Tarot Dreams?

I'm not sure if this should go in another forum or what exactly...but I think I may have just dreamt something that is perhaps supposed to clarify something that has been puzzling me in my readings...only I'm still not sure what exactly it's telling me. Of course, maybe I'm just thinking about tarot too much, but it wouldn't be the first time I've had a life-altering epiphany from a dream and given the important archetypal imagery in tarot cards it wouldn't do to just toss it aside unexamined, either. This may be nothing more than me rambling in order to sort out my own thoughts, but maybe someone will point out something that makes sense that I haven't seen.
See, for about the last six months, 7 of swords and Page of Swords have been cropping up with eerie consistency---especially since my method of reading for myself is normally to lay out the cards three times with different decks and take particular note of any duplications. Moreover, though I'm apt to use card positions pretty loosely, they seem to be most often in a position indicating myself or my best course of action. Given the usually negative interpretations of these cards, that's a little weird, especially considering my personality. My mother always said I took after HER mother, whose claim to fame was once taking seperate trips to two different emergency rooms with a broken knee because she couldn't bear to hurt the first doctor's feelings by telling him he was setting the wrong leg.( Yes, really. And she meant it!) I'm not that extreme, but I am usually the person who gives charity I can't really afford, doesn't stand up for myself when I should, etc...Actually I'm beginning to see already by typing that! Maybe the point is I *ought* to be a little more self-interested and am starting to see that?

Anyway, the dream...Which is now much shorter than my prologue. I saw the 7 of swords, but instead of the usual character, it was my Japanese Lady Temperance( recently posted over in Tarot Creation) sneaking off with those weapons...and she was also carrying the Hermit's lantern! Hmm..maybe the idea that this kind of self-interest needs to be kept in balance...but why the Hermit reference? Unless it's just literal that she needs light to be sneaking around with sharp objects...

In a book I studied for my counselling course; which was about inner defenses of our subconscious, the author explained that our dreaming self can somtimes use the imagery of something 'foriegn' to represent the unacknowledged shadow-self.... to emphasise it's 'otherness'.

The fact that you had recently been focusing on the image of a Japanese geisha for Temperance gave your subconscious an image it knew your waking self would be very familiar with, so it used that- combined with a card that can be interpreted to mean deceit and betrayal... not quite what you had in mind, I'm sure!

Being 'self-interested' is 'foriegn' to you- this is the shadow side of yourself trying to assert itself, but you don't like to acknowledge it... It's not NICE to be like this! (you straight away thought that it's telling you that this sort of behaviour needs to be "kept in balance")

She is carrying the Hermit's lantern to show you that you might think about seriously looking within to learn how stop "giving charity I can't really afford, doesn't stand up for myself when I should, etc..."

and that's where your Page of Swords comes in.

Elnor

Heh---you may have a point, at that. Either way, though, the message seems to be that I'd better figure out how to start thinking---and acting--for myself instead of everyone else.

Hi Fernacechant, I agree with Elnor´s interpretation. With regards to the Hermit here I think it´s a fitting reference given your self-observations and comments about learning ¨....how to stop giving charity I can't really afford...stand up for myself when I should, etc...".

These behaviours are indeed a side of the Hermit´s persona, especially when you consider the astrological sign associated with this archetype which is Virgo. It can be a challenge for virgos at times to simply say no, to stand up for themselves, and just to prod here...to think or act selfishly and not always in service of others. Without question, service to others and humility are paramount qualities in Hermit/Virgo but as always in the world of psyche, balance is needed.

The fact that your inner Hermit is currently without his torch (Temperance has it!) suggests to me that you presently identify more with the ¨noble¨ attributes of the Hermit and are disowning the more self-centred and self-assertive qualities which you mentioned in your post.

That´s ok but Temperance wants to restore inner balance somehow and is suggesting that the path to inner wisdom (back to the Hermit) is actually through experiencing and integrating those ¨nasty¨ swords.

Actually the page of swords here is a call to self-assertion and self-expression. He´s waving he´s sword in the air shouting, ¨Stand up for yourself¨, ¨Tell it straight¨.

Imagine for a moment if the Knight of Wands was attended by the same doctor as your grandmother who tried to set the wrong knee. He would have yelled, ¨You f&&&king twat! That`s the wrong f$%$king knee! What kind of freaking doctor are you???!!¨ Then he would have beat him over the head but that´s another story.

This is an extreme example but you get the idea. Hope this helps.