Dreams

I know I say it all of the time...maybe even too much but, I am continually amazed by how true to real life my dreams are.  Generally speaking (though admittedly this is a work-in-progress) I don't consider myself to be a deeply spiritual person.  I want to be; I just don't think I am there yet.  One of  the (maybe the only) times I really feel connected to my spirit is in my dreams.  It is such a deep connection that I struggle to even define it.   It continues to amaze me. 

The most recent example of this connectedness occurred last night.  In my dream, I was running up multiple sets of stairs.  The stairs were very dimly lit and the surroundings were dark. Everything about the setting I was in seemed dark and dreary and had almost an unsafe feeling to it.  In the dream, it was known that if I made it to the top of the stairs, the sunlight would break through and it would be worth all of the hard work to run up the stairs and through the dark dreary conditions.  Someone was constantly behind me telling me not to quit, despite my wanting to several times.  At one of the landings before the next set of stairs my cat, Joey was there.  He was meowing and looking for attention.  The person coaxing me along urged me to pet Joey quickly and then move a long, up the next flight and the next until the sunlight showered over me.  Joey would be fine.  Throughout the dream, I was out of breath, and not entirely sure the end result would be worth the effort it took to get there.

I looked up the three main symbols in the dream; the stairs, the cat and the darkness.  To dream you are climbing a set of stairs means your are trying to reach a higher level of understanding.  You are making progress in your spiritual and emotional journey.  A cat symbolizes an independent spirit, creativity and power.  My own interpretation of seeing Joey there and having the person with me tell me to tend to Joey but keep moving along was a reminder that I need to remember to take care of me...obviously not neglect those who count on me but not to forget or neglect myself in the process.  The darkness was easy enough to interpret...instability, not being able to see a clear, full picture etc.  To dream of sunlight breaking through the darkness means you will overcome your failures. 

The whole dream was very telling but the biggest realization came hours later, after having given this dream some thought.  The biggest symbol in the dream wasn't the stairs, the cat or the darkness.  It was the person coaxing me along, encouraging me and telling me it would all be worth it in the end...because I realized that person was not some random being.  That person was me...or more accurately that "voice in my head" that tells me to keep going, keep moving forward and not to give up. 

Powerful.