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

THE CALL TO SHAMANIZE

Dreams from the Lower World may also be calls to shamanize, to retrieve the power within nature in order to use it for healing. Intense energy or heat-even fever-may accompany such dreams. They may be seen as the milestones of deep psychological work that push forward the soul's evolution. Shamans often are called to their profession through a dream in which they are met by an animal power who will later become the shaman's ally, guiding him into the many dimensions of the soul.

A dream in which a wild animal appears and threatens to devour or dismember us may represent a confrontation with a natural or supernatural power. Animal power dreams are common but are seldom recognized as a call to shamanize. Often the dreamer will avoid the call by running from the animal and thus avoid the deepest connection to nature and its power.

I recall a dream where I was being chased through the forest by a bear. I ran straight to my mother's house, where the bear waited patiently for me outside. The dream remarked on my avoidance of my role as a shaman and healer through my adherence to the belief that to be successful I needed to pursue doctoral studies. My mother's house represented the safety of accepting her conventional beliefs that higher education was the formula for success.

Animal powers, from the perspective of the shaman, are not symbols. They are strong allies or spirits who lend their energies as power to the shaman through a special kinship. The Lakota Indians, for instance, subscribe the name "relations" to the animal power that they encounter in the spiritual realms. For the Lakota as with other tribal cultures, the power of the animal is familial and sacred. For instance, Brother Eagle is a guide to the spiritual realms. He brings the power of Great Spirit into life and offers a "bird's-eye" view of life from a spiritual perspective.

When animal powers emerge from within a dream we can commune with an extraordinary power and potential. If not fought off or chased away, the animal may offer its wisdom as medicine for the soul, supernatural power for healing, and instinctive power to strengthen the personality. Whether it is the healing energy of a snake or the pride and confidence of a lion, each possesses an extraordinary power that connects us to an instinctual side of ourselves.

The ancient Egyptians believed that animals were closer to God because they were in touch with the mysteries within nature. They assigned godlike qualities to animals and worshiped their power. Many dream analysts interpret animals in dreams symbolically and ascribe negative characteristics to them. They consider animals as reflecting lower drives, which humans should rise above by virtue of the intellect. This view separates man from the mysteries of nature and thus denies the power and potential of the Lower World.

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