Dream Diary is a series exploring dreams, nightmares, and what happens when they bleed into real life. In this installment of Practical Magic, Lisa Stardust explains dream magic. Always remember that magic is for believers, but this column can also simply serve as a guide to getting in touch with yourself — magically or not.
Ever hear the expression “dreams become things?” Well, this statement can be 100% true, with a little bit of magic, of course. So, we’re diving into dream magic and the subconscious to understand how to bring our deepest passions to reality.
Many of us have experienced lucid or vivid dreams, in which we’ve been aware that we are asleep. In such dreams, we may have seen visions that have inspired us to take action in our lives or seem to have forewarned us against others. For this reason, many believe that dreams are a natural state in which we can receive messages from the “other side.” Spirits can bring us wisdom and prophecies while we’re asleep. From that knowledge, we can manifest our truest desires by knowing the proper intention and spell to cast. Not only that, but we can understand our subconscious weaknesses, insecurities, and fears on a deeper level — all of which can help us work through past trauma to become magically stronger and untouchable as a result.
Better understanding our subconscious can help us be better at magic in our waking life, so first, it's helpful to understand what our dreams mean, and how to make sure the messages we're getting are clear.
What Do Our Dreams Mean?
Before we begin, it’s important for us to discuss dream interpretation. TBH, this is extremely personal. When we dream about an ex, it could mean that we have unfinished business with them. When we dream about being naked in front of a crowd, it could suggest that we are hiding secrets from others and don’t want to be exposed. However, dreaming about a former boo could simply mean that we are psychically connected to them and feel a shift in their energy. Dreaming about being naked in front of people could also mean that luck is coming to us. Contrary to popular belief, symbolism is personal and is based on your history and emotions — and can’t be determined through dream dictionaries or other generalized dream meaning sources.
Tarot reader, witch, art curator, and color magic practitioner Sarah Potter, has some tips on how you can start to recognize what your own, unique dreams mean, and levy that into magic.
Start a Dream Journal
Sarah says creating a dream journal helps us to “see patterns and recurring symbols that appear in your dreams.” Sarah suggests keeping a notebook by your bedside and taking note of your dreams when you wake up and it’s fresh in your mind, or recording your dream on voice memo on your phone. If you can remember the “storyline, feelings it brought up, colors you saw, people you know or have never seen before. Write it all down with no judgement.” Sarah also recommends setting aside time once a month to look it over and see what the collective messages are that are coming through to you from your subconscious. That way, you can better understand what your subconscious is trying to say, and look for spells accordingly.
Create a Pre-Slumber Ritual
Ritual is essential for any magic practitioner — even a pre-slumber ritual can set the tone for our vision quests at night. In order to transition to a slower pace and a more introspective "night mode,” Sarah says to “light a silver candle to invoke the energy of the moon, meditating with your eyes closed while sitting up and deep breathing, and visualizations that invite informative and sweet dreams. When you are done meditating, snuff out the candle. Then, start a little beauty ritual. Closing out the day with a lavender or rose bath plus a face mask is a relaxing and soothing way to transition from the chaos of the day into the peace of the night.”
Astral Projection
Ok, we’re getting to the good stuff. The astral realm is a place that exists in a magical space. When we dream about people, oftentimes it’s because they are coming to us from the astral plane. The danger with the astral plane is that we do not know if the visions we are downloading while asleep are real and who’s planting the tea in our subconscious. Sometimes exes, lovers, friends, and family can meet us on the astral plane to connect with us — and vice versa. But, we have to be careful because it can be a dangerous place. Before falling asleep, draw a circle of protection in the air with your finger to ensure protection from entities we do not want to attach or find us. Also, putting salt in your pillowcase or sleeping with selentine can act as a receptor from the angelic realm and help us to set an intention of only receiving messages of truth or clarity for your highest good. Call upon your spirit guides for TLC and they’ll be by your side, shielding you from harm.
Don’t be Afraid of Your Nightmares
Although they are mostly brought on by anxiety and stress, nightmares can be just as revealing as our happy dreams. Sarah says, “Seeing this part of our subconscious allows us to look at these aspects of ourselves and more fully accept them as part of our whole being. Confronting these emotions is the first step in releasing and freeing ourselves from their weight.” By dealing with our phobias and emotional triggers (which are seen through nightmares), we can look within ourselves and unlock the emotional shackles that hold us back. It’s kind of like a subconscious detox. If we face our nightmares head on, we can live with no fear. And, that will make you magically powerful and invincible against others.