Water and Emotions
Have you ever noticed that the symbolic meaning of water in your dreams can help raise your personal awareness and heal your life? Have you ever experienced how your inner world creates your outside circumstances? That awareness arises from understanding of the symbolic meaning of water in your dreams and waking reality. Our second chakra’s element is water which relates particularly to our emotions. Water is a significant key to human existence. It’s vital to life. Our body’s main composition is water. Without it we would not survive.
Water carries memory.
Land is surrounded by vast oceans, whose tides are affected by the moon. From life giving waters emerges new life. Water is known to travel the path of least resistance, however it can be destructive to its environment, particularly with erosion, hurricanes, tsunami’s and flooding. Relating water with our emotions can similarly cause the same detrimental effects inside and around us, when not properly acknowledged and processed.
Cleansing Tears
As I recently sat at my kitchen table drowning in my own tears, I suddenly heard from the basement, “Mom!! Come here!” Raining in a torrential downpour from the ceiling was hot, steaming water, from a running tap, forgotten about in the midst of the emotional hurricane inside of me. Interesting timing. I contemplated this intriguing scene as I cleaned up the water surrounding me. I became aware immediately of my outer circumstances mimicking my inner world guiding me to a deeper level of healing. It’s funny, really, as I realized the emotions flooding me, particularly this time of year, and now, the water flooding the laundry and mechanical rooms. The hot water pouring down was in direct correlation to the burning emotional water I found myself standing in. The laundry room symbolizes the cleansing of our vessel, how we care for the outer part of ourselves which we present to the world. The mechanical room is deeply symbolic of our inner space and how our vessel functions, in essence, the heart of our being.
Dreaming of Water
Recently I dreamt I was walking with both my mentor and my beloved soul sister. We encountered 3 properties as we walked together. The first was surrounded in beautiful trees, but was completely uninhabitable due to the flooding on the property. I had seen this land before but could not identify from where. As we walked past the second property, it looked similar but was less flooded than the first. The third property belonged to my relative struggling with dementia. As we approached his house I realized how flooded his property was. I wondered how I had never realized the damage it must be causing. I also noticed that his underground sprinklers were on, despite the property already being under water. As I went to locate the water shut off, my dream companions went to speak with my family member.
Symbolic Meaning and Interpretation of Water in the Dream
That dream was speaking to me on many levels particularly as it was the beginning point of realization that I was drowning in my emotions. The symbolic meaning of water in my dream was to help me decide if I would continue to watch my own “property” flood and become uninhabitable, or if I was ready to find the “tap” and drain to begin to manage the water. When we fail to acknowledge and/or manage our emotions, we become more unconscious. We begin to forget our own essence, and the “tap” continues to flow, and, the drain becomes more plugged. In other words, our entire being drowns.
I realized the first property we walked past, was so familiar because it may have been a symbolic reflection of myself or my “vessel.” The spiritual quest I’ve undertaken these past ten years has been to begin the process of “remembering”. It’s interesting that the last property we visited in my dream belonged to my demented relative, which for me symbolizes that which I have forgotten, or rather, what I’m here to re-member, to awaken the memory of.
Often I find these times are when Spirit begins to speak directly to me, whether through dreams, loved ones, friends, teachers, or even strangers. I take note of the messages Spirit is bringing me. And I begin to search for that “shut off” valve and unclog the drain, in an attempt to find the balance within my inner being before my entire “property” floods.
Thinning Veil
The first week of December is often a difficult one for me. It leads up to the memory of one of the most difficult days of my life, the tragic drowning of my two and a half year old son. The emotional pain of losing a child is one of the most difficult things a parent can live through. So often, grief and loss can bring us to our knees, leaving us feeling like we are drowning in our own tears as we try to find the sense in something that seems so senseless.
The veil becomes thinner as we approach Christmas and the New Year. We can experience our departed loved ones and also Spirit, in a closer relationship. Often we feel or sense our loved ones presence surrounding us more readily than other times of year.
As we acknowledge and process our losses, these holidays can be difficult to face. Too often we may focus more on what we don’t have as opposed to what we DO have. We can get lost in the flood of emotional wounds of our past. It is difficult to not get lost in the pain, but it is so important not to ignore it when it arises. Healing is to sit with it, write about it and acknowledge it. By doing this we allow the healing waters to move through us.
Birth and Death
December is a time the Christian world prepares, with excitement for the birth of Christ. As Christmas approaches, I find solace and comfort in the Christmas songs and twinkling Christmas lights and the gentle glow of candlelight. Our spiritual cycle is that of birth, death and rebirth, continuously throughout our lives. Somehow it also brings me comfort to know that the Blessed Mother knows all too well the grief and pain losing a child brings, as we prepare to celebrate His birth. I can feel her beautiful nurturing energy surrounding me, her kiss on my forehead as I repeatedly encounter the depth of the wound of loss. As I process through the death of my son before Christmas, it gives me an opportunity to focus and set intention to what I can give birth to in the coming year.
Silent Screams
I cannot recount the times I have silently screamed for help. Generally, as time goes on, those around us move on, seemingly “forgetting” about our deep loss. We can feel a deep loneliness and disconnect from our friends and family. Life moves on. We find our “new normal” but desperately wish for our “old normal”. Often those screams stay inside of us and do not find their way to the light, until we are ready to allow our voices to be heard. The silent suffering, the feeling that no one could possibly understand our suffering causes a separation far deeper than death. These silent screams eventually build up and begin to escape when our emotions begin to flood our system. A trigger, and suddenly we realize we cannot keep quiet any more. Our outer and inner world begin to flood, drowning in symbolic waters from suppressing emotions.
After the flood
When we are able to acknowledge and move through the flood, the feeling of drowning begins to subside. Finding the symbolic meaning of water in our dreams or waking life can help us to identify where healing is necessary. As our head (and heart) begin to surface, we are able to see with a clearer vision. We may also experience deeper compassion, and a closer Spiritual connection emerging. We know and feel how supported and guided we are, even in what seems to be our darkest times. Suddenly we begin to see the sunlight dry up some of the rain, and habitable and attractive property yet again begin to emerge. Our vessel becomes more balanced. The feelings of overwhelm, anger, fear, separation and sadness begin to dissipate. The darkness evaporates and Light begins to pour in, infusing every cell and space within us. We remember that Love never dies. Finally, we begin to embrace the feeling of Awe that washes over our entire being, purifying and cleansing our soul.
