This article Auto Astrology – Finding your perfect car in the stars originally appeared in Lehigh Valley (PA) Magazine It was first published in 2003 the last time Jupiter was in Leo as it is now.  Jupiter expands energy, and Leos love their cars!  I had forgotten how fun the article is too – so it seems  like a good time to get it out again.

Auto Astrology is a collaboration between myself and freelance writer Leonora Dannelke whose car review column RoadRunner was a feature in the magazine. Leonora thought it would be fun to tie astrology into an article about autos.  She knows all about cars, and called upon my expertise in astrology.

Enjoy!
Melissa

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Auto Astrology – Finding your perfect car in the stars

Aries (March 22 – April 21) Aries is all about being the pioneer.  Fiery
Aries types machete down the path for the rest of us to follow later!  They
love to be ahead of the pack, and will want the newest models. They are keen
competitors as well, and enjoy being one step ahead of the Jones. Aries
natives, who know how to please themselves, will spare no expense for what
they want to get!  Mars, the war god, is their ruler, so they go for force
and speed, and love to drive on the dangerous edge of safety (or over that
edge!). They like a vehicle with power first, then style.  Practicality is
their last concern!  Their favorite color will be red, without a doubt! They
are often the new “cowboys”, so feisty SUVs, like the Honda Element or Land
Rover Ranger Rover, appeal to them, as do trucks — especially the Dodge Ram
3500 Quad Cab pickup. Famous sun in Aries personalities Eddie Murphy,
Jackie Chan, Ashley Judd, Alec Baldwin, Rosie O’Donnell.

Taurus (April 22 – May 20) Taurus is a big teddy bear who wants something
comfy, yet practical. Earthy Taurus types need something appealing to their
senses – it must look good, feel nice, even smell great (leather interiors
are totally for them!).  Down to earth Taurus is the ultimate in
practicality, so they must have a vehicle with great gas mileage (they like
nothing better than sailing past a gas station, while Aries types love to
show off their car at every stop!)  Taurus likes the tried and true, and
goes more for classic style than new flashy models.  Sedate sedans made by
Volvo, Volkswagen, Saturn, and good old Ford – think Taurus, of course! –
are more likely to be their picks. The colors they go for are gray/silver,
tan, or conservative blues. They are not the type to trade in a car every
year either.  They are willing to pay good money for a solid vehicle, but it
must last them forever!  In fact, Taurus gets very attached to their
vehicle, for which they will often have a pet name like “Big Blue” or “Tan
Tank.” Famous sun in Taurus personalities Al Pacino, Jerry Seinfeld, Uma
Thurman, Randy Travis, Janet Jackson.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Gemini is like quicksilver and wants constant
variety and change.  Geminis are all about fun, fashion and flash. They get
bored easily and are the ones most likely to want to lease or to trade their
car in every year. They will easily sacrifice comfort, and practicality for
style!  Airy Gemini likes their car to look sleek and prefers a smaller,
faster model to a large clunker. They would die for a Jaguar XKR or a Mazda
Miata MX-5, but if their pocketbook doesn’t allow, they want a perky look,
like a Neon SXT or a Mini Cooper. Geminis love color, and can be counted on
to pick the new outrageous hues like a chartreuse VW Beetle, for example.
Gemini is very social, so they also want enough room in their car for their
friends to jam in for a ride to the mall or latest dance club. Geminis also
name their cars, tending to go for silly. You could easily hear your Gemini
friend say ,”Let’s go for a ride in the ‘Green Goblin’”,  or  “Hop in ‘Silky
Sally’ for a spin.” Famous sun in Gemini personalities Drew Carey, Venus
Williams, Mike Myers, Alanis Morissette, Tim Allen.

Cancer (June 21 – July 20) Cancers are very security oriented and
traditional.  Cancer is likely to pick a very safe vehicle and one that fits
in with their neighbors, rather than stands out from the crowd.  Cancers
adore children, so they will want a van or good size car with room enough
for the whole family to go places together.  They are creatures of the night
and will go for a moon roof, if they can get it.  Cancers, like their Taurus
cousins, appreciate comfort and want something that cuddles them as they
drive. They would rather be at home anyway, so they look for a car as cozy
as their living room couch! Color and style are not number one for them.
Their priority is to keep their family safe while out on the road.  Airbags
and the latest safety features will be a must for them. The Volvo XC90,
Lexus GS 300, or Pontiac Bonneville would be good choices. Famous sun in
Cancer personalities Tom Hanks, Dan Aykroyd, Pamela Anderson, Bill Cosby,
Michelle Kwan.

