This is about paying attention to your dreams and learning how to read the hidden messages within. All dreams relate to our daily lives and specifically to our unspoken desires. It is a time when our subconscious, our mind within on a deeper level, is sending messages to our conscious, our mind without.

For me, the lesson came through using the Sacred Path Cards by Jami Sams and the teachings of the Medicine Wheel and the Eight Lodges, the Four Directions and Elements. Then laying out the dream on the Wheel, using a card spread to assist in the direction of the dream and applying the interpretation.

What always amazes me, is the relativity of the events in the dream to the cards that are drawn. At first I thought the cards were chosen at random but as time went by, found that nothing is by chance, all things are in order and we instinctually choose what is relevant to the message.

I will use this in a Storytelling way to demonstrate how this method has evolved for me. I will share my dreams and the subsequent interpretations in the hopes that you are in some way touched by the experience enough to explore the realm of your own dream world. To learn to be aware and accept the wisdom that comes from within, in the night, in the Dark, in your dreams.

As I sit here writing, I have just reread from my personal journal, a Dream and the completed Dream Weaver Spread, based on the details of a dream that I had a little over a year ago.

My husband and I had made a life changing decision to sell our house and move from the Pacific Northwest, back inland to the Great Lakes area, to live in a small remote community by the largest of the Great Lakes, Superior. We had moved from the East to the West a decade before, we loved the climate, the awesome beauty and expansiveness of the Ocean, Mountains, and Tall Trees. The lushness of the landscape. We owned a home that was situated several hundred feet above sea level and had an expansive view of the beauty that surrounded us. We lived on an Island.

The time spent in this place was a great learning experience. It was the West, the place of Introspection and identifying personal goals (based on the Medicine Wheel Teachings). It was the Women's Lodge, where we go to get in touch with our deepest feelings and desires. It was a time of learning and personal growth and spiritual expansion for me. I found my spirit once more, I wrote about my journey, I shared my experience with those who would listen or read my words. And all that time I kept dreaming. My dreams have always been vivid and fantastic and I have kept a written record of those that I have remembered.

We had the occasion to travel back east to the place of our birth for our oldest daughter's wedding and were able to visit with friends and family. We had not thought about returning, well, not exactly true, for some time I was unsettled. Not enjoying my job anymore, feeling burdened by the need to maintain our lifestyle; yes I had had thoughts of change for quite some time. I just had not voiced them aloud.

When we returned I stifled the feeling of flight, but then suddenly one morning, I knew I was going home. We put our house up for sale and it went immediately, so we were on our way. New beginnings? I have for a long time trusted in the messages and signposts we receive in our daily lives. As I stood on my deck soaking in the sun one morning, a great Hawk flew from out of the east and hovered above me for several minutes, then flew back into the east screeching, almost as if it was calling, "Follow me follow me".

Well, I listened and told my husband of the experience, later that day, someone suggested that if we were looking for a small community, we might consider a place called Hawk Junction in Ontario. Synchronicity?

In the dream…. I found myself driving around in my red Rodeo truck, all shiny with a Dragon decal on one side and my Fairy Spirit decal on the other. In the vehicle were my Father and two of my Aunts, all now deceased. We were in a small community looking around for property. We stopped at a parcel of land which had several old buildings on it. They were long since abandoned and some had collapsed under the weight of time and weather, while others looked burned out. The land was fairly flat and had stands of trees, mostly around where the houses had stood. I suppose as wind breaks. As I walked the land it felt good. I thought we would be able to rebuild in this place. However, I found out that all of the land was not included, that it had been divided into narrow lots for each individual homestead.

We moved on and drove into the town, all along the roadway, was evidence of untended buildings and unfinished structures, long abandoned and suffering from exposure to the elements. For the economy had somehow collapsed and the plans for the future had been forgotten in this town. Still we were not deterred.

The road led us to an underpass, but as we entered, the road began to curve upward and we appeared to be inside a mountain. As we drove up the incline, there were people walking through the passageway. It seemed we were driving up a ramp and being escalated at the same time. Many were walking this path.

