This is a dream I had 5 nights after the one of my 3 Selves.

The woman with the 3 Gifts - Date: Feb. 6/13

I am following a woman, an older woman, as we come up to her gate. I am a few steps behind her and I watch as she tries to open the garden gate but with the bundles she is carrying, it’s hard. I think she is a teacher because she is carrying books, old books, and they start to fall as the gate opens slowly... one, two, three... old books because as they fall on the ground, the covers detach from the book bodies and their colour is a sepia yellow, old, full of acid books, like we used to have in the school library a long time ago. They are interesting to me, these books. I bend down to pick them up for her ...

Scene changes and we are now inside her house, in the kitchen. I am standing in front of her counter and she is behind it. She has something to give me so she is looking for that, as I examine what’s on the counter top. Some papers, and a ticket-like coupon, flat, sepia-coloured too. She tells me that she is giving me a couple of coupons and I look at the one on the counter. I go to take it but she says no, that’s not the one. Oh, there, she’s found them. She hands me two tickets, the exact same ones as the one on the counter that I found, but hers are dark brown and folded in half when she passes them to me. They are a gift from her to me and they are for me and another person to get drinks with. These are drink coupons, for pina colada, I think she tells me.

Then she is saying that she is giving me more things: a book or some books, and some paint, tubes of paint that she has. I am going away and I have my suitcase already all packed. I don’t think I can fit the paints that she is giving me into my bag or case. I tell her that and say also that I am determined that I am only taking ONE suitcase with me this time. She insists on the paints and I take them, placing them on top of the shut suitcase that’s on the floor underneath the table. They are in a flat black box.

On the table are some books, and she wants me to choose one. I peruse the titles but notice that they are all mostly French dictionaries. I don’t want that, I think, and I really ask myself if I need one of these in my life right now, but I can’t think of any reason why that should be so. Really, there are no books here that tempt me, so I turn away... and the dream ends.

~*~
A bit of context:

I love books and am currently writing one. I was born Acadian French, but I prefer to write/read/watch TV in English. I only talk French with my family. My book is my memoirs in a sense, but with a Jungian twist.

Suitcases and I are on a friendly basis as I have travelled a lot in the past decade or so, to other provinces and to Australia and back a few times.

Part of my Shadow is the Artist in me wanting to come out but I haven't let her out too much, yet. Except in January.

I've had many addictions in my time, and alcoholism was one. I don't drink but if and when I rarely do, it's a non-alcoholic pina colada, which I haven't had in years.

All four of the above 'elements' from my dream are not directly related to what had been happening in my life at that time (last week) except maybe the paints and the artist in me. In January I endeavoured to make at least one artpiece each day as I cooperated with others on a blog-hop called artful creations. It was only for the month and by the end of it, I was very tired of "forcing" myself to do art, though as in all things, there was a part of me that absolutely loved it. I didn't join again in February.

I hope you can help me with this one. I know numbers and colours are really important in dreams, so the sepia-brown tickets, black paint box, yellow paged books...

Raymonde

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 60, Atlantic Canada

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

Raymonde,
I am going to approach this dream in context of Jung's concept of dreams having 4 distinct parts. I am doing this off the cuff as I read the dream and may revise and/or add some parts of it at the end of my interpretation. I am doing this specifically because you have broken the dream into 4 paragraphs. This was most unconsciously done but with your interest and knowledge of Jungian psyche is understandable.

I believe we can easily deduce the older woman is you, in the present time. We can probably ascertain it is a wiser self since you have transcended the earlier stages of life and are consciously participating in working toward wholeness. Just as with a child or childhood home the setting laid out in the first part of a dream is a primary topic of the dream. This is the exposition or the initial setting and is pointing at central conflict that seeks an expression in the dream. What follows is the emotional conflict described in symbolic and metaphorical language {you know this but I try to explain the different concepts for those who do not}.

You come to a gate, a garden gate. This is not a door or solid barrier but an open that represent an opportunity to realize something unconscious that wants to be made conscious. The gate leads to a graden which is symbolic of growth aspects. You are a few steps behind this older self which suggests you are still learning your path {a path which, on the highest level, will lead to wholeness and harmony}. This wiser self is trying to open this entrance to new knowledge but there is the burden of the old self's history {old books}. This is pointing not only to your path to wholeness but the past experiences of earlier life}. Before you set on your inner path you were without knowledge of your true being. You were, and perhaps still to some degree, lacking knowledge or acceptance of your earlier life experiences {this fits with Jung's concept there is always at least two levels, meaning, applications to every dream if not dream image}. The teacher description points to the wiser self, inner and outer descriptions that you are seeking to activate. The old self begins to fall apart when you open this 'way' into your inner garden. It is a slow process, intentionally slow which reflects the process itself and probably how you approach life in general {in an objective and orderly manner, not letting emotions take control}

The books falling to the ground and losing their covers is the uncovering of new knowledge about yourself. The color yellow often symbolizes confusion as well as subconscious knowledge {unconscious contents ready to be made conscious}. I'm not familiar with the acid books the dream speaks of {and you consciously know about} but i look at the description in two lights. One is of a 'sub-culture' about yourself and the other as something that can eat away at you. The sub-culture could be your inner search on one level and the past waking life experiences on another. The same holds for both in your journey to know yourself better. Those that were in the school library a long time ago would be those past personal experiences that still eat at you and probably the innate wisdom you seek to uncover about this new knowledge {dreams, the deeper psyche and a desire for wholeness}.

