“As we reconnect to our dreams, we are not only coming back into touch with our personal guidance system, but there is also a larger expression of the ecosystem coming through our individual lives and offering us reconnection." - Toko-pa Turner
As we begin our descent into the darker half of the year, now is the time to begin working with your dreams. Dreams are portals that lead us into direct contact with the invisible realms of our symbolic life, and yet so much of our waking life is spent in the rational mind that it’s easy to dismiss or overlook the more feminine, non-rational, instinctive aspects of life.
When we take the time to court our dreams though, we awaken intuitive wisdom and come into contact with the holy in nature and within ourselves.
For most of my life, I could only recall the bad dreams, the nightmares that haunted me into daylight. Those dreams were my fears come to life, my own private horror movie reel in my mind. Not to cast any dispersion on horror movies - I love a good scary flick that doesn’t star my loved ones. But I could do without the nightmare recall.
I’ve always wanted to remember my other dreams, the ones where my mind is sorting out the overload of information I collect each day, the ones where I can pick up on the things I missed or messages from the ones gone before me, or the ones that inspire me to write my next story or poem.
I discovered mugwort as a dreamwork aid on the last summer solstice. I made little dream satchels for my gal pals to put under their pillows after a joyous day of celebration, playfulness, and sisterhood. But still, my dreams have eluded me.
I am inspired to create this dream charm to set the intention of dream work and dream recall. I am offering my prayer to Earth and all the spirits upon her and within her, wrapped up in herbs and stone, in the hopes that my dream world will open up to me.
What You’ll Need
Incense Stick (Rosemary or Sage)
Lighter or Matches - get at your local grocery store
Salt - get at your local grocery store
Mugwort
Red Jasper
Amazonite
Quartz
Candle (white or dark blue or purple)
Eggshell Powder (optional) - keep your egg shells, dry them under the sun, grind & store them.
Wax melts (optional)
We encourage you to grow your own plant medicines and purchase as much as possible from your local area. Here are a list of a few metaphysical shops in the Piedmont area of NC if you happen to be here:
House of Spiritual Roots, Greensboro NC
MagikCraft Durham, NC
Magik On 70 Hillsborough, NC
Eclectic By Nature Greensboro, NC
Asheville Pagan Supply Store Asheville, NC
In all that you do, we encourage mindfulness especially when it comes to our consumerism habits. We refrain from using Amazon as much as possible, so if you're ordering online try ordering from local, family owned stores. We also encourage you to research and support shops that may owned by BIPOC and queer folks. When shopping for crystals, aim for folks who sell ethically sourced gemstones such as Moonrise Crystals. If you can't find what you're looking for, don't worry about it! What matters more is the intention, letting your own intuition guide you, and staying aligned to your values.
Setting the space
I start by casting a circle to focus and contain my energy. Since I am creating inside, I spread a cloth on the table, and I cast my circle upon it. This helps my inevitable mess and establishes a physical altar to work with.
I choose to cast my circle with eggshell powder. Eggshells have an inherent protection in them, and if you're creating outside, they're not quite as harsh on soil as salt. Check out our post to make your own eggshell powder.
I set all my ingredients up, and I cast the eggshell circle around them. Once the circle is complete, sit within a while, holding your intention. Ask your mind to aid you in recalling your dreams. Ask your intuition for guidance through your dreams.
When I feel ready, I light a candle.
Preparing the charm
I begin by cleansing the bottle or jar with the incense.
In my mind, this is clearing out all other intentions and energy, leaving space for only what I put into the bottle.
I add the herbs one layer at a time, ending with a layer of stone chips. Make sure to use completely dried herbs. Any moisture would cause the jar or bottle to mildew, spoiling the charm.
As I add each layer, I speak aloud the intention of the inclusion. There’s power in speaking a thing aloud, there’s power in calling in the energy of the herb or stone.
My first layer is always salt, both for protection and dispelling negative energy.
I add lavender for calm and peace, just what I need to settle in for a good night’s sleep.
I add chamomile to induce sleep and calm.
I add mugwort for prophetic dreams.
I add quartz chips to enhance psychic ability and to amplify the energy of the charm.
I add amazonite chips, the stone of spirituality, to free the innermost thoughts.
I finish with red jasper chips to add in dream recall.
Sealing the charm
I end by sealing the bottle with wax. I use wax melts because I have them on hand. I’m an old-fashioned gal who sends snail mail letters closed with a wax seal. You can use a candle just as easily!
I chose a blend of dark blue and purple wax to call in both the third eye chakra and the crown chakra, to call in both intuition and higher self.
I melt the wax in a metal spoon over the candle fire and pour it carefully around the cork to seal the charm, speaking aloud again my prayer for dream recall.
Let the wax dry for a few minutes in your circle, marinating in all the intention you infused into the charm.
Conclusion
The darkness invites us into the depths of our unconscious minds, down into the underworld where we are given the opportunity to make friends with our shadows - the parts of ourselves that we’d rather not see. And yet the journey of belonging necessitates that we make friends with the dark, that we learn to embrace our fears, and make love to the mystery. In the words of Toko-pa Turner, “Our dreams are always calling us into greater gestures of surrender which, to everyone around us, looks exactly like bravery."
Dreams offer us the opportunity to know ourselves more deeply and to touch the tender longing of our own soul. Dreaming helps us to integrate the madness of life, whether we remember them or not. Dreams can show us our deepest desires or fears. Dreams can give us another moment with those who have gone on before us. Dreams can give us a fresh perspective on a situation in our life. You could dream the answer to that question weighing on your heart.
There's all sorts of reasons for wanting to remember your dreaming world. Ready to dive in? I’ve got my dream journal ready by the bed, and I’m slipping this charm into the corner of my pillowcase.
If you liked this blog post, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below. Hopefully, I’ll see you in the dream world <3
Love your eco-friendly witch,
Lily
Want more? You might want to read...
Get a Taste of Somatic Healing
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Resources
Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications. 2008. Print.
Hall, Judy. The Crystal Bible: A Definitive Guide to Crystals. Godsfield Press, LTD. 2003. Print.
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