The imagination is a source of entertainment, new ideas, and inspiration. Our dreams can sometimes lead us to develop tangible goals. At other times, they may point to important things within us, brewing beneath the surface.
The card DREAMS invites you to explore your imagination, your dreams, your hopes, your fantasies – and, perhaps, to share what you find with your partner. If you do this with an open mind, you may discover new, positive options in your relationship. If there is a feeling of safety and trust, sharing a dream with your partner can deepen your connection.
There are things that come from the depths of your wildest imagination, that in the telling provide pure entertainment. There are also things that are in the realm of possibility, things that you can create and share in your relationship. If you are both willing – and have the resources – you may end up enacting something from your imagination!
It is important to realize how the imagination presents us with exaggerated or symbolic pictures of things we may want. It provides clues to what you can potentially experience – but first you have to translate the clues! For example, that fantasy about owning a dream house in the country could be a clue that you need to find ways to be out in nature more often. If you translate such clues, you can focus on ways to bring your dreams alive in your life.
This tendency for the imagination to symbolize a need or a want can sometimes lead to problems if we take our fantasies at face value. For instance, we may put all our energy into that future house in the country, denying ourselves many chances for fulfilling experiences now. Often, partners who finally reach such a long-term goal find out it doesn’t give them the happiness they thought it would. Having sacrificed so many chances to enjoy simpler things in the moment, they may feel that fulfillment is no longer possible. Many partners split up when the dream house is finally built or the kids leave home. Beware of sacrificing fulfillment now for the sake of a future dream!
Translating the clues is especially important in the case of problem fantasies – things like leaving a relationship, or acting out a feeling that will undoubtedly hurt one’s partner. If we were to take such a fantasy at face value and act it out, we would miss something important. Seen in a positive light, such a fantasy is a big clue. By translating it, we can see how it calls on us to heal or clear up something that is blocking our happiness in our relationship.
The card DREAMS invites you to use your imagination to explore the ideal relationship. What are your dreams regarding true fulfillment? What are all the different aspects of it? If you were in an ideal relationship, how would each of you act? How would you feel? How would you communicate? Treat your answers as clues, and translate them. Find one part of this dream that you can bring to life with your partner and enjoy in your relationship – here and now. Exploring and sharing your dreams with this kind of positive spirit can be a doorway to creating all the joy and fulfillment in your relationship that your heart desires.
By John Grey, PhD