A dark day although the rain has held off. Now the late afternoon sun illumines the western overcast, offering the possibility of a sunset. The wind, which has been a consistent companion these past few days, has risen, promising storms tomorrow.
I’m drinking my late afternoon cup of decaf tea, a ritual I’ve adopted during these days of sheltering at home. The virus is not yet in check here, and while it is not overwhelming in our small community, it has become so in other parts of the state. We stay home in part to protect me, but also to protect others, especially vulnerable family members and the medical community. We do so with the knowledge that in many Indigenous communities staying home and relatively safe is not an option.
Last night I dreamed many of us are being given new healing skills to share with others. When I awoke this morning, tired from a night of learning, I remembered that I had been taught but not what I was taught. I was left with the sense that we will each find our new knowings and skills when we need them. There is some irony in the experience that one has learned some new healing skills contained in touch when touching is not an option. I imagine the new learning will prove to be more complex and useful than my small mind can grasp.
This knowledge is not the immediate technical knowledge my ancestors and teachers reported receiving in dreams, rather it is something left in the wisdom of the body. In cultures that prioritize dreams, utilitarian knowledge is expected to arrive in the night. Perhaps one dreams that a plant can be used to treat a novel illness, or one might be given the exact location of a deer that will give its life to feed the community.
We should not be surprised that information is given to us in our dreams; after all, we are connected to all of creation, and thus to the sacred. Isn’t that really the central message of the angels and spirits who bring us dreams and visions?
In this challenging time our dreams may still invite us to take care and take heart. May we find space and courage to do so.
Please share your thoughts and join the conversation!