An essay on the science of the Seer
(Shannon R. Shepherd)
3rd Version � 29 November 2003
We all dream, even when we do not consciously recall a dream after waking. I see a lot of information going around these days on the meaning of dreams and sadly it is quite often misleading or pure garbage. That is the basic reason for my desire to write this document. There are other reasons, but those need not be bothered with yet, in due time they will become evident to the reader.
What is a Dream?
Dreams are, to the best of my intuitive understanding and my education and experience thus far, the subconscious review of all the thoughts, feelings and events of the day that took place within us and our observable environment. This includes much information that often we do not consciously recognize. Since it would be highly impractical for the mind to review the entire contents of the day in standard form (that would be a lot of sleep hours!) the subconscious- whose thought process is one of deductive reasoning- employs the imagination and carries out the core premise of each of these events etc in a creative new scenario to communicate its conclusions, elaborated in symbolism- the artistic, creative right-brain language of the subconsciousness- which in reality is always at work. Hence, dreams.
The subconscious has access to your entire memory, as that is its basic function. It will employ your entire history and your mental patterns to assist it in formulating the right series of images (much like the creation of Tarot) in its spontaneous computation-creation called a "dream". Therefore, it may draw on past experiences that have been classified by your reasoning and discriminating functions as similar to present experiences to formulate a new symbolic message to try to get its message/lesson across. It should also be noted that the subconscious thought process, unlike that of the conscious intellect (the basic function of which is awareness), does not distinguish between the true and false, and often fantastic images will be used via its creative expression. It takes the Chaos of pure information (memory) and gives it a "living" form (imagination).
I spoke earlier of mental patterns... there is really but one pattern, the master pattern, of which many lesser patterns can often be found within. I suspect them to be "categorizations" and deducted premises that for some reason could not be integrated into the whole- perhaps contradictory concepts accepted as truth due to faulty reasoning, or to put it another way "maladaptations of the psyche to the life experience" to quote Israel Regardie. I believe one of the goals of attaining Oneness/Enlightenment is reconciling all these lesser patterns (and dissolving the false ones then rebuilding them correctly) so that there is only the One, the consciousness of Crom-cruaghair, the Great Creator.
But to continue, the imagination is simply the process of giving form to force, substance to the pattern (Anu/Bile), order to chaos (chaos being a state of pure data or information devoid of form). This principle is sufficiently portrayed for our purposes in the use of Rorschach ink blot cards by psychiatrists, and the esoteric use of Tarot by mystics. What images the persons imagination formulates within the 'ordered chaos' of the ink blots offers the psychiatrist some insight into the person 'reading' the face of chaos, just as Tarot offers the mystic insight into himself and its corresponding cosmic function by analogy. So dreams then are an excellent tool for self-knowledge. Just as the psychiatrist with the inkblots would ask, "What do you see?", so you should ask yourself the same in analyzing your dreams. It is a mirror of you, and you are the sum total of your thoughts and your actions upon those thoughts, after all "we must act in order to be", and conscious mentation does qualify as action.
This is why those dream interpretation books really bother me- most of them are based on superstition, or a prescribed set of symbols. Unless each person has been trained to incorporate the same set of symbols (which still will yield some personal interpretations) they are effectively almost useless to that person. The books in question assume that these symbols are universal in themselves, that is, that the symbols themselves are where the answers lie, which is a falsehood. The answer lies in the Self, reflected in the symbol.
To conclude this section I will add that the substance of dreams is Light, and light is vibration (and physics tells us that this is all �matter� really is anyway). When we get a good idea we say "brilliant!" or if a dream is vivid we say it is more "lucid". Lucid derives from the Latin �lucis�, which means, "light". Just something to think about. Maybe meditation on this will bring you enlightenment, or perhaps we should say illumination. I�m sure you get the idea.
Symbolism: Language of the Subconscious:
Symbolism is a universal language, whereas speech is of a more personal nature and far more limited. One picture can convey more of a message than a book full of information. That is why nature is the True holy book of the Draoidh. The Awen is a nice example of this as it sums up the entire tripartite cosmology in one sign, as well as conveying other concepts to the interpreter such as the Light of Life emitted from the One-Self into the minds of all; the Law of Love which brings true Liberty. A very positive image worth any time spent upon it in meditation.
All human beings have a common origin in the One Self that exists within the super conscious (superego/Sky Realm) and are yet linked in the collective self (in the subconscious/Sea Realm). What I would call Leo, the Old Irish would have called An Corran. Were I to not know the language then the words would have little meaning for myself. Show a picture of a tree to anyone, regardless of language, and they immediately recognize such. Symbolism and image in general transcends the limitations of time and space that conventional language would appear to be bound by.
This principle is used with esoteric Tarot, but each student is taught and acquainted not only with the universal symbols common to all in the archetypal realm, but what each card means to him-/herself. Each card is in fact, as I said, a MIRROR of the self. This aids in understanding dreams and ultimately the Self as it gives the mind a defined and prescribed set of images with which to utilize its creativity, thereby making self-knowledge from dreams easier to glean because the student understands what he/she is seeing both as it relates to him-/herself and the universal situation (realm of archetypes). And there are other benefits should the F�idh look.
I believe Druids utilizing the Ogham in a method similar to the esoteric Tarot can do this same thing in order to teach a set of prescribed symbols based on universal archetypes. Most of the information I see on Ogham nowadays is purely divinatory in nature, and that�s fine too since it has the effect of honing the intuitive faculty, but it has so much more potential that I am disheartened to see it go so unexplored. This conception of the application of Ogham is something I definitely plan to work on in the future, but care must be taken, because the attributes must be correct and verified by the practical work and experience of the Aes Dana so that it can be safely and correctly utilized.
