What follows is a series of dreams and synchronicities.
Over the last few months I have been working on several issues with my mother. It basically involved not trying to please her, and not reacting to any stinging comments she made. After a strong reaction to a nasty bite from a green ant which ended up with me in hospital on a dripful of antihistamines, I realized that in the interests of self-preservation, I had to place some emotional distance between myself and my mum, otherwise, it could all get quite serious. Now I still had to help and support her, but I approached it from a more professional frame of mind.
Shortly after I had a very unemotional dream that my mum had died. I was not concerned about the dream, and interpreted it more in the sense of our changed relationship.
Perhaps another two weeks passed and I had a strong dream in which I was out on a jetty with both my mum and dad. A series of huge waves approached. I was anxious as I faced the first wave, but found that the wave passed easily over me since I was at the base of the wave. I didn't even get wet. The waves that followed passed over me without impact. The feeling in the dream was that it was much safer to be at the bottom of the wave than at the top, in all the froth and bubble.
From past experience, I now anticipated the arrival of some strong emotions. Nothing happened for the next few days, when I was still in anticipation. Two weeks later, when the dream warning had been all but forgotten, my mother had a stroke.
Now you might be wondering what all this has to do with alchemy. Over the previous two weeks I had been dipping into a Jung book in which he discusses his explorations into alchemy. On the day my mother had her stroke, I was loaned a copy of “Alchemy" by Paulo Coelho, a short book, and for those who haven't read it, the main message is that the way to finding your treasure is to follow your dreams, speak your truth and listen to your heart.
I didn't know how to listen to my heart, but whenever I felt the waves of emotion building, I practiced placing my awareness in my heart. What I discovered was that most of the time, the emotions subsided. So once I left the froth and bubble of my straying thoughts, I returned to a more centred and peaceful emotional state.
In this time I have also met and spent time with a couple who have a business named 'Alchemy' (a cordial company) and my daughter and I are reading 'Harry Potter’ in which there are references to alchemy!
Now as I concentrate on trying to understand my mother's new language of nods, eyebrow raises, shakes and shrugs, I am reminded of the journey before me to understand the language of my heart. I do not claim to be able to read its subtleties yet, but I know that this technique has brought relief at a very challenging time of my life.
Dream edited for easier reading - JT, 2005
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