DREAMS

'Flat Tires' was dreamed just prior to a time of crisis in the dreamer's life.  The imagery, in no uncertain terms, prefigures an encounter with the psychological shadow.  The shadow is a natural by-product of ego development, which has its worst enemy in the dominant function.  The role of the shadow is to eventually place the ego into a landscape that it does not recognize, know, acknowledge or understand.  It is a necessary part of one's emotional growth and development. Many people experience shadow activation's as depression, melancholy, 'no way out', intense isolation, or are simply at a loss to know what to do with themselves or their lives.  Valuable years have been lost as some people tarry too long in their own shadow lands or simply do not recognize the way through.  Valuable self understanding can also be forfeit when we lack inner strength, a reflective capacity or guidance within such difficult times.

Dream work augments astrology.  In many ways it surpasses the limits of intellectual interpretations, relative to, in this case, the confrontation with the dreamer's own shadow.  'Flat Tires' is an excellent example of a look into the current state the dreamer's personal (as opposed to collective) shadow.  We will draw upon alchemical themes and her birth chart (reproduced below) in their supportive roles to the dreams main themes.  The dreamer's teacher's actual name has been omitted for discretion.

The Dream
I am leaving my astrology class.  [My astrology teacher] is in a big hurry.  I get into my car a begin to drive away.  The car is sluggish.  I get out and find that my tire is flat. I'm driving to an all night garage, so I can call roadside assistance.  I realize I'm driving too fast and almost crash into a wall.  I go into the garage to use the phone.  I am told to use the phone outside.  I go outside young men are around my car; they leave when they see me. I get in my car to drive away, it doesn't move. I get out to look at the tires again.  All four are now flat.

'I am leaving my astrology class.'
The dreamer described her astrology class as 'a learning process taking place in myself.'

You are leaving astrology class because [your teacher] is in a big hurry?  Why is he in a big hurry?
Because he's sick; he needs to get home and into bed.

How is [your teacher's] health at the moment?  Is there any indication that he is sick or will be getting sick in waking life at present?
No. He seems fine to me.

What is a teacher?
The teacher is a leader, someone in which to follow or learn from.

Here we have an indication that the 'lead function' of the dreamer's psychology is in the process of getting sick.  He symbolizes the onset of the 'illness' in the dreamer.

'I get into my car a begin to drive away.  The car is sluggish.  I get out and find that my tire is flat.'

It is common for dream imagery to illustrate a principle, action or a psychic event from more than one vantage point.  The dreamer thought of cars as being symbols of one's own physical vehicle: the body.  This information duplicates the indication that the driver, the one who represents the action, force or direction of the ego, can go no further--with one important addition.

Which tire is flat?
Driver's side front.  In real life whenever I have had tire problems it always begins with the driver's side front.

Would you say that this is the 'lead' tire?
Yes.

Why?
Because it is in the same position in the car as the driver--left front.

'I drive to an all night garage, so I can call roadside assistance.'

Dreams often use puns or a play of words to get their point across.  An 'all night' garage can be thought of as being open 24/7.  Reading it another way however, supports the progression of the dream's imagery: from a vehicle which is merely sluggish to a 'vehicle' which has arrived at the nadir of its own psyche.  In such a place, it is all night, as in degree of blackness; this is not a reference to time.  There she hopes to get roadside assistance.

'I realize I'm driving too fast and almost crash into a wall.'

In waking life, the dreamer often drives over the speed limit, so this is no new information.  She had not been in any close calls recently, nor did this scene remind her of anything in particular.  So an object level interpretation would not apply.   She added, 'It reminds me of when I am riding roller coasters and you are going real fast, you feel the apprehension of danger and loss of control, but you know that you are perfectly safe.'

We could learn a lot by taking that last sentence to heart.

'I go into the garage to use the phone.  I am told to use the phone outside; I go outside.  Young men are around my car; they leave when they see me.'

There's no other mention of using the phone, whether you did or not.  Again, I think this is a replay of the 'trying to get help but help is not coming' motif.  I don't know why I didn't find the phone and use it.  (From her dream history we knew that help from other people in her dreams was seldom forthcoming.  This particular scene seemed to repeat that message to her).

What are young men like who work in garages, like the ones in this dream?
Strong, able-bodied, knowledgeable.

When we are in the midst of the influence of our shadow, it is common to feel as if our own strength and knowledge are no longer of use to us.  We can drift without a sense of place or meaning; we don't seem to be able to go forward; we're stuck.  Life has thrown us one of those big wrenches into our works, and its messed everything up.  We all know what this feels like.  So, what do we do?  First we have to have some faith in our ourselves and the life process, wherever that may be taking us.   And then from that place, dreams will be very useful in addressing our next move--as we tune into our own inner life.

'I get in my car to drive away, it doesn't move. I get out to look at the tires again.  All four are now flat.'

End of Dream

In alchemy, the initial stage of The Work is known as the 'nigredo'. It has also been called 'the blackening.' It can be a dangerous phase, when the old self is cast off, blackened, charred, burned, and the new has not yet arrived.  At this point one's illusions about reality and personal identity are gone and thus the pain is real.  Many times we have no choice but to confront our fears.

The picture below, from a 17c. alchemical text, (which I've taken the liberty of 'colorizing') shows the alchemist 'meditating.'  Notice his location in the picture and body language: he is below ground level and in a passive state.  But this does not mean that nothing is happening.  In a positive sense his psychic state of mind is aware and is in dialogue with the unseen.  Notice the masculine and feminine forces of spirit and soul acting upon him. The dialogue here may be with oneself, one's higher self, or one's guides.  In any case, it is essential to begin to form some manner of relationship or familiarity with the wisdom contained deeper within oneself; within one's own shadow  Notice the black raven in the lower left corner.  His familiar perhaps?  What might such an animal symbolize for any dreamer?  Again, the 'nigredo' is a difficult stage to see our way through consciously.  We desperately pine for guidance at such times.  A period of creative incubation, the elements in the dreamer's psychology are being reduced from a potential state to a manifest one.  An awareness of our dream's imagery, often powerful at such times, tells us where we are within this transition process.  And they can often point the way toward the opening of new chapters of creative possibility.  It is at such times that we can benefit greatly as we take counsel from the wisdom in our dream imagery.

Spiritus Creative Services is an Arts & Humanities organization whose mission is to bring about the union of Art, Literature, Psychology and Spirituality.  In collaboration with other researchers, artists and clinicians in these fields, and pulling from many diverse and powerful literary, psychological and spiritual sources, the goal is to bring the concept of the Soul and its' enlightenment to people everywhere primarily through the various forms of Art, Fiction, Film, and Essay.  

Spiritus Creative Services was founded in 2000 by Charles Shaw, an author living in Chicago.  A graduate of Boston University with degrees in Literature, Psychology and Creative Writing, Charles' work focuses on ontological themes such as Jungian Individuation, Humanism, Synchronicity, and Existentialism: the enigmatic meanderings of the Mind, Body & Soul.  He is a staff writer for J. Harrison's nationally syndicated radio show Reality Check and has published a number of freelance articles.  His has recently completed his first novel, Unfinished Portraits (excerpts) which is planned for a 2001 publication. Aside from his large body of fiction and essay, Charles has worked extensively writing and directing film and theatre, and in propagating reform in the treatment of Addiction and Mental Illness.

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