Moon
Dream Description
(22/09/2023)
The dream began with me finding myself in a small city, reminiscent of Lecco, with my family. It was early morning, and we were preparing to travel to a big city, much like Milan. The vehicle designated for our journey was a white car that could only move on railways. The driver, who also owned the car, had a small dress store. Before departing, my dad bought a few white tank tops from him.
Once we were all inside the car and ready to leave, the driver asked, “Please check if you have everything.” We assured him we did, but then he specifically asked my dad, “Did you take the receipt for the tank tops you just bought?” My dad realized he hadn’t and went back to the store with the driver to get it. Upon their return, the driver announced, “Due to this unexpected delay, the travel price has increased.” My dad agreed without argument, and our journey began in the white car that moved along the railways.
As we left the small city, I gazed out the window and noticed a couple with a red umbrella, seemingly deeply in love.
Around midday, we reached a hillside. The car moved slowly, making the journey feel longer than expected. We stopped for a short break, and I stepped out to explore. I climbed to the summit and looked out at the horizon. To my surprise, it was dark despite being midday. When I looked up, I saw a full moon and a solar eclipse occurring simultaneously. Mesmerized by the scene, I considered taking a picture with my cellphone but decided against it.
Returning to the car, my parents, waiting inside, asked me to get in. I refused, preferring to walk alongside the slowly moving car. My mom cautioned me to be careful with my wallet and cellphone, suggesting I put them in the seat pockets, but I assured her it wasn’t necessary. My dad appeared tired and bored from the trip, while my younger sister was very excited and enjoying it.
Walking a few steps ahead of the car, I noticed the path becoming narrow and zigzagged. My parents urged me again to get inside, warning of the danger, when suddenly, I woke up.
Dream Interpretation
If you’re familiar with Jungian psychology, you’ve likely heard of the Collective Unconscious. According to Jung, the collective unconscious is transmitted through brain structures and represents the deepest layer of the psyche. He believed it to be a vast network of knowledge accessible to all, although some individuals are more attuned to it than others.
I begin my interpretation with the collective unconscious to emphasize a crucial scene in my dream: “The car moving on the railways.” Picture this scene and consider what it reminds you of. Have you seen something similar in a movie? Perhaps “Back to the Future“? This film features a car moving on railways and revolves around the concept of time. But why connect a car on railways to time? Let’s reflect on our existence: our dimension is defined by space and time. We can’t be in two places simultaneously, and even if we’re free in space, we’re bound by time, much like a car is bound to the railways.
Thus, the car in my dream symbolizes a Time Machine, transporting my family and me from a small city to a big city in a single day’s journey. This day begins with sunrise (birth) and ends with sunset (death), encapsulating my entire life within one day.
“A dream that is not understood remains a mere occurrence;
understood it becomes a living experience”
C.G. Jung
Knowing that this dream represents my life in a day, I want to analyze its moments and scenes for deeper interpretation. At the start, my dad is dealing with someone who will drive us from a small city to a big city in a white car (symbolizing purity, virtue, and innocence). This part of the dream resonates with my dad’s character. He never desired expensive things or extravagant experiences, which is why, in my dream, he buys a few white tank tops for himself. When the driver makes a ridiculous demand for extra money, my dad agrees without argument, understanding that small matters shouldn’t distract us from our main goals.
“The greatest tragedy of the family is the unlived lives of the parents”
C.G. Jung
In the dream, I see a couple with a red umbrella, reminding me of when I fell in love eight years ago. Symbolically, an umbrella represents protection and shelter, while red signifies life energy and passion. Red, the color of blood, can increase our metabolism, respiration rate, and blood pressure. Thus far, the car (Time Machine) has transported me through my past until we reach the mountain.
“We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life”
C.G. Jung
Reaching the summit marks the present. In my dream, it was almost midday, and in a few days, I will turn 35, approaching the midpoint of my life. I look at the sky in silence, enveloped in darkness by a shadow covering the Sun, yet I also see a beautiful Full Moon. It took time to grasp this scene’s meaning. It reflects my achievements through the Individuation process before midlife. The Solar Eclipse signifies encountering my shadow, and amid the darkness, a beautiful Feminine Energy (Anima) emerges, representing Sensitivity, Compassion, and Creativity. This revelation led me to rename the dream from “Eclipse” to “Moon.” Jung suggested that if facing the shadow is the “apprentice-piece” of a man’s development, Transforming the anima is the “master-piece.”
“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious”
C.G. Jung
What follows after returning to the car (Time Machine) hints at a future my conscious mind can’t access, but my unconscious mind seems to. I didn’t re-enter the car and chose to walk the rest of the way alone. Do I know where to go? It’s a difficult question. However, through dream interpretation and symbolism analysis, we can gain valuable insights. In this dream, the main journey’s goal was to reach a big city. Where could this big city be?
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
C.G. Jung