Leo (July 21 – August 22) Leo the Lion are the kings and queens of the
zodiac, and demand the very best in everything they own – especially a large
purchase like a car. Top of the line models from Mercedes-Benz, Lexus,
Jaguar, and Lincoln are their natural preferences. The new Cadillac XLR was
made for Leos with deep pockets. If their budget doesn’t allow for those
luxury models, they will figure out a way to own a vehicle that says, “Look
at me!”  The Chrysler Crossfire and Nissan 350z offer sporty,
attention-getting style that Leos crave, along with more modest price tags.
Leos love every person and every thing dear to their hearts, including their
pets (Leos often own big dogs!). Leo might even consider getting a
convertible, so Lucky the family pooch can feel the wind in his fur! Style
is definitely important to them, as well as color; deep burgundy and rich
shades of gold appeal to them.  In general Leos would not be caught dead in
a car that was not up to their idea of class.  Famous sun in Leo
personalities  Mick Jagger, Jennifer Lopez, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Magic
Johnson, Martha Stewart.

Virgo (August 23 – September 21) Virgos are interested in class and style
too, but have a different idea of what that means than flashy Leo. Virgos
want their vehicle to be refined and understated like a BMW 3 Series or a
Toyota Camry. Classical Virgos are often antique buffs and go for retro
looks like a PT Cruiser or new VW Beetle (in a toned down hue of course!).
Virgos are thrifty and will seek out cars with good gas mileage. They are
utilitarian too, and wouldn’t mind a good-looking truck or van if they need
it for their work. Virgos can be happy with a variety of vehicles that meet
these standards, but what is most important to them are the details.
Interior style and amenities are as important (or even more!) than the
exterior look of a car. Famous sun in Virgo personalities Sean Connery,
Shania Twain, Van Morrison, Jimmy Fallon, Marcia Clark.

Libra (September 22 – October 23) Libras are the icons of culture in
society, and want a car that will satisfy both their need for conformity and
their desire for beauty.  Venus, goddess of love, is their ruler, so they
must be enamored of their auto. Libras can literally fall in love with a new
car. They are the ones most likely to demand grace of form in their vehicle,
both interior and exterior. They will never choose an ugly anything, much
less an important purchase like a car. Color and style are always top
considerations in their decision process. So if you want to totally capture
the heart of the Libra you love, buy them a beautiful Lamborghini or
Ferrari! They also want a balance between luxury and practicality, and hope
to get decent gas mileage from their vehicle too. An Audi TT would suit a
Libra well. Famous sun in Libra personalities Brett Favre, Gwyneth Paltrow,
John Lennon, Donna Karan, Sting.

Scorpio (October 24 – November 22) Scorpios are all about power! Ideally
they would love to be chauffeured in a limo while they broker high finance
deals in the back! They not only want, but will demand, a vehicle that oozes
wealth and control. If they are in a high-income stratum, they will have a
Lexus, Lincoln, BMW, or similar top-drawer vehicle that will have all the
electronic navigational tools and latest communication systems
pre-installed. If their budget is more modest, they will still insist on
getting the most for their money, and will nego any salesperson into the
ground to get it too! (Woe to the salesperson who underestimates a Scorpio!)
Scorpios like trucks (bigger the better) and SUVs also — Cadillac Escalade,
Lincoln Blackwood, or Chevrolet Avalanche are good choices — and almost
always go for black or darker colors. They like the idea of not being
obvious at first glance, but want to make sure you take a second and third
look as they ride by!  Famous sun in Scorpio personalities Hillary Rodham
Clinton, Bill Gates, Julia Roberts, Prince Charles, Whoopi Goldberg.

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 20) Sagittarians are the star signs
travelers. They are born with backpacks on their backs ready to go at a
moment’s notice!  For Sagittarius, a vehicle equals freedom to have fun on
the road of life. Motorcycles definitely appeal to their sense of adventure.
From the most intimidating Harley to the tamest Honda, you’ll find
Saggitarians riding out in the open air. Style is less important than
function for Sagittarius. These half-horse folks (the centaur is their
symbol) are sports enthusiasts. They want a vehicle sturdy enough for rugged
terrain, and hefty enough to carry all their gear.  Compact, agile trucks,
such as the Nissan Frontier, or SUVs, like the Suburu Outback or Jeep
Liberty, appeal to them. Sagittarius love to live on the road too, so when
you see a big RV hauling a Dodge Durango, rest assured it’s a Sagittarian!
Famous sun in Sagittarius personalities Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, Steven
Spielberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Tyra Banks.

