The One with the Babies…
4.21.06
I am driving a car through a coastal highway along high cliffs. I am helping someone escape. The car can barely make it up the hill. We creep along, urging the car to gain speed. Finally, I realize the emergency break is on.
Later, I in the dream I realize I am trying to help women escape from sexual slavery. They are being forced to work in a big, expensive club. A friend who is a children’s minister is bringing children into the club. She thought it would be a good opportunity for them – that somehow they would be safe there. The babies in the group were all trussed up on serving platters. They were alive and squalling. It was for a very exclusive dinner party. One child was surrounded by garnishes and a rich, old, upper-crust lady was holding up the platter and saying, “Oh, Look! How darling!” Another baby was screaming while being pinned down by pearl-topped pins – like a butterfly in a glass-cased collection.
I was disgusted. I was powerful there – I had somehow paid my dues and had gained a certain degree of lee-way. I didn’t have to serve as a prostitute anymore and instead was responsible for “client-relations.” I was scarred on one side of my face. I had special access to “black floors.” (The men wore black and the women wore white. Some floors were men-only.) I used this access to start breaking out the enslaved women. It was a huge betrayal from their star pupil.
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Okay, I’m pretty convinced that his one is about patriarchy and oppression within the church. As soon as I wrote it down and re-read it, I thought — “Ah! ‘The church eats their young.’” – which I’ve heard said when people talk about the burn-out rate of young church planters and the way the church tends to treat younger ministers who are launching new forms of “church.” But I’m already convinced of that – so why am I processing it in dream form now?
Following the possible “church” metaphor, I was wondering if “paying my dues” had something to do with the fact that I’m ordained that that this gives me a certain amount of clout in the church, even though I am a woman?
Other meaning clues for this dream might include the black and white dress code, which harkens back to heiros gamos (sp?), which of course also touches on gender issues and religion…
I wish this dream revealed more to me about how I can help women escape places of “slavery” into places of freedom…
Anyone?
You are amazing and brilliant and wonderful. Does this relate to our conv. about stewarding power…
I love you, thank you so much for your words of wisdom on my tag, I have been chewing on that ever since.
R,
I dunno, but it sounds like a dream version of the real-life conversation at your house last week…
Me : I’m in evangelical hell. This terribel thing is happening. Why cant I escape all of this? Why is the church so freaked out about men and women?
You : Oh Jen…what can I do to help you?
Well, I’m not sure that I can help in “revealing” anything. But I can ask a few questions, because I like questions, and maybe that will stir something up.
Emergency breaks? Who put on the emergency break? What exactly are you putting the breaks on? Usually when someone put the emergency break on while they are moving it is because they have deemed it “emergency”. Ironically enough there are very few times that while you are driving the emergency break is actually a good idea. Very few situations that are well resolved with that brake. Most people put that break on because it’s the “oh shit” handle. Don’t know what else to do, pull the lever. Not sure what I’m trying to say there, or exactly how it relates but that’s my gut reaction to the first part.
I was disgusted. I was powerful there – I had somehow paid my dues and had gained a certain degree of lee-way.
You have paid your dues. You have right to be disgusted. You are powerful here. You have been through much and come out on the other side. You faced the critics when you left the church, you walked meekly and yet strongly with purpose towards an unknown future. And… life is better, is it not? You have paid your dues. You have power. Not because you have paid your dues, but because you stood. On your own power. Yes?
As for how you can help women escape places of slavery? I have no idea. But I would be willing to bet that it’s a very natural extension of you. In fact I would be willing to bet that you are already doing it.
“Clink-clink” (the sound of my two cents dropping)
Hmmm… fascinating dream. With my dreams, I find that it helps to sit with how I felt in the dream. When I sit with the emotions of the dream, sometimes I get some real flashes of insight about whatever it is that is working itself out.
Jung had a theory that everyone in a dream is really a part of yourself, so maybe there is a part of you that feels like the babies or a part of you that feels trapped somehow? Who knows - dream interpretation is tricky. Some of my dreams have proved to be these amazing moments of epiphany, and some of them I still don’t know what the hell they mean.
really powerful dream and interpretation… gets me where it hurts..
really powerful dream and interpretation… gets me where it hurts..
I’ve been to that cliff on Chuckanut drive, but my car worked fine. I was on the way to a hike, just me and my son. On that day we enjoyed life. Thank God for respite. Thank God for what you do to crisply tell the tale for another traveler.
Well.. we have always been freaked out by sexuality, but we’d rather not talk about that if you don’t mind.. so instead we get freaked out about gender issues.
Honestly, I don’t know if there is a connect, but I do know that worship and sexuality are way more closely related than we would like to know.. and since men have traditionally been in charge in both places.. draw your own conclusions
PS. I was not here and did not type this..
PS. I like Jung.. some of the time. But I’ve rarely found his dream methods helpful. Go with your own instincts…
Sounds like your into some lesbian type stuff. And a little penis envy. Face it, you want crave the power, but can’t have it on your own terms. So, you trying to characterize men as villians.
(Note from Rachelle: This commented was edited slightly to protect a minor.)
That was an easy not to mention rude dismissal. Wouldn’t it be better to look for a way to actually engage in the conversation?
Oops…last comment was directed to Heath.