Excerpts from Ariadne's Book of Dreams, Warner Books, 2001

INDIVIDUATION: TIMES OF CHANGE

Dreams of mythic proportions usually come at times when the personality is ready to individuate from the imposed structures and patterns of society, family, and the beliefs of a culture. During the peak of a transformational cycle or a ripe opportunity in life when change is forced or welcome, whether it is a period of maturation such as adolescence or a transition such as divorce, a dream may come as a call to venture deep into the Lower World. Like Alice in Through the Looking Glass or Dorothy in   The Wizard of Oz, a mythic dream may take one into a dark forest as a hero or heroine to slay the demons that block the path. We might have to slay our father, our mother, a witch, or a monster shadow figure who may seek to devour us or rob us of our power. Once that figure has been slain, the ego can move past its old identity and claim one that reflects growth. The personality no longer seeks refuge in the safety of the known world, and it is compelled to accept a deeper connection to nature and a truer, more authentic expression in life.

Adolescents who are between the ages of twelve and seventeen commonly have dreams that mark the passage into adulthood. This period in one's life is seldom recognized in Western culture. In more primitive societies, the transition is celebrated through specific rite-of-passage rituals. Adolescents frequently have difficulty making the transition from childhood to adolescence, and their dreams may reveal the conflicts they face. Their quest to individuate and for self-exploration is often interrupted by parents and educators who exert an opposing force, pulling them into different levels of conformity. While the soul struggles to resolve these conflicts creatively, the adolescent's creativity may turn inward, resulting in emotional tension and depression. It may also turn outward, resulting in antisocial behavior.

When my daughter was twelve, she had a very important dream in which she was confronted by two men with strange-looking futuristic guns. These men were also wearing spider rings on their fingers. She wrestled away a gun and shot the strangers. Rather than bullets, the guns emitted rays of light that dissolved the men. She then descended into the basement of the house, where she discovered a treasure chest full of jewels and spider rings. A guide in the dream told her that she could take as many of the jewels as she wanted. No matter how many jewels and spider rings she took out, the treasure chest remained full. In the dream, she was talking to her father on the telephone, telling him about the dream experience. He in turn told her that he had the same dream when he was her age.

My daughter's dream marked her transition into puberty and pointed to the discovery of her creative power drawn from the Lower World. In the dream, she had conquered her fears through the power of the light and made a descent to find the treasures within her subconscious, symbolized by the basement. The spider ring is a symbol of fertility and creativity, an amulet of power that would protect her and offer her a symbolic connection to her own creative potential. The jewels within the treasure chest represented the radiant qualities and regenerative potential of her sexuality. They also represented the wealth and abundance that may be claimed when she touches the depth of her own creative potential.

Dreams like these are milestones in a psychological as well as a biological process. Recognition and celebration of such a dream may ease the crisis of adolescence and bring to light the psychological tasks necessary to embrace growth.

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