I am standing in the middle of a field at a music festival in Oregon. It is the middle of the night and PsyTrance is blasting out into the receptive air. My eyes feel heavy from a long day in the sun, but the music is so loud and intense (and near my tent) that sleep is out of the question for the moment. As I stagger before the sound system, I become aware of a hex grid created by the performer, the two speaker stacks, and several light/laser structures behind me. I am at the center of this space.
There is little to look at, and because I am so tired I let my eyelids slide shut. Without photons to distract my vision, I become aware of a star tetrahedron spinning wildly upon every axis. It consists of a simple orangey-gold outline, but each plane/face is clear and reveals the void-space in/around it. I realize that I am actually standing on/in this object, and am near one of the vertices. I can feel the momentum as I change directions, being whipped wildly around as each tetrahedron rotates at unprecedented speed. It is almost nauseating.
As I begin to focus, I realize that I can control the extent to which this object moves me. In fact, I can move myself further in and out of this object. The more still my mind, the closer to the center I move and the less queasy it makes me. The task of centering myself within this form is challenging, as it's bright orange skeleton is distracting while it races in all directions around me. It takes about an hour of dedicated concentration to master the task.
As I finally come to understand the dynamics of this experience, I reach the epicenter of my mind's eye and this spinning star. My eyelids are instantaneously and involuntarily peeled back. What was previously a stage for performers was now a large rectangular holographic video screen. There was an alien creature before me in this hologram. His form was difficult to perceive as he was clouded by bright white light. He began to speak to me. He said that this so-called "psytrance" that I was hearing was a metaphor, that in fact *THE* psytrance goes much deeper than any of us know, that actions predetermined and designed by his people. We are plagued by an illusion of conscious action in our dimension, and this is the true psychological trance, or psytrance. He reveals that it is an experiment designed for us and us alone. While this fateful prison makes my heart sink at first, he senses my fear and reassures me that there is a release from this trance. By transcending all that I THINK i know, and releasing any credibility for my actions, I can allow the great will to flow through me, unrestricted. In doing so I will achieve greater power than I could conceive, and my body can become a vessel of genuine influence. At that moment my actions will, indeed, matter.
Then he was gone. Without the glow of the hologram, the darkness of night settled in around me.
To dream that you are an alien, symbolizes the undiscovered part of yourself. Your manifestation as an alien may be your way of "escaping" from reality. Dreams of this nature also symbolize your outlandish ideas and your wild imagination.
To dream that you are being abducted by aliens, indicates your fear of your changing surroundings or your fear of losing your home and family. You feel that your space and/or privacy is being invaded.
To see aliens in your dream, signify that you are having difficulties adapting and adjusting to your new surroundings. You are feeling "alienated" and disconnected. You may also be having difficulties with how to handle or deal with a certain situation or person. On a psychological level, seeing aliens represent an encounter with an unfamiliar or neglected aspect of your own self.
The symbolism of objects varies with the kind of object in question.
But, broadly speaking, every object consists of a material structure with certain
unconscious elements adhering to it (31). The fact that these forgotten or repressed constituents should reappear in a new medium—the object—enables the
spirit to accept them in a form different from the original. Utensils in particular
are possessed of a mystic force which helps to strengthen the intensity and the
rhythm of human volition. Thus, Schneider maintains that such instruments fulfil
a triple rôle: they are cultural instruments, instruments of labour and finally
reflections of the harmonious soul of the universe. The drinking-vessel, for instance, is a sacrificial vessel and also a drum. The blow-pipe is both a flute and a
magic whistle, etc. (50). Such ideas as these, concerned with the primitive notion
of an object, have lately been resuscitated by artistic movements such as Dadaism
and surrealism. By depicting objects in common use as if they were works of art,
Marcel Duchamp removed them from the context of their merely utilitarian function (their only function according to Western ways of thinking) and showed
them in the light of their true essence, since that essence is revealed only in their
uselessness (freed from the necessity to serve some useful purpose). He showed
that it was possible to see in a bottle-stand, for instance, the very mystic structure that governed the Gothic spires rising in the form of a cage, or the lamps in
Islamic mosques with their multiple, descending hoops; and that all the foregoing
are related to the hollow pyramid of the Primitives (a symbol of the ‘conjunction’
of earth—or the mother—with fire—or the spirit), and also to the artificial mountain and the geometric temple. The form of the object, then, fulfils an essential
rôle in determining the symbolism; thus, all those symbols which take the form of
a twin bell, with the upper bell placed upside down on the lower—for example,
the twin drum or the hour-glass—are closely related to the corresponding graphic
symbol: the letter X, or the cross of St. Andrew (symbolic of the intercommunication between the Upper and the Lower Worlds). Objects that are simple in form
and function usually correspond either to the active or to the passive groups; in
other words, they represent either the contents or the receptacle. For instance:
the lance (which is made to pierce) and the cup or chalice (whose sole function is
to contain). The parallel between this classification and the division of the sexes
is self-evident; but to limit the symbolic relevance of a given object to this sexual
implication is to mutilate seriously its true symbolism. The ‘conjunction’ of the
feminine and masculine principles within a complex object, specially if this object
is—as in the case of a machine—endowed with movement, enables us to carry the sexual parallel a stage further and to characterize it as a kind of secularized lingam.
The ‘objects of symbolic function’ of the surrealists were nothing but the practical illustration of this allusive reality, strengthened by the fetishistic character of
the objects illustrated in their compositions. It was Lautréamont in Les Chants de
Maldoror who best described this shifting of the symbolic significance of objects
towards their generic grouping in his remark: ‘beautiful as the chance-finding of an
umbrella and a sewing-machine on a dissecting table’. As always, a symbol of
integration such as this can be taken either on the cosmic plane or at the existential
and sexual level. In the latter case, the umbrella would be a merely phallic representation, the machine would stand for the cteis, and the dissection-table would
be an illustration of the bed. On the cosmic plane, the umbrella is the cosmic
serpent, the machine is the jaguar, and the table is the universe. At the same time,
objects owe part of their significance to their origins: objects fallen from heaven,
such as aerolites and meteorites for example, partake of the sacred character of
Uranus and constitute a symbol of the power of the celestial deities (17). Submarine objects, on the other hand, possess a viscous and abysmal quality betokening
their irrational nature and their aptness for the expression of all that is base and
unconscious. Sacred objects are so by virtue of their associations—as in the case
of attributes or emblems for instance, or their origins—such as the legendary
palladium of Troy, the Salian shields of Rome, the Hebrew Ark of the Covenant,
etc. (28). To come back now to the broadest of generalizations, alongside their
specific symbolism deriving from their form, function, character, origin, colour
and so on, objects in themselves are always symbols of the world: that is, they are
particular expressions of a material order which expounds both the blind irrational force of continuity and the structural pattern defining the object as opposed
to the subject. Finally we would mention that an elaborate application of the
theory of correspondences would demonstrate the serial structure of objects and
suggest a way of reconciling their ‘character’ with the principles governing the
two essential prototypes of the serial arrangement of the universe: that based
upon the number seven, or the planetary prototype; and twelve, or the zodiacal
model. The incomplete character of such forms of symbolic expression has been
apparent to man since the earliest times, and for this reason the attempt was made
to discover objects which could be invested with great symbolic power by means
of the combination and juxtaposition of various ingredients, which were usually
‘noble’ in character, but were occasionally bizarre or even base—as was the case,
for example, with the alchemic preparation known as ‘prime matter’. The aim
was to endow the object with all the powers inherent in the several planes of
cosmic reality. An example of a ‘complete object’ of this kind is the sword in the Grail legend: its pommel was a precious stone of many colours, each colour
representing a particular virtue; its haft was composed of the bones of strange
beasts.
Night is related to the passive principle, the feminine and the unconscious. Hesiod gave it the name of ‘mother of the gods’, for the Greeks believed
that night and darkness preceded the creation of all things (8). Hence, night—like
water—is expressive of fertility, potentiality and germination (17); for it is an
anticipatory state in that, though not yet day, it is the promise of daylight. Within
the tradition of symbology it has the same significance as death and the colour
black.
To have a dream that takes place at night, represents some major setbacks and obstacles in achieving your goals. You are being faced with an issue that is not so clear cut. Perhaps, you should put the issues aside so you can clear your head and come back to it later. Alternatively, night may be synonymous with death, rebirth, reflection, and new beginnings.
If you are surrounded by night in your dreams, you may expect unusual oppression and hardships in business. If the night seems to be vanishing, conditions which hitherto seemed unfavorable will now grow bright, and affairs will assume prosperous phases.
Dreaming of night means some major setbacks and obstacles in achieving your goals. You may find that some issues you are facing are not all that clear and you need to put them to rest for awhile before a decision is made.
Light, traditionally, is equated with the spirit (9). Ely Star asserts that
the superiority of the spirit is immediately recognizable by its luminous intensity. Light is the manifestation of morality, of the intellect and the seven virtues
(54). Its whiteness alludes to just such a synthesis of the All. Light of any given
colour possesses a symbolism corresponding to that colour, plus the significance
of emanation from the ‘Centre’, for light is also the creative force, cosmic energy irradiation (57). Symbolically, illumination comes from the East. Psychologically
speaking, to become illuminated is to become aware of a source of light, and, in
consequence, of spiritual strength (32).
