and your ultimate 'bliss' will be realized. As a student of Joseph Campbell I will attest to staying the path and resisting all efforts to divert away from that creative self. Your crystal is the your true self and to reject the creative aspect for commercial success? I need not advice you because you know the correct course.
Best of luck and as always if there are future dreams you need help with the Dream Forum is open 24/7.

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes