Hello, and thank you for allowing me to join this referred site. I am a writer, and not wanting to give too much information up front, it was suggested I submit this dream that happened about two weeks ago on an early Thursday morning...because my friend believes you could give me some good insight. If you require more information into my background, just ask.

Thank you.

Sunshine

~*~

Someone, a female, was beside me as we walked toward a special event. Unsure as to what the event was about, I noted that both of us were dressed very "nice". I had a difficult time discerning who was beside me - she seemed familiar, but not a mother figure to me - nor a person I worked with. But I knew her. She seemed to be the opposite of me - a bit on the negative side, although I remember enjoying her smile, although she didn't display it too much. She seemed introspective, quiet, painfully shy. I remember thinking that I wanted to get to know her better, and it became a need to know who she was.

We entered a large room - within a wonderful candlelight glow, but it was not overly warm. The room was huge, and "old world" antiques seemed to be displayed in a quiet, sensible, common way, "as it should be". I remember sensing a vast, expansive area, able to move around without feeling closed in. Then I realized we were at a high-society function, and we were to join everyone for dinner.

The person with me felt uncomfortable. She seemed to indicate to me that we were not to "be there"; I remember looking around, sensing it was ok, this once, to be in this space, in this time, even if we weren't supposed to be in attendance. My companion reluctantly seemed to give in and accept our situation, then sat on my left side at table.

On my right was a very good looking man who seemed to be in his 50's, but his wonderfully engaging smile made him seem youthfully ageless - not a boy - most certainly a man, who seemed to be extremely pleased over something only he knew. He exuded a warm friendliness and I was drawn to his mannerisms and demeanor.

Dinner seemed to be over "after a time". It was a meal such as I have never experienced before. Everything had passed by exquisitely, I was "full" but not uncomfortable and I seemed to be able to acknowledge that I had a good taste in my mouth. My friend to my left had eaten as well, and seemed a little more comfortable in her surroundings.

It was at this point that the gentleman on my right took the attention of the entire room. What I had at once thought was an "intimate" meal of only a few people took on the grand proportions of a huge ballroom, and this man was suddenly center stage with appropriate lighting. His voice never raised more than as if in a conversation, but everyone was listening to him make a presentation. Underneath a small cloth, he was holding something small, and was saying that this evening was a very special time, an event of some proportion. I wondered what the occasion was when he lifted the small cloth off and presented me with an antique book.

The cover of the book was golden, brown and green, a carving or engraving, it seemed, of an old oak tree in full summer bloom, and the engraving took over the entire cover of the book. The book was thick, but not heavy.

I looked at the man who was smiling with some inner amusement.

"Go ahead, open the cover."

I looked down again at the cover, but it had changed. The huge, golden green oak tree was now set back on the cover, and a meadow seemed to appear in the forefront. I could see fences, but then as I continued to look at it, the scene seemed to continue moving, and changing. It was a beautiful landscape of meadows and lush promise.

As I opened the book I was surprised to see my own novel inside. "They" [in the dream, I even assumed 'they' to be the publishers] had managed to get just the right cover on my own book - only they had made it look like an antique cover.

The man continued smiling, and I remember starting to ask him questions about how he got the book.

"I had my ways. I have been waiting for it to come out."

"But, why wasn't I notified?"

"This is it," he said. "This is your notification."

I think the man and woman are different aspects of yourself. The woman is the stereotypical insecure female, the man is the stereotypical confident male. The house, the big feast, getting your writing published all represent pleasurable things in life. The insecure woman is worried that you don't deserve it or won't get it. The confident man believes the opposite.

You might want to read about the Anima and the Animus on the Dream Archetypes page.

Thank you, Marcia. I have had various interpretations of this dream, and of course, all input cannot hurt. Some have viewed the man as "God", given that his conversational voice is heard by everyone, and he is a light.

Others have riveted their attention to either the feast - or the oak tree.

I do have a book coming out this fall - my first, with a sequel in the making. It deals with both present day, spirits, and "time travel" to an extent. Some of my readers who have viewed certain chapters of my book, all drew that into the dream, as well.

One thing that was extremely wonderful about the dream was that I awoke feeling so danged satisfied. That was the best part of it, I think. Of course I couldn't at first put my finger on the woman, and then it occurred to me that she was, indeed, me - and all of the things I have worked away from, i.e., my shyness, my being introverted, my hesitation to go forward with my life-long dream of writing, etc.

I still have no idea who the man, or "compilation" of men in one, could be. But some inner voice tells me that this "dream" will come back to me more in the form of deja vu, if that makes sense to you.

Thank you again for your response!