No Longer Separated, but Joined

Life was never meant to be a struggle.

~Stuart Wilde

We become very powerful emotionally when we open our hearts to all things present.  Using acceptance and compassion to embrace any given moment creates a depth that grounds our spirit.  As we move forward in manifesting our lives, we serve others along the way.

How we honor our selves and the manner in which we respect others determines how we navigate through relationships.  Do we travel with fear, unworthiness, and guilt or with joy, beauty, and acceptance?

Alan Cohen, author of A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE, states:

Our relationships are our primary means of emotional support;  we join and bond to empower each other to be strong, powerful, and great.  Our primary relationship is the place where we need to give and receive the most nourishment and respect.  Make your primary relationship a refuge where you can come to be healed and nourished.

We can strive to treat others as we would have them treat us.  The honor and respect we extend to others will then be returned to us.  We can speak not with the intention to be 'right', but with the intention to heal. 

Let us all aim for peace amongst ourselves, no longer feeling separated, but joined.

Finding Holiness

Older now, you find holiness

in anything that continues.

~Naomi Shihab Nye

Everything changes as we age ... personally, socially, and worldly.  Our perception, forgiveness, and compassion are no longer on a sliding scale, as with an open heart much more can be embraced and understood.

"The longer I wake on this Earth, the louder the quiet things speak to me.  The more I experience and survive, the more I find truth in the commonalties we all share.  The more pain softens me, the deeper my joy and the greater the lessons of those things that live in great stillness."  (Mark Nepo, THE BOOK OF AWAKENING)

Life seems to slow down offering pauses where we can see clearly what was once a blur.  In the pockets of stillness, life speaks lifting a veil so we can once again see the magic of the world.  Our childhood wonder and innocence returns bringing laughter and joy to our lips.  If we drink of this nectar of life,

we may still be alone, but never lonely.

Dance in the Rain

Life is not about waiting

for the storm to pass ...

It's about learning

how to dance in the rain.

Vivian Greene

Rain in the spring seems purely prepared to enrich the soil, to gently touch the lovingly planted seeds, and to awaken the sprouts or buds.  As the rain falls down upon us, it is like a cleansing for the earth and all of its residents.

I have good memories of rainy days.  As a child, I played dolls with little friends in a screened in wrap around porch.  In high school, I walked in the rain eating ice cream cones with my most trusted girl friend.  In college I walked in the rain alone, feeling the rain drops as soft caresses upon my face.  As a mother, I sat in my own screened in porch watching my children play. 

Now, however, I impatiently await the return of the sun.  I feel like a wilting plant, reaching upwards anticipating the bright rays of the sun while my normally content mood seems to slide down the well watered slope.

The black clouds roll in, the deep vibration of thunder begins and the rain pelts against the windows.  Poor Hannah, my dog, clings to my side as her body shakes with fear.  What memories she must have from surviving the on slaught of tornadoes that separated her from her family. 

Metaphorically, we do need to know how to dance in the rain instead of waiting for the darkness to pass.  If we can live in each moment, receiving the gift of the present, all of life will

unfold.  We must trust the process, have faith in the powers that be, and hope for the day when the sun will shine again.

Unseen Grid

"Your need is connected to someone else's;

at this very moment someone wants to offer the very thing you seek.  Know that the divine connection system is always operating."

~Hilda

My dear friend Bonnie always points out that God has a plan before we even have the desire.  So once again, as human beings, we require patience for the plan to come together.

Every night we may fall to our bed, heavy laden with unfulfilled desires, but every morning we awaken with a clean slate.  With each sunrise, we get to start anew.

We can begin again in each and every moment, hour, day, month, year, while waiting to connect the dots for our intention.  Often times, we must repeat or regroup or redesign until the appropriate networking is complete.

We forget the divine network that supports our efforts and some are unaware of the unseen grid surrounding us.  We are like molecules bumping into each other.  We do not become aware of the connectedness until we are aligned with what is necessary for our plan. 

This unseen grid intrigues me.  I met a woman one time who I had heard many good things about.  I was certain that our paths had never crossed before. Once I met her, however, I realized we had been attending the same meetings and trainings on a regular basis.  We laughed and wondered how many years our paths had been crossing, but we just didn't know it. 

