So, I had a dream last night, that even I find pretty easy to interpret (at least I think I do -I could be talking out my ass).
I was in a house - was very similar to the house we used to live in in Dwight, on Waupaunsie Street. Very similar to waking life, in that the house was spotless, and apparently recently so. Then I went out to the garage, which was still pretty cluttered. I was sort of aghast about it, mostly 'cause I think I had forgotten the garage was there, and I was shocked to find there was still part of the house that was still fucked up, even though it was outside and not technically part of the house.
In addition to the clutter, there was this beautiful desk - ancient-looking but well-maintained, dark wood, very ornate. In the dream, this had been left behind (along with much of the other clutter) by Mark Jensen. Mark is a guy I knew in real life in Illinois, who did live with us for a while, but never in the house on Waupansie, and was way too fastidious to have ever left anything behind (much less what I later found in the desk, which is something I doubt he would have had, ever). I remember seeing all the clutter, and seeing how much of it wasn't really mine, and being annoyed at Mark, but I quickly moved on to being fascinated by the desk. I noticed that, as part of its ornate decorations, there were little fountains everywhere. They were kinda like those fountains that glow and give off steam (can't find a pic on the web easily to link), but they were small, no bigger than my fist, and there were several of them around the desk, built into the many turret-like structures that were superfluously, but beautifully, scattered throughout the desk. (Incidentally, in real life, the Beastie needs a new desk, and I was thinking this one would be perfect for him, as I was looking it over in the dream.)
Inside each fountain was a flame, but the kinda flames like you see licking over an oil spill or something - not a nice neat contained candle flame, but somehow flickering over most of the surface of the steam. I couldn't really see the fuel source, but guessed the desk had some sort of internal something-or-other that kept it going. The flames were beautiful, multi-colored, but I was annoyed and scared that they were there. In the dream, Jensen had moved out at least several weeks back, which meant he had left an unattended flame, and I hadn't noticed it, so it had been this little fire hazard crackling merrily in my garage for quite some time. Anyway, I'm scoping this whole thing out for a while, and in one of the many dark recesses in the desk, I sort of hear/see something. I realize there's a cage in there, somehow, and there's a rat in the cage. Now I was really upset - a living animal abandoned, probably starving. Of course, I immediately took it out of the cage. I was relieved to see that it didn't really look too bad off, like maybe it had gotten food/water somehow, and it wasn't dirty. (I also noted it didn't bite, for which I was relieved, but I was determined to get it out of there.) I took it in the house to give it food/water, and I don't remember much after that. Only that, at one point, I had set it down, and needed to pick it up again, and I must have startled it, 'cause it squeaked at me, but still didn't bite. At any rate, it looked like it was going to be OK. (Note: When I found it, I was thinking I should give it to
Spy_Isis, 'cause rats are her thing and she'd know how to take care of it properly, but the longer I was with it, I figured I'd probably end up keeping it myself.)
So, according to my
Animal Speak book, Rat indicates the following:
KEYNOTE: Success, Restlessness, and Shrewdness
CYCLE OF POWER: Year-Round
The sight of a rat usually distresses most pople. Rats often carry contagious diseases, and though rats don't have a very elegant reputation, they are tremedndously adaptable.
In Chinese astrology, the first year is assigned to the rat. A legend tells how at one time Buddha summoned all of the animals to him. Of all the animals, only twelve showed up, and the first was the rat. To honor each of the animals, Buddha names a year after each one, giving the first year to the rat. People born in the Chinese year of the rat are said to be success-oriented, sometimes restless and nervous, but always very shrewd.
Although the city rat can be a pest, its cousin the wood rat, or country rat, is a most exceptional animal. It is intelligent and often displays an ability to reason. Studies have shown that wild rats are brighter than laboratory rats.
The rat has succeeded in proliferation in spite of the efforts of humanity. This drive for success may be what the rat has come to speak of with you. Are you drving too hard? Are you not pushing hard enough? Do you need to be more aggressive in pursuing your goals?
Rats are highly social and often cooperate in survial efforts. They store food, reflecting an interesting economy. They are the most adaptable of animals with an ability to survive in most environments.
Two rats were introduced into this country - the black rat from the orient and the Norway or brown rat. Of the two, the Norway is often considered the most harmful because it can easily destroy great quantities of stored food. If possible, identify the rat. Begin by asking yourself: Is this a country rat or a city rat? And then go from there.
If a rat has shown up as a totem, you may find yourself getting more restless. It may indicate a time to be more shrewd in all of your dealings. Are you not hanlding the pests in your life properly? Do you need to become more adaptable? It may even reflect a time to more aggressively pursue endeavors for success. The behavior of the rat when you see it will help you to determine the kind of energy it specifically brings to you.Well, since I had already determined what I thought the dream meant before I cracked open the book, I kinda take that which "proves" my interpretation. Which is, basically, that now that I've cleaned up my house, it's time to clean up other stuff, too. The garage being attached but not really inside the house, I'm thinking this means more external stuff. Before the cracking open the book, I was thinking it was referring to my too-long-neglected social life, but now I'm wondering if it's referring to my pursuit of animal communication. Either way, it's good advice. For the record, the rat was brown, and definitely didn't look like something you'd get from a pet store or find in the city, so I'm guessing it was a country rat, although it certainly didn't seem destructive. Quite calm, in fact.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Very pleased to be dreaming again, actually. :)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