Capricorn (December 21 – January 20) Capricorns are the CEOs of the zodiac
and are usually found at the top of the food chain. They love important
looking, yet understated cars. Any Mercedes-Benz or Infiniti, appeal to
their sense of dignity and decorum, as will the best Volvos, top flight
Audis and Acuras. Form and function must go together for Capricorn. Design
must make sense, not be just for whimsy or decoration. Color is important
for Capricorn. They prefer blacks, gray/silvers, or dark tones, and would
not be caught dead in a hot pink Kia!  Capricorns want value for their
money, but are willing to pay top dollar if they are suitably impressed by a
car’s image. A Dodge Intrepid would fit the bill for a Capricorn –
masterful, yet low key. Famous sun in Capricorn personalities Denzel
Washington, Ted Danson, Naomi Judd, Ricky Martin, Annie Lennox.

Aquarius (January 21 – Febuary 19) Aquarians are the unique souls of the
zodiac wheel. They are fascinated with cutting-edge machines and futuristic
designs.  Aquarians are the ones most likely to buy an electric or
alternative fuel car. Gas-electric hybrids like the Toyota Prius or Honda
Insight are perfect for Aquarians. They love gleaming metal, the shinier the
better. If they could get a car made out of crystal, they would!  The latest
gizmos, gadgets, and electronic tools are a must in their vehicle, and they
will make sure they have all the best communication and navigational
devices, too.  Aquarius has a zany side, and likes being known for having
the most unusual or even weirdest stuff. They will most definitely be drawn
by style, color and design. If you see a neon glow VW Bug with a strange
looking antenna on the roof, you can lay bet it’s an Aquarian! Famous sun in
Aquarius personalities Oprah Winfrey, Joe Pesci, Ellen DeGeneres, Chris
Rock, Lisa Marie Presley.

Pisces (February 20 – March 21) Sweet Pisces are the most romantic and
spiritual of all the star signs.  They are also the least practical, and
could purchase a car based solely on its name, like an Elantra, Prizm, or
Mirage! Pisces are creative and artistic and would rather be painting a
picture of a spring meadow, than driving to get there. Their vehicle must
have the ability to make their ride a magical, mystery tour. Pisces will
spend their last dime to get a good sound system for their car, and are the
ones most likely to have incense wafting from their Deadhead decaled
windows, with crystals, feathers and dream catchers hanging on their
rear-view mirror.  Purple is their favorite color. They would die to have a
lavender Olds Aurora with a paisley interior!  Famous sun in Pisces
personalities Dr. Seuss, Elizabeth Taylor, Jon Bon Jovi, Drew Barrymore,
Queen Latifah.

copyright 2003 M.Stratton/L.Dannelke

Dream a Little Dream with Me – Dream Analysis part 2

Also featured on Women’s Movement Radio Network

July 16, 2014

Mighty planet Jupiter entered the bright fire sign of Leo today at 6:30a EDT, 10:30a UT. This is a once in 12 year event and a very important one for us here below. Jupiter’s shift  is especially significant for Leo of course and also for Sagittarius, since Jupiter is your ruling planet.  When a planet leaves one sign and enters another it is like an exclamation ! mark. Since Jupiter is the largest planet in our  solar system when it enters a new sign, the ! mark is larger than usual. So I have a suggestion, in the “As Above, So Below” category, let’s all be astrological detectives and tune into any changes you feel. I put this out to a few friends earlier, and already got reports they feel this shift already! So tune in folks.

Jupiter totally adores being in fire sign Leo! Jupiter enters Leo on 7/16/14 to stay for over a year, until 8/12/15. All signs are affected when huge Jupiter changes signs, but Leo you are going to love this because opportunity now shines on YOU. And Sagittarius you always feel Jupiter’s energy because it is your ruling planet. In fellow fire sign Leo, Jupiter’s vibe takes you Centaurs exactly where you want to go! The last time Jupiter traveled in Leo was 12 years ago from 8/1/2002 through 8/27/2003. Look back to that time in your life because similar themes are triggered again. Read your Individual Sign Messages for July for each sign to find out how Jupiter/Leo affects you more personally.

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and has a big astrological impact as well. Jupiter affects states of optimism, enthusiasm, opportunity – many of the most positive feelings we can access. Jupiter’s function is to “expand” and of course Jupiter would prefer to expand these positive states. However, as with all planetary influences, Jupiter is essentially neutral leaving it up to us how we use this massive energy. You can choose to expand the good stuff, or just as easily choose to expand more drama, dysfunction and misery.

