I am in a Native American village, and have a close relationship with the village elder who is about to die. He has deep wisdom, compassion and humanity, and is also very familiar with the spiritual realms and Ground. He chooses me and another young man to take care of his body and perform the rites after he dies, which involves removing the skull and treating the remaining skin of the head in a particular way. This is also a test of seeing what is clearly, without overlay of stories and attachments to them. There is a sense of deep belonging, humanity, compassion, wisdom, earthiness and familiarity with the spiritual realms throughout the dream, and in my human self’s relationship with the village.
This dream shares many elements with the previous dream, where I led a village in the Middle East (Kurdish village in Iran?). This time, the village elder and I share a very close relationship, and I am chosen to take care of his body, perform the rites, and then set up to continue his role in the village, possibly with the other man.
The way we take care of his body brings up some beliefs in stories in me and a discomfort with dealing with the bodily remains in such a matter-of-fact way, yet there is also a clear seeing in the midst of it.
The wide embrace, wisdom, compassion, earthiness, familiarity with the spiritual realms and Ground, are all very similar to the previous middle-eastern dream, as is the theme of leadership and of taking over after the village elder who is either incapacitated or died.
I view Native Americans and Sufis as groups that are more likely to embody this earthy spirituality – which includes all three centers and individuality & community, so it is no wonder they both show up in my dreams on these themes.
The dance dream a few days ago also shared these same qualities of earthy spirituality and individuality & community, although then without the leadership theme…. Earthy spirituality, individuality & community, then leadership forgetting about the real leader, then leadership being passed on in a more conscious way.