When we emerged we seemed to be in the center of town, so we parked the truck and decided to look about. People came over to the truck because they were drawn by the decals on the side. An older gentleman asked how he could obtain a Dragon decal just like mine. I explained it had been done as a gift for me but I was sure he could find a way of recreating it.

All the while my Father and my Aunts were quiet. It seemed that when they spoke, it was softly and to each other, yet they remained with me during this time.

The dream then moved on to a celebration which was to be held in my home. It was a homecoming party for my Brother Oglesa (Red Shirt). Many people were there and they brought gifts and food, for a feasting. There were many Natives, friends of my brother. There was also a group of what we like to call rednecks, but really they were basic down home type people. They brought their guitars and their rowdiness.

The gift we were to give my Brother was a drum with a Loon painted on it. My husband had painted the loon after we made the drum and my brother had assisted him. It was a Horse drum, with a beautiful deep tone. It had the three of us in it.

Our best friends arrived, a couple we have known for many years and they had an infant boy with them. This child was so tiny, he was like a play doll, yet he was perfectly formed.

The feasting started and our best friends left the room, she to lie down and rest, he to socialize with the other guests. I took the child and placed him on my right knee and tied him securely to my right hand with reeds, while I ate from a plate of food resting on my left knee. I was speaking with a woman who sat to my left. When I looked back at the child, he was gone, only the grass was still wrapped tightly around the fingers of my right hand. I got up and frantically started to search for him.

I went into a small guest bathroom, there was water all over the floor and there, in a small red basket, lay the baby, face down in the water. How he got there on his own I do not know. I picked him up and started to give him CPR. I was gasping and in panic realized he was not responding. So I turned my head to the right, took a deep breath and blew into his tiny mouth. His little chest swelled up with the rush of air and he coughed and spluttered out water. He then regurgitated some white pasty substance and he was breathing again.

I placed him down and went to find his Father. I told him what had happened and that the child was all right. He seemed relieved but did not ask for the child. I took the baby outside into the back garden, as I passed the last room in the house, my Brother was sitting in Circle with his friends and they were chanting softly. In the opposite room, the white contingents were playing their guitars, but neither group disturbed the other.

Outside in the garden I took the baby over to a picnic table. The yard was very lush and green and warm and almost steamy with the summer heat. A Native woman sat at the table, so I placed the baby on a small blanket on the table. As I went to speak to the woman, a voice came from the baby, "Mommy, I am tired and I am hungry, but I want to go to sleep now". His voice was so clear and so mature. I asked to woman to watch him while I went back to tell his parents.

I went to where his mother was lying down and his father was there too. I told her about the almost drowning and then as I went to tell them about their baby talking, his mother spoke his words with me, as if she already knew what he had said. She smiled and lay her head back down again.

I returned to the garden, and sat down. This time I wrapped the child in long reeds, which I wove around my fingers, so that I would not lose him again. I started to eat from a plate of food and when I looked up both the woman and child were gone. I could not find them anywhere, though I looked for a long time. The grass was still twined tightly around my fingers.

Interpretation of the Dream (using Sacred Patch Cards © Jami Sams)

Dreamweaver Spread

You draw seven (7) cards in a pattern laying out the first four in one line, top to bottom, then the last three to the left of the others, from top to bottom. Shuffling the deck and randomly selecting with my left hand (governed by the right intuitive brain), I drew in order from 1 to 7…….

That which represents the Thread of the Dream East Shield (Clarity & Illumination) number 8 guided by Eagle. Putting things together, getting in order, the making of lists, cleaning up living space, new freedom and taking flight.

That which represents the Heart's Hidden Desire. Thunder Beings (Usable Energy) number 36. Taking command of energies, getting on with things, using energy to initialize and revitalize movable energies. Regeneration and rebirth.

That which represents Hidden Feelings. Pipe (Prayer & Inner Peace) number 1. Honoring your nature and your eternal and internal flame, making peace with self and others, using power of prayer and revering inner knowing and strength.

That which represents Hidden Talents. Coral (nurturing) number 13. Be good to your body, nurture yourself or another, reunite and reconnect with inner feelings.