My daughter, living in Tennessee, mentioned to a fellow Nashville colleague that she was born and raised in a small Illinois town.  The colleague mentioned attending college in a small Illinois town and it turned out to be located in my daughter's birth place.

Last July I attended a meeting at a location I had never previously visited.  I walked into the room and knew no one there.  Being new to the community, I sat down next to a woman and through conversation learned that she had grown up 30 minutes from where I used to live.

There are endless stories like the ones above.  None of them may be earth shattering, but joined together we discover these synchronicities, coincidental or accidental meetings, or flukes bring desires together in an almost magical way.   

We walk amongst strangers every day, but I feel certain that if and when we take the time to be friendly, we would discover some sort of shared link in this unseen grid.  If we took the time to greet those around us in the manner we greet babies in a grocery store, the world would be a more friendly place.  We would realize our similarities and no longer see each other as strangers. 

So we don't need to give up on our dreams and desires just because they have not taken form.  It does not mean that they are wrong, but rather we have not yet met the person who offers the need we seek!

It's All A Ride by Terri St. Cloud

“ alone and shaking,
she wondered how she'd get thru.

the doubts surrounding her, keeping
her awake.
and then she remembered.

it's all a ride, a journey, a dream.
the twists and turns of which she
couldn't even fathom.

she closed her eyes and rested.
she'd travel where she must.
never knowing where she was going...
but knowing it was a ride worth taking."

                                                                      ~terri st. cloud

www.BoneSighArts.com

                      



Feet under the Table

 Not what we say about our blessings,

but how we use them,

is the true measure

of our thanksgiving.

~ W. T. Purkiser

When I was a very young mother, I asked an 80 year old woman to share a favorite memory.  Without any hesitation she replied, "When there were feet under the table."  This made no sense to me whatsoever at the time.  She laughed and said that if there were feet under her table, her children were home. 

As the years passed me by, I frequently recalled these heart felt words.  I would glance at my children gathered around our table listening to their stories and laughter.  I was not always blessed to have all of my children's feet under the table, but the new little feet of grandchildren were a welcomed addition. 

My table has always been a gathering place and every time I find feet under it, I am most thankful for this means that love has gathered near. 

So on this Thanksgiving Day

I hope you have many feet

under the table!

Reflections on Thanksgiving November 24, 2011

 

Thanksgiving seems to be accompanied

by a broad range of emotions this year.

There has been loss,

but loss has been followed by gain.

It is true one vessel empties

while another is filled.

I am deeply grateful

for all of the seen and unseen

gifts you have bestowed upon me.

I am eternally thankful

for the opportunity of friendship

with you.

I celebrate

the difference your life

makes in this world.

I treasure

the difference your life

has made in mine.

I honor

your evolving spirit

within.

Happy Thanksgiving

November 24, 2011

Love after Love by Derek Walcott

The time will come

when with elation,

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror,

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say sit here.  Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine.  Give bread.  Give back your heart,

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit.  Feast on your life.

Derek Walcott

Juncture of Life

 It may be when we no longer know what to do,
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go,
we have begun our real journey.

Wendell Berry

It is a day filled with rain and gloom sending a chill deep into my bones.  I sit in my chair looking out the window and find myself missing the leaves that have been carried away by the wind.  There is an empty space where my fallen tree called home and its absence causes me to sigh.

While I journal, I speculate how I fit into the greater scheme of things.   Do I make a difference in space or time?  There is so much fear and uncertainty in our world, accompanied by hot passion, but too frequently lacking conviction.  The earth and all whom stand upon her are in need of great healing and yet an intensity festers amongst those who hold the speculative answers.

As human beings we have free will.  We have choice as to whether or not we will watch life pass us by or jump on board as active participants.  Will our life just leisurely unfold or will we become interior decorators of our soul.

Some challenges are mastered while some remain snagged in distorted dreams.  Which lenses we choose to look through determines our interpretation of all that surrounds us.  Belief systems and core values direct our focus so pure innocence or untainted viewpoints are difficult to come by. 

Who to trust? 
What to believe?

Clarity of perception still resides in the eyes of the beholder.  The eyes sometimes do not see what the ears can acutely hear.  Even our physical vibrations impact reactions.  How do we ever find our way?

I no longer know what to do ...

I no longer know which way to go ...