This ends the exposition part of the dream ad now we go on to the second part {of four}, the plot which contains something new, an essential change}. The structure of your dream fits handsomely with Jung's concept of the 4 parts of a dream. It is pointing to the two aspects of your search for wholeness. The old books of personal past experiences and the uncovering of the personal as well as creative/spiritual aspects.

You have gone inward {house} in preparation for receiving personal and spiritual nourishment {kitchen}. This is an essential change if you are going to finally discover the unanswered questions to your emotional and spiritual life. Going inwards to the deepest depths. You are covering all aspects of your inner journey {both sides of the counter which represents both aspect of your search, personal and spiritual}. She, your wiser self, has given new information that is from the top or head. Papers containing news about your total self and a ticket of new knowledge, aspects of which are about detached aspects of yourself {your early life personal experiences in particular}. The one on the counter is the primary emotional issue that is now in your head/thinking process. But again there are two aspects you are wishing to pursue {actually more when you consider the book you are currently working on}. " no, that’s not the one" may bed a reference to one aspect of your search over the other when both are equally as important. Finding them is realizing this {complete wholeness consists of knowing and reconciling both your past and the promises of your creative/spiritual future}. There is confusion in your waking life over which is which {you had thought you had resolved the personal issues only to discover you have not and this has interfered with your spiritual quest}. The color brown is of decline, even greater confusion when you fold one thinking it the only important aspect, at least for the moment. Realizing the truth is a gift from your wiser self. You are now drinking the knowledge of wisdom, you are on a path of the sweetness of understanding your whole self.

This ends the second stage of your dream and lays out a discernible change. That change is not only understanding your emotional and spiritual self but realizing these two aspects are inner connected. It is because of your having gone 'inward' to discover even greater knowledge {which in one aspect has sychronistically has brought you to the Dream Forum} you are discovering new things about your past personal experiences and new things about your metaphysical interests. Before you were concentrating on the latter thinking you had resolved the former.

Phase three, the culmination where the most critical things happen which will bring the dream to a closure.
Your wiser self is presenting you with even more inner knowledge {books and paint}. The books of self knowledge and the creative aspect that will paint your future as a whole person. One part of you is 'going away' {needs and is receiving a resolution}. This is the personal baggage you have been packing along with you since it began as a child. You can not carry on with your true self of creative/spiritual aspects until you fully resolve the personal emotional issues. The 'suitcase' you will be carrying will be of the creative and spiritual. This is where you will need to, and will be able to focus your energies, once you take those steps to resolve the personal issues once and for all. Put the metaphysical aspects on top and not let the personal issues interfere with that.
we never completely resolve these personal issues but we can put in a place where they can do no harm. And by doing that we can focus on those more important metaphysical matters that giving meaning to life.
This ends the third phase of the dream.

The fourth phase or denouement/final resolution. Jung attributed extraordinary significance to the end of dream because we cannot consciously influence on the outcome {i.e. change the end} thus the dreams will reflect the real situation. I look at this as instructions as how to proceed.

On the table of life there are the books of knowledge and you must choose one if you are to grow personally and spiritually. You have pursued the original 'reasons' {French dictionaries}, origins of those personal emotional conflicts and now must move on to something you really desire and need {I don't want that-the thinking process needs to be let go}. Really, if you ask yourself what do you really want what would that be? Is there not any new knowledge that tempts you?

I see this final resolution as saying two things {everything comes in pairs}. One is you have discovered the actual reasons of your emotional conflicts from your past but you have not completely accepted it. That book needs to be put on the shelf. Take on good last look at it and tie up what remains unresolved. It is probably less than you think, you need only to put the issues into perspective.

The other is something I can relate to from personal experience {and which you mentioned as additional information}. The inner artist has begun to follow a path of expectations instead of letting it flow from the soul. I came to Florida to teach what I have learned from my journey. I went about it by making contacts, acquiring space and places to hold classes on dreams, and finding myself doing what I had done in my old social environment of overloading myself with not the 'perfect' things I really want to do. In my perfect world I will be able to work with dreams by interpreting them, especially face to face and/or one on one through a process of interaction with the dreamer {just as we are doing here}. Then there is the other part of me, the retired being who is so tired of responsibilities to anything other than i desire. it is a bit selfish perhaps to be this way but I have paid my dues. I like some of parts of my 'old' self. Going to the beach taking in the sun, just doing nothing but 'being there'. I sense this may be what this last part of the dream is directing you to. Do it because it is what the soul desires and not what others dictate of what you are used to doing because of social expectations. Focus on those creative/spiritual exercises at a pace you feel comfortable leaving time to enjoy life in this final stage of growing old {yes, I said it, we are getting old and must accept it}. Our best years are ahead of us and we need to let go, completely, of the old social dragon that held us back. Death to the old and new birth to to creative soul.

There are other applications to this dream I am sure will fit. And not every word I wrote will be perfect in its application. But this does set a tone for further discussion and from that and with future dreams we will be able to determine what it is the dream is trying to communicate. I am so confident in Jung's concepts being right that I believe any dream can be interpret when there is an interaction between dreamer and interpreter. Dreams are not the great mystery they once were, we have the tools to understand them. For you and I it is a soulful thing and gives meaning to our existence. As Marion Woodman so adaptability puts it, "{we are involved in soul work". That is a blissful endeavor of the highest degree.

I look forward to your comments.


Jerry

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