Honestly, I have no idea if he communicates this way with others, or if there's sources to back it up... but I would not be surprised if there were. Or do all gods communicate this way at some point or another? It seems the natural way to get someone's attention, particular if they aren't attentive in other ways, spiritually or psychically speaking.
But anyway, I thought I would post this dream. I was reminded of it while conversing with my partner and went looking in my dream journal for it. He had a similar dream experience with a guide or divinity - where the message was not able to be translated into the waking world - and it made me think that this is not the fault of the dreamer or one's memory, but simply how it is with these types of messages. "You can't take it with you." Either it is for your subconscious only and you do not need to know it consciously, or it simply cannot be translated from the dream world to the waking world, much like an epiphany in a psychedelic experience. You may remember pieces, or more likely how it made you feel, but the bone deep *knowing*? It's still in your bones, but there are no words.
He hasn't communicated with me in this way lately, but I feel like it is something I could pursue or request in a ritual fashion, and perhaps I will in the future.
I copied and pasted this directly from my dream journal. It is from April 29th, 2009.
Dreamed that I was staying with a group of women at a house or spiritual retreat. It felt like a cross between a coven and a small school or teaching group. I felt like I was fairly new there, and still getting to know everyone. All of the women were pretty young, including the woman everyone deferred to as the leader or teacher. I remember all of us gathered in a living room, and the teacher was taking input and requests and just general status of everyone. (The most I can recall specifically is that one of the girls asked for a firecracker for an outdoor prayer ceremony.) At one point, the teacher telekinetically drew what looked like a red candle to her. (It didn't float, but more like a strong burst of energy had tossed it towards her.) I said that I wanted to learn how to do that. (Slight sense of feeling like I was "behind", like this was something I could be doing too if I'd been more dedicated.) At this point, I turned my attention to the closest object, which appeared to be a bag of food (dog food maybe?). I focused on it and reached out my hand towards it, but sitting several feet away. I felt focused, feeling energized, on the verge of something. My first couple attempts didn't work, but I could hear a female (inner?) voice in my head directing me what to do, how to bridge to gap with the energy, and using the motion of my arm as if I was grabbing it (to release the energy), it suddenly lurched off the shelf. I was absolutely thrilled. I went up to the bedroom I was staying in, and thought about how I should text _____ and _____ about it. (With the sense that this was a retreat, and that I was staying here for a certain length of time and would not be seeing them soon.)
I was wandering in a backyard later, and there was an open section of fence where the yard met with the neighbor's. Laying along this in-between section were three or four black dogs, one particularly smaller than the others. They were all fast asleep even when I was standing right next to them. I reached down to touch one of them, and only as I did it did I realize it might not be a great idea. But although a couple of them startled awake, nothing bad happened. It seemed that they might be neglected.
I was wandering in a backyard later, and there was an open section of fence where the yard met with the neighbor's. Laying along this in-between section were three or four black dogs, one particularly smaller than the others. They were all fast asleep even when I was standing right next to them. I reached down to touch one of them, and only as I did it did I realize it might not be a great idea. But although a couple of them startled awake, nothing bad happened. It seemed that they might be neglected.
In another part of the dream, a group of us from the house were going to a club or event. We were all dressed up, colorful and mardi gras-ish. We were standing outside getting ready to go in, and the teacher was talking to everyone. It was at this point that I realized that they were all transvestites, all actually men dressed as women. I was not bothered, but did feel a mild sense of surprise ("How did I not notice before?") as I studied their features. They were all pretty and quite feminine, but still noticeably not women if I looked carefully.
(Upon waking, these parts of the dreams are what I was remembering, and thinking to myself that they seemed rather Dionysian - particular the cross dressing and perhaps the rest as a message to focus more on my spiritual path - at which point I suddenly remembered the last part of the dream.)
We were inside the club and talking and drinking. I remembering seeing an image of myself wearing an elaborate layered skirt - light, maybe cream colored - composed of a multitude of square or rectangular patches of material, and a top that resembled one I own IRL. (sleeveless, low cut - white, cream, lacy with flower designs). As I type this, I just realized what the skirt reminds me of - the skirt of the Cretan snake goddess! In the dream, I separate from the rest of the group and go to the restroom. While there, a boy comes in. I know he is Dionysos or else he tells me so. He is wearing all one color, a bright green - he seems young, younger than I would expect, maybe 18 or so. He is very thin, dark haired. Other than that, his features elude me. He went on talking to me animatedly, and I remember being very excited with what he was saying - feeling special perhaps. But I can not remember any of it upon waking, not a single word. Our discussion was interrupted by someone else coming into the restroom, and he was gone. I remember thinking that if the person had overheard, they would assume I was talking to myself, and probably would not have seen the god when he was there.
We were inside the club and talking and drinking. I remembering seeing an image of myself wearing an elaborate layered skirt - light, maybe cream colored - composed of a multitude of square or rectangular patches of material, and a top that resembled one I own IRL. (sleeveless, low cut - white, cream, lacy with flower designs). As I type this, I just realized what the skirt reminds me of - the skirt of the Cretan snake goddess! In the dream, I separate from the rest of the group and go to the restroom. While there, a boy comes in. I know he is Dionysos or else he tells me so. He is wearing all one color, a bright green - he seems young, younger than I would expect, maybe 18 or so. He is very thin, dark haired. Other than that, his features elude me. He went on talking to me animatedly, and I remember being very excited with what he was saying - feeling special perhaps. But I can not remember any of it upon waking, not a single word. Our discussion was interrupted by someone else coming into the restroom, and he was gone. I remember thinking that if the person had overheard, they would assume I was talking to myself, and probably would not have seen the god when he was there.
What a fascinating dream! Not sure what it means, but it feels deeply significant.
ReplyDeleteAnd, to answer your question, yes. A lot of Dionysians have their first encounter with the god through dreams. I met him that way as a child, years before I discovered who he really was. And I've heard many similar stories from others. Incidentally, it's always been this way. Pausanias mentions (10.33.11) that at Amphikleia Dionysos had a temple where pilgrims came for healing through incubation. They slept in the temple, he visited them in a dream and they left miraculously cured. In other famous incident he also relates how Dionysos visited Aiskhylos in a dream while the poet was still a child and commanded him to write tragedies. Makes you wonder what he would have done with his life otherwise. There are bunches of other incidents like that, which I can provide sources for if you're curious. But yeah, dreams are a big part of Dionysos repertoire.