The Gypsy by Henri Rousseau
We are all fascinated with dreams, aren't we? From ancient times when dreams were used to diagnose illness and predict the future to the Jungian tenet, "God speaks in dreams" to today's scientific research on REM ... these are fascinating topics.
The gypsy lies sleeping in this primitive and very famous painting. The lion might represent that primitive part that does go wandering at night while"we", our conscious civilized selves, are asleep.
There are really very many different kinds of dreams and different things that are meant by the word. This is especially important to an astrologer or psychic. Since this is our world to explore and explain to others, the so-called invisible plane, we need to be more clear and precise in our language. Let me explain some of the different kinds of dreams and the houses and signs they would be attributed to. This will help in interpreting your own chart and those of others.
How to read Dreams in the Astrology Chart
SMALL INCONSEQUENTIAL DREAMS
Some dreams are like static discharge from the day. When I was a secretary I used to dream of filing things alphabetically or looking for a file. I was releasing nervous tension from my waking hours.
Dreams like this serve only the purpose of clearing out clutter from the day. They combine Gemini, Virgo and the 12th house. Indeed people with lots of this energy often have trouble sleeping or if they do fall asleep, seldom get that deep relaxing slumber that produces refreshment, insight and even revelation. This kind of person often needs to "count sheep"!
Here is the chart of someone who rarely sleeps more than 3 hours, is restless, nervous and sensitive. Notice the Gemini Stellium in the 12th house.
BIG DREAMS
Some dreams are obviously Big Dreams. They are the type the Jungians love. Indeed, Carl Jung begins his autobiography by revealing a very significant dream he had as a boy.
Dreams like this are understood to be God speaking and if you have ever had one, they feel awesome that way. To me they feel like I am Adam and Eve walking in the garden and I hear God's voice call my name.
I had such a dream as my first Saturn Return approached so stunning and provocative that I awoke straight up in bed and began a series of changes that resulted in a completely different life than the one I had been living.
Here are examples of two of this type of dream.
These dreams come with directions, guidance and as such often include overwhelming experiences. I remember one of my clients dreamed he was walking over something and then discovered that what it was he was walking over was the face of God.
The best way to learn to interpret dreams like this is a terrific little reader-friendly book by Robert Johnson called "We".
Dreams like this are the result of important transits to your chart by outer planets such as Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Occasionally they come more frequently to gifted dreamers. Those are 9th house people.
Sadly, these dreams are impossible if you take medication just as enlightenment, guidance and awareness are blocked in waking hours if there is substance abuse including smoking.
I have given my subconscious mind instructions not to bother me with remembering small inconsequential dreams but only to remember those upon waking that are significant.
For information on how to program your subconscious like this and for other things, try this little user friendly book, "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Dr. Joseph Murphy.
9TH HOUSE PROPHETIC DREAMS
Another kind of dream that 9th house people have (Sun in any sign in the 9th house) is the prophetic dream. Prophetic dreams are always positive. If they are negative they are something else which I'll discuss later in the article. People with Saturn in the 9th house block their intuition which turns their dreams into twisted, superstitious things.
The positive prophetic dream is like this one I received tonight from a lady with her Neptune in Scorpio in the 9th house. "I dreamed last night that J and I were talking about how we wanted our relationship to go in the future." This lady is unhappily married and has been drawing closer to "J" for many months. She tells me her dreams like this are always clear and always come true. She is a quintessential 9th house prophetic dreamer. Her dreams are positive and are accompanied by a strong knowing. Here is her chart.
9th house dreamers need more sleep than average, the exact opposite of the Virgo/Gemini dreamer. They tell me they have their best dreams after first waking in the morning, turning over and going back to sleep. Since it is impossible to do this if one is regimented to an alarm, it makes sense that so many 9th house people lead lives that permit them this luxury, perhaps a flexible field or working for themselves, or working late at night.
