The Skull, Dagger and Crucifix.

[Jennings]

Another interesting dream Jon but one that is populated with emblems of good and evil, life and death, salvation and suicide, harmony and cachophany, beauty and destruction, of purity, loneliness, and negativity. The feeling of a Monastic and empty life; of someone seeking value or direction to a life that is without warmth and one too that has the elements of paranioa and the feeling of fragility. It speaks of someone who has suffered severe trauma during the early stages to their life. Need one say more?

[JON]

Hi, Jennings. Good Morning. My childhood and youth was a relatively quiet and happy one. It was 1994/5, 2002 and 2005/2006 that were that were traumatic times for me and my family.

I was a very conscientious student. I had lots of good friends at School and College. But my studies were the most important part, esp as I was no good at exams! I only missed one Seminar at Uni. And that was through flu. A lot of my time there seemed to be writing assignments, or studying or researching. I did have friends, and a relationship. But, again, I regarded the academic side as the prime reason for me being there. Yet I sometimes found it awkward living 'off-campus' [trying to organise presentations and such with other students], as I went to a Uni in my home town.

Besides, the Uni bar [the 'social hub'] was very smoky, and I don't smoke. A lot of students do. And the only alcohol I like is wine. At most two glasses with an evening meal. I never drink it during the day.

I [u]don't like [/U ]crowded rooms with a lot of people in. When you're trying to concentrate at work noise and cross-talk is very distracting and off-putting. So I don't like the concept of open-plan offices. Anyway, who wants to be in the same space as the boss?? And I don't go to nightclubs. I hate loud music. Mind you a lot of this modern **** I wouldn't call 'music' in the first place. It's all a Blur to me!!

Cheers, Jon.

[Jennings]

Jon, in your response to my previous comment can you see the verification that you have unwittingly given to it? Note your emphasis and emotional content which are symptoms of your inner strengths and weaknesses; even to your dislike of common social practices and preferences together with your drive to succeed and your apparent fear of failure and your need too for solitude. I am not seeking to be judgemental with you; I am simply reflecting back the 'silent scream' inherent in your writings something to which you are possibly unaware. Your need to be conscientious obviously arises from nature or nurture (or both) but, whatever, the question that it imposes is why? One does not require to look too deeply beneath the surface to discover the reason. You seem to be driven to prove your worth, a need which clearly is internally imposed rather than externally (although it genesis may have arisen from external circumstances) and one that relentlessly does not allow you to be at peace with yourself.

Have you ever thought that each of us displays to the world at large how we feel about ourselves; remembering that overt behaviour is compensatory. We all scatter around us signs, like throwing confetti for others to pick-up. As a small but not inconsequential example, consider how you address your location on this form; can you see what you might be advertising about yourself? We project our fears (through attitudes) on to others who reflect those same features back to us, reconfirming to us the mistaken views we hold of ourselves. If we could only see ourselves as others see us? There is no hiding place from ourselves; we eye-ball ourselves every moment of the day.

May I remind you of the interesting lyrics of this modern song:

"I am what I am,
I am my own special creation
so come take a look,
give me the hook or the ovation.
It's my world, that I want to have
a little pride in.
My world, and it's not a place
I want to hide in.
Life's not worth a damn
'til you can say,
'Hey world, I am what I am"!

You seem to need to relax and to be witness to this immaculate and privileged conception we call life but, how we live it is, of course, of our own choosing.

[JON]

Hi, Jennings. Refreshingly frank as ever!

'I Am What I Am' [1984], a Shirley Bassey song written by Jerry Herman. I've been luckily enough to see this amazing performer in concert. What a voice - and without a microphone too!

It's also one translation of the response God used in the Bible when Moses asked for his name (Exodus 3:14).

Thanks. Regards. Jon. But how about Edith Piaf's 'Non, je ne regrette rien'?

[Jennings]

Nice to note Jon that you have accepted my comment in the right spirit. While you tend to skate on the surface of your dream on discussing it, as if in denial, there exists this profound covert message exhibiting the spectre of infamy that is best left in the shadows. You seem to be wrestling with the 'Jekyll and Hyde' syndrome that has probably led you to suggest that your place of residence is in a 'submarine...' or the 'dark side of the moon' or a 'bunker somewhere...' all revealing comment. You sound as if you have had to struggle with life and in this respect you have my commisseration but, keep writing from that dark bunker of yours where you feel submerged as it is all equally fascinating and much better than tackling the Times crossword of which I too am entirely in the dark.

[JON]

Thank you, Jennings.

I don't know what the waether's like where you are, but we're getting real dousing and some great storms!

Cheers. regards, Jon.

[dantheman]

Maybe the rook you saw fits in too: I believe it is also called a "rock dove", in our venacular it is some kind of pigeon. The bird that Noah released that did come back was the dove, with the olive branch, now taken as a symbol of peace.

[JON]

Maybe the rook you saw fits in too: I believe it is also called a "rock dove", in our venacular it is some kind of pigeon. The bird that Noah released that did come back was the dove, with the olive branch, now taken as a symbol of peace.

Hi, dantheman. I've never been able to tell the difference between a raven and a rook! I know they are both black and large, and from the same family, Corvids, like the Jackdaw and Crow. But, whichever it was, I think it was the same type of bird that appeared in the Viking Dream on the longship's banner.

Considering this Norse link, I would say it was the raven. Maybe there are some links in my Skull Dreams to Edgar Allen Poe's poems. Here 'The Raven' [1845], and 'Israfel' [1831] [about that Angel and his lute].

The dove is also associated with the rainbow, which was God's Covenant with Noah. And another 'symbol of peace'.

Cheers, and thanks. Jon.

[JON]

A note on the painting in this dream:-

Regarding the colour of the Virgin's dress, several Medieval and Renaissance artists [including Van Eyck, Van der Weyden, Titian] depicted Mary wearing red.

Yet the 'elongated' figures, 'moon-blanched' flesh, and eerie 'ghostly' features, are very much in the style of El Greco. His real name was Domenico Theotocopuli [1541-1614: maybe the burnt paper in the Gun & Skull Dream said '614', not '814']. Although born in Crete [hence 'The Greek'], this artist is most associated with Spain, especially Toledo.

Cheers. Jon.