This must be the real juncture of my life.

The one I have been striving towards.

Waiting for the Key

The moment one definitely commits oneself,

then Providence moves too.  All sorts of things

occur to help one that would never otherwise

have occurred.  A whole stream of events issues

from the decision which no one could have

dreamed would have come their way.

~W. H. Murray

The key to opportunity, what shape does it take?  Is there only one key or many?  Either way, a risk must be taken.  Once the risk is taken, does the key unlock the door?  One never knows until the steps are taken into the unknown.

Optimists encourage a person to make their own opportunity, to not wait for someone to arrive knocking at your door.  An individual must put himself or herself 'out there' in order to set things in motion.  One must not only unlock the door, but step through it.

Norman Vincent Peale author of THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING also wrote the book POSITIVE IMAGING which was described as "The Powerful Way to Change Your Life". Basically, the concept was to vividly picture your goal,  and hold it until it became a part of your unconsciousnessness where it would release great untapped energies.  "Hope, faith, and truth seem to be the keys." 

Our self image creates how we present our self.  If we paint our self into a pretty picture, we more than likely will find our self enjoying the landscape.  It is believed by many what we send out into the world will come back to us.  If we render hatred, we will receive hatred in return.

Love, light, and energy is how I think of myself.  It is what I want to be to others.  I will be steadfast with faith, hope, and trust that the Universe will return these things to me.

Inventory of Relationships

The kaleidoscope of colour

which is my life ,

Shows the interesting choices

I've made along the way.

Antie Koekie

This morning I read "Our relationships were meant to bring us joy and empowerment." (A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE by Alan Cohen).  I began to explore the truth in this statement within my relationships.

As a "people person"  I have a variety of relationships and as I evaluate them, I find that some weigh me down or stress me out whereas others nurture and stimulate me.  I realize that some need to be gently wrapped up, given closure, and safely stored away.  Others need to be reopened, restored and appreciated while still others just need forgiveness and release.  My inventory of relationships feels heavy and in need of attention.

This exploration of relationships makes me realize how inconsistently I give of myself.  It seems I have it in reverse ... giving more or trying harder in areas that perhaps deserve less and not having as much time for those that deserve my full attention.

I realize the need to bring integrity into my exchanges rather than anxiety with a 'lesser than' attitude.  I need to speak up and express myself honestly rather than hiding or feeling too vulnerable.  All disingenuous conversations drain me whereas

speaking my truth with respect towards others empowers me.

There is no need for manipulation or power plays.  I just need to let interactions unfold in a natural way as long as I honor myself in the process.  I must look deeply into the heart of the other to see how I can best serve without giving myself away. 

Dismantle Our Illusions

The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid,

but he who conquers that fear.

NELSON MANDELA

We all experience fear, but we do not necessarily experience the same fear.  One person may fear flying in an airplane while another fears dogs, so there is not a constant in the fear ... meaning it is not factual or we would all have the same reaction.

In A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE, author Alan Cohen states "One of our missions in life is to discover what holds us back from being ourselves and dismantle our illusions."

This author suggests they we bring to mind someone who does not share our fear and visualize them handling the same situation with ease and peace.  The

next time you are feeling fearful, duplicate similar behavior of confidence and calm. 

Alan Cohen suggests that we ask our self this question:

"If I were not afraid, I would ....

• ________________
• ________________
• ________________
• ________________

Go ahead!  Make a list and see just how much fear limits us from experiencing life fully.  Take the risk and face each situation with peace discovering the illusion of fear.

Discard the Disguise ...

Love takes off masks

that we fear we cannot live without

and know we cannot live within.

James A. Baldwin

Our arms extend, reaching for a mask when we feel fear rather than acceptance or love.  If we keep it on too long, we run the risk of forgetting who we truly are.  It takes work to heal the woundedness, but beyond the risk there is reward.

We may wear one mask with our family, another one at work,

and still another with friends.  When we are not our authentic 

self, projected a false image, we begin to feel fraudulent and unlovable compounding original issues.

By identifying our own suffering, we grow more compassionate with others.  By removing the mask, we release creativity and receive a true sense of wholeness.

Dare to discard the disguise ...