Some dreams include visitations from people who have crossed over, that is to say "the deceased". If they are frequent, they probably show a strong, good 12th house of any sign. If the dreams are rare, however, disturbing and frightening, or "dark", I would expect an afflicted 4th, 8th or 12th house, Scorpio and possibly some Plutonic influence. In cases where the 4th, 8th and 12th houses are importantly tenanted, where they contain the Sun, Saturn and one or more of the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto, this is the way the ancestors begin their Precession. If they have to force their way, it is oppressive and scary. If they are recognized and welcomed, the productive dialogue can begin. People with these placements have chosen to let their ancestors live through them in a positive sense but it may take them a while to remember and cooperate.
11TH HOUSE VISIONARY DREAMS
Some people dream of a better future. They have lucid or waking dreams like Eleanor Roosevelt, Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King and John Kennedy. These people are 11th house dreamers.
Dreamers like this are often revolutionary and associated with politics or "political action". They are being inspired by their visions to channel new energy onto the planet. They may have Uranus in the 12th house, Neptune in the 11th house or Uranus near the Ascendant or ruling it. Often this is combined with Capricorn Rising, Saturn in the 1st or 11th house.
9TH AND 12TH HOUSE HEALING DREAMS
Some dreams come as healing, therefore a warning to change our lifestyle. There was an ancient Greek healer named Asclepios who used dreams to diagnose. It still works today if you know how to interpret your dreams properly. For example the dream I had during my first Saturn Return pretty much said, "Change or die."
You may recall that Socrates' last words were, "I owe a cock to Asclepios".
Dreams like this are usually the result of a very positive 12th house, well placed Neptune or transits by Neptune and Pluto to natal planets and angles.
The ability to interpret dreams for healing information belongs with a strong 9th house since it is a symbolic language. Often the converse is true. These types of healers appear in the dreams of others. Here is the chart of one.
THE DAYDREAM OR REVERIE
Another kind of dream is the daydream or reverie.
Many a poet, smoker, writer, painter and some scientists do this. It can range from escapism to inspiration. For this, I look for a Cancer or 4th house influence combined with some positive Uranus and Neptune. If a composer, Gemini will be involved somehow as well. This type of dreaming is "somewhere else" in time and often a reverie of the past, about mother or a lost love. It is never about the future. It is vague and not positive.
PREMONITIONS AND NIGHTMARES
Premonitions are dark and disturbing, like nightmares. These two types of dreams, premonitions and nightmares, need to be handled separately, however.
Premonitions I refer to are the type of dream where you see someone will die or have an accident. Dreams like this are very upsetting and more often than not they are a form of negative wish fulfillments rather than true precognitive experiences. I find they prevail in people who have been frightened by their childhood religious training or who have ambivalent feelings about those they are supposed to love and repress the negative feelings. I associate them with Venus/Pluto or Moon/Pluto aspects, an afflicted 9th house and Saturn in the 12th house. It may also involve Saturn in Scorpio.
Nightmares are associated with the 8th house and Plutonic and Scorpionic afflictions to the 12th house or Neptune in the 8th house.
APOCALYPTIC DREAMS
These dreams appear in the collective to certain people when there are big, disturbing events on the horizon. Carl Jung said the dreams of his clients clearly predicted the coming of World War II.
Several weeks before 911 I had a dream of this nature. Many others did, too. I also had a dream that preceded Katrina.
Dreams like this come to certain types of people when the outer planets are making significant aspects to one another or when they change signs. Pluto will be entering Capricorn soon and I expect to have some more dreams.
YEARNING DREAMS
Yearning dreams are not really dreams but I want to clear up the language concisely. Yearning for someone not present, not possible or not real is a Pisces or Neptunian adventure. People prone to this often have Neptune in the 4th or 10th houses or Pisces ruling one of them. There may also be a full 12th house or Neptune Rising.
ALL DREAMS ARE DIFFERENT
Interpreting dream ability in a chart is an individual process that takes a lot of experience and study. Take these guidelines as a jumping off point for your own experience and conclusions.
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This article was last touched 310.2008