Today’s post is Part II of my previous post about the Gray Wolf that seemed to have stepped out of a history lecture and into my dream.

Read Part I HERE:

The Gray Wolf and the Red Road

 

POSTSCRIPT 1: Sixteen Levels Deep

Toward the end of her lecture titled, “Telling Dreams: Oneiric Circulation in ‘New France’ and Beyond, ” Professor Mary Baine Campbell shared the story of a contemporary Native American woman who sees dreaming as a skill that can be honed. This woman can navigate through dreams-within-dreams 16 layers deep.

Anyone who has experienced a single dream within a dream, let alone who has had to wake from a series of two, three, or four dreams-within-dreams, will pause in awe of that accomplishment. I did. It is rare, indeed.

Then again, dreamwork can help any and all of us wake up 16 and more times. Each time we open our awareness to the messages in our dreams, we reach a new level of clarity, new perspectives, and more empathy. Each awakening brings us closer to the integration and understanding necessary for our personal healing and our collective ability to not only survive–but evolve, learn–and thrive.

POSTSCRIPT 2: The Man in the Red Sweater and the Red Road

Later that same week I saw the movie, “In the Neighborhood” about the modern-day teacher and guide, Fred Rogers. In the movie, Mister Rogers’ wife Joanne scoffs at the idea that her husband was a saint. He has problems, and he has a temper she tells a skeptical reporter. She goes on to explain that calling Mister Rogers a saint denies the fact that anyone can do what he did.

What did he do? Joanne Rogers explains that Fred Rogers made an effort. He incorporated daily practices in order to practice being good.

I can relate to the idea of practicing every day to be the kind of person that I want to be. Some days I come a little closer. Other days I fail. Our human desire to be better than we are is acknowledged by the spiritual practice of walking The Red Road, which I learned about as a result of my Gray Wolf dream. Those who follow the Red Road are not perfect, but they are aiming to perfect themselves a little more each day.

Committing to a spiritual path does not mean you take the first step as a saint, any more than deciding to take a yoga class means you are already flexible. We commit ourselves to these practices to become a little better, a little more honest, a little more kind, helpful and loving each day—accepting that the reason we stepped onto the path, to begin with, is that we want to go in the direction that it’s pointing toward.

Step onto the road

In honor of my dream, and inspired by the life of Fred Rogers, I’m going to take a few conscious steps on the road to goodness. Here are some things I plan to do, and I encourage you to try, too.

TODAY:

• Ask someone about their dreams, or tell them yours.
• Listen to someone as if there is nothing more important in the world to do.
• Take time to be extra kind to animals today. Spend some time with your pet or make a donation to a charity that protects wildlife, or that cares for stray animals in your community …

And one more step:

Listen to tonight’s dreams and let them inspire you to take three more steps on the road to goodness tomorrow!

May you dream and be well.
© 2019 Tzivia Gover

Read PART I of this post:

The Gray Wolf and the Red Road

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