To see light in your dream, represents illumination, clarity, guidance, plain understanding, and insight. Light is being shed on a once cloudy situation or problem. You have found the truth to a situation or an answer to a problem. Also consider the color of the light for additional significance.
If the light is particularly bright, then it indicates that you need to move toward a higher level of awareness and feeling. Bright light dreams are sometimes common for those who are near death.
To see soft or shadowy lighting in your dreams, indicates feelings and thoughts from the primal aspects and less developed parts of your unconscious.
To dream that you cannot turn on the light, indicates a lack of insight and perspective on a situation.
If you dream of light, success will attend you. To dream of weird light, or if the light goes out, you will be disagreeably surprised by some undertaking resulting in nothing.
To see a dim light, indicates partial success.
To dream of lights is very good. It denotes riches and honour.
Seeing light in your dream indicates a clear mind, plain understanding, and insight. Light has been shed on a once cloudy situation or problem. You have found the truth to a situation or an answer to a problem. Seeing a bright light in your dream indicates that you need to move toward a higher level of awareness and feeling. Bright light dreams are sometimes common for those who are near death.
To dream that you are at the center of something, represents your belief that everything revolves around you. The dream may also be a metaphor that you are in the middle of some situation that you cannot get out of. If you are off centered, then it indicates that something in your life is out of balance.
As a light shining in the darkness, the star is a symbol of the spirit.
Bayley has pointed out, however, that the star very rarely carries a single meaning—it nearly always alludes to multiplicity. In which case it stands for the forces
of the spirit struggling against the forces of darkness. This is a meaning which has
been incorporated into emblematic art all over the world (4). For this reason,
‘identification with the star’ is possible only to the chosen few. Jung recalls the
Mithraic saying: ‘I am a star which goes with thee and shines out of the depths’
(31). Now, individual stars are often seen in graphic symbolism. Their meaning frequently depends upon their shape, the number of points, the manner of their
arrangement, and their colour (if any). The ‘flaming star’ is a symbol of the mystic
Centre—of the force of the universe in expansion (4). The five-pointed star is the
most common. As far back as in the days of Egyptian hieroglyphics it signified
‘rising upwards towards the point of origin’, and formed part of such words as
‘to bring up’, ‘to educate’, ‘the teacher’, etc. (19). The inverted five-pointed star
is a symbol of the infernal as used in black magic (37).
Being nocturnal, their symbolism is associated with that of night; they
are also linked with the idea of multiplicity (or with disintegration) because they
appear in clusters, and with order and destiny because of their disposition and
location (according to Horapollo Niliacus).
Seeing stars in your dream, symbolize high ideals, spirit, fate and luck. It also means your desire for fame and fortune.
Astrological Sign: Aquarius.
Positive associations with this tarot card:
hope, generosity, serenity, wishes coming true, good health, spiritual awareness.
Negative associations with this tarot card:
self-doubt, lack of trust, cynicism, pessimism.
The Star is a welcome card bringing insight into the future, optimism and hope, renewal of faith and unexpected gifts!.
When considering a new relationship or enterprise The Star is an excellent omen.
This card heralds good times for many things, artistic or educational endeavours, travel, health and spiritual awareness or development.
Negatively this card warns against the perils of self-doubt and negativity that may lead to lost oportunities.
However even with the negative aspect of this card you will be surprised with good luck despite your cynicism.
Spinning—like singing—is equivalent to bringing forth and fostering life. Hence Schneider’s comment ‘unhappy is the poor spinner who leaves her
skeins (that is, her offspring) to dry on the river-bank and finds them gone’ (51).
The Parcae, like fairies, are spinners. Likewise, a host of figures of legend and
folklore.
To dream that you are spinning, means that you will engage in some enterprise, which will be all you could wish.
The symbolism of music is of the greatest complexity and we cannot
here do more than sketch out some general ideas. It pervades all the component
elements of created sound: instruments, rhythm, tone or timbre, the notes of the
natural scale, serial patterns, expressive devices, melodies, harmonies and forms.