Can You Imagine, by Mary Oliver

  



CAN YOU IMAGINE?

by Mary Oliver

For example, what the trees do
not only in lightening storms
or the watery dark of a summer’s night
or under the white nets of winter
but now, and now, and now – whenever
we’re not looking. Surely you can’t imagine
they don’t dance, from the root up, wishing
to travel a little, not cramped so much as wanting
a better view, or more sun, or just as avidly
more shade – surely you can’t imagine they just
stand there loving every
minute of it, the birds or the emptiness, the dark rings
of the years slowly and without a sound
thickening, and nothing different unless the wind,
and then only in its own mood, comes
to visit — surely you can’t imagine
patience, and happiness, like that.

Adorn Yourself Accordingly ...

Know first who you are,

and then adorn yourself

accordingly.

Epictetus

Stoic, AD 55

A few years ago, I was gathered with some women exploring our spiritual beliefs and personal truths.  The conversation wandered into a discussion about  the image we project onto others.  Unexpectedly, a very dear friend pointed at me and exclaimed, "Well, look at you.  You are all decorated like a tree!"   I was so caught off guard, I quickly withdrew into myself and allowed the conversation to move forward by saying, "Why thank you!" I felt embarrassed, defensive, and hurt. 

I tried very hard not to feel that this was a personal attack, but more of an observation regarding the diversity of women.  I believe that it was pointing out the differences between good friends. Later, in the safety of my home, I reviewed this bothersome remark.

When I no longer felt defensive, I began to explore the evolution of my dress code which ran parallel to the unfolding of my spiritual life.  All of the changes that occured on the inside of me, were eventually reflected on the outside.

As a little girl, I was dressed in feminine attire until I morphed into a 'tom boy'.  Entering a private college prep academy, I quickly realized I was totally out of my league in fashion.  When I left for college, I packed one pair of black flats and one pair of navy blue heels.  Fortunately, my college roommate and I were able to swap clothes frequently.  My interest in clothes accompanied my marriage, but was quickly replaced with pregnancies and booties. 

After having my three boys, I was gifted with a daughter on Mother's Day.  Into my life came patent leather shoes, little gloves, smocked dresses and matching bonnets.  There was enormous pleasure in dressing this beautiful child.

Once I returned to a professional career, years later, my respect for myself began to flourish.  I was not fanciful, but tailored clothes were a must.  It was during these later years that my spiritual self joined forces with my physical self producing a confidence that was reflected in some flair.

As my daughter entered a professional career, she too fashioned a style of her own, and repeatedly assisted in discovering designs suited for myself.  I had a multitude of shoes, suits and a casual wear.  I developed a very good sense of color scheme accented by unique jewelry.  I liked who I was and thoroughly enjoyed dressing in what reflected how I felt.

Self-discovery brought me to compassion and acceptance of myself.  Nurturing myself comforted my wounded child and love became possible.  In celebration, I adorned my body accordingly. 

Each of us will choose what feels comfortable on us.  Our apparel may change from hour to hour or day to day.   We may have a set uniform that we can live in repeatedly and indefinitely.  It does not matter, but realize there is choice for all of us.

Celebrate yourself! Be festive in your own way!  Use music, dance, and poetry to herald the unfolding of your beautiful self.  And if someone says you are lit up like a tree ... know your internal light and the loving kindness of your heart is shining through for all to see!

i want ... by terri st. cloud

i want



 i want to really really live.
i want to laugh til my stomach tightens so much
that it aches and my legs hurt from my slapping
them.

i want to cry from my gut and let the tears wash
me to where i need to go.
i want to hear the singing of my heart,
and let the sounds echo inside me
and i want to dance to that music.

i want to fill with compassion and touch
someone's face so gently that they can feel
the caring in my fingertips.
i want to love so deeply that my cells vibrate
with it and just standing near me you can
feel the buzz of the vibrations.

i want to know that i'm worthy and good
and i want to leave self doubt on the highway.
i want to touch the sky and recognize my
soul in it.

i want to walk in the rain and drop to my knees
in gratitude for this gift of life i have been given.
may i never ever forget what a gift it truly is.


~terri st. cloud
www.BoneSighArts.com



When the Bough Breaks ...

 

"A tree does not move unless there is wind."

