Work Toward New Possibilities
Dear Nancy: I am 66 years old, semiretired and have been divorced from my husband for more than 20 years. I’m a massage therapist, which I enjoy, and am close with my family. I have a few health problems but all in all I have a good life. Recently I had these two vivid dreams, and they must be important because I can’t forget them. - Lois
“I am holding a crystal egg in my hands, and I see a child waiting to be born inside it. Someone tells me to crack the egg so the child can come out, and I reply, `No, I just want to look at it.”’
And the next dream:
“I’ve given birth to a new baby. She is beautiful and very advanced for a newborn. She can walk and talk. I’m upset. I don’t want this child because of the responsibility of raising her.”
Dear Lois: There are certain dreams that can only be described as extraordinary or “numinous.” They are very spiritual, mysterious and have a quality that surpasses our normal dream experience. They usually leave us with feelings of awe and wonder.
Both of these dreams announce the presence of the archetype, “The Divine Child.” This child is special, beyond the norm. Jungian analyst Kathrin Asper says, “The divine child represents our own potentials and talents, which are to be developed according to God’s urging. The divine child is always a holy child, too. In addition to the wealth of meaning it has in the religious context, the word holy always also has a sense of wholesomeness, health, and wholeness.”
Usually the identity of the father is unimportant in these archetypal dreams because the child is a product of new life within the dreamer. It is the creativity and new potential born within the psyche. Often this “divine child” arrives when the dreamer has done much inner work, clearing out old attitudes and beliefs that are no longer appropriate. When the child arrives, it is a great gift, signaling change.
Lois, if there’s something in your life that feels like a new possibility, I would recommend you work diligently and purposefully toward making it happen. What is it that holds you back? Do you need to give up a negative attitude such as low self-worth, feelings of guilt, anxiety or fear?
Dreams such as these usually announce a new phase or development.
What wants to be born in your life? What talents, abilities or adventures are waiting within you? In your dream, you don’t want the responsibility of caring for this child, nevertheless, this baby is being born! Allow yourself to be open to new possibilities. There’s no need to worry about the responsibility at this point because you don’t know what it is yet. I would suggest you sit quietly and imagine yourself back in the dream. Ask the child, “Who are you? What are you doing in my dream?” Perhaps she has gifts that, with care and nurturing, you can receive.
Reader’s tip
Some dreams are so full of detail, with many settings, characters, scenes and events, that they leave us feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. When this happens, instead of concentrating on the individual symbols, try stepping back from the dream, and look at the overall pattern or “theme.” This can be a very valuable practice because your dream themes are probably pointing to major issues that you need to address in your waking life.