Issue 89, January 2006
360 Degrees - Plus Five
©Jane Teresa Anderson, January 2006
Happy New Year! Where were you this day last year? What was happening in your life back then? How much has changed? How much has stayed the same? Have you come full circle or has the year been more of a spiral – up or down? A full 360 degrees back to base, or up or down a notch with all the blessings of a different perspective, a different view from where you now stand?
Or should that be 360 degrees plus five, one for each day of the year? Being a dreamer I have used my creative licence to extend the full circle of a year to 365 degrees, each degree of THE COMPASS symbolising a slight shift in viewpoint for each morning that follows a night of successful dreaming.
Dreams do not guide you or offer you advice. They simply reflect how you see the world today based on yesterday’s experiences (all your yesterdays!). Oh, and they need a little interpretation, of course, before the “simply” makes sense. But if you contemplate a dream and ask yourself the right questions, your answers will reveal valuable insights and choices that you can use to guide your future.
During the last full 365 degree circle (aka 2005) I created a new book, THE COMPASS, based on the kind of issues we grapple with in our dreams. The book offers 365 ‘degrees of freedom’, five of which are presented for you in today’s Dream Sight article. The book can be used in various ways. For example, it can be consulted randomly, letting synchronicity determine your reading, or it can be consulted on a daily basis, contemplating one degree of freedom a day for a year.
Although based on the stuff of dreams, THE COMPASS does not refer to dreams. Each degree of freedom takes you straight to the issue by posing questions (the kind of questions a dream would prompt) and by offering an alchemy practice (similar to a dream alchemy practice).
Enough! Simply sample and see for yourself!
Here’s what to do:
There are five degrees of freedom here: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Pick two numbers and check them out below. (Links to further details on THE COMPASS, how it works, and how to get your copy, are at the end of this article.)
~1~
SEE THE MIRACLE
WHY?
When you grow accustomed to life’s abundant miracles you may no longer notice them.
CLARITY
What feels mundane and ordinary?
What feels as if it’s not getting anywhere?
Where, in your life, do you feel abandoned, forgotten or left out? Looking back over your life, when have you felt this way before? Did things improve? What good surprises or opportunities have come up for you between then and now? How have you changed, as a person, between then and now? Are you ready to be fed, watered and nurtured by more of life’s miraculous teachings?
ALCHEMY PRACTICE
Keep a Miracle Jar. This is a jar or special container of your choice to keep by your bed or in a sacred place in your home. Keep a small notepad and pen nearby. Start by taking ten sheets of paper and writing a sentence about a miracle you have experienced on each one, then fold each one up and pop it into your jar. Be liberal with your sense of miracles. For example, you might write, “It was a miracle that I met so-and-so in 1998,” or “It was a miracle that I saw that job advertised when I needed the money,” or, “It was a miracle that I got the flu, stayed off work and read that life-changing book”. Continue to add a miracle a day, focussing on life’s abundant miracles such as, “It’s a miracle that roses spring from little buds”, or “It’s a miracle that the air is so fresh and easy to breathe”. Invite your family and friends, if you wish, to add their own miracles to your jar. After one month, start and end each day by dipping into your Miracle Jar to be reminded of how miraculous your life is, has been and always will be.
~2~
CREATE
WHY?
Whenever you materialise an idea or vision you affirm your power to shape your destiny.
CLARITY
What vision do you have for your future?
What have you always said you’d like to create?
Why haven’t you done it yet? What are you waiting for? Imagine creating this thing. How does it make you feel? How might this affect the expectations of people around you? What new challenges might your creativity bring? What might you lose? What might you gain? What do you fear? Are you ready to take step one towards creating your vision for the future?
ALCHEMY PRACTICE
The key to this alchemy practice is the word ‘materialise’, to transform an invisible idea, thought or vision into material form. What materials can you use to begin the process of giving shape and form to your vision? If, for example, your vision is to build a lavender farm, start by growing lavender in a corner of your garden, or use sprigs of dried lavender to make a miniature garden set into a large pot stand complete with pebbles for rock features, moss for grass, buildings made from clay or cardboard and a small sign bearing the name of your lavender farm. When you start the process of creating your vision, one step leads to another.
~3~
HAVE NO ATTACHMENT TO OUTCOME
WHY?
When you pin your hopes on an outcome you fail to address the heart of the issue.
CLARITY
What do you want to happen?
How important is it to you that it happens exactly this way?
Imagine this thing happening. How does it make you feel? What difference would this outcome make to your life? How will you feel if it doesn’t happen? What difference would this outcome make to your life? What issue would you have to face? What other – deeper – issue would you have to face? What are you avoiding by pinning your hopes on this outcome? Are you ready to clear this issue for a successful outcome?
ALCHEMY PRACTICE
Imagine a character named IT MUST. He or she has all hopes pinned on the outcome you have been wishing for. Then imagine a character named MUST IT? He or she has an insight to reveal to you in this alchemy practice. Take a piece of paper, a pen and set a timer for 15 minutes. Let IT MUST talk to MUST IT?, much like a film script, but the important thing is not to use your brain. Let your gut instinct write as fast as it can for the 15 minutes. Start with MUST IT? asking, “What if it doesn’t happen?” and let IT MUST reply. Allow each character to speak in turns for about one sentence at a time. You’ll be surprised at what evolves!
~4~
EMERGE
WHY?
Until you emerge you cannot bask in the light at the end of the tunnel.
CLARITY
What seems long and arduous at the moment?
Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel?
What is the light at the end of the tunnel? Imagine reaching it: how does this make you feel? How might life change for you? How might others respond to you? Look over your shoulder from your imagined future and see yourself hauling through the long and arduous journey. How would you describe it in retrospect? How would you describe the lesson you learned? Apply that lesson now – and emerge!
ALCHEMY PRACTICE
Imagine a butterfly that has just emerged from its chrysalis. The caterpillar spent many long days and nights in its dark tunnel-like chrysalis as it slowly transformed into a butterfly. Did it emerge on time? Did it wait a little longer than necessary? Did it spend every day in fear of emerging? Did it try to grow too fast, getting tired and stressed? Did it believe it would really be able to fly one day or did it all seem too good to be true, an unobtainable fairy tale? Whatever the caterpillar believed, it DID emerge as a beautiful butterfly, didn’t it? Imagine yourself emerging into beautiful sunshine. Imagine stretching and discovering that yes, you DO have wings! Feel them. Emerge.
~5~
USE IT
WHY?
What you do not use stagnates.
CLARITY
What talent are you not using?
What energy are you not using?
Are you using your brain, your muscles, your ideas, your sense of humour, your qualifications, your knowledge, your intuition, your second language, your connections, your style, your archives, your marketing ability, your agent, your dreams, your vegetable garden, your vision, your library, your courage, your love, your sexuality, your empathy, your time, your drive, your vitality and …?
ALCHEMY PRACTICE
Make a Use It Checklist. Start by choosing some of the suggestions above, for example, brain, muscles, sense of humour, then extend your list with your own ideas. At the end of each day, tick the items on your Checklist that you have put into use in the last 24 hours. Do this for one month with a goal of using everything on your list at least once during the month. If there are any un-ticked items at the end of the month be aware that you are stagnating those energies. Use them, or lose them.
MORE DETAILS
I plan to produce THE COMPASS in paperback format not too many degrees into the future.
Wherever you are in the world, north, south, west, east, geographically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, I wish you a happy, fulfilling and uplifting 2006 in each and every degree.
Jane Teresa Anderson
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