The short story of Jupiter/Leo is that all the positive Leo themes: creativity, joy, fun, confidence, generosity, wealth building get a big boost. Negative ones will too, like: willful control (“my way or the highway”), egotistical narcissism, over the top drama scenes, selfish “me first” attitudes, and Big Money Elites hording and lording over others. I’ll be covering more in-depth about what this major Jupiter shift means in the August/Leo issue (will be posted on 8/1)  so stay tuned for that.

Meanwhile here are posts from astrologers whose blogs I follow with their take on Jupiter/Leo: Kelly Rosano’s blog discusses the recent Capricorn Super Moon too kelleyrosano.com/blog And Mandi Lockley has an interesting post Jupiter in Leo – Internationalism & Iraq And my twitter astrologer buddy Armand Diaz ( @IntegralAstro ) posted a video – Jupiter in Leo for Each Sign

Keep looking to the Heavens and see you on 8/1 with August’s Heavenly Messages issue.

IMAGE NOTE – This Cosmic Lion is perfect to represent Jupiter’s entrance into the lordly sign of Leo the Lion. I found it at this free wallpaper site HDWALLLPAPERS4ALL

The Summer Solstice arrives this year on June 21 at 6:51a ET, 3:51a PT and 11:51a UT (which is the Winter Solstice for those in the Southern Hemisphere).  This is the moment each year when the Sun enters Cancer and it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Space.com has good general info on the Solstice  and here’s a good resource site with world time tables for the Solstices, Equinoxes and cross-quarter days archaeoastronomy.com

The chart for the Solstice is the birth chart for this new season and reveals astrological trends. I cast the chart for Avebury England because nearby Stonehedge has the ancient tradition of aligning with the Solstices and where celebrations are still held today. There will be Solstice celebrations everywhere as people appreciate and honor the longest day in the year and do ceremonies of appreciation for our beautiful world. What will you do? I always take all my crystals out to my garden so they can soak up those long solstice sun rays and in many years often join in with Solstice festivities. This year I’m spending a peaceful day communing with nature, talking to the birds, chipmunks and assorted fairies while planting the rest of my garden. So looking forward to that! Hope you have something lovely planned too.

The Solstice chart is the moment when the Sun enters water sign Cancer every year.  The Moon is the ruler of Cancer, so we look to see where the Moon is and what she had to tell us about the season. The Moon at 21* Aries is smack-dab in the middle of electric Uranus (16* Aries) and the karmic South Node (25* Aries). The Moon rules public emotions, Uranus is the planet of revolution and unpredictability, and the South Node acts like a see-saw pulling on past karmic patterns that need to be released and transmuted.  Combative fire sign Aries is ruled by war-like Mars and this aggressive Aries group forms a tight square to huge and mighty Jupiter closing in on the last month of his Cancerian journey at 24* Cancer.

This configuration maintains the challenge from the Cardinal Cross so active in the heavens over the last year with forces of war, male aggression and domination (Aries) against woman, children and families (Cancer). It’s obvious to see this playing out currently on the world’s stage with the militant jihadist ISIS insurgents taking over Iraq in lightening speed who are already setting up sharia laws in the cities they claimed. Along with the seemingly never-ending war in Syria, the ever tense situation in Egypt, Ukraine and hot spots in Africa, the war-mongers are feeling their bitter oats.

In contrast Mars, the ruler of Aries is not feeling war-like at all. Mars continues his travels in the soothing, diplomatic sign of Libra where he has been since Dec. 2013.  At the Solstice Mars opposes Uranus and squares Pluto (retrograde at 12* Capricorn) which also re-triggers the Cardinal Cross. Mars has been in Venus ruled Libra so long, you can feel the weariness of those crying out for an end to war and speaking out valiantly for diplomacy. The karmic North Node is also in Libra which urges us all to follow the path of peace and love. Their plea for mediation and resolution has landed on deaf ears and it looks as though the Solstice energies don’t do much to shift this sad pattern.

As always these energies are playing out at your doorstep personal levels too. Everyone is feeling these flip-floppy feelings and the intense emotional pull of Jupiter in the last degrees of Cancer. Some are allowing  it to drown them in floods of “poor me, it’s your fault not mine” pity parties. While others more consciously choose to create major healing at physical and emotional levels, and see their relationships get stronger, deeper and move loving. This new season provides opportunities to go either way, which will you choose?

This Solstice chart also finds Mercury Retrograde at 27* Gemini  exactly opposite the potent Galactic Center . Mercury represents communication and also rules Gemini. When Mercury backs up in Gemini communication can definitely get garbled, misunderstandings perpetrate and confusion compounds upon confusion. Gemini also represents the average people of the world whose basic needs are not being met currently, adding to frustration which can fuel those Aries fires.

