Dream Work

The topic at hand is Dream Work.

Let's begin the day with Rumi, shall we?

Some Kiss We Want
Rumi

There is some kiss we want with
our whole lives, the touch of

spirit on the body. Seawater
begs the pearl to break its shell.

And the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild darling! At

night, I open the window and ask
the moon to come and press its

face against mine. Breath into
me. Close the language-door and

open the love-window. The moon
won't use the door, only the window.
__________________________________

Goodness, it's a steamy collection of words!  Whew.

I find so much here. Layers upon layers that tug at my heart for exploration: a mystical connection to the divine, rapture within one's self, rapture with another, dancing with the rhythms of the earth, passionate sexuality, dreams, spirituality.  And I could go on.

You may know this: I am the founding director of Spirations Institute for Interspiritual Formation, a two-year spiritual direction training program exclusively for women.  This quarter I am leading my current class of participants in an exploration of Symbol, Dreams, and the Inner Life.  It's been a juicy quarter and many of the women are breaking into deeper and more un-nameable pieces of their souls.  These are not women who are new to spiritual exploration, mind you. Most of them have made a lifetime career out of delving into the depths of Spirit's many pools. Yet looking at their dreams (and therefore their lives) in the context of the Spirations has been fresh; soul-trembling; exhilarating; filled with AHAs and release. I would say that many of them are re-discovering the ways (to borrow from Rumi) the moon comes through the window.

We are using a tape series by Jeremy Taylor, uber dream guru and Unitarian Universalist minister.  I, too, have been re-engaging Taylor's words in the midst of the quarter. Yesterday as I drove to pick up my bulk, organic food order off the semi in a nearby town, I listened in on a session. Taylor goes around the room and asks several participants to speak aloud titles to their dreams. It's remarkable the ways others' dream titles begins to knock at my heart. I feel the moon coming in my own window.

I've decided to share some of my own recent dream titles here. What happens when you read them? What titles are you drawn to?  Let's see:

• Skipping Novel Class (And Other High School Adventures)
• Good Mother (ME) and Bad Mother (MY MOTHER) in Bed Together: I Am Both
• Attempting to Unlock the Rich Girl's Safe: 3 Strikes and We're Out
• Kissing the Rich Girl
• Sobbing, Chasing After the Orphan Girl in the Alley
• Fire in My Parents' Garage
• Touching the Blood in my Vagina
• I'm CSI: Finding LL's Killer
• Ordination Morning at the ELCA
• I'm a Murderer in the Church Parking Lot
• Y Has Cancer and No One Tells Me
• Orgasm Morning
• Shoes, Shoes, and More Shoes
• Abby (the dog) Jumps Out the Retreat Center Window & Children Are Milling About the Graveyard
• Scrambling Over Piles of Debris to Find My Spiritual Director
• Around the Oval Table With My Family of Origin: Revealing My (True) Self
• Using the Toilet in the Library, Surrounded by Mentors and Co-Workers

As dreams have a way of making the dreamer incredibly transparent (ahem), you may now know way more about me now than you had ever wished to. Well.

I wonder what your dream titles are.  Will you share?

Keep in mind that dream titles' main job is to help you recall the entire dream with just a few words.  So "Running Screaming from the Castle" is a much better memory hook than "I'm Angry At My Parents." You might have many dreams that point to anger with your family, but noting the Castle will pinpoint just which dream it is. 

So. The table is open. We await your words...

Comments

[Sacred Art of Living]

SM, I LOVE this poem from Rumi! And I adore your post. I have done lots with dreamwork and consider it a primary spiritual practice. I took a great class with Jeremy Taylor while at the GTU in Berkeley and will be starting a Dream Leader Training program in August. I am away for a few days with a soul friend and we spend much of the day sharing dreams and helping each other to explore them more deeply. My most recent dreams include: Human Voodoo Doll; Stealing Umbrellas; and The Dark Journey to Retrieve the Gift of Running Shoes. Let's talk dreams some more offline sometime! Blessings, Christine

[Story Midwife]

Hello Christine!
Every piece of this is wonderful! Thanks for sharing! Will you also share a bit more about your Dream Leader Training program? Some readers here may be interested. Let's plug you! Blessings on your time with your friend. May your souls and lives be nourished and ever-more steeped in beauty. Deep bows.

[Sacred Art of Living]

Thanks for the invitation SM. Actually the dream leader training is one I am participating in through the Haden Institute in NC but hope down the road to start one similar to it in the Northwest. Right now my teaching energy focuses on Awakening the Creative Spirit, a continuing education program for spiritual directors to learn to use arts and imagination in their ministry. I already spend one day of this using the arts to crack open dreams. I co-teach with the amazing Betsey Beckman, a dancer. I primarily lead poetry and visual art. It is in a six session (2 days each) monthly format for the time being, but we may consider doing an intensive down the road to draw folks from further afar. See www.thecreatingspace.org or www.sacredcenter.org for more information!

[Mama]

What a wonderful poem! I've never read his work; now this is "must do" added to my list. I love it!

[Story Midwife]

Hello Mama!
Yes, it is a luscious poem. Be prepared to swoon as you discover more of Rumi's words.

[Story Midwife]

Christine,
THANKS for sharing! Hope a few of the SM readers check out your glorious self. I have a dear friend who was seriously considering the Haden Institute dream training, but is saying no for now. Wouldn't that be a hoot if the two of you were together!