Dreams as Universal Consciousness

For Danny


“In spiritual philosophy, unity is the foundation of good. In fact, it can be held as synonymous to it. Unity is the working of all things in harmony with each other; working as one; nothing goes beyond its sphere or limits to violate itself or others. Disunity is the arch-principle of evil. We must recall that the basis of this unity is the one energy/matter and consciousness shared by all things in the world, and in which they have their being.”
Ra Un Nefer Amen, in The Tree of Life Meditation

The reason for writing this post can be seen in the words that should jump out at the reader from the outset from the above quotation: “unity”, “good”, “harmony”, “working as one,” “shared by all things in the world” and so on. It is in the interest of exemplifying this “unity” by sharing a couple of dreams in the context of ‘’spiritual philosophy’ and to give a practical example of ‘universal consciousness.’ It is not intended as a treatise on what is universal consciousness since in a general way that should be evident from the quotation and its reference precisely to unity.

I was inspired by a fleeting conversation I was having with my brother Danny last night – which must have prompted the dreams I will share and my attempt to interpret these as examples of universal consciousness. One of these dreams is my mother’s. We usually share our dreams on waking as we did this morning… and we realised they had a similar vibration which I hope to express in this journaling.
Thank you Danny and thanks to Universal Mind for the vibration.

Dream 1
I see myself immersing in water. The dream is more detailed than this but I’ve extrapolated the water symbol for the purpose of the post. At this point of immersion into the water, the dream breaks. This takes place in a river, the water is warm. It reminds me of the river waters (black) in Guyana.

Dream 2
Myself and another woman are late for a ceremony which is taking place at a church/temple. She is dressed in white with gold trimmings. I am wearing a red top and dark/black/blue skirt or bottom. She is walking slowly in front of me taking staccato strides the way a bride would along an aisle. We open the door to the temple (this identification came to me later, when interpreting), where seated in rows are beautiful women, draped in white with the same gold trimmings as the ‘bride’/woman I was trailing. She disappears in the midst of the women and I find myself alone and embarrassed at being late and there being no where for me to sit. I bow to the woman at the head, who is leading the gathered women in the ceremony. I decide to go and sit near to the front, on the floor, just to avoid creating a scene at being late. But the leader/lady at the head – all were women – called me to where she was and was trying to find me somewhere to sit beside her. I become more embarrassed and wanted her to allow me to just sit on the floor. This I did but beside her. She or another began the ceremony and were saying something about how someone came into being – she mentioned something to do with sensuality which memory in exact is lost to me. The only word that was clear was the name Saraswati. I would remember it upon waking…


Dream 3 – my mum’s dream
Mum was the mother of all these children who were of different ethnic mixes. She was expressing in the dream as a ‘mixed’ person too. She was cooking for her children, some kind of rice and butter beans dish. Her children loved this meal. There was a white woman who came along and saw what mum was doing and was telling her that she was doing it incorrectly. She then put on her pot to cook it her way. But hers was burning in the pot. Mum’s was cooking nicely, and swelling to overflowing in the pot (the way rice does) - she could feed all the children with more to spare. Mum fed the children the food and they enjoyed it. The white woman, seeing this, now wanted mum to show her how to cook the food her way, asking her for the ingredients in an aggressive way …end of dream.

Who is Saraswati?
I noted my dreams in my dream book. Didn’t attempt to interpret the water one, but I wanted to know who Saraswati was (I spelt it swarsvati – as I had heard of this Goddess or Indian name before but had never really looked it up). I had a feeling I’d seen mention of her in a book about Mami Wata. But I couldn’t be sure – a later attempt to find it was fruitless.

Not having any books to hand on Hindu Goddesses I looked online for sources that could give me some idea who she is. Saraswati is a Hindu Goddess of knowledge, wisdom, art, music, and learning. She was born out of the Chaos of creation, represented by Brahma (creator god) - who lusted after her, though she rejected him. It is she who gave the Brahma the will to sense, think and communicate – which would enable him to bring Order to the Chaos/void. She is thus connected to consciousness and particularly a ‘river’ which was one of her manifestations (as a river goddess). Clothed in white, she repels the darkness which represents coming into awareness and knowledge. The white clothing/sari is symbol of purity and the rejection of the base or lower regions in favour of the upper (submitting to spirit as opposed to revelling in the sensual and pleasurable). She was tempting to Brahma – which illustrates the continuous quest for overcoming that base instinct in pursuit of wisdom, knowledge and enlightenment. When the base or desire for sensual pleasures is out of control it creates confusion (in the individual as well as the collective mind). Sarawati is invoked to rebalance this disorder.

As a river goddess she was created when the world was threatened by a raging fire called ‘Bagdavani’ (a demon/destroyer). In her river form it was Saraswati that put out the fire – carrying it and immersing it into the ocean, thus saving the world from destruction.
I was fascinated by her beauty and power as I read of this goddess. In one of the depictions she was wearing a red top and white and gold trimmed sari – colours I’d seen in my dream.


