My Horse, My Place

So, I was walking through my "place" where I often am taken in my dreams, and during meditation, and usually there is a pretty heavy mist that covers everything. It's not quite fog, but its mist enough that it could be confused as such. This time, the mist was a very thin veil between me and everything around me. It is a forest area outside, I never see the sun shine because it is almost always overcast or twilight. The forest vegetation is very thin and the grass between trees is perfectly mowed. It never seems to grow. I make a left turn where I always do to find my horse.

I've had a few dreams in the past in this exact place, and I've done some shamanic work on them. My horse is a HUGE majestic Clydesdale with a very long mane and very long tail. The mane and tail is silvery white, while the body and feathers of the horse are black. My shaman and I decided the horse symbolized my spirit, because in my first dream of this series, I walked up to it and it breathed in my face, filling me with power. My Horse's colors, we decided, symbolized the balance between male and female energy in me, the total Black body meaning my feminine outweighs my masculine...

But after this left turn, this time, instead of me walking up to my horse, my horse walks up to me. It seems to cower, and I feel taller than it although I am aware that it is about two feet taller than me. It then lowers it's head and nuzzles my arm. My arm is left with black paint on it, and I look at my horse and where there was black paint, there is now white fur. I am shocked, but my horse seems to be sorry as I pet it and more and more black paint comes off. The only places black paint doesn't come off are the legs and the breast, and a small ring around both eyes. The mane and tail stay white, but no longer silvery. Then the mist seems to thicken. I don't remember much beyond that point, but I am so curious to see what you think about it...

Thanks so much,

Viv

Good morning, Viv.

Since you've already done Shamanic work, you have also saved me a great deal of time, because I won't have to explain certain basic concepts behind dream symbols - you already understand that the map is not the territory.

The first discrepancy in your dream is the mist - it is much thinner than usual. Since the mist can be seen as the veil separating the real and spiritual, it could be said that you are nearing closer to your spiritual goals. The thinner mist could also be a reference to clearer vision. Both meanings at once is a real possibility.

The second item of note is the impression you get of being larger than the horse. As it represents your spirit, it could also be described as a totem. Your disparate impression of size could come from a feeling of increased power (the horse cowers before you). It could also be a reference to having "outgrown" the symbol. It is also possible that the symbol has a diminished importance in your life - all of these, however, hinge upon a recent change within yourself - as does the first item, for that matter.

The paint coming off your horse is probably the event that intrigues you the most. It raises several questions. One of which would be, is your sexual energy not what you though it was, with an emphasis now upon the male energies? Or, has all your shamanic work been false - a pretense? I cannot help but think of the phrase "a horse of a different color" here, which tosses in yet another possibility - that, perhaps, for this time only, the horse represents something else entirely.

Let's explore what we know. You still recognize this animal as "your" horse. What has changed is the color, in such a way as to make me suspect that it always has been different than you thought. The animal is apologetic about the paint.

Here's what I believe is going on here: Your shaman's interpretation of the horse's colors is inaccurate, or you have undergone a personal growth experience which has changed you, or both. My money is on both. First of all, I have rarely heard of feminine energies described as "dark." In general terms (at least, in my experience of duality) the female is the giver of life, and therefore associated with light energies, while the male (giver of death) is the dark. Your mileage may vary on this; I'm just giving you my impressions. Also, the lustre has gone out of the mane and tale - indicating a loss of glamour.

It could even be that the colors never had anything to do with gender-based energies at all - there are other dualities out there. Good vs. Evil, for example. But, if you accept the established meanings of your horse's colors, then the only possibility remaining is that you yourself have changed - a rebalancing of your male and female energies has occurred.

When the mists re-thicken, this is a signal that the time of clarity is over - the message you were meant to receive has been delivered, this journey is done.

Pleasant dreams,

Peregrin