That which represents the Dream emerging. Shaman's Death (Death & Rebirth) number 41. Allow old to be removed, letting go and making way for new life cycles to take hold.

The Lesson of the Dream. Storyteller (Expansion) number 29. Growing, encompassing new ideas, expanding on all levels. Influencing others by your experiences through the art of remembering your personal medicine and potential.

The Medicine or Dream Catcher's gift of the Dream. South Shield (Innocence & Trust) number 9. Returning to the child like parts of self. Remembering how to trust and stop holding on so tight. Listening to inner and outer voice. Trust that all that is needed is provided. There is nothing to know. Application to the Dream….

This is where we apply what has been shown through the card reading to the dream, by weaving the meaning throughout the dream.

I found myself driving around in my red Rodeo truck, all shiny with a Dragon decal on one side and my Fairy Spirit decal on the other. In the vehicle were my Father and two of my Aunts, all now deceased. We were in a small community looking around for property. We stopped at a parcel of land which had several old buildings on it. They were long since abandoned and some had collapsed under the weight of time and weather, while others looked burned out. The land was fairly flat and had stands of trees, mostly around where the houses had stood. I suppose as wind breaks. As I walked the land it felt good. I thought we would be able to rebuild in this place. However, I found out that all of the land was not included, that it had been divided into narrow lots for each individual homestead.

The East Shield - the new beginning, looking for a new place to build and recognizing the breakdown of old structures. Knowing what feels right and how each area could be applied individually. Dragon is the initiator, new seed of birth and Fairy is the bridge between fantasy (dream) and reality (physical). There were ancestral allies in the journey to assist and direct.

We moved on and drove into the town, all along the roadway, was evidence of untended buildings and unfinished structures, long abandoned and suffering from exposure to the elements. For the economy had somehow collapsed and the plans for the future had been forgotten in this town. Still we were not deterred

Thunder Beings - the drive to move onward on the path of unfinished business, to expose onself and be open to the elements of change after the collapse of old beliefs and structure. The determination to move and change.

The road led us to an underpass, but as we entered, the road began to curve upward and we appeared to be inside a mountain. As we drove up the incline, there were people walking through the passageway. It seemed we were driving up a ramp and being escalated at the same time. Many were walking this path.

Pipe - going to that place within and recognizing that we are not alone, that others seek as we do, to aspire to higher knowledge.

When we emerged we seemed to be in the center of town, so we parked the truck and decided to look about. People came over to the truck because they were drawn by the decals on the side. An older gentleman asked how he could obtain a Dragon decal just like mine. I explained it had been done as a gift for me but I was sure he could find a way of recreating it.

All the while my Father and my Aunts were quiet. It seemed that when they spoke, it was softly and to each other, yet they remained with me during this time.

The dream then moved on to a celebration which was to be held in my home. It was a homecoming party for my Brother Oglesa (Red Shirt). Many people were there and they brought gifts and food, for a feasting. There were many Natives, friends of my brother. There was also a group of what we like to call rednecks, but really they were basic down home type people. They brought their guitars and their rowdiness.

The gift we were to give my Brother was a drum with a Loon painted on it. My husband had painted the loon after we made the drum and my brother had assisted him. It was a Horse drum, with a beautiful deep tone. It had the three of us in it.

Coral - recognizing your own identity and gifts by sharing with others and showing through talents how others might see themselves. Being gentle and soft, thus drawing others to your energies. Bringing together and sharing in talents and gifts. Recognizing the rhythm and strength and the call to the "quickening" through strength in unity.

The feasting started and our best friends left the room, she to lie down and rest, he to socialize with the other guests. I took the child and placed him on my right knee and tied him securely to my right hand with reeds, while I ate from a plate of food resting on my left knee. I was speaking with a woman who sat to my left. When I looked back at the child, he was gone, only the grass was still wrapped tightly around the fingers of my right hand. I got up and frantically started to search for him.

