Dreaming

Last night I dreamed that I was standing in a field of knee high brown grass. I reached out both arms, and irises, white yellow, pale and dark purple, grew from my palms, developing from small shoots to full blooms in moments. They tumbled to the ground and spread throughout the field. I could feel the wind blowing against my face. My hair was long, knee length at least and whipping around me. The irises became calla lilies then poppies. The brown grass was now gone, and flowers stretched out as far as I could see. They melted into a swirl of color as a soft rain came down. I melted as well, becoming part of a wet palette.

Checking The Dream Moods Dictionary, irises are supposed to represent wisdom, faith and valor. Lilies represent tranquility, spirituality, peace and bliss. Poppies symbolize a sacrifice that the dreamer needs to make or the need to forgive and forget.

This dream was both pleasant and disturbing. I was powerful and strong, and part of me has never been comfortable with that very real aspect of my personality. (My internal critic just sneered "you chickenshit" at me.) Since I recently had my hair bobbed to chin length, the long hair was a puzzler. I've had seriously long hair, but never like that. I had to wonder if it was inspired in part by Theresa's Epistle where the wind whips her hair in front of the camera she's holding. Long hair has long been a symbol of femininity and interestingly enough of strength and vitality. Think Biblically; a woman's hair was her crowning glory and thus should be covered to prevent poor, weak men from being tempted. Samson's strength was unmatchable as long his as hair was uncut. Back to the dream dictionary, long hair is supposed to represent thinking long and deliberately before making a decision. Very interesting, that's exactly what I've been doing. The melting was a wonderful aspect of the dream. The boundaries disappeared and everything was one. It's no surprise that melting symbolizes a release.

I still haven't parsed this dream to my satisfaction. It's unusual for me to remember my dreams, and this one feels like one I need to remember. There's a lesson here for me, and I need to figure it out.

The painting is Black Irises by Georgia O'Keefe.

dreams, symbolism, art