Rebirth & Small Animals (Black Pig, Cow, Ladybird)

[Craig]

Just wanted to post a strange dream I had last night, which I assume was maybe the "result" of reading Carl Jung's "Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious" - the chapter on Rebirth. But there were some quite odd elements to it that I never came across specifically in my reading and which don't make much sense.

I was in the kitchen at home and the first thing I noticed was a little black pig trotting around the place and jumping up onto the work surfaces. The particular thing about it was that it was very small; I could have easily fit it on one hand. I was getting a little huffy about it being there, so I opened the doors and kept trying to shoo it out. Eventually it ran out in a hurry to its mother who was lying down up on the patio area. She was about normal size, and just as the little pig reached her, she got up and trotted down the side of the house and out of sight. Her young followed her a few seconds later, but I was anxious for it because I had an inkling that if it didn't hurry, the mother would instinctively reject it. It reappeared again, and I made a sort of hissing sound to scare it off back to the mother - which it did.

The next thing I noticed was a ladybird on the ground below me.

As I looked up, two other animals had appeared on the patio area. This time, two brown cows (tiny again), one mounting the other, and both of them staring at me with wide eyes.

I closed the doors, and sat down on the kitchen floor. In front of me was a black sock with something spherical inside and it was moving around of its own accord. I grabbed it, and pulled out an orange; the skin was just beginning to decompose but it was still edible. I had the impression that the orange was "female" and recall it having a name: "ruthless". I put the orange back in, and it started to roll around in the sock again.

I think at this point, I was startled awake by some sort of loud banging sound outside (it was around 10.30am) and just as the bright sunlight "hit me" from the window (because my eyes hadn't yet adjusted) I exclaimed in my mind that this act of being awoken, or startled awake, confirmed that "rebirth" was very real. It made complete sense to me at the time, and seemed quite profound, but in retrospect, it just seems ridiculously over-the-top. I also have the impression that there was something to this that I cannot grasp with my conscious mind.

Any comments/impressions?

 

[Craig]

Okay, here are my impressions:

I was in the kitchen at home and the first thing I noticed was a little black pig trotting around the place and jumping up onto the work surfaces. The particular thing about it was that it was very small; I could have easily fit it on one hand. I was getting a little huffy about it being there, so I opened the doors and kept trying to shoo it out. Eventually it ran out in a hurry to its mother who was lying down up on the patio area. She was about normal size, and just as the little pig reached her, she got up and trotted down the side of the house and out of sight. Her young followed her a few seconds later, but I was anxious for it because I had an inkling that if it didn't hurry, the mother would instinctively reject it. It reappeared again, and I made a sort of hissing sound to scare it off back to the mother - which it did.

Well in the Osiris myth, doesn't Set appear as a black pig? Saying that, why was it black and not pink? This probably represents the predator's mind interfering in "the work" and it being noticed hence the desire to get it "out of my house". The necessity to recognise what is mechanical. The anxiety about the mother rejecting her young was actually more about who this black pig would be left with: me.

The next thing I noticed was a ladybird on the ground below me.

More female references; I recall the wings trying to open. The ladybird is composed of three colours: black, white and red, which relates to alchemy.

As I looked up, two other animals had appeared on the patio area. This time, two brown cows (tiny again), one mounting the other, and both of them staring at me with wide eyes.

Not sure about the possible symbology here, but what's the deal with the first three being so small? Some sexual imagery... Cows are the "generators of milk" - they were dairy cows - which could relate to Magnesia, Virgin's Milk etc., of alchemy. They were over in the same dirty area as the black pigs, but they appear to be much "healthier" in the scene; so perhaps their generative function - sex and milk - is important in "restoring the wasteland".

I closed the doors, and sat down on the kitchen floor. In front of me was a black sock with something spherical inside and it was moving around of its own accord. I grabbed it, and pulled out an orange; the skin was just beginning to decompose - only very slightly - but it was still edible. I had the impression that the orange was "female" and recall it having a name: "ruthless". I put the orange back in, and it started to roll around in the sock again.

Another reference to something "black", and it was encasing something "golden". Another female reference but the act of being "ruthless" can be positive or negative. It was decomposing and I feel this symbology relates to conscience and the decomposition occurring due to it being stored or laying dorment; being encased in a "black shell". It is "still edible", perhaps implying that it can still be "assimilated" and the act of being ruthless with the self can lead to the awakening of real conscience. This of course would represent "fission", the sloughing off of the dark matter and liberating the white. It was in a "sock" which cover the feet - the limbs which are in perpetual contact with the Earth (materiality / subjectivity) and represent the lowest part of the body. It's moving around represents its influence slowly beginning to stare in my consciousness.

I recall reading Jung's reference from the Rosarium Philosophorum, which I interpreted to refer to conscience and/or the part of the self that wishes to be of service to others: "Choose to thyself a stone by which Kings are honoured in their diamonds, and by which physicians have to cure their patients because it is near the fire."