-  Afghan Proverb 

Our Golden Retriever, Hannah, was rescused from the deadly April 2011 tornadoes in Alabama, so her senses are heightened as the wind blows today outside our door.  She stays closely by my side, never taking her eyes away from me seeking assurance that all will be well.  High wind warnings seem to be everywhere, blowing across numerous states and creating damage as it goes. 

As I sit writing by the window in the den, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye, glimpsing a 20 foot tree falling against our home.  The uprooting was not as loud as one might expect, nor the impact against the house, but Hannah's howling was greater than the wind's.

After assessing the back yard, I am immediately grateful and thankful for no other damage than to the gutters.  I make a phone call and help immediately is on the way.  In a few days, the fallen tree will be cut into sections and then hauled away.  I feel a tremendous
sense of loss. 

This very tree protected my bird feeders and greeted me every morning from my window.  The song birds gathered in the out stretched boughs and the leaves provided shade to our home from too much sun. 

This lovely tree was a constant presence in my daily life and I will sincerely miss it.  Another tree can be planted in the empty space, but the heart of this giving tree can never be replaced. 



Holding the Hot Coal

      Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal

with the intent of throwing it at someone else;

you are the one who gets burned.

Buddha

Anger is what is called a secondary emotion.  In other words, it is not the first emotion we have felt during a particular situation.  We feel something before anger like betrayal, dishonesty, disappointment, etc...  We feel so uncomfortable with that initial feeling, we repress it and move all of our energy into the secondary emotion, anger.  As we vent and rage, we can release the stress of the situation, but we do not process the original emotion.  If we do not release the anger, it too becomes repressed and in time can build a smoldering volcano impacting our health as well as relationships.

So anger has very little to do with addressing the issue at hand.  In fact, anger, if acted upon, creates a whole new scenario where we are perhaps acting out just as poorly as the first person or even worse.  Anger has very little to do with the healing intention.  Anger is deliberately or uncontrollably striking back either verbally, emotionally or physically, creating or deepening the original offense.

Do not misunderstand what I say.  Anger is normal and needs to be processed in a safe and positive way.  It is the negative behaviors that stem from anger that are not okay.

If the only person we can change is ourselves, then we are obligated to speak our truth, expressing the hurt feelings whether verbally or by using the written word. "You hurt me."  This simple statement honors  feelings within, without doing further damage.  Do not be the one left holding the hot coal.

Seeking Our Reflection

You are that

which you are seeking.

Saint Francis

To define myself, I have frequently used the word 'seeker'.  I have been an avid reader from an early age, always having a thirst for knowledge.  Even if I disbelieved in something, I would explore the subject so I would know exactly why the information was not congruent with my thinking.

THE BOOK OF AWAKENING by Mark Nepo states:  "Seeking in the world has always been a way to mirror to us where we need to work inwardly."  This certainly gives one pause.

The need to pay attention to where we place our awareness once again becomes important.  To recognize where our attention gathers, we are given reflections as to what is really needing healing or recognition within ourselves.

Where do we use our energy, how do we use our energy, and in what way do we restore our energy also become important questions.  It is important for us to align our energies for freedom to explore our issues.   

Many times I have heard friends say, "I don't know what is bothering me.  Something is just eating away at me."  If this is the case, friends need to prioritize how they are using their energies.  Are they spending enough time on personal quests or is all of their time being allotted to work projects or family responsibilities. 

The longing for healing and wholeness resides within all of us, but these yearnings are often disguised as  challenges.  Awareness will give us clues as to how to identify and address the necessary issues in our personal and spiritual lives.

Seek and ye shall find ...

Matthew 7:7

11.11.11 Awakening the Hearts of Humanity by Estaryia Venus

 

The 11-11-11 gateway is upon us.  Many are speaking about it and many are beginning to feel on an energetic level the deeper awakening that is about to occur.  

As we continue to move towards 2012 and beyond, the hearts of humanity are going through an energetic shift from separation to an inner knowing of oneness and a sense of unity consciousness that will raise the vibration of this planet into its next evolution.   

 

This evolution is occurring on a planetary level as well as on human level.  The biology of planet Earth and our own human biology is in a transformation.  The human DNA has stored within it  

all the codes and information for this next evolution.  Awakening this dormant information is what is happening on planet Earth at this time.  With this awakening, new consciousness is being birthed, and with this new consciousness comes a new era, a new way of being that is connected with the environment and with all life.  

