New Chartres School IV, Musica 2009 Group Dream Work

Facilitated by Apela Colorado, Ph.D., with

Wisdom University faculty and participants

Gathering the dreamers For the past three years, Apela Colorado, Ph.D. assisted

by Nancy Holm, A.B.D., graduate assistant, has facilitated a dream work group within the New Chartres School of Wisdom University. Knowing that dreams are the most direct and unmediated form of communication with unseen realms and that group dreaming can accelerate, amplify and strengthen the emergence of rapport, we met daily to share our dreams on the ancient sacred site of Chartres, France just as the Gauls and later, medieval Mystics would have done.

Initially we wondered what would happen. Could we connect with the sacred site itself? Would ancient mysteries come forward? Would we be changed in some way? What would happen if we simply paid attention?

 

Apela Colorado, Ph.D.

Our experience. . . The dream work began in a 2005 preliminary visit to

Chartres. Wisdom University President Jim Garrison, Ph.D., deep in meditation, envisioned the recreation of the medieval Mystery School. In 2006, Dr. Colorado led a midnight ceremony to seek permission to enter and renew the ancient traditions of dreaming and to link these with the postmodern mind. Immediately, participants began to come forward with dreams and, in response, the first informal dream sessions were convened. Since this was not a planned event, the only time available was 7:30 am. Even so, a handful of participants still in a hypnagogic state assembled daily.

 

Caroline Myss, Ph.D. and Wisdom University President Jim Garrison, Ph.D.

(cont.)

In the following years the numbers of participants grew and the dreams became so frequent and strong that in 2009, the dream work was assigned a more central slot in the schedule. The results were stunning. First, the process was transformed with the appearance of a Scribe, Carlotta Tyler, M.S.O.D. with the ability to map, cartoon and notate dreams and group process as it happened. Then we discovered among us a musician, Barbara Daniels with a monochord instrument tuned to support deep states of mind. She played it at the opening and closing of our sessions. A rich addition was the astrological context set for the dreams every day by Astrologer Lynn Bell.

Dream work circle Barbara Daniels with monochord (center)

(cont.)

We experienced a growing numinous quality to the work. The dreams were increasingly powerful and clearly our gathering together and discussing the dreams collectively was having a catalytic effect. This dream work circle not only strengthened the communication of the group itself, but it also facilitated the opening of the other side of the veil to us. This time together was beautifully, deeply, and powerfully sacred.

Astrological Insights

The Dream Group was astounded when, retrospectively, master astrologer Lynn Bell provided us with daily astrological insights. These opened up an understanding of the planetary influences on our dreams all week.

Just before we met for our Opening Ceremony, (the evening

before our first Dream Work group), Venus entered Gemini. This gave us themes of twinning and splitting, light and shadow. Venus and Mars (conjunct but temporarily out of sign) indicates a disjunct between masculine and feminine, preparing for a new coming together. The Moon’s position brought awareness of tension with the past and anxiety and excitement for the future.

Astrological insights for each day will follow the dream themes for each day in the slides that follow.

Astrologer Lynn Bell provided daily astrological insights

Overview   Each morning we came together, gathering in a

Circle. We purified and offered prayers to open and close each session. Indigenous Elders teach us that the ceremony will reveal itself, and this became abundantly clear. In addition to the graphic scribe and monochord music, anything we needed magically appeared without asking!

 

Monday

  In an Invocation Ceremony the night before, each participant had been initiated. Following the anointing we had gathered about a sacred fire for people to state their intentions, and make their prayers. Early Monday morning, a handful of bleary eyed but determined Dreamers showed up to share their dreams.

Dreams, Monday and Tuesday

Dreams, Monday* “Holding sleeping baby”1. A dad asked the dreamer to hold a sleeping baby in a mall. The baby wakes,

kicks and stretches; begins talking about economy and telepathy. Dreamer asks: Does your dad know how wise you are? When dad returns, baby stops talking.

. In order to

“Getting ready for Musica”2. Dreamer is in a B & B getting ready to come to Musica. A big man aggressively

enters the room while she is dressing. He says ”you must get out”. She leaves, sees a vital red stallion. Thinks she should get back to her room. Then she sees herself with a baby boy who is her nephew in a stroller. She needs to go with him to the room. The horse is looking at American Indian saddle and gets scared. She gently moves out, takes stroller back, enters room.