In the midst of this mayhem the Solstice chart has some good vibes too. Venus is feeling strong and confident in her own sign of Taurus at 27* (which also vibrates to the Galactic Center degree). Earth sign Taurus is kind, gentle, peace loving yet has the strength and stamina of its symbol the Bull. I see this as Mother Earth herself, letting us know that she will survive anything us humans can throw at her. Her message is to go out into the beauty of nature to find your own inner calm which will sustain you through any stress and turmoil.

Lord of Karma Saturn remains in steamy Scorpio at 17*, but is moving retrograde, which is on the one hand less potent but on the other means those stealthy (power and control) Scorpionic forces have not gone away but just went underground for a while. Saturn reaches out with an exact trine to shamanic Chiron at 17* in watery Pisces also retrograde.  This harmonious aspect of ease and flow repeats the Grand Water Trine so prevalent in the heavens for a solid year. The combination of the tense Cardinal Cross with this healing and loving watery force once again strikes an ironic cord. It’s as if reality is splitting into two halves: those who choose power-over for their own selfish motivations and those who aspire to One Love with care, concern and respect for all. Perhaps it has always been this way, but it seems more pronounced now.

One reason for this is Neptune’s travels in mystical, spiritual Pisces the sign it rules. On the Solstice Neptune is also retrograde (at 7* Pisces) and sends an ethereal ray to the Sun (at 0* Cancer) creating a second water trine. Neptune only travels in Pisces every 164 years and the last time Neptune was in Pisces (1847-1862) it had only just been discovered, so was not a conscious player in the mind of humanity. Not so now – we know and understand Neptune from both a scientific and astrological perspective in this 21st century Pisces transit. (See my Neptune in Pisces article for more background.)

Neptune acts like a huge satellite dish tuning humanity into higher frequencies, while also acting to dissolve lower ones. For those caught up directly in the fields of hate and war it may be difficult to call upon (or even have faith in) higher guidance, yet it is always there and this Neptune/Chiron flow can help heal their hearts. For those of us simply going about our ordinary daily lives this cosmic flow helps us understand more fully that reality is not what we have always been told it is. Never have we been more able to see beyond the veil of illusion into the heart of truth, never have we had this kind of access to universal love for all that is, until now. This is the energy to tap this Solstice time!

I wish for you a magical Solstice and a season of fun, joy and love!

Best Neptunian Vibes to all,

Melissa

IMAGE NOTE: This painting “Back Off” by talented artist Heni Sandoval who is also my sister is one I’ve always loved. It reminds me of when my family would all go crabbing along the coast at St. Simons Georgia where we went every summer. We had so much fun getting those crabs, who have a very feisty back off attitude for sure! It also is a perfect choice for the Solstice when the Sun enters the sign of Cancer “the Crab”. Even the name “Back Off” relates to the energies of this particular Solstice – 2014 with all that feisty Aries energy around! You can find more of Heni’s work  at CirclesRoundtheSun CirclesRoundSun-Etsy Heni’s Happy Paintings

Current Spirituality Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Golden Rose Psychic Radio on BlogTalkRadio

(Scroll to bottom of article to see websites with more information on Dreams)

Dreamweavers

Learn to Interpret Your Dreams

by Melissa Stratton

“ A myth is a public dream. A dream is a private myth” ~ Joseph Campbell

Dreams have been recognized throughout humanity’s existence as having significance. In earlier times dreams were considered prophetic. The dreams of important people in society from kings to clan leaders were analyzed by priest or shaman for their messages. Many tribal cultures such as the Iroquois and other Native American tribes had dream societies and considered dreams to be significant contributions to their art and culture.

Our modern Western concept of dream life basically began with psychologist Sigmund Freud in the early 1900’s. Since Freud’s time, psychologists have continued to study dreams and dream analysis is widely utilized in modern psychoanalysis. Beginning in the 1950’s, behavioral scientists began studying dreams from a research basis – how many times a night a person dreams, and what happens to a person when they are kept from dreaming for example. From this research we now know that everyone dreams several times a night. Most people average 3 to 5 dreams a night – whether they remember their dreams is a different story!

Today, there is an abundance of dream research and written material on dreams from professional publications, to new age type books, to popular tabloid “what your dreams mean” dictionaries, and on-line dream analysis sites. In spite of all this research and information since Freud’s time, there has not been much progress in the general public’s understanding of dreams. Many still believe dreams are basically caused by “too much pepperoni pizza”, or are simply emotional debris – frightening, bizarre or sexual in nature. This attitude is gradually changing. Popular Movies like Matrix , Inception and others are instilling broader concepts into the collective mind, and more and more people are beginning to claim their dreamtime and place it in the context of their entire life’s fabric. We spend one third of our life in sleep, and much of that sleep time is dreamtime.

