Venus dreamed about receiving a confusing invitation, handwritten on a medicine bottle she couldn’t read. When she analyzed the dream, she realized that it invited her to examine her own uncertainty in a moment of transition and seek the cure within herself.
The Dream
Venus described the dream in the following way: “I’m wandering around town (London maybe), when I receive a message from Otto about an invite to an Oasis concert. However, it’s handwritten on a medication bottle. The medication bottle is surrounded by COVID stuff. The message is long, with instructions about talking to Jane.”
The Conversation
I began by asking, “Do you live in London?”
Venus replied, “I live in California now, but I just came back from London where I have a flat and used to live.”
I continued, “How did you feel in this dream?”
Venus said, “I felt a little confused. I was excited by the invite but a bit resentful that I didn’t receive it long before the concert date.”
I inquired, “What were your thoughts when you saw the long message?”
Venus responded, “I thought it was confusing. Why all this now and why so many instructions?”
Searching for what may have triggered her dream, I asked, “Is there a recent event that has you feeling both confused and excited? Perhaps related to an invitation? You also feel a bit resentful in the dream; has something in your life made you feel resentful?”
Venus connected. “I’m at a crossroads in my life. I’m working in real estate but just graduated in counseling psychology. It’s exciting but confusing, because if I want to get licensed, it’s a long path. As for an invitation, it feels like anything I receive is always attached to a condition. In the real estate field, any offer I get is attached to a condition. Either the job doesn’t pay enough, or it’s not remote. No vacations, or you must advertise yourself or pay a fee every month. I’ve put a big effort into this, and I’d like to see results, while I decide how to move forward with the counseling path.”
I wondered, “Can you explain what you mean that you used to get invitations?”
Venus responded: “I used to get invitations to concerts and shows, just for who I was. Now everything feels like a scam!”
I asked, “Is that where the invitation to an Oasis concert comes into your dream? Do you like them?”
Venus replied, “Oasis was my favorite band growing up. I was a huge fan, but I don’t like the band anymore.”
Moving to another part of her dream, I asked, “What comes to mind about COVID? Did you have it? How did you generally feel around that time?”
Venus explained, “COVID was an important moment for me because I started my degree in transpersonal psychology during that time. I had COVID before it was a thing, so I never really tested positive to it. I felt kind of excited and scared during that time. COVID gave me an opportunity to start again, and not knowing what was coming was scary and exciting. I feel the same way now.”
Regarding the note, I wondered, “What were your feelings when you saw this long, handwritten note? It’s on a bottle of medicine, and it’s surrounded by COVID stuff. Could it be a treatment or cure?”
Venus responded, “The handwritten note was on top of the medication label, and I couldn’t read the instructions. I agree this prescription could represent a treatment or cure. It’s significant that I couldn’t read it!”
I noticed a pattern. “We repeat thoughts in our dreams, using different metaphors that point to the same meaning. I wonder if we can tie together some things you’ve said to make some sense of what you were saying to yourself. For example, London is something that used to be in your life, and the COVID connection is from the past. You say you had COVID ‘before it was a thing.’ It’s the past.”
Venus exclaimed, “Yes! Oasis is also from my past! I used to like them, but I don’t anymore.”
I concluded, “That’s three times you referred to some space you were in that you’re moving away from.”
Venus agreed. “I’m discussing change. What fits for me now and what doesn’t. I’m in transition. I see it. I am no longer at a place where things are getting handed to me.”
I added, “You say during the COVID time, you felt kind of excited and scared. Are you harkening back to that feeling now about getting your license?”
Venus said, “That’s the confusing part. Getting my license isn’t flexible like the real estate job is. My main question here is if I want to move forward to get licensed as a psychologist or continue in the real estate business.”
I offered, “Let’s see if we can search out possible solutions inside your dream. For example, tell me about Otto. Who is he and what’s he like?”
Venus explained, “Otto is an old friend from London. OMG! There’s a fourth example referring to my past! Otto is shy and funny. He doesn’t say much about his job. He’s a friend of the singer from Oasis. That’s how we met.”
I wondered, “Are you and Otto alike in some ways?”
Venus answered. “Well, I also don’t like to disclose much of what I do because anything I say may be misinterpreted. Being discreet helps me keep things in check. I also think I want to try to stay lighthearted like him.”
I continued, “Let’s look at Jane, who you’re supposed to talk to in your dream. Do you know someone by that name?”
Venus connected. “I had a neighbor named Jane. She’s very successful, a high achiever, also unique in her dresses. Her creativity shows inside and outside.”
I responded, “The instructions say talk to Jane, but you couldn’t read them or the prescription. Maybe this reflects how you are searching for what’s next. Do you feel a connection with Jane’s qualities?”
Venus considered my question. “Jane is a part of myself I want to engage with. She’s a high achiever, and she’s quirky and creative.”
I asked, “What could it mean for you to tap into Jane’s qualities at this time?”
“Perhaps by dialoguing through writing, I might tap into her energy. I’ve done this before very successfully. It’s a good way of igniting certain qualities I want to bring up in my life.”
I agreed. “That process is an ongoing one, especially in life transitions like this one.”
What Can We Learn?
It’s not unusual to have vivid dreams in moments of transition. The characters in these dreams do not necessarily offer us specific “solutions” for our difficulties, but they often embody characteristics that we can adopt to help us work through the situation.
Tapping into beneficial characteristics is difficult, but dream analysis can help us jumpstart the process. By turning the interior discussion of the dream into an exterior one, analysis brings our unconscious associations into daylight.
In this way we clarify our own ideas, desires, and anxieties. We can receive feedback, and the conscious discussion sharpens our awareness and strategies going forward.