Saraswati and Osun
There are some similarities between her and the Yoruba river goddess Osun. Mami Osun also saved the world which had been threatened with extinction. Like Saraswati, one of her symbols is a peacock (for the arts). When the earth was refused rain due to a curse by the creator god Oludumare because his representatives the Orisas believed they no longer needed to listen to him, Osun was chosen to plead the cause of her children so the earth could once more be fertile. She assumed the form of a peacock to take the long and arduous journey to the creator’s palace. When she reached the palace her peacock feathers looked seriously battered which made Oludumare pity her who had been so beautiful. She told him how her children (people of earth) was succumbing to the ravages of the draught he had brought on them and were dying. God looked on earth and saw that it was true. He respected Osun’s determination in venturing to his palace (passing the burning sun and all other heavenly manifestations to reach there) and saw the purity of her heart and the compassion for her children. He restored rain to earth and it was saved. Osun’s colours are also white and yellow (gold); the same white for purity but she does not reject sensuality but expresses it as an essential aspect of divine creativity and beauty. Saraswati encourages temperance and balance when it comes to sensuality.
Friday – today – is the day generally reserved for honouring Osun (so the link is aligned). It’s also the day of Venus – goddess of beauty, love, art, etc.


The Water and the Goddess of knowledge dreams
My immersion in the water relates to baptism, regeneration and rebirth. That this was happening in the dark or black waters – speaks to the Chaos of creation, from which knowledge would have to manifest to Order the world. We are in that state of confusion, presently in the world. There is an onslaught of the psyche through information overload as leaders and their systems make a mockery of human development (through real knowledge, learning and the humanities – art, music etc which have been blighted in the past few years). The more we are supposed to know – the more ignorant we seem to be – especially when it comes to race and tolerance between the human family. We are constantly bombarded with images that proliferate hatred, separation and disunity instead of those advancing love, harmony and wisdom - the will to know Truth by which ancients have long told us we can be liberated from our ignorance and oppression.

The world is in need of that immersion I had momentarily in my dream. The water force is cleansing, purifying and regenerative. It is life. Whether this natural force comes to us in our different ethnic understanding as Osun or Saraswati it is a reminder that we cannot do without its rejuvenating, life-sustaining property – individually or collectively. It is a symbol of unity, peace, harmony for it is the something we cannot do without. It reminds us of our responsibility to life and the environment.

Without doubt we are in a period of knowledge expansion, where the truth of everything can no longer be locked down by oppressors. In the dream, the leader lady at the front was actually trying to get me to use a kind of chest as a seat. Therein, I’d say is the trove (Truth), which I knelt before – because I sat on the floor instead.

My clothes - for I was not wearing white as the others – relate to my quest for knowledge, to be elevated from ordinary (base) to greater/deeper understanding of self. But humility (seated on the floor) is precursor to gaining wisdom. Red, might also be linked to worldliness/sensuality/base which need to be balanced with the white of pure spirit in the context of my dream and the dominant associations of those colours. I am not discrediting sensuality or passion by saying this but using these colours in reference to a particular reading/understanding to consider the dream in the context of universal consciousness. For I am mindful of the power of the erotic as espoused by Audre Lorde which she describes as ‘a measure between the beginnings of our sense of self and the chaos of our strongest feelings’ (from The Master’s Tools will never dismantle the Master’s House, 7). Here, Lorde sees the power in the erotic as opposed to the ‘suppression of true feeling’ and ultimately ‘sensation’ when the erotic or sensual gets conflated with the ‘pornographic’ or debased knowledge.

The world is in a hyper state of sensation without (true) feeling/meaning, is the point I’m making. Saraswati represents the knowledge and wisdom to elevate us to meaningfully save ourselves/the world by feeling for each other and subjugating the prevailing symbols of ignorance and disunity.

I interpret the ‘bride’ to be a projection of myself since I am in the quest for knowledge, wisdom (going to be married to these). I would have to shed the garments of ignorance (the red/black/dark) to wear the white of knowledge, purity, wisdom.

Interpreting the Mother and the white woman in mum’s dream
I interpreted mum’s dream to relate to a universal reality in which children/peoples of the world are oppressed by a system (global white supremacy and capitalism) that destroys and consumes rather that promoting creativity and abundance for all. That my mother should see herself in the archetypal Mother role of a mixed bag of children speaks to the universal consciousness of her dream. ‘Whiteness’ or capitalist exploitation (the ‘white woman’ wishing to learn how mum was making the food) are destructive universal forces, individualistic and ultimately in a state of decline. In other words, there is an elevation of consciousness taking place (the love of the rice/beans) that is increasingly rejecting the destructive (burning food) in favour of the sumptuous, truth giving food of maternal (read this as the Divine Feminine) love and energy. This system will attempt to use its power to perpetuate itself (and “violate others”), but it will burn out eventually. On that road to destruction it will go after the Mother’s way of bringing her children to light/understanding/knowledge of self and try to contaminate their will to find truth and elevate themselves from the clutches of the destructive force.

