I have heard from a lot of folks over the past year that they are dreaming about people from their past, or about those who have passed. One viewpoint from Jungian psychology is that seeing people from your past suggests that there is currently a lesson for you to uncover in your day to day.

These people might be those who you liked or disliked, so they carry a symbolic meaning that may represent personality traits or aspects about yourself, that need to be addressed. On the other hand, they may be a vehicle or symbol suggesting that something, as you have known it, is ending. Alternatively, they can represent who they were, trying to give you a message.

If the dream visitor has passed, they may be part of your mourning process (even after many years), or reflect a memory, or even offer a premonition. Mediums will tell you that those on the other side can still reach and teach us. My indigenous mentors suggested that dreaming of the ancestors, or family members who have crossed, were opportunities to uncover something needing addressing in our waking state, recover information, remind us of something, or assist in situations to come.

As always, the interpretations I offer are suggestions, the one who knows best is the dreamer.

THE DREAM:

My husband and I are checking into a hotel. The hotel is colorful blues and whites mostly. We are happy. As we approach our room there is a very large bird (eagle) maybe in the steps. The wings are huge, and the Bird is mostly Grey with blue and white trimmed wings. I think to myself oh boy I hope they move that. We check into our room and leave. When we arrive back there is another bird in our room in the bed. Again, it is a big bird. I get upset and think Someone broke in. But then I realize we left the door open. I’m a little upset and then tell my husband to call someone and as I go out the door there is a man standing there.

I tell him what happened but when I look at him, he smiles. As he looks up, I say oh my God you look just like my dad. I can’t even be mad about this. He is wearing a green/brown jacket and is dressed like a workman. Then I wake up.

The Decoding:

My husband and I are checking into a hotel. The hotel is colorful blues and whites mostly. We are happy. As we approach our room there is a very large bird (eagle) maybe in the steps. The wings are huge, and the Bird is mostly Grey with blue and white trimmed wings. I think to myself oh boy I hope they move that.

Hotels are associated with temporary places to stay, whereas homes are more symbolic of where we feel safe. This indicates a few things, that the feelings of happiness you hold are temporary based on the circumstances. It can also suggest that you are in a transitory place in your life, or about to start out on a new path. The dreaming mind is trying to get you to move forward and not stay stuck with where you may find yourself, based on past circumstances or assessments.

The hotel is colorful blues & whites. On the Wisdom Wheels white has to do with boundaries, (not walls), we can move boundaries back and forth with how comfortable and safe we feel. It also has to do with magnetism, which is the concept of being able to attract into our life the people, places and things that support us, or release the people places or situations that are limiting our growth or happiness. Blue is usually about trusting your intuition or offering you a teaching. It asks the question: are you in service, or are you in servitude—to something or someone?

In the dream, you two are happy, indicating there is a hope that this time away from the day-to-day goes smoothly and joyously. But as you approach the room, something blocks your path. You suggest an eagle. In some of the Native traditions eagle is the messenger of peace; it also is indicative of the power of Great Spirit/God giving us a message or direction. It teaches one to broaden their “sense of self” beyond what is presently visible, and helps guide you to a state of grace.

What strikes me about this bird is the repeat of the colors. Gray is about learning to honor your Self and your needs—which is the energy directly opposite the color blue on the Wisdom Wheels. As such, this contributes information about your state of mind. Blue (adjust where you may be in servitude to something or someone else); and white (which is about personal boundaries that need to be respected). BUT, by the size of the bird and its colors, I do not believe it is an eagle; those colors suggest a Great Blue Heron.

Blue Herons are likewise sacred Medicine birds; they teach us to seek serenity achieved through inner peace. So, whether it was an eagle or a Great Blue Heron, peace is still the object of this symbol. Herons are a wonderful, nurturing mothering bird, so can sometimes suggest that one’s inner/outer world is off balance, because they are nurturing everyone else in lieu of themselves— again the concept of service vs. servitude. Either way you want someone to come help you move this energy that blocks your path moving forward.

We check into our room and leave. When we arrive back there is another bird in our room in the bed. Again, it is a big bird. I get upset and think ‘someone broke in’. But then I realize we left the door open. I’m a little upset and then tell my husband to call someone and as I go out the door, there is a man standing there.

You are already leaving the room before you have even stayed. So, I would ask you where you were going? What was the room like? Was it bright or dingy? Was the bed made or unmade? All these would suggest something.

You left the door open, which implies you are ready to “open something up” for your own review. Dreaming of a hotel in any form often emotionally implies how you feel about your relationship with your partner; but partners can also imply partnership with our inner male/female qualities. Alternatively, husbands in dreams represent how we are loving ourselves or how we feel loved. It is an aspect of your Self, not necessarily your husband in the waking world; you might have a lovely relationship in your marriage, but do you in your marriage with yourself? Being at a hotel with your partner, suggests you wish to have a component of your relationship (with him or within yourself), be refreshed or expanded from what you might be feeling in the day-to-day at home.

As you get to your room there is another big bird. Birds in general indicate imagination, happiness, freedom, or the ability to fly away. If they are big, it can indicate the issue is getting bigger and bigger for you to address. You are upset and immediately feel someone broke in.

This tells me that something about dwelling or expanding your awareness of these topics, when you just came to be happy, feels like pressure from without. Perhaps pressure to grow the Self. But how do you wish to confront these blocks or renegotiate boundaries that arise and impact your happiness? Do you wish to merely escape the feeling or make the changes necessary for extended happiness. In this case the birds are suggesting that you need to get a higher perspective of your situation, by seeing it from another point of view.

There is a man there. I tell him what happened but when I look at him, he smiles. As he looks up, I say oh my God you look just like my dad. I can’t even be mad about this. He is wearing a green/brown jacket and is dressed like a workman. Then I wake.

As you go to get help, you see a man. You are telling this person, initially a perceived stranger, about your issues. Suddenly you realize that he reminds you of your Dad. I would ask you, what was your relationship with like with your dad?

This ‘dad figure’ that shows up, takes you emotionally in a completely opposite direction. You cannot be mad about the ‘birds’ anymore. Whatever is currently impacting a decision you need to make in your daily reality that can shift your emotions, symbolical his presence makes you happy. This is a reminder of what you are not feeling, and wish to feel—happier.

Dad in this case could be a true visitation from him, reminding you that you are able to make changes in your world that bring you more happiness; likewise, he could just be a symbol of your own inner authority or protection, to help you address that which needs to change. Either way he got your attention and shifted your mood. Grabbing your attention is the important aspect here.

He is wearing a green and brown jacket and he looks like a workman. This signifies that whatever issue/s you are working through will take some work on your part, but working hard at something can bring success, inner peace, and joy.

Brown and green on the Native Wisdom Wheels likewise (like gray and blue), fall directly across from each other, indicating you can draw on the support you require to work through whatever ‘this topic of change or awareness needs to shift’ is within your inner knowing. Brown is about reorganizing yourself, building stronger foundations for yourself, and knowing what needs to be done to live your truth. Green is about using right will, not willfulness to accomplish this. Green also is a color of childhood, where the memories of who we wanted to be were first imagined. So again, the theme symbolized through ‘dad’ helps bring back childhood memories for you to remember that you wanted for yourself. Perhaps his image is a reminder of that?

Thank you, dreamer, for sharing.

I always enjoy when folks get back to me about what the decoding addressed for them. In this case, this dreamer wrote two days later and shared that she had made a huge adjustment in her business and was so much happier that she did. Happiness sometimes equals changes we have hesitated to make. Your ‘dreamer-self’ is always guiding.