The Dream: I am dressing for an event, feeling rushed. There are several women with me, and one is an artist friend. I put on a pair of black silk trousers, wide-legged. I'm wearing a white blouse. I add a black sweater/jacket, not quite as out-dated as the trousers. My friend tells me this looks fine, and while I know it's lacking in style and out-dated I decide there's no time to come up with anything better.
I have to go to the bathroom. I'm in a public toilet stall and try to pee, but find I can't. I give up, feeling uncomfortable.
Interpretation: I'm dressed in the traditional mourning colors, black and white. I look for a release (going to the toilet) that doesn't come. The clothes are out-dated; this tells me that the grief I'm experiencing is not only current, but from the past as well. My inner artist (the friend) thinks these clothes are appropriate; perhaps she is more in touch with the old pain that needs expression.
I'm in a toilet stall; indeed,being unable to find the needed release has stalled me. I will feel uncomfortable until I can let it out.
Of course I had to have a "I can't pee" dream last night, after reading this one! So I went to Jane Teresa's Anderson book "Dream Alchemy". What spoke to me in her book was that not being able to pee could be about sticking to a routine for too long while others are relaxing, or hanging onto a relationship with a "past due date", or perhaps hanging onto something that someone did or said that hurt me, for too long. And so on. I like that she attaches life situations to dream actions and symbology. But the other thing about "No Release" is that I am donning black and white. To me, they are a way to integrate black and white - I'm on the way to integrating something - new thoughts, new ideas, new feelings, but I'm still uncomfortable with them. Anytime I've tried something new, like to assert certain, hard to speak about feelings, the words don't always come out right, but at least I am making the effort. In time, the words will flow smoothly. In time the clothes will fit! Of course, as always, this is in my dream, my life, my situation. Thanks, again, Carla for a great dream!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you, Emily, for this and all your previous insightful comments. Your contributions are most welcome and very appreciated.
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