The symbolism of music may be approached from two basic standpoints: either
by regarding it as part of the ordered pattern of the cosmos as understood by the ancient, megalithic and astrobiological cultures, or else by accepting it as a phenomenon of ‘correspondence’ linked with the business of expression and communication. Another of the fundamental aspects of music-symbolism is its connexion
with metre and with number, arising out of the Pythagorean theory (27). The
cosmic significance of musical instruments—their allegiance to one particular
Element—was first studied by Curt Sachs in Geist und Werden der
Musikinstrumente (Berlin, 1929). In this symbolism, the characteristic shape of
an instrument must be distinguished from the timbre, and there are some common
‘contradictions’ between these two aspects which might possibly be of significance as an expression of the mediating rôle of the musical instrument and of
music as a whole (for an instrument is a form of relationship or communication,
substantially dynamic, as in the case of the voice or the spoken word). For
example, the flute is phallic and masculine in shape and feminine in its shrill pitch
and light, silvery (and therefore lunar) tone, while the drum is feminine by virtue
of its receptacle-like shape, yet masculine in its deep tones (50). The connexion
of music-symbolism with self-expression (and even with graphic art) is well in
evidence in primitive music-making, which often amounted to almost literal imitations of the rhythms and movements, the features and even the shapes of
animals. Schneider describes how, hearing some Senegalese singing the ‘Song of
the Stork’, he began to ‘see as he was listening’, for the rhythm corresponded
exactly to the movements of the bird. When he asked the singers about this, their
reply confirmed his observation. Given the laws of analogy, we can also find
cases of the expressive transferred to the symbolic: that is, a melodic progression
as a whole expresses certain coherent emotions, and this progression corresponds
to certain coherent, symbolic forms. On the other hand, alternating deep and highpitched tones express a ‘leap’, anguish and the need for Inversion; Schneider
concludes that this is an expression of the idea of conquering the space between
the valley and the mountain (corresponding to the earth and the sky). He observes that in Europe the mystic designation of ‘high music’ (that is, high-pitched)
and ‘low music’ (low-pitched) persisted right up to the Renaissance. The question of relating musical notes to colours or to planets is far from being as certain
as other symbolic correspondences of music. Nevertheless, we cannot pass on
without giving some idea of the profound, serial relationship which exists in
phenomena: for instance, corresponding to the pentatonic scale we usually find
patterns grouped in fives; the diatonic and modal scale, since it has seven notes,
is related to most of the astrobiological systems, and is unquestionably the most
important of all the series; the present-day tendency towards the twelve-note
series could be compared to the signs of the Zodiac. But, so far, we have not found sufficient evidence for this particular facet of musicsymbolism. All the
same, here are the correspondences as set down by Fabre d’Olivet, the French
occultist: Mi—the Sun, fa—Mercury, sol—Venus, la—the Moon, ti—Saturn,
do—Jupiter, re—Mars (26). A more valid series of relationships, at least in the
expressive aspect, is that which links the Greek modes with the planets and with
particular aspects of the ethos, as follows: the mi-mode (the Dorian)—Mars
(who is severe or pathetic); the re-mode (the Phrygian)—Jupiter (ecstatic): the
do-mode (the Lydian)—Saturn (pained and sad); the ti-mode (the Hypodorian)—
the Sun (enthusiastic); the la-mode (the Hypophrygian)—Mercury (active); the
sol-mode (the Hypolydian)—Venus (erotic); the fa-mode (the Mixolydian)—the
Moon (melancholy) (50). Schneider’s profound investigations into the symbolism of music seem to us well-founded. The tetrachord formed by the notes do, re,
mi, fa, he considers, for instance, to be a mediator between heaven and earth, the
four notes corresponding respectively to the lion (signifying valour and strength),
the ox (sacrifice and duty), man (faith and incarnation) and the eagle (elevation
and prayer). Conversely, the tetrachord formed by sol, la, ti, do, could represent
a kind of divine duplicate of the previous tetrachord. Fa, do, sol, re are regarded as
masculine elements corresponding to the Elements of fire and air and to the
instruments of stone and metal, whereas la, mi, ti, are feminine, and pertain to the
Elements of water and earth. The interval fa-ti, known to musicologists as a
tritone (or augmented fourth), expresses with its dissonance the ‘painful’ clash
between the Elements of fire and water—a clash occurring in death itself (50). We
have been able to suggest here only a few outlines of the music-symbolism
developed by Schneider in his work The Musical Origin of Animal-Symbols, the
scope of which is so wide that, as he has privately intimated to us, he believes all
symbolic meanings are at root musical or at least to do with sounds. This becomes
easier to understand when we recall that singing, as the harmonization of successive, melodic elements, is an image of the natural connexion between all things,
and, at the same time, the communication, the spreading and the exaltation of the
inner relationship linking all things together. Hence Plato’s remark that the character of a nation’s music cannot be altered without changing the customs and
institutions of the State (26).
To hear harmonious and soothing music in your dream, signifies prosperity and pleasure. You are expressing your emotions in a positive way. Music serves to heal the soul.
To hear discordant or out of tune music in your dream, signifies unhappiness, lack of harmony, and troubles in your relationship or domestic life.
To dream of hearing harmonious music, omens pleasure and prosperity.
Discordant music foretells troubles with unruly children, and unhappiness in the household.