Hi again,
Feeling that the man in rags felt familiar and that you ought to know him probably symbolizes that, while you feel some of the effects of an inner, unconscious male figure, you aren’t at this time very aware of where these effects are coming from.
While you don’t sympathize with the man because he “got what he deserved”, and this is similar in part to the dog’s attitude, the crucial difference is that the dog feels sorrow and pity for the man.
This suggests that the man still deserves a “second chance”, as it were, because we all “make mistakes” at times.
Just to explain further what the “inner man” (which is called the “animus” in Jungian psychology) who exists in the psyche of a woman, relates to: when the ego has a conscious, ongoing relationship with this figure, it can become a kind of bridge to the deeper levels of the unconscious mind over time.
This takes the form of spontaneous, creative thoughts and ideas for projects etc. that are suited to the woman, and which can further her unique self-development.
This link with a deeper layer of your psyche is what gives such a figure the feeling of being cultural and ancient.
You’ve described the sad fact that you suffered emotional abuse, and unfortunately, this has tended to often make you tough, thick skinned and unyielding.
It looks like the sort of “masculine armour” you wear (which is very understandable in the circumstances) has forced your inner man into a role for which he isn’t suited.
That is, he is part of the persona or mask which you present to others in the outside world instead of fulfilling his role of being a guide to your unconscious.
This situation apparently has “worn him out” and he’s not able to give you much positive guidance in everyday matters and in leading you in the longer term to deeper levels of understanding. This could be part of why you’ve felt disconnected from your own heritage and bloodline.
So the “traditional” role of this figure is apparently in “rags” and, from the dream’s point of view, he needs to be helped at this time instead of being left to his own devices as you seem to want to do.
This is because, as Jungian analyst Jane Wheelwright describes in “Death of a Woman”, “When not consciously related to, the animus causes a woman to be opinionated, argumentative, rigid, controlling, and excessively critical of herself or others”.
For example, partly depending on whether the unfortunate emotional abuse began when you were a young child, you might unconsciously have buried in your psyche the belief “I’m no good, so this is why I’m being treated this way”.
If so, a stream of vague, negative and self-hurtful thoughts might sometimes flare up along the lines of “This guy can clearly see that you’re a waste of time, so why bother with him?” etc. etc.
Also, the man in your dream was partly linked with your grandfather because of the traditional robes. In addition, he’s apparently in danger of being “cut off” and “dying” (i.e. becoming “totally unconscious” to you) just like your grandfather was cut off too early in his life.
The idea might be that your grandfather had certain fixed traditional and family beliefs such as “A man must never show any weakness by expressing his feelings” etc., and, if so, this may have prevented him from seeking any help when he was feeling depressed.
The nature of his death was also treated by the family as a hidden, guilty secret. The problem is that any such hidden secrets can have a poisonous effect on the lives of family members, including those who are unaware of the truth.
So it’s possible that the tribal seer was someone who actually had a genuine intuitive insight (albeit in symbolic terms) regarding your overall family.
For example, she said that you’re here to cleanse the blood of those who came before you, that you have to reset what was broken, and rinse the ancestral Karma.
Symbolically, the “ancestral Karma” could possibly consist of fixed ideas and beliefs which contributed to your grandfather’s untimely death, and possibly to equivalent tragedies in earlier years. In a way, your ancestors weren’t actually “making their own decisions” as you believe because their decisions were apparently being influenced or controlled by certain negative “pre-ordained rules of behaviour” etc. etc.
If so, the cause of this loss of “blood” and “life” (whether physical and/or spiritual) has to be “reset” and “rinsed clean” as it were, possibly including the factors that led to your own terrible emotional abuse.
The idea might possibly be that your own gradual bringing to light the ideals and beliefs etc. of your close and extended family which are negative in some way could potentially “cleanse” yourself and other members of your family who would learn and change by your example over time.
So you would have broken the chain of a “bad Ancestral Karma”, potentially allowing for future members of the family to live lives that are better fulfilled in some general way.
A very good start to this overall possibility is that you have a strong relationship with your instinctive side as shown by the fact that you pay attention to your dreams and keep an eye on how the animals in them are doing.
In general, animals in dreams symbolize the dreamer’s connection with, and overall attitude toward, natural instinctive reactions, strong emotions, vague feelings, intuitions and even cold thoughts and actions that are sometimes needed to defend ourselves in certain situations (just like a quiet mother bear etc. will suddenly turn very savage if her cubs are in danger).
Sometimes, the more “feminine” side of your instincts might tell you that it’s OK to just “be” instead of trying to “do” things all the time. Also, they may encourage you to just accept things as they are, and to accept the natural flow of things from good to bad and back again. In addition, they might encourage you to be open to the “irrational” such as the meaningful coincidence that seems to be related to your dream.
So the talking white dog is indeed a reliable inner voice and it looks like he is warning you not to end up like the man, spiritually "barefoot, dirty and naked” because you have so much more to offer.
Anyway, I hope that these additional ideas can be useful, and please don’t hesitate to ask any other questions you may have.
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