A poet writes, "Last night I had a dream that I ate my own index finger. The dream was pretty vivid and unpleasant. I saw how I scraped flesh from it. I ate it like it was a candy. Then I went to the resort, where I was supposed to have fun, but I got in the retirement facility. It was almost empty with young people as retirees and they sat around the table in the dark. I asked why they don't have light – someone said that they turned off lights to save money. Can you give me an idea about it?"
Dream Momma: Yes, I can. This dream is about your creative shadow and light. The doubting of your talent. The very idea of cannibalizing yourself, especially with such a vital body part (the index finger) is about creative self-loathing that is triggered by external sources. Archetypically, the index finger (vital for a writer) is the tutelary god Jupiter, who used that finger to outsmart Saturn. It is the finger that gives a writer direction, guidance, and character.
In your dream teeth represent anger. Anger over your creative direction. Do you feel you need more guidance? If so, it won't be from this dark, lifeless, cannibalizing, group. I think you go to them to get sustenance (light) and instead you get darkness (self-destruction).
I strongly urge you to hang with different people. You need support, not self-loathing. You need positive, supportive, people to cradle you along. People that won't cannibalize your talent and trigger your dark side.
Finally, I'm going to suggest you research the god Jupiter who is the lord of the sky and associated with the unconscious (where all powerful writing comes from). Use him as an archetypal companion for your creativity.
Dream Momma
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2009.