When I told mum my dream she said, she was dreaming something similar. Sometimes, I can’t quite see how she is drawing comparisons between what I’m saying and what she is. This morning spirit spoke. For Saraswati embodies light, knowledge, wisdom, her ‘white’ is purity, contrary to the image of ‘whiteness’ in mum’s dream reflecting ‘dark’ (burning), ignorance (the white lady didn’t know how mum had made the rice/beans meal – truth/knowledge). We know that Saraswati destroyed a demon (oppression/destructiveness/ignorance). Mum’s cooking pot was overflowing – growth of wisdom and abundance, whilst the white lady’s (ignorance) was burnt and consumed by flames. In other words, Mother Nature has provided enough for all her children, but forces work to prevent everyone from reaping her abundant rewards.

If I may be permitted to extend the interpretation a bit, the ‘white woman’ reminds me of a reading in the book of Revelation, chapter 17 which speaks about the demonic, harlot ‘Babylon’ who goes after a pregnant woman to devour her children. On the demon woman head was written: “Mystery, Babylon the great mother of harlots and abominations of the earth” which has been given loads of interpretations not least the ‘capitalism’ of Europe, particularly as embodied by Britain/London ‘that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Any which way you interpret this chapter, this harlot juxtaposed to the innocence of the pregnant woman appears destructive and oppressive. The metaphysical interpretation is links to the conquest of the higher self over the lower, through the process of the Chakra meditation system, as reflected by the constant use of the number 7 in Revelations (as suggested by Bro C Freeman El, though I can’t find the precise reference, and writing this from memory).

There is of course within the universal that which is personal or an individuated expression of the one consciousness. My mother and I have been for the past few weeks locked in spiritual communication which, has involved us meditating. I’ve shared with her ways of interpreting the allegories in the bible that relate to Kemetic spiritual philosophy which has been corrupted in the books of the bible. As she is now trying to reinterpret her understanding, she sometimes blurts that ‘they’ gave ‘us’ false teachings – keeping the truth from ‘us.’ Needless to say the ‘they’ refers to those oppressors and enslavers who continue to violate African traditional practices and traditions which keep Africans (‘us’) in perpetual ignorance – if we don’t attempt to learn the truth.

Why did Sarawati manifest in my consciousness?
In my spiritual life, I recognise the Komfa tradition of Guyana. In this practice adherents refer to seven different ethnicities for its pantheon – African, Amerindian (so called), Chinese, East Indian (Hindu), Dutch, English, Spanish. I have lately been so focused on the African spirits, especially because African spirituality has for so long been demonised that I overlook those other expressions reflected in the tradition. I have always sought to promote the dynamic, inclusive spirits that Komfa (and Surinamese practices too) celebrate through their various rituals. I see this practice as capable of unifying us as a human family – since in Komfa an adherent who is African can manifest a spirit whose actions tell us it is Amerindian, English, East Indian and so on. In other words, spirit does not see colour/ethnicity/difference the way we do. We are yet to realise in an outwardly obvious way practices that recognise the African spirits and ultimately African cosmology. Dominant discussions of world religions and spirituality continue to leave out the African contribution, privileging Greece, Rome, China, India as though African contribution to so called ‘civilisation’ is myth and discreditable. But I digress…?

Goddess Seshat
Saraswati appeared in my dream perhaps to remind me of the universality of spirit, that as much as one can find the goddess of wisdom/knowledge and so on in one culture/tradition the same force energy exists in others. I’d be remiss in writing this if I didn’t acknowledge the Kemetic equivalent Seshat – the Goddess of knowledge; Aset/Auset/Isis is the goddess of wisdom among other qualities. To isolate our spiritual development where we preference one version and deny another when the emphasis is the same is ignorant and unwise.

She came too because each time I light a candle these days I ask that the act/ritual increases my knowledge and understanding. She came because I am trying to be true to my work in the field of education, knowledge exchange (sharing), quest for learning, spiritual development etc. In a universal way, all that is being explored in the world right now, whether we care to see it or not. There is increasing quest for better knowledge and understanding, but the demon to defeat is the prevailing ignorance of such forces as white supremacy and capitalism. She is a force, like so many other expressions of the Divine Feminine that we need right now to wrestle the world from the flames of destruction so represented by the oppressors and terrorists against humanity. I was so blessed by the dream and my ability to see it in a broader sense – in the spirit of dream sharing, unity and harmony that I see as a wonderful example of the often referred to Universal Consciousness. I welcome all such energies that know I will not shun them just because I am black and do not remember that there are many ways to express comeliness.