Hello Michael!

[angeltoes]

Very nice to see you here ;D Thanks for this forum!
Well, you once said that there's no such thing as a boring dream... so here goes, hot off the pillow in three parts:

1)It started out at the hospital. A blond woman, who was my sister, was in the throws of giving birth. It was a long and arduous process and I was there to comfort her throughout the night. There was also an annoying male nurse (also blond) who wouldn't leave the room either. Eventually, she gave birth to a sweet dark haired little girl. She(mom) was sick and slow to recover from the birth process, so I held and cradled the little girl as much as possible during the first 48 hours--so she felt lots of love and affection.
2)I was hanging out with this really nice/cool guy (a cross between Tom Waits and The Birdman). He was awesome. We mostly met at coffee shops and pubs. We were sitting around enjoying a beer and conversation, when he casually mentioned that his doctor just told him that if he didn't lay off the high octane energy drinks and beer--that he would drop dead soon. I had no idea...
3)OK, it's like for this segment, I passed through the alley behind the bar and then walked through the underbelly/basement of the hospital. Along the way, a guy (he was cute!)caught up to me. He grabbed my hand and REALLY wanted to go with me. So we walked through a door leading to a red metal stairway and we both "flew" up together. It felt like flying to freedom. I was ecstatic/amazed b/c no one ever flies "with" me in dreams (I always fly alone). This endeared me to him. As we flew up, he asked me to marry. Going with the moment, I said yes... Then when we arrived at the top, we kissed passionately and almost made love, when...? He was somehow shot? Hit by a poison dart? Crap! It was just about to get saucy! (figures :-) ) So I frantically started asking around this new place--looking for a shaman/healer/herbal doctor to save him.

[Michael Hawkins]

Wow, angeltoes -- lots going on here!

First of all, the disclaimer: the most important person to interpret a dream is the person who dreamed the dream. On one level, the very fact that you took the time to write it down (first by hand, I'm assuming, followed by a transcription into this forum post) tells your Unconscious that you are interested in what it has to say. The Unconscious is the window to the Soul, and it speaks through symbols (which can be experienced as images, feelings, smells, numbers, letters, languages, etc.) Even without "working" a dream, just writing it down encourages the Unconscious to keep sending them... and eventually there is a synchronized cooperation between the Unconscious and the Conscious, by virtue of the communication that you have acknowledged and sustained between the two.

What I can do, however, is offer some insights derived from the archetypal system that I generally use in the oracular arts.

Recognizing that, in some way, every dream character is an aspect of the dreamer... we can say that you are giving birth to a new you -- even though you associate the new mother with you sister (who is, in fact, an aspect of you in real life). The long and arduous birth process may reflect a process toward some sort of transformational shift in your "outer" life -- does this ring true at all? New job, new home, new relationship? That you give the newborn child 48 hours of cradling love is very important, it seems to me -- to know that this new life begins from a place of love and acceptance, and that it is assured of unconditional support.

The second part, with the Tom Waits/Birdman (Denver Nuggets?) guy, seems to show your love and appreciation of the finer things in life -- as in, enjoying a relaxing few hours at a coffee shop or chill bar, shooting the shit, not a care in the world... until the "doctor" (authority figure) tells your masculine aspect that excess is dangerous to health and life. While this is disappointing, it could be your Unconscious telling you to slow down, go easy on yourself, cut back on any excessiveness in your life -- even if you tend to rely on such excesses for your sense of fun and entertainment.

Perhaps the third phase of your dream offers a reason why: so that you may soar with your spiritual mate (i.e., masculine side, that which unites the opposites with you). Finally, someone to fly with in your dreams! Going to marry him, kissing him, fixing to make love... and then he's hit by a poison dart...? Like Cupid, perhaps? Sounds to me like, on some level, your Unconscious is showing you the possibility of letting go of your comfort zone (old life with unaware excesses or carelessness) in favor of a life the soars into the sky -- that floats above limitation -- and that your Unconscious, in fact, says that it is fine and appropriate to LOVE THIS EXPRESSION OF YOU TO DEATH, to throw yourself into it with full abandon, like new lovers at the height of passion. It is understandable that you would be frightened and frantic over your lover getting shot with a poison arrow, and it is interesting that you sought the assistance of a shaman/healer/herbal doctor to save him. It would be interesting if, in another dream, you could ask this shaman/healer/herbal doctor what he/she thinks of what happened to your lover, and what you should do in response...?

It is hard to tell what the major archetype is here, or what stage of the alchemical unfoldment you are working on. It feels like there s some Elder Leader, some Idealist and perhaps one of the Mother archetypes going on here... but we would need to see a series of dreams to nail it down.

Thoughts, angeltoes? Anyone?

[angeltoes]

Thanks Michael!
Yes, this resonates. The new life/career/ relationships/ "me" theme as well as seeking a new way of relating with my masculine side are all definitely true for me now. I still enjoy a pint (or two?) from time to time, but much more of my time and energy have shifted towards more tangible support of the healing journey... and I can only say, I am super excited about the prospect of soaring with my spiritual mate!
Thanks again.