I have a dream

I saw a REAL shaman yesterday.

What is real? I ask that question constantly, yet even I draw a line between real and unreal. Of course where reality ends in my perception is somewhat off the norm.

An understatement.

A friend questioned me about the difference between a real shaman and a not real shaman, forcing me to admit that I'm unqualified to be a judge of that. Here's what I can say about the visit - she worked with my energy body and shifted things significantly. I felt it as it was happening and on a long wander home from the session, but even better the work came up in my dreams last night. The shaman herself was in the dreams, off and on, directing the action.

The best thing is that, in the dream I was standing next to my car, keys in hand. If there is such a thing as a dream miracle, this would be it.

For at least twenty years I have dreamed hundreds, maybe even a thousand times, that I'm searching for my car. Usually these dreams take place in huge parking garages with many floors. Sometimes I'm looking through a shopping center car park, sometimes I'm on the street, trying to remember where I parked my car. It's a colossal waste of dream time, wandering around car parks, looking for a car. I hate cars and parking garages. It's a mean dream.

I've had the dream so many times that I'm often lucid enough to realize I'm having the Lost Car dream. Sometimes in these dreams I decide I have the power to transform any car I see into my car because after all it's my dream and I'm making it. But it never quite works. Sometimes when I'm lucid, I'm able to wake myself up, but I've never been able to force the dream to unfold as I would like. Not ever.

I have tried many times and in many ways to break the spell of the damn dream. Once I went into a store in a shopping center with a huge parking garage. A friend took the keys and parked my car somewhere, then came back to the store. My task was to find the car in real life, something I did in less than two minutes. I walked right to it. I thought for sure the spell was broken. Nope.

A few years later, I had a powerful dream that involved my sister also looking for her car. Someone showed us where to find the cars. I asked his name and he said, "Oh. You're not supposed to notice." At that moment in the dream, I realized he was an angel. The feeling was indescribable. Both Hannah and I found our cars, though mine was a tiny red tractor. But I was glad to have any kind of vehicle.

I thought for sure the cycle had ended because of angelic intervention, but no. I kept having the dream.

In December when I was in Kansas City to dedicate my mother's gravestone, I actually couldn't find my car in a supermarket parking lot. I went to where I was sure the car was, but it was parked elsewhere. The moment felt numinous, I thought maybe I would never have the dream again. But, I have continued to have the dream, maybe not as often.

Last night I was standing in front of my car, holding the keys. It was my old car, Neptuna. In the dream I had rented it from Zipcar. When I realized I would be returning it late, I texted the Zipcar people to let them know. I remember texting the word ACCORD. Indeed, Neptuna was a white Honda Accord. In the dream I simply texted ACCORD.

I looked up the word this morning. Every definition sounds great to me.

ac·cord  (-kôrd)

v. ac·cord·ed, ac·cord·ing, ac·cords

v.tr.

1. To cause to conform or agree; bring into harmony.

2. To grant, especially as being due or appropriate: accorded the President the proper deference.

3. To bestow upon: I accord you my blessing.

v.intr.

To be in agreement, unity, or harmony. See Synonyms at agree.

n.

1. Agreement; harmony: act in accord with university policies.

2. A settlement or compromise of conflicting opinions.

3. A settlement of points at issue between nations.

4. Spontaneous or voluntary desire to take a certain action: The children returned on their own accord. He confessed of his own accord. 

Of course I wonder now if the dream spell is broken. I'm not holding my breath, but maybe? We shall see. Whether or not the dream spell is broken, something is shifting. 

I'm sticking with my assessment that the woman I saw yesterday is a real shaman. She surely is!