I went into a small guest bathroom, there was water all over the floor and there, in a small red basket, lay the baby, face down in the water. How he got there on his own I do not know. I picked him up and started to give him CPR. I was gasping and in panic realized he was not responding. So I turned my head to the right, took a deep breath and blew into his tiny mouth. His little chest swelled up with the rush of air and he coughed and spluttered out water. He then regurgitated some white pasty substance and he was breathing again.

Shaman's Death- letting go through the death of that which no longer serves, releasing old belief systems and ingesting new spiritual sustenance, connecting, using the breath (wind-spirit) to breathe new life and allow new cycle's to take hold.

I placed him down and went to find his Father. I told him what had happened and that the child was all right. He seemed relieved but did not ask for the child. I took the baby outside into the back garden, as I passed the last room in the house, my Brother was sitting in Circle with his friends and they were chanting softly. In the opposite room, the white contingents were playing their guitars, but neither group disturbed the other.

Outside in the garden I took the baby over to a picnic table. The yard was very lush and green and warm and almost steamy with the summer heat. A Native woman sat at the table, so I placed the baby on a small blanket on the table. As I went to speak to the woman, a voice came from the baby, "Mommy, I am tired and I am hungry, but I want to go to sleep now". His voice was so clear and so mature. I asked to woman to watch him while I went back to tell his parents.

I went to where his mother was lying down and his father was there too. I told her about the almost drowning and then as I went to tell them about their baby talking, his mother spoke his words with me, as if she already knew what he had said. She smiled and lay her head back down again.

Storyteller - sharing experiences with others through remembering, sharing in circle in a kind and gentle way without judgement of others. Brining comfort to others through sharing. Expanding on details to embellish and clarify and create understanding.

I returned to the garden, and sat down. This time I wrapped the child in long reeds, which I wove around my fingers, so that I would not lose him again. I started to eat from a plate of food and when I looked up both the woman and child were gone. I could not find them anywhere, though I looked for a long time. The grass was still twined tightly around my fingers.

South Shield - returning to child-like innocence, by not holding on so tightly as before, letting to and being in a state of Trust.

This was a condensed version of my own personal interpretation of the dream as shown through the Dreamweaver Spread, it was significant to me and did utilmately put me in a place of Trust, so that I was able to release that which no longer served me, trust in my own gifts and desires, use my own energies, share my experience with others and come to a new place and a renewed beginning in my own life cycle. About the numbers……

Numbers have always had a significant meaning to me and I do take note of them. I have little knowledge of numerology but if we were to apply it in this instance, one might interpret the overall "cosmic" connection to the numbers.

If one added up the numbers in the Dreamweaver spread by the placement of the Cards, in this case, 8+36+1+13+41+29+9 = 137 (added together) = 20 (added together) = 2.

Applied interpretations of the number 2.

2 - is the second tribe of the 20 Mayan Star Glyghs or WIND which represents Sprit (breath). 2 - is the second tone of the 13 Tones of the Mayan Dreamspell which represents Lunar (challenge). 2 - is Polarity of male and female, and represents duality, the loom of reality, the sacred twins, cooperation and relationship. The smoking mirrow, the magnetic dance of universal forces, the faces of illusion and the utimate freedom from illusion, the pulse of Universal Source. 2 - as a Guide to Life Path, teaches the meaning of calmness and harmonious vibration, it will attract many to you as you expand on your life experience. You concern yourself with condition affecting life and prefer ministering to the needs of others, you can work well with young children and are happiest when in a position which allows freedom and latitude to enact change.

Conclusion…

We could continue to find many "hidden" meanings in the dream and subsequently the cards and numbers, for each moment brings revelation and change and each time we read we are that much further ahead on our life journey, so we will see and interpret things from that moment of perspective. This is but a brief recounting of a captured moment in time.

By the way, I did make the life changing move in Trust (South) and took all that I had learned in the West and returned to the East, settling in the North, the place of wisdom and spirit, to continue serving and sharing with all who listen.

Chi Miigwetch (Many Thanks) Mitakuye Oyasin (All My Relations) In Lakesh (I am another Yourself) E Ma Ho (It's Time)

© Carol Sanders 2001

Robert Moss - WAY OF THE DREAMER