Dear Dreamers,
I’ve been quoted on the record as being a Grinch, though I am sentimental about the holidays in my own way. This, among other sentimentalities, feels like a core conceit of my nature — I am a lot of things, avoidant among them, but I am also a closet softie. My friends would tell you closet isn’t quite the word for this. Helen says I’m sweeter, it turns out, than the average bear.
I see this in myself, this willingness to forgive easily, to lay down my sharp words for something warmer, intentionally, when I return “home,” for the holidays, to that small town, to the country, to the foothills. My mother lives there, and my grandmother, and also the children. There, I am dutiful daughter, winning son, helpful child. I kiss cheeks and engage in warm hugs. I fetch and drive. I play a thousand hands of cards and win most of them. I wake early in the morning. I try not to let things annoy me. I try to be good. I try to be what I am supposed to be, and what everyone still wants to be.
When I finally got to close myself in a room, alone, over this last holiday, it was different than the one I had once used. That one had been painted the last color of blue in the sky, and I had laid there awake at night terrified of the ghost in the hall, of my own betraying thoughts of a different kind of life.
In that different room, I had texted the lawyer. I’d laughed at their responses. I’d dreamt of sweet and terrifying things.
Again, I’d dreamt of a different kind of life, but this time —
Sending you your own sweet dreams,
Cowboy
What Does It Mean To Dream of Staircases?
As a child I would often have a recurring staircase appear in a variety of buildings in dreams. It would often not match the other features of the home or space I was in, but it was always a dark, wooden, open slat staircase leading down in a spiral. I only ever went down it a few times of the many it appeared. It gave me an eerie feeling, but never classified as a nightmare space unless the rest of the dream was. I haven’t dreamt of it in a couple years now, but always wondered.
– Wren
Dear Wren,
Thank you for the gift of your dream. Or rather, the gift of your dream image. A recurring one at that! Basically my favorite kind. It also makes sense to me why this particular image haunted your childhood especially, but more on that later.
First, I’d like to discuss what a staircase, in general, means when it appears in a dream, especially an out of place one. I can see your own staircase in my mind well, appearing there, not quite a nightmare, but uncanny just the same.
The staircase image, when it appears in a dream, most often means a point of transition or a specific journey for the seer. This can range from the mundane (a new job) to the spiritually transformative, but it presents a previously unknown, or previously feared, path for the taking. It is impossible to ignore, but also frightening to descend (or ascend) and leave behind the familiar. As children, our choices are so often made for us, and we are occasionally forced into them. Who among us hasn’t dreamt of an escape?
Still, it is terrifying to go against what we feel to be the major authority in our lives, and thus the status quo. You mentioned to your note to me that you feel that your work is no longer your passion, and you are unsure which path to follow next, which makes this the perfect time to revisit the staircases of your youth. Though you have not dreamt of them in some time, they can still be useful to you. Meditate on them. Journal about them. Summon that staircase, though it might be eerie, and follow it all the way down. Where does it take you? Where do you want it to take you? Even if the answer surprises you, follow the thread. Trust your own feet. It’s time to pivot.
Good luck, and see you on the other side,
CC
How To Make a Yuletime Simmer Pot To Cleanse and Protect Your Home This Holiday Season
The holidays are hard for lots of folks, but I know this can be especially true for queer people, myself among them. Plus, with the barrage of terrible political news, relatives edging into a new kind of freakiness, and the like, I thought it was a great time to put forth a simple yet effective ritual to cleanse and protect our peaceful homes this holiday season. The simmer pot is basically what it says on the tin, a pot you simmer for a long period of time, but with some intentional ingredients and intention setting, you can do a little kitchen witchery AND smell good in the process.
SUPPLIES
- CrockPot or saucepan
- Water (enough to fill the pot you’re working with)
- Rosemary (for protection, purification, the spirits)
- Allspice (an abundance of good communication)
- Sliced apples or apple juice (family togetherness, contentment)
- Sliced oranges or orange juice (clarity, harmony)
- Sliced lemons or lemon juice (repelling negativity, friendship)
- Cranberries (happiness, affection)
- Cloves (love, protection, repelling negative intent)
- Brown sugar (the sweetness of life, sweetness in general)
- Thyme (health and healing)
- Vanilla (longevity, luck, and love)
- Ginger (abundance, health)
NOTE: You can swap these ingredients for ones you have on hand, things you feel might smell great, or leave out anything you don’t like! Just make sure to set your intentions with the supplies you do use.
STEP ONE: Cleanse the space you’ll be working with. Light a candle and pray. Call forth the ancestors. Basically, do whatever makes you feel most centered before you begin! Assemble your ingredients and do the prep work so that when you begin to add things to your pot it comes together in smooth movement.
STEP TWO: Fill your preferred pot with water and stir clockwise, say: With this motion, I invoke peace and happiness in my home, I fill this pot to protect my space, myself, and others. Then, begin to add your ingredients, making sure to name them, and their impact. For example, when adding rosemary, say: Rosemary, for protection, purification, and to honor the spirits. Then, for allspice: Allspice, for an abundance of communication. Continue to add the ingredients until you’re finished, each time invoking their name and their use.
STEP THREE: Place your CrockPot on low or your saucepan in the back corner of the stove, on the simmer setting. Make sure to check on your simmer pot frequently and add more water if needed, but soon your home will bloom with good smells and good energy. The simmer pot will be usable for hours. Before tossing it out, say a thank you to Spirit, to the ingredients, and to yourself. Good luck!