Personally, I have been actively working/playing with my dreams and keeping dream journals for over 25 years, and have read too many books on dreams to remember them all. I cannot imagine living life without my dreams for guidance and inspiration. I fully believe that dreams and dreamtime are an integral part of our complete life process. It is only our entrenched material perspective that has divorced us from integrating our dream life with waking life. My intent with DreamWeavers is to help you learn to discover your own dream territory, and claim its vast beauty to enhance your waking life. In essence, to learn that dream life and waking life are woven together in a seamless whole. I hope with these techniques you can be well on your way to understanding the wealth of meaning in your own dreams, as well as your family’s and friends.

I agree with the philosopher Bertrand Russell when he said, “I do not believe I am now dreaming, but I cannot prove it.” After all, what we call “ waking life” may be what our dreaming self calls “ dreaming”.

Dream Categories

Basically dreams can be placed into 4 different categories: biological processing, emotional/psychological processing, astral and communal or mass mind communication. Although all dream states can be combinations of all of these categories, each category has its particular “signature” and feeling state. With understanding and practice you can learn to differentiate between them. The first 2 categories are much more commonly recalled and recognized as typical “dreams”. Here is a brief description of each:

Biological – the physical body releasing information to the unconscious self, which if necessary is made into a strong enough form, such as a nightmare, to attract the attention of your conscious self. For example, if you are coming down with an illness, you may dream of crabs boiling furiously in a pot of water. Or if you are taking medication which is harmful to your body, you might dream of a battle with soldiers fighting.

Emotional/psychological – the subconscious mind digesting and attempting to integrate and process the events of the day (and of earlier life incidents as they relate to present events). For example, you have just started a new job. That night you have a dream where you are piloting a plane and you take off expertly, but when the plane begins to flounder you realize you don’t know what to do next. This could reflect your emotional state around the fact that although you got the job, you are concerned you may not have all the skills necessary to do it well.

Astral (or “Spirit Body”) – technically these “dreams” are not dreams at all, but are a symbolic recollection of being at the astral level, sometimes know as “out of body”. This sort of dream can easily be associated with the first two categories, and in fact, they can cross-relate. In other words, their symbolic content can give you information related to your physical and emotional condition. In this type of dream you can receive precognitive information; you visit people you know – relatives, friends, co-workers, even people you do not know in waking life. In these dreams you may take classes, teach classes, do healing work, and are worked upon in healing sessions. You might confront astral projections of all sorts from angelic to demonic, and travel into vast space. You also may just chat with a friend you haven’t seen in a while, meet someone from the past, or even someone who has passed on. These dreams seem much more “real” and vivid, as if you had been there in person, which in a way is true!

Communal/Mass mind communication – all of us on the planet participate in creating the reality in which we live. In these types of dreams you are in communication with this mass consciousness and decide together with others which course of events we will choose to be our consciously accepted “reality”. These dreams tend to be more obscure and less personally symbolic. Often these dream images are recalled as geometrical shapes, cosmic sounds, and vast indecipherable images creating feelings of awe. This type of dream is not remembered as frequently (if at all).

Multi-layering in Dreams – Another thing to keep in mind, is the multi-layering of dream types and dream imagery . For example in the biological category of crabs boiling in a pot, it certainly can mean you are coming down with an illness and you may even have a fever (boiling) that is working to kill the germs causing the illness. When this dream is considered from a psychological perspective, the same image could be telling you how you tend to avoid uncomfortable situations and hide like a crab inside your shell – but now you are paying for it! Even further, taking a look at your emotions, you may realize you are planning a family vacation to the beach where you always catch and cook crabs, although you have always felt squeamish about boiling them alive. In fact, if you thought about it further, visiting your family always brings up all the ways in which their values make you boiling mad! It is always beneficial to consider dream images in this multi-layered way. By following this process, you won’t miss out on a less than obvious meaning.

Techniques to Help You Remember Your Dreams

1. Keep a dream journal

The intention of writing or recording your dreams has been proven to help you remember your dreams better. Keep pen and paper, or recorder by your bedside to further reinforce your intention.

2. Reinforcement

Each night as you drift into sleep, remind yourself to remember your dreams. You can even say “I’m going to remember my dreams.” out loud to yourself. Just this simple act further strengthens your resolve and deepens your intention, and eventually it becomes true.

