The following reading is for a good friend who was laid off from his job several months ago. He has had a recurring dream over the past several weeks in which he is hired back to work at a job he left more than 10 years ago. In the old job he and his female boss were good friends.
In the dream my friend is feeling anxious because he is supposed to be working, but can't remember how to navigate the software program he needs to perform his job. Time is passing, and he is becoming more and more anxious that his boss will come by and see that he is not working. Then the boss appears and they have a friendly chat, but she takes no notice of the fact that he has not been productive.
I drew an Answer Spread for insight into the dream. My question was: What is the significance of the recurring dream?
The Middle Column Answers the Question
The middle column suggests to me that finding a new of job (5 of Clubs) is on the querent’s mind (Ace of Spades). Of course, this is true. For the past several months he has been investigating a new situation (Ace of Spades). Perhaps on the subconscious level he is feeling unprepared for the change in work (5 of Clubs + spade), and that is the source of the recurring dream. The Ace of Spades also shows worry and anxiety, and the need for a decision or new plan of action. The 5 of Clubs followed by a spade can also denote a lack of confidence. The querent is feeling unsure about the change in career that he faces.
The Final Column provides Contributing Factors or Additional Information
My first impression of the final column is that extra income (9 of Diamonds) would be helpful (2 of Clubs), which is also true for the querent. But these cards in the position of “contributing information,” and more in line with answering the question, the final column more likely indicates that the dream is psychically (9 of Diamonds) beneficial (2 of Clubs) by allowing the querent to work through (club) his nervous (diamond) feelings of anxiety through the dream state.
The First Column Represents the Premise of the Dream
I interpret the QH in the first column to represent the old boss because she plays such a significant role in the dream. She appears as the Queen of Hearts in her role as friend, and she brings nurturing energy to the old work environment (5 of Diamonds). Subconsciously the querent associates her with a safe and friendly workplace; and it’s his fear of disappointing her that causes his anxiety in the dream.
It occurs to me that her presence in the dream, and the querent’s anxiety about failing to measure up to her expectations, reflect his subconscious fears of not measuring up to the demands and expectations of a new job opportunity (5 of Clubs + spade). In the dream she appears as a friendly authority figure, and she is completely unaware of my friend’s nervousness or lack of productivity. This suggests to me that the dream is trying to impress upon my friend that his fears regarding the new situation are unfounded.
