Goldfish Dreams

There is always some idea lurking in the back of my mind, ready to leap into a blog post. And then when I make the time to sit down... where are those ideas? Or there are so many, I can't choose quite the right one for the moment.

But this month's newsletter must go out so I can announce Hjertehagen Healing Passages has moved into the Laramie Plains Civic Center! Now I can book appointments in person without kicking my recently retired roomie out of the house. Or if you're allergic to cats, no problem. We can bring dogs to the office, but mine is over 120 pounds and would not be very comfortable here, so if you're allergic to dogs, no problem too.

And what about goldfish? Are you allergic to goldfish? Let me tell you this goldfish story because it is at the top of my mind on this day I have set aside time to write.

As winter approaches and the days are shorter- and colder?- so comes the time of year to dream and to tell stories. That is how many traditional societies used their time in the colder darker months. And that is how youth learned their history, lessons for living, and how to navigate both waking and dream worlds.

I sleep more in the winter, and dream vividly. Last week I dreamed I was being pursued by a mountain lion. There was a scuffle of sorts, during which I found myself tearing out the big cat's eyes with a scoop or spatula of some sort. I didn't really want to do this, and had done so inadvertently, but it happened. And yet I was not terrified - nor was I sad- as the panther and I faced each other. The animal simply told me, "You took my eyes, but sight is not my greatest sense." No, it's not, and you were not pursuing me to harm me, but to give me this message, Teacher. Thank you. I will pay more attention to all my senses to feel a situation, and will not be afraid of something fierce.

End of Mountain Lion Dream. We can now move on to last night. I dreamed of two goldfish. One was smaller than the other, and they both were in the same bowl. The goldfish bowl had a lot of other stuff in it besides water: moss and rocks and so on, such that the fish themselves were lying on the top of this heap near the surface of the water, and the water was evaporating. I knew I had to move them or they would die. So, I removed the larger goldfish to a larger bowl and removed some of the rocks and moss so the smaller goldfish had more room. This goldfish continued to look lackluster and on the brink of a dangerous life situation.

I suspected that part of the reason for this was the two fish had been separated, so I turned to the larger fish in the larger bowl to consider how much space there was for both fish, and remarkably, the larger goldfish had quickly grown to fill nearly the entire bowl already! There was no room for the smaller fish, let alone this larger one now!

So, quickly I cleaned out a large aquarium that had been lying around- because what home does not have a large fish tank just kicking around the living room, empty? Go figure. I filled the aquarium and placed both fish inside. I sprinkled in some fish food and thought, "I really do need to get a bubbler in here so they can thrive." Meanwhile, the large goldfish stabilized in size, and the smaller one suddenly put on some weight and sparkle.

Do you know the meaning of this dream? I do.

Now, I have composed the latest blog post, and I hope you enjoy these dream stories and slow down, sleep well, and rise to drink in the quiet of the dark early morning while you contemplate the messages from your dreams, and your day ahead.

Be well and enjoy the season.

This is Dougie. He came to live with us when my brother and sister-in-law moved back to Vermont from Montana. Dougie lived with us for close to a decade. He developed a large tumor, and we took him to CSU Vet Lab for exotic pet surgery. The tumor came back, but Dougie was a bit of a celebrity for this experience. We still keep some of his tank toys in a memorial spot where we buried him in the side yard.