3. Share your dreams

The act of sharing your dreams – whether it be with a family member, good friend, or a dream group – further reinforces your interest in your dream world. And you have the added benefit of gaining other people’s insight.

4. Drink a lot of water before going to bed

Sounds silly, but when you wake up in the middle of the night, it i easier to recall your dreams!

Interpretation Techniques

1. Gestalt

This is where you consider that every character in your dream is actually symbolic of some part of yourself. So if you dream about your husband or boyfriend for example, it can represent your inner masculine nature. If you dream about an old high school friend or relationship, consider what that person or situation represented to you then, and how this is being played out now in your own life now.

2 .  Symbolic discovery

This is a technique where you explore significant symbols in your dream, and try to discover what they mean for you personally. Symbols have bigger, archetypal meanings, but they also mean something to you based on your own life history.

Snakes for example are associated with danger and evil knowledge, sexuality, transformation etc. But if you love snakes and have one as a pet, then snakes for you personally could mean something entirely different if they show up in your dream.

3. Emotional – Feeling sensations

Note your feelings around everything in your dream – smells, colors, unusual images, animals, shapes etc. For example you might see a beautiful flower in your dream, but its smell may repel you. Or you could come across a strange insect-like creature, but are drawn toward it and find it attractive. Your feelings are often a major key to what the image represents for you.

4. Cultural context

In this technique you consider a dream image/symbol in the context of how it is perceived by your culture. Transportation for example: a car is your personal vehicle, essential in our culture if we are able to get anywhere independently. A bus is public transportation that involves other people – a driver, passengers etc. Boats are primarily pleasure vehicles, and so on.

5. Wordplay

Dissecting words for their complete meaning is one of the most effective dream interpretation tools I have used. For example, let’s say the actor/director Woody Allen appears in your dream. After you have considered the above techniques, you could then take apart the actual words and syllables in his name. So Woody might sound like “would he”, and Allen could be “all in”. So your dream symbol of the name Woody Allen could be a way of asking yourself “ wood he be willing to give his all in …”.

Another example is bus which can sound like “be us”. If you dream about a bus, you could be playing with the idea of committing to someone – what would it be like to “ be us” in a public way. When you pull apart words in this way, often their meaning becomes immediately obvious.

6. This Dream Means…

This technique is one which I had a hard time believing would work, but to my surprise works amazingly well. You write down your dream as you usually would, then simply draw a line at the end and write “This dream means…” and wait with pen in hand to see what comes up. Obviously it helps if you are in  centered, un-distracted sate. Try it, you may surprise yourself!

Here are some sites with more background and cutting edge information on dreams and why we dream:

Brain’s Waste Disposal System More Active During Sleep

Dream Interpretation and History of Dream Theory

Dream Interpretation Offers Insight – WebMD

The Power and Purpose of Dreams

The Art of Creative Sleep – Stephen King

The Mind of a Lucid Dreamer

To Dream In Different Cultures – NYTimes

Types of Dreams

What do Your Dreams Mean

Sites on dream research and resources for further study:

Dreams Foundation

Dream Research Institute – UK

Edgar Casey Foundation – Dreams and Dream Interpretation

Induction of Self-Awareness in Dreams – electrical stimulation of brain creates lucid dreaming

The Dream Tree

Interesting Dream Events:

A Precognitive Dream Made £56 Million for Charity

Larry Page co-founded Google from a Dream

Monster.com’s founder Jeff Taylor got his idea for Monster in a dream

The Spring Equinox is on March 20, 2014 at 12:47p EDT and 4:57p UT. The Spring Equinox (Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere) is the reset button for the Zodiac wheel. It is the moment when the Sun enters Aries the first sign of the zodiac, a fierce fire sign ruled by the planet of war Mars. The symbol for Aries is the Ram with sturdy, tough horns ready to butt through any barrier in its way.  Aries is raw, passionate and runs on instinct. A fitting sign for the energies of Spring as new seeds aggressively push their way through the soil to greet the waiting Sun.

The Farmer’s Almanac always has fun and interesting information on the Equinox and other seasonal markers and so does EarthSky

As I prepared to write this article I pulled a card from one of my favorite Tarot decks – the Osho Zen deck and got the Ace of Rainbows “Maturity” pictured above.  Aces are  numerologically connected to the number 1 so it was perfect to pick for this first moment of the new zodiac year.  The commentary accompanying the card reflects lovely  synchronicity as well. It says, “ This figure stands alone, silent and yet alert. The inner being is filled with flowers that carry the quality of springtime and regenerate wherever he goes. This inner flowering and the wholeness he feels affords the possibility of unlimited movement…his joy and maturity cannot be diminished by externals.

