Anyone else had a Dreaming?

[silverhawk]

This has been posted up on Goldenhand's forum, so apologies to her if I post it up again....

This the Dream I had, before I researched the aspects of it:

The dream starts off with me standing in a clearing in a forest. It seems to be sunset, or early evening. There's a hill to the left of me, and a river to the right. I seem to be in a small valley of sorts. I look up to the crest of the hill, and I see a white boar. It turns, and starts to walk down the other side of the hill. I follow it, and it leads me down the hill, which is very steep, into the forest. It seems to be summer, as the leaves are out, very green, and the undergrowth is thick. I can see stars and the moon through some of the branches. The boar leads me down to a lake, which spreads out in front of me. I can see the moon and the stars reflecting in the water, and music comes from somwhere, but I can't see who's playing. It's panpipe music, or flute -something like that. The boar then turns, and leads me back up another hill. I kneel, and touch the boar's back with my right hand. A hawk descends from the sky, circles three times, then lands on my left arm.

So I've done a lot of research into boars, as it was the boar I feel drawn to most, and I've discovered that they, in dreams, symbolised strength, courage, and were often the symbol of a warrior. Ancient Celts, at their coming of age ceremonies (and since I turn 20 in a few months, this seems a good age to have a Dreaming!!), were often sent away from their tribe to
have their Dreaming, which would mark them for the math that they would follow. I think that this was my Dreaming, and during meditation, I let my mind fully explore the dream, and the landscape in the dream. When I walked by the pool again, this time, I saw a
standing stone, next to the path which the boar took me up to the top of the hill. Also, this time, the hawk (Which I've learned stands for watchfulness, guardianship, and also is the warrior's sign) did not land on my arm when I knelt to touch the boar (and
boar bristles, I've also discovered, have important meanings), but circled overhead, and in my left hand I held a spear. I also got an image of a running boar, in a circle of fire. There seems to be a hawk in the image too, but it's still not completely clear. I'll try drawing it out, see if that helps.

When I first had the Dream, I wasn't sure what it was. It was only after the meditation, when I asked the Boar, that I felt sure that it was my Dreaming.

Anyone else had a similar experience?

[Blackbird]

That sounds very intense and has the air of initiation about it.

I have had similar dreams, involving horses. My patroness is Epona, who has been with me since I was a child, and I've had significant visionary dreams about horses. The last such was down in the New Forest, near to where some archaeological finds related to Epona have been found.

I was down at a pagan camp there, and had wandered off into the woods before a ritual to Epona, in which I was taking part, was to start, just to gather myself and prepare. I saw a young stag in the woods and followed him for a fair while. He was obviously quite used to people, as I wasn't moving very quietly, yet he was unpeturbed. Then, I saw a grey horse moving through the trees. I thought nothing of it, assuming it to be one of the hacks from the many stables in the area. But the horse walked behind a tree and... never came out from the other side.

That night, I dreamed that I was back in the forest. A thick white mist had risen about my feet, so that I couldn't see the way forward. A white stag bounded forward, as if to lead me through the mist, but I hesitated - and awoke from the dream. Later, a friend told me that sleepless, he'd been walking in the forest that night, and that a white mist had arisen, as in my dream.

Looking back now, it seems that both the stag and the horse - and the mist was Her, in a way... as I was to find out later... were soul-guides, taking me through the mist to Annwn. I wonder what would have happened had I not hesitated?

Blackbird

[silverhawk]

That's an interesting thought.... What would have happened?

You're right about my Dream, it did seem like that.

Brigid is the Goddess I feel most associations with, as the Godess of martial arts, smithcraft, with poetry, and fire, and she has some riverine associations. (possibly the stream and the lake in my dream?)

[Blackbird]

Brighid having input into it is interesting to consider - thinking of the time of year...

I haven't had many dealings with her, though I've met her once or twice, and a friend of mine is very close to her. She is strongly connected with water - and with fire, as an eternal flame was kept burning in her temples. (Also links in with the smithcraft stuff)
She's often described as owning a cow that gives forth endless milk (I think in earlier times, she may have been seen as the cow herself) and the rivers of milk are thus linked to rivers of water.