* There is a discrepancy on the labeling of the days in the images (Day 1, 2, etc.). We

have re-labeled slides by days of the week. Also, not all dreams have been recorded here. We have given samples of dreams for Monday and summarized themes for the rest of the week.

Dream (Mon. cont.)

3. “Playing in the woods” Dreamer is in the woods as a child—playing in

fallen trees. Climbed a triangular slab of rock that was in the woods. A child playfully grabbed her and hung on; dreamer feared that they would fall. Rock toppled over and they just missed getting crushed.

Monday, Common Dream Themes

• Fear• Thresholds and departures• Old way is not going to work

Monday Astrological Insights

• Powerful inward journey (Moon conjunct Pluto)• Shadow becomes visible (building toward full

moon eclipse)• Awareness of things we cannot normally see (Sun

and Moon completely linked)• The way is not entirely clear (Mars square

Neptune)

The full moon early in the week coincided with our labyrinth walk and was reflected in the dreams of the group.

Tuesday

People retired Monday evening after a full day of sacred dance, the Symposia on Harmonics, Harmony and Health with Jim Garrison and Caroline Myss, and the essential Chartrean experience of walking the Labyrinth. The group had grown in size to about a dozen. But the combination of fatigue from jet lag, the rigorous schedule, and sheer overwhelm of Chartres itself, made it difficult for people to make it to the early morning session and to remember their dreams. Participants pressed for a time slot within the regular daily schedule.

Tuesday, Dreams(refer to first image, right hand side)

1. (A vision during initiation circle in the garden) Saw a tunnel of brick—it was wide with a shallow roof,

very long. She couldn’t see what was at the end. Dark shadows were flying at her.

2. “Save the Planet” There was a gathering of people who want to save the

planet. Dreamer asked them to do it; she couldn’t come but it went well without her.

3. Same dreamer, second dream: Met father in law [who is dead] She was happy to see him. He said “We work with you together to save the planet”.

Astrological Insights, Tuesday

• Sense of a peak experience in the teaching and of leaving (full Moon and lunar eclipse)

• We are asked to hold the powerful feeling experience (Moon in Capricorn)

• Dissolving and coming together in a collective vision, of healing or disappointment, the emergence of a soul tribe

• (Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron Conjunction exact all week)

• What are we holding?

Dreams at a glance, Tuesday and Wednesday

• Initiation• The old way• “Fossil” and “Solar” (also in Carolyn Myss’

lecture)• Male father figures

(priests, ministers, fathers• Feminine sorrow of Gaia

• Americans coming alive; need to heal Europeans

• Labyrinth• Serpent• Birthing twins• Prone people throughout• Alchemical cooking

Dreams at a glance:Wednesday (“day 3”)

• Struggle, inert figures lying parallel• Fear, “Where am I?”• Snake bites, dead snake• Women, no icons• Women: “no obedience for me”• Struggle• Crossroads• Fossil age passing• Well

Wednesday Dreams were becoming so compelling that

despite a full schedule the day before, including Sacred Dance, Symposia by Jim Garrison and Caroline Myss . Immersion into the Sacred Art and Architecture of the Cathedral, as well as lunch time meetings with faculty, a small group still came to work on dreams. Later that day, Jim and Caroline departed from the conference leaving a small space in the morning program for dreams to move into. Thus we had two dream groups on Wednesday, and it was then that the monochord musician appeared to infuse our Circle with Musica.

Summary (Wednesday)

All dreams have been about the ability to move between worlds.

Astrological Insights Wednesday

• The Moon was conjunct Lilith today. “No obedience for me” is a Lilith theme (the dark

moon, French astrology)• The numerous serpent appearances in dreams might

relate to the solar archetype we were contacting all week.

• Lynn Bell gave a symposium with solar myths and sun stories. The sun is both steady AND wild, as it appears and disappears daily.

Dreams, Tuesday (cont.) and Wednesday

THURSDAY  Participants fell into bed after a day of sacred

dance, Symposia, faculty lunch meetings and a group process that went late into the night. Despite the exhaustion, which may have made us more open to receiving dreams, we were in a high state of mind and the attentive listening worked as a potent crucible for dream insights and understanding to emerge. Strong emotions were shared as the stories of the dreams were revealed.

