You will not believe this, but I went for a polar plunge into a swimming hole, in Black Run River, six feet deep at its deepest, on New Year’s Day. I went there to be at water on this first day of the year. It was in the forties and cold and I walked back and forth on the stony edge unable to get myself to put my already cold feet into the water. 

There is the start of a bridge at the side of the stream. Beyond the beginnings of the bridge, no longer going across the stream, somebody was sitting out of sight except her two blue legs and her brown boots behind a nook that hid the rest of her

I wanted to include some art in that first day of the year, so I tried to sketch the river. The rocks were so many, the distance too much, the stream so moving. Putting in the blue legs and brown boots was the easy part.

I saw her pick up her cloth bag, and climb up on to the remains of the bridge and soon we were chatting, she with a lovely smile and pleasant, as she spoke to me. I told her of my plan to fall into the water and she said that once she was in Patagonia surrounded by glacial lakes. She knew how cold they would be. She had to go for a polar swim there, as it was unlikely she would ever go back to that particular part of South America again.

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She agreed to put some pictures on my phone, as I went in to the water and I was sold on getting in with my shoes and swimsuit on. I came prepared. I swam out in a circle, felt the bottom and decided to drop down to cover my head. What baptism is complete without dunking the head underneath; to wash away iniquity, cleanse me from my sins. In my distracted moment of being frozen and shocked, I forgot my prayers but that intention was there underneath the laughter that rocked me as I got out again.

I persuaded her to go in also as she told me her job was a teacher and her business was a Forest School. She is out in nature all the time with her students.

She noted she had gotten frostbite on her feet in the past and had to be careful with the cold. She went in to the water with her beanie on her head.  We exchanged telephone numbers. It turned out we are near neighbors.

January is one third gone. The moon is almost full again and I had a few dreams as usually happens when the moon is waxing. The dreams and the moonlight came in a skylight and landed on my face waking me up. I was highly pleased to think the moon had settled on me in this way.

My first dream was that my old mentor is telling me she likes my house but pity about the neighborhood. The next one of my dreams was of being in India and looking for the toilet bowl. I was having a hard time finding it. There was a man guarding the space but I did not see the needed commode. The next dream was of a basement with a wonderful bright green paint color on the walls. There was a bank of windows down there also. I could see out to the forest outside and the outside and inside blended beautifully. There were plants inside also.

Those first two dreams unsettle me, meaning I have to examine what I am bringing in to the neighborhood of myself that makes it “a pity.” My inner man, as represented by my father’s opinions that will not serve me now. The dreams are telling me of unbalance in my psyche which effects my health and my mental state.

The dream of the commode brings me to the place that carries away waste products from the psyche. My inner man(opinions) is preventing me finding that place. Also being intuitive about what I eat and making time for meals will serve me better than rushing down a huge bowl of something while on the run somewhere The image of the man that unstuck my feet from another dream is the opposite from the male in the dream above. He was such a helpful dream image.

I can ask what is stopping me releasing something I have to let go of. It can be physical as well as spiritual blocks.  The second one brings me to India, which brings me to spiritual practices and I may need to release some thinking in order to let go of the way I am using my mental and emotional abilities. 

That last dream about that wonderful green color, a color I think is associated with the heart, gives me encouragement. That the color is downstairs in the basement, in the unconscious may be a good thing.  That there is growing plants within my individual space and also outside in the collective space is something to notice. I love windows and the bank of windows blend the inside and outside also. There is some protection there too from the glass windows. 

I will buy some of this “green light color” and look to see what new paints I need for the New Year. Doing something to salute a new dream is always a good idea as the unconscious will continue to interact with me in the dreams bringing me to what I need to work with next, and correcting what needs attention in my journey so far.

The full moon is waning now. I wish you good recall of the dreams we all are having and in this way I will get good recall myself. I will pray for you and as you can see from my blogs, while I have a focus, I often fall off the wagon of learning and into old stuck places. I need any and all prayers I can get. Thanks so much and Love from Rose.