When one explores themselves, which by neccessity includes their shadow self, asking what each thing as a symbol means to them and how it relates to some aspect of themselves, they learn the unspoken language of nature whereby they may use it to communicate with the natural world (note that communicate derives from the same root as communion, and is the act of communing).
An Example of Dream Interpreting:
I will give an example here of a simple dream interpretation from my own experience just to help give the reader a better idea should such be necessary.
Recently my girlfriend began training in one of the schools of western hermeticism. In her second week of study she had a strange dream of being onboard of a boat searching for something. She was startled by the realization that the boat was not complete; the wood was splintered and had large holes and gaping areas everywhere. She began to panic and tried to escape, but as she did so she realized she was dreaming. As she became conscious of the dream she looked down to find a piece of the ships wood in her hand. She thought to herself �shredded wood for a shredded mind, what do I do with this now?� and awoke, telling me about it immediately afterward.
I told her that I saw the ship as her world-view, her view of her life and where it was going. The quest was the search for herself, the quest that brings us all to the door of the mysteries. But deep inside, she saw reflected in the incomplete ship her feeling of incompleteness. So much of what she believed and reasoned was faulty, as it is for many of us when we judge the world by looking at it instead of into it, reasoning only on the surface appearances.
It reminded me of a time in my life when I felt like a ship on the water, without anyone at the helm and expressed this to her as an idea to go on, though in different words. It was actually that time in my life when I learned that there was no other helmsman, that if I wanted to go somewhere then I had to get behind the wheel and direct myself. My own ship was my vehicle and my real self the helmsman, with the Gods of my people as the stars by which I navigated. I saw this reflected in her dream and offered it as food for thought.
What she said to herself in the dream before waking was profound, and for her it was also prophetic. She was beginning to regulate her thoughts and getting her mental house in order. The board in her hand was a message that the ship was hers (indeed, it was her), which she had built all along; and if she wanted a better ship she had only to repair and finish it. She recognized the message for what it was and is finding a greater measure of happiness and completion now that she is doing the work that the dream advised. But it was really her advice to herself, it was her dream.
So we see that it is very important for the F�idh to be able to correctly interpret dreams and their meaning with accuracy, especially when they border on the prophetic, for this type is often heavily symbolic. In learning to do so with their own dreams they gain the ability to interpret the dreams of others, who might come to them for aid, in a like manner.
It must be understood though that one can never give another the ultimate meaning of that persons dream(s). Always must it be presented as the way the interpreter sees it, even if it hits the nail on the head repeatedly (so to say).
The reason I say this is that there are personal elements to everyone�s dreams, which are outside of (though still within) the universal commonalities. A symbol is not necessarily an item, but often is a full situation with words, certain actions in a certain place, and the context in which all these things play into the other. The F�idh does not live within that other persons being, and does not live, believe or think the same things (though their will be some similarities) that person has done that day, or their entire life for that matter.
The Collective Subconscious: A Treasure House of Images:
As I already stated, the basic function of subconsciousness is memory (Sea Realm) and this includes the genetic memory. In our tripartite cosmology the Sea realm is the realm of the Ancestors, and with good reason. By intentionally tapping into the collective subconscious memory bank we can retrieve many fantastic things, and this can be (and is often done without one realizing they are doing it) within dreams.
All knowledge discovered by man is permanently recorded in the astral light. The universe hides nothing from those who have learned to see. Those who experience psychokenisis by simply touching a thing are tapping into this. I will not explain it any better because I do not wish to accept karmic responsibility for the carelessness of the unwise dabbler.
In contrast to the collective subconscious, the Super Conscious realm of the One Self (Sky World) relates to the future and exists outside of history, so it is more novel and creative. It is the realm of non-historic data where prophecies are gleaned. This aspect of ourselves is our deepest inner core, and one must learn to access and master the subconscious shadow self before they can hope to tap the higher current. As we go deeper within we move from individuality to collective individuality to ultimate unity. This knowledge and the success in using it is what makes a Draoidh in my belief.
Imagination, the Minds Eye:
The word imagination derives from the same root as image. Imagination is inner seeing and thus it is taught in many mystery traditions that all of our basic thinking is done in pictures. This is no different from dreaming, as it is by the imagination that we see what we dream. We see the pictures in our head before we say. Often it is so fast and fleeting that we don�t consciously take notice, but subconsciousness does. When we become skilled at consciously noticing them we find that they are quite complex. Further, Imagination is called the �silent speech�, because it is an image and not a sound, but nevertheless is a form of communication and is very powerful; by it we shape our lives.
When I made the comment about �those who have learned to see� I was referring to those who have developed and mastered their vision, their inner vision, the creative, generative faculty of imagination, the real tool of the Seer. To those who can learn the mystery, the imaging faculty becomes their greatest tool. For in imagination is the key to draoicht and to the attainment of the �fire in the head�. �Keep it simple stupid� is bad advice. Leaving something hazy and undefined is asking for trouble.
I don�t recommend unwise experimentation. �Fire� can burn if not handled with care. Do your homework. I�ve given you enough to help you set the ball rolling. Good vision and pleasant dreaming at you.
Further Reading and Relevant Links:
A Dialogue Between Shin and Mem -
Man as an Analogous Creature � Article in �The Beacon�
(More to come)