 

Dreams at a glance:Thursday, Day 4

• More snakes: dead snake, snake bit to the heel• Women icons (no faces)• “No obedience for me”• Crossroads• Women IN the well• Priest and the dissolving feminine• Gentle compassion—the past, passing• Wine pressing the masculine until only the

essence is left “If you let your pride take over, you will have to sit on a shelf for 200 years. If not, we can drink your essence now.” [this one was reported Thursday; the dream came during the night Monday after the labyrinth]

Astrological Insights Thursday

• Sun is sextile Saturn today (determined and focused, purposeful)• Moon is now in Aquarius (this sign invents the

new and seeks connection to the group)• Moon is moving toward the big conjunction of

planets in Aquarius

Dreams, Wednesday (cont.) and Thursday

Dreams, Thursday (cont.)

FRIDAY

  The previous day had included the

culmination of the sacred dance and music that had been practiced all week, meditations in the Cathedral, and lunch with faculty. That evening we went into the Crypt for the ‘Descent to the Divine Mother’. The next morning, Friday, nearly thirty Dreamers came to the Circle. The room was filled with anticipation, emotion and awe.

Dreams at a glance: Friday (“Day 5”)• Birth (cat eats baby)• Where is the tower? We lost the tower.• 8 days water• Matriarchy is dead• Crypt, well, light• “Now you are free”• Stolen dreams: “No, I will not give up my power”

Dreams at a glance: Friday• Woman has given birth—(didn’t know she was

pregnant)• Foundation dream• 8 tornadoes in the water, lightning close, fire

puts out water• Old matriarch on her deathbed• On ship with soul group-family; needed to stay

conscious and not be hypnotized• It’s time

Dreams, Friday

Dreams, Friday (cont.)

Astrological insights Friday• Moon joins the conjunction on Chiron, Jupiter and

Neptune, seeking communion and release (desire for connection)

• Themes of water and waves• Mars is conjunct the Pliedes, (stars called the

Seven Sisters, linked to feminine power)The Sun is in the Moon’s sign in July in Cancer, and

so is mediated by the MOON

Carlotta Tyler presents Dream Work using her illustrations that recorded the dreams

A common theme throughout the week wasbirthing:

We became conscious of a communication between ourselves (individually and collectively) and the Sacred Site of Chartres.  Each morning, the telling of the dreams brought us closer to each other and to an unfolding wisdom which the group process mirrored and amplified. Somehow, we had found our way to the door of the Mystery School and it opened.

Summary In another way, we experienced birthing through

the conscious re-establishment of a Chartres dream communication network. The emergence of a sacred site specific ceremony including protocol and group process opened up ways and to converse with the site and the site within ourselves, and with each other. There was a palpable, beautiful and overwhelming sense of being touched by the Mystery of the Ancients. Through this website and ongoing Wisdom University dream work, we hope to continue the process.

As the New Chartres School worked its way through the mysteries of Grammatica, Rhetorica, Dialectica, and Musica, the Dream Group met to ground, integrate and to explore the ways in which Dream content interacted with the Mysteries, participants and place. The simple structure of reporting our dreams in the first year evolved into an intense crucible of group process, astrology, music, ritual and art. In coming together as a group and sharing our dreams, we realized that each individual dream was a composite of the whole, and the whole a composite of mine. Paying such close attention to dreams at this ancient sacred site with a large group of mystics gives rise to the questions, Why? What does this mean?

The dreams, especially when supported by the astrology and the sacred site and spirits, urgently point out that humanity is in the midst of a great transition. The old ways are falling apart and the new way has not yet arrived. What is our responsibility and opportunity in this crisis? What does the ancient site of Chartres have to tell us about negotiating this transition with confidence in a creative and hopeful manner? Perhaps the New Chartres Mystery School in 2010 and its focus on Arithmetica will provide a geometry large enough to hold and further the flow of Dream wisdom emanating from the unseen world to our own.

Article written and edited by:

Apela Colorado, Ph.D. ,Claire Ryle GarrisonNancy Holm, Doctoral Candidate