I think at this point, I was startled awake by some sort of loud banging sound outside (it was around 10.30am) and just as the bright sunlight "hit me" from the window (because my eyes hadn't yet adjusted) I exclaimed in my mind that this act of being awoken, or startled awake, confirmed that "rebirth" was very real. It made complete sense to me at the time, and seemed quite profound, but in retrospect, it just seems ridiculously over-the-top. I also have the impression that there was something to this that I cannot grasp with my conscious mind.

Well obviously, rebirth is an awakening into a different state of consciousness and that it occurs on all levels.

 

[Craig]

Some interesting observations regarding the "little black pig". I just took a walk around the kitchen, looking at the places which are relevant to my dream and noticed a few things: the pig jumped up onto the work surface where the CD-player is (the one that seemed to change inexplicably over Christmas, which I spoke about on casschat); there is also a "wise owl" cookie jar there; a square golden plate; and admidst the green design on the white tiles, the sun and moon. Some funny alchemical symbolism there. Also, what about it being a kitchen, and trying to keep this animal out? Seems to be a close parallel with a laboratory, of sorts: a place where things are heated, cooled, mixed, separated etc.

Then there was the sow (sexual imagery: seed) lying on her belly on a patio area. Actually, it is currently under a bit of construction and is a bit of an eye-sore; dirty and messy like a wasteland. Funny that she was lying there.

 

[krystalmindz]

Hmmm.
Seems to me like the black pig represents darkness, or at least, something that is not desired, therefore you shew(sp?) it out of your kitchen. Why a kitchen and not a bedroom or another room in the house? Maybe because the kitchen in a house is where the meals are prepared, and (if large enough) is where the family gets together to eat. Possibly therefore, the kitchen represents your home-life, and the unity of the family.

The pig jumped on the surface where you have a cd player (could stand for comfort, joy, relaxation), a "wise owl" cookie jar (again, representing good feelings [cookies] but this time the feelings are coming "from" wisdom [wise owl]), a square golden plate (golden can be considered a "royal" color, or at least can portray a high "value," or an item of importance, possibly making a statement about how you value and cherish the peacefulness of your home), green design on white tiles (green in general is a "peaceful" color, and white indicates purity.) Sun and moon could be symbolism for black and white, or opposites, like yin and yang, which represent a unique "balance" in things. Whether these are the tings you long for, or whether they are the things that currently are, well, I can't say for sure.

You know that this pig does not belong in your house, but at the same time, you don't want the mother to reject the pig either, therefore indicating compassion for this, unwanted unfluence. In this light, could this reflect on anything going on in your personal life???

Maybe I'll comment more about the rest of it later.

 

[Craig]

Hi krystalmindz,

Thanks for some interesting comments from a different perspective . . .

The pig jumped on the surface where you have a cd player (could stand for comfort, joy, relaxation). . .

I mentioned that because from my experience, it isn't just any old CD-player anymore because during the Christmas/New Year period a lot of strange things were happening. A lot of synchronicities started to "manifest" most of which seemed to follow a theme of intrusion and security, and one day this player just seemed to change in design; all three of us living here noticed it, and separately. Then the weird alien-related dreams started and some more synchronicities and parallels while reading Karla Turner's books. Anyway, I wrote about that here and on casschat at the time.

So I found it interesting that this black pig - associated with Set (4th Density STS) in the Isis and Osiris mythology - jumped up onto an area that was associated with an experience that may have suggested some sort of alien-related high strangeness.

. . . a "wise owl" cookie jar (again, representing good feelings [cookies] but this time the feelings are coming "from" wisdom [wise owl]), a square golden plate (golden can be considered a "royal" color, or at least can portray a high "value," or an item of importance, possibly making a statement about how you value and cherish the peacefulness of your home), green design on white tiles (green in general is a "peaceful" color, and white indicates purity.) Sun and moon could be symbolism for black and white, or opposites, like yin and yang, which represent a unique "balance" in things. Whether these are the tings you long for, or whether they are the things that currently are, well, I can't say for sure.

Earlier, I also noticed something else up on that work-surface. Leaning against this wise-owl cookie jar are two DVD's. Well, you'll never guess what they are both called: "Final Destination". What are the chances?! Also, I noticed this on Wikipedia in reference to "oranges":

In many languages, oranges are "golden apple." For example, the Greek χρυσομηλιά, and Latin pomum aurantium both literally describe oranges as "golden apples."

The Golden apple is an element that appears in some countries' legends or fairy tales. Usually, a hero (like Hercules or Prince Charming in Eastern countries legends) has to retrieve the golden apples hidden or stolen by a negative character like a zmeu, dragon or monster. In several non-English languages, the word for "orange" is derived from the phrase "golden apple." Apparently, an orange is technically a hesperidium, a type of berry; anyone familiar with Greek mythology knows that The Garden of the Hesperides is essentially the "final destination" of the heroes Quest.

All of this so far seems to relate to precisely what I was reading the night before: rebirth. I'm thinking maybe this was further "confirmation" for me of the reality of the archetypes; it was only very recently I got a copy of Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and saw many possible parallels of my own experiences with the beginning stages of the Hero archetype.

So considering the wider context, it seems that my impressions may be going along the right lines. But indeed, your comments and questions give me much food for thought and I'll report back if anything connects.