By June BlueSpruce

Have you ever been excited about a possible new direction for your life and then told yourself (or had someone else tell you), "You're only dreaming, that will never happen"? As recently as a few centuries ago, people all over the world knew that dreaming was one of the best sources of new ideas and life paths. Many indigenous cultures believe that everything originates in the dreamworld: we have to dream it to make it so.

You may be thinking, "But I don't dream!" Everyone dreams; we may simply not remember. As Marion Woodman once said, "A dream is like a deer at the edge of the forest: If it's welcomed, it will come out. If you feed it, it will develop a relationship with you. But if you don't care about it, it will disappear." To welcome your dreams, to feed and care for them, first set your intention to have and to remember more dreams. Ask the spirits for help. Then put a journal by your bedside, open to the next page you want to write on, with a pen clipped to it. When you wake up after a dream, try to turn on only a dim light (you might even use a flashlight) and move as little as possible. Write down every detail you remember without judging or interpretation; this is very important. Sometimes the seemingly insignificant details give you the best clues. As soon as we start interpreting, the details fade.

You may find yourself having dream after dream about situations in your life that are stressful or dissatisfying. These dreams may not be pleasant, but they are very useful. The dreaming spirits are pointing a big arrow at something that needs to change. These kinds of dreams about issues in the past or present are called mirror dreams; they reflect back to us an area that needs attention. If you feel stuck in a "bad dream," awake and asleep, don't worry; as you address the needed changes, the dreams will change as well.

Another type of dream that is extremely helpful at a time of transition is a map dream, a dream that shows you a possible or probable future. Often this type of dream will have a map or path in it, literally, to tip you off. The dream might show you doing something you've always wanted to do, or even something you've never imagined. You might see what the outcome would be if you made a particular choice that you've been considering. Map dreams can also show us what will happen if we don't change; that's often not a pretty sight.

A third kind of dream is a medicine dream. This is a magical dream in which a spirit or ancestor comes to give you love, wisdom, healing or power; and possibly all of these at once. Medicine dreams are the ones in which you meet spirit allies who can help you identify and walk your heart's true path. Sometimes they can be frightening. Most of us have had dreams in which a wild animal tried to bite us. Usually this means the animal is coming to initiate you, to give you its medicine. I once had a dream in which a lion started to eat me alive! I woke up terrified, and then realized he was coming to help me in a difficult situation at my job. I went back into the dream in a shamanic journey to speak to the lion, thank him and accept his beautiful and powerful gift. I found myself more able to manage the situation I was facing. The lion gave me strength, leadership and courage.

As you start to pay more attention to your dreams and to record them regularly, patterns will emerge. Begin to ask questions such as: "What in my life needs to change? What can I do to resolve the problems I'm facing? What do I want? What are my gifts and strengths? What life path makes my heart sing? What allies and resources are available to help me?" You may not have realized it before, but many of the answers to these questions will come through in your dreams. Learning to understand your dreams is like learning a new language: it can be confusing at first, but soon you will become more familiar with the ways the spirits speak to you while you're sleeping.

After you have practiced inviting, listening to and tracking your dreams for a while, you may find yourself saying one day, "I just had an amazing dream! That's the first step; now I know I can make it come true!"

The shamanic dreaming paradigm on which this article is based comes from the teachings of Valerie Wolf/Grandmother Eagle Flying in the Sun, a gifted shaman, teacher, writer, and healer.

June BlueSpruce, MPH, Certified Intrinsic Coach, is a shamanic practitioner who works extensively with dreams, journeying and other shamanic practices, individually and in groups. She leads dream circles and workshops. To find out more or contact her, go to www.junebluespruce.com.