My Red Book

Today I attended a "Red Book" workshop led by Nina Ross to learn about Jung's concept and to begin to create a "red book" of my own. Jung recorded his dreams, in word and image. He encouraged his patients to "Put it all down, as beautifully as you can."

During the class, I recorded this recurring dream that had first appeared when I was a child.

Not long after falling asleep, safely tucked in with the faint memory of a goodnight kiss, I drift away from this cozy place. My body becomes light, floating above my house, with my neighborhood becoming increasingly distant. The street lights shine blow, like stars in the night sky. Above me, around me, the sky is midnight blue, with a gauzy haze. I am aware of flying, drifting far from home, but I am not afraid. Curious and happy, I float to the coast, watching the phosphorescent foam crash to the shore with each breaking wave. The ocean breeze carries me out to sea where I am buoyed by the salt air and soft marine layer. Wide awake now, more awake than I have ever been, I travel through the night air over a hilly place. Barely able to discern the contours of the soft earth, I hover, lower now, until I descend to the tops of trees, their shiny leaves catching the moonlight and fluttering in the breeze. My white nightgown keeps me warm and cool as I fall through mist, layers of time, and earthy night-blooming scents until I am reunited with my sleeping body, my resting breathing self. I slip back behind closed eyes, lids fluttering. Lips smiling. 

Perhaps some day I will have the skill to paint the dream in Chagall's blue.