Dreams can give us clues about how to heal, and I have a personal story to tell about how it can work.
In February 2009, I had surgery to remove a cyst from my left ovary, the second such surgery I’d had in six months. Once the surgery was over, I wanted to heal the underlying psychological pain connected with the cysts to avoid costly and painful surgery in the future.
I read Dream Tending by Stephen Aizenstat, an excellent book that includes a chapter on dreams and healing. Using his active imagination techniques, I developed a relationship with a spider-scorpion character from a particularly potent dream I'd had before the surgery. The techniques worked: I haven't had another surgery since that one in 2009.
To work with the dream, I meditated and asked the spider-scorpion to come forward. It came and, although it was grotesque, I focused on allowing it to be there with me. Each day, I did this practice. After several days, I got the message that I should create a healing elixir to apply to the spider-scorpion.
While in meditation, I put the elixir on the spider-scorpion and then on myself. After a few days, the spider-scorpion morphed into what looked like a waking-world scorpion. It wanted to crawl into my lap. I let it, and I continued to apply the elixir.
After a time, the scorpion grew larger and eventually became the same size as myself. I watched as it stepped into me, our energies merging. I’d integrated the scorpion and its medicine, and had experienced a powerful healing.
You can apply these ideas to your own dreams.
Think of an issue, physical or psychological, you'd like help with. Then, hold that in your mind and ask what dream is connected to it. This could be a recent dream or an old dream. Take an element from that dream and do active imagination with it to see if it has any information. It could be a person, animal, place, or object.
The important piece here is to not ask anything of the character, place, or object. Instead, be present with it and see what information comes forward. This might take several days, or even longer. But cultivating that relationship is a vital part of the healing.
If you'd like support with this process, set up a dreamwork session with me!