11-11-11 and Human DNA 

Human DNA is triggered by digital codes, awakening genetic sequences which release information (light) into our consciousness. This genetic memory that is being turned on, begins to release us from the constructs of time as we have known it.  11-11-11 is one of the codes of this activation process.  It is part of the binary code that is part of the matrix of this reality and plays a role in the next phase of planetary awakening.   

             

This master number, digital code, is part of the process of turning on our original blueprint and genetic memory held within the spiraling strands of our human DNA. These numeric codes awaken the mind to change and experience new levels of consciousness and more of our infinite hu-man potential.   

The 11-11-11 gateway is opening us to receive our divine purpose as a crystalization into the matrix of this Earth.  During the 11-11-11 gateway, the elemental structure of Gaia, will be activating through 2 planetary grand trines, one of Earth and one of Air.  These grand trines will overlay and create the perfect harmonious structure for the new energies of light to enter the Earth and enter our human form, through the cellular matrix of our DNA.  Through the geometry of the 2 grand trines, equilateral triangles, energy comes into the Earth in perfect harmony.   

The new higher frequencies of light will assist us in evolving into the next phase of consciousness and light on planet Earth.  Through this gateway of light, we will be opening into more of a timeless sequence so that we may be more connected to our multi-dimensional nature, where we are in alignment with our soul essence and creation occurs through this connection in a sequential rhythm that transcends the duality and illusion of time.   

These digital codes, 11-11-11 will imprint our DNA structure turning on a blueprint for a higher state of consciousness to emerge.  These codes are activated within the cellular memory of our DNA, allowing us to remember the truth of who we are, our divine purpose as a "conscious vibrational embodied experience."

 



Falling from the Tree

                                                                     

 "How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.
                          

At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow."

Elsie N. Brady, LEAVES 

-

Even though I enjoy all four seasons, fall is my most favorite.  Whether referred to as Autumn, Harvest, or Fall it is truly a time for Thanksgiving!  Fall offers nature's display of radiant colors, cooler weather, apples and apple cider, pumpkins and gourds, festivals ... the list is endless. 

Today, I breathe in the crisp fall air while I walk a trail, and listen to the leaves crunching beneath my feet.  Indeed, the leaves gather as though they are a radiant carpet of colors randomly sewn together.  The wind rips a few remaining leaves from the security of the branches and somehow this forced decent fills me with sadness.  As I watch the leaves free-fall, I admire their grace.

The wind increases, the temperatures drop, and I pull my scarf more tightly around my shoulders and neck.  Not many more days are left before winter will settle in bringing months of hibernation.  Already clocks have been set and darkness falls earlier, condensing the hours before I settle into bed.

All of the colors of fall will fade and slowly die away, and be replaced by the stark black and white of winter.  Coming forth will be heavy days laden with gray gloom.  When the snow blankets the earth, there will be an awesome silence dotted with red song birds and the trails of scampering animals. 

This year in particular, it is difficult to let fall slip away into winter.  Perhaps it is the realization that I, too, am slipping into my life's winter season.  I must be one of the colorful leaves still clutching at the branch, not yet ready to fall gracefully from the tree.



In Dream Time

Dreams show us how to find a meaning in our lives, how to fulfill our own destiny, how to realize the greater potential of life within us.  ~ Marie-Louise von Franz


In dream time, a house or home is symbolic for the body.  The top story of the home, such as the attic, holds spiritual beliefs or higher self, whereas the basement contains the past or lower level of thinking.  Individual rooms within the home represent rather obvious needs such as:  the kitchen (nurturing and preparation), the bathroom (cleansing), the dining room (socialization), the den (family issues), game room (playing games with ourselves or others), hallway (areas of change), living room (daily mental activities), and bedroom (private space for dreams, sex, or integration).

There are numerous other rooms to be considered such as a hidden room where thoughts or ideas are undiscovered and unexplored.

So as dreams or waking dreams are recalled, observe what rooms were used if a house was utilized.  Was it a current home or childhood home?  There is much to be explored.

If interested in exploring dreams with a very resourceful book, The Mystical Magical Marvelous World of DREAMS by Wilda B. Tanner is an excellent choice.  The book easily engages the reader with basic information and also contains a user friendly dictionary.