response 1 of 109:

Jun 17 13:11 UTC 1998

Generally, the Jungian approach we use says that the symbols have a personal
meaning for you, that you have to discover for yourself -- no "dream book"
is going to be of much help. That means asking what snakes and other reptiles
mean to you, and how they're tied up with your recent experience. In the case
of your cousin, since she's no longer here, what you probably were seeing was
an archetype -- that is, a generic woman, who may have been scolding,
informing, commanding -- whatever you think women are likely to do. In the
last case, this may have been the generic woman issuing an invitation of some
kind. Of course, for many of us, there is the possibility of connecting with
someone in the realm of the dead, but this doesn't seem likely here. Think
about what the symbols mean to you, rather than looking for stereotyped
responses from strangers.

response 3 of 109:

Jun 18 17:56 UTC 1998

I don't believe in "generic" archetypes of anything, I believe more that
eveyone moves to a rythm which is theirs alone.  The snakes, are a symbol from
the Chinese Zodiac from the year in which I was born.  Their death's likely
represnt my attempts to put back my warlike behavior until I have a good
reason to use it.  My cousin used to be excellent at catching toads, so
perhaps the other "reptile" was a toad, which I know are actually amphibians.
The "toad" catching the snake is perhaps a message from my cousin that she
wants me to join her.  That seems strange to me because at her funereal I was
stunned as a bolt of positive energy rushed from her coffin into my chest,
and it took me a while to figure out what had gone on, which turned out that
she had possessed a voluntary host.

Sometime before she died, my cousin had invited me to come swim at the pool
in her apartment.  After the months passed and we learned the cause of her
death had to do with a heart tube which was too small, something one would
think doctor's would notice before it claimed a life.  Perhaps the every
famous cliche of dying of a broken heart comes into play here, as our love
for each other was very strong since the day we were introduced to each other.
Perhaps she was questioning why I had failed to fufill her request before her
death.

Schools represent achievement to me, but I still can't make sense of the 3rd
phase of my dream.  On the night I had the dream was the same night of the
landing of a rocket that had a possession of my cousin's on it.  If that has
any bearing on the dream, she must have been inviting me either to space or
to another world.  Maybe I can sort more out with more time.

response 5 of 109:

Jun 19 18:37 UTC 1998

I am as well sure that she wouldn't want me to die, but that part of the dream
likely came about as a lapse in my own will to live.
It is of course, nice, to see how other people interpret things even with all
their stereotypes.  Which, of course, is why I made this item in the first
place.

I should also add that I never found my way to the last class of the day in
that dream, but ended up over by the gymnasium before my cat's knock at the
door woke me up.

Your anaylsis adds to mine in quite a logical fashion.  I am indeed amused.

Off topic, I still kind of see my cousin ever time I look at Sailor Jupiter
from Sailor Moon, since they share quite a few physical features (eye color,
hair color, hairstyle (sort of).  Oddly, if she hadn't been Jewish in life,
I'd thought that my cousin would have made a wonderful Druid.

response 7 of 109:

Jun 20 20:04 UTC 1998

No, I am not familiar with those techniques.  I don't know what to call it,
as I didn't have possession of all my senses, as I do in some cases -
certainly I had all senses in what may well have been a near death experience.
In this "dream" for lack of a better word, I could hear, think, and see. 
Touch and smell were impossible or not neccessary.  Well, I could have
probably talked too, I just didn't.  However, your information would likely
be invaluable.  Thank you for the offer.

response 9 of 109:

Jun 21 02:42 UTC 1998

Re: #8
        The candle needs to be large enough to burn through the prime time of
your dreaming. (For the sake of safty I recomend that the candle be placed
in a small bowl and the base filled with some water). Remember that it is
discourteous to command the dead to return, it is best to 'invite' them
back.Before the candle put a picture of the subject, and before that burn
incense that is blue in vibration, vervain and lavander or sandlewood and
vanilla will work just as well.
        As you lay down to rest, focus on your chosen subject and call out
their name in trice manner. This means to call their name in three groups of
three (name, name, name, pause, name, name, name, pause, name, name, name).
        You will know when you are dreaming, and this dream will return to you
the one lost beyond the veil.
        bjorn, I wish you peace and success in this undertaking.

response 11 of 109:

Jun 21 03:03 UTC 1998

        bjorn, there are other techniques, but this is the simplest, and
reportedly has the highest rate of success ... let me know what you find.

response 13 of 109:

Jun 21 18:39 UTC 1998

You'r welcome. Feel free to call on me when there is need or just questions
... or just to talk.

response 15 of 109:

Jun 24 00:54 UTC 1998

Only if it makes you uncomfortable or is obtrusive in some way...

response 17 of 109:

Jun 28 02:39 UTC 1998

Re: 14 ... Everything that we surround oueselves has it's 'hooks' to us, so
everthing that is about you may have a bearing on the task to hand ... things
affect us only as we allow them to. I have never realised 'myself' in clothes
on the astral planes, from time to time I have noticed 'psychic armor' has
enclosed my form there, but not clothes. 
        Many people pratice 'skyclad', naked, that is, and many others preferr
to have special ceremonial robes. The best techique is all in the mind.

response 19 of 109:

Jul 5 03:34 UTC 1998

For one person, choosing what you wear to bed, the color of the sheets, what
you eat or drink before hand, etc. can help focus the experience of controlled
dreaming.  For another person, all that fussing will pretty much prevent any
significant opening or experience from happening.  Now, if the intention is
to follow a set discipline, a particular set of teachings, with dream work
as part of it, then it would be important to use the specific forms and
proceedures as taught, in order to have, as nearly as possible, the shared
experience of other followers of that discipline.  
Now, I'm not very comfortable skyclad, unless there is a particular need for
it in a specific ritual.  But worse, someday I'm going to need a black robe
for some reason, and then I'm just going to cry. :{  I *love* robes.  I love
color and flowing lines.  Even in my inner vision, I've got flowing robes with
long graceful sleeves.

Lately, I've been having very vivid dreams.  Kinda neat.  The other morning,
for some reason I was dreaming that I was making hamburger patties.  I could
see myself forming them and putting them onto my broiler pan.  The corrugated
metal was really bright and clean.  The dream was so vivid that my hands felt
greasy/sticky until I washed them.  Thing is, I can't recall if I washed them
in the dream or awake... 
This morning, I was dreaming about being at lunch with my mom and a friend
of hers and talking to the friend about how my mom has a tendency to isolate
herself.  Almost a realistic conversation, although the resteraunt was not
one that, to the best of my knowledge, actually exists.  I was awakened by
my son's friend calling to say his grandpa had fallen and been alone on the
floor for two days so could he come over while his mom took care of grandpa.
Pretty scary segue- from thinking/dreaming about my mom's aging isolation to
hearing about an older man in a dangerous situation of isolation.  Oof!

response 21 of 109:

Jul 25 05:41 UTC 1998

Be interesting to see if they "come with you", or are transformed in some way.

response 23 of 109:

Jul 27 16:12 UTC 1998

Well, such as becoming armour or the like...