The chart for the Equinox is the birth chart for this new season, and the Ace of Rainbows sheds light on the Equinox chart too.  As always the Sun is at 0 degrees Aries and this year Mars the ruler of Aries is in the opposite sign of Libra (at 25*) and is currently retrograde too. To have the ruler of the chart moving in reverse makes a telling statement. Venus rules Libra and is the planet of love, peace and harmony – the counterpart to Mars. Libra tames and refines the the testy nature of Aries but also adds confusion. Aries is the pioneer, never doubting, forging ahead to the new frontier. With Mars retro in vacillating Libra, instead of forward motion the inclination is to hesitate. Which direction to go, will the correct choice be made?

Adding to this indecisive quality in the Equinox chart is communicator Mercury conjunct nebulous Neptune and not far away from centaur Chiron all in watery Pisces where creativity and right brain activity is accentuated, but concepts have to ping up from the bottom before they can be translated into clear, linear communication the left brain can understand.  The Equinox Moon in mutual water sign Scorpio brings intensity to deep emotional journeys which means the public mood is more interested in what they feel versus annoying facts.  Structural Saturn is also in deep Scorpio waters and moves retrograde which adds to an atmosphere of strong emotional tides washing over secure foundations.

Huge, expansive Jupiter moves direct again in the most emotional water sign of all – Cancer. This adds even further waves of emotion crashing on the shores of the Equinox chart.  Jupiter reaches out closely to both the Moon and Chiron and calls out to Mercury, Neptune and Saturn as well. This formation recreates the Grand Water Trine featured strongly since Summer Solstice of 2013 .  This cosmic water fall has the capacity to heal at levels never reached before,  or it can help throw the biggest pity party and longest victim parade possible.

Venus travels in airy, aloof Aquarius above it all except when she isn’t.  She forms a tense square to the Scorpio Moon so in the midst of messy temperamental drama her usually sweet and social nature goes out the cosmic door exclaiming that everyone is nuts and she wants no part of it! Or worse strategically contemplates how to take advantage of the situation for her own advantage. Not extremely helpful. Meanwhile penetrating Pluto and wild eyed Uranus continue their respective journeys in Capricorn and Aries and along with Jupiter form the cardinal cross hanging in the heavens for so long. This cross begs for decisive action, but the mushy Equinox energies are not likely to provide it unless (and it’s a big unless!) the higher elements of consciousness, spiritual connection, with love and respect for all can transcend.  (I can hear cynical Venus in Aquarius, saying fat chance of that!)

To sum it all up, at collective levels there is a lot of mushy energy around which leads to confusion and lack of linear clarity – the Malaysian disappearing jet for example.  The mystery of what happened to flight 370 deepens and deepens. Are they on the Lost island? Maybe, who knows. This fuzzy energy can easily be taken advantage of by those who are clear in their needs and demands.  Does Vladimir Putin ring a bell here? Putin came up in the Autumn Equinox 2013 article too, in connection with behind the scenes influence on Syria. It remains to be seen what will happen with the situation in the Ukraine but Putin has certainly grabbed the upper hand while the US and NATO spin about on the waves.  Another bell ringer for this energy is Syrian President Assad who has not wavered in the ruthless death and destruction of his own citizens going on for 3 years while the rest of the world rings its hands helpless to stop the brutality.  When Mars retrogrades in Libra, diplomacy back steps too.

At up close and personal levels, lets go back to the Ace of Rainbows for insight. As the old phrase goes, “The situation is desperate as usual”.  Throughout history when have there not been wars and rumors of war? When have peace and prosperity covered the globe? When have enlightened people governed for the good of all? I am an eternal optimist, and my fervent belief is we will reach these higher levels, and the only way to get there is not from the top down, but from the bottom up. That means it’s up to you!

So in the midst of mushy, emotional dramas being played out in the world, in your community, in your work place and in relationships with family and those closest to you – you can be the Ace of Rainbows. You can reflect your own inner flowering, wholeness, joy and maturity which cannot be diminished by externals. Use the raw courage, fierce intuition and faith in self that Aries brings. Stand strong with the powerful emotions of Scorpio, add the fulsome healing love of Cancer and the blessed spiritual understanding of Pisces. Remember to maintain Libra balance and soar up to the 10,000 foot perspective of Aquarius and nothing external can diminish your strength and you will be a rainbow blessing all you meet.  Here are some beautiful rainbows to inspire you!