To give a history of Egyptian, Greek, Aztec, Roman, Masonic, French Revolutionary, Chinese, Muslim, Gregorian, Positivist or any other calendars, would be beyond the scope of this book. The nub of the matter is that mankind has tried to establish points of reference in relation to the regular recurrence of observable natural phenomena.
The Camel is symbolic of healthy, stalwart life. Because of this, and the shape of its hump, it may also indicate pregnancy or birth. Moreover, since the camel is an obedient, trustworthy animal which can carry a human being through the harshest of elements, its dream appearance indicates deep trust.
In a dream, lighting or carrying a single Candle may represent a ray of hope where there is nothing but darkness. In this, a candle is akin to a prayer for knowledge and guidance. In many cultures a candle is lit for a loved one who has passed away. The candlelight is symbolic of the loved ones soul which bums bright and flickers its warmth.
Their patterns are not in any sense matters of chance but evolve from a climate of feelings and beliefs which are often thousands of years old. These patterns carry traces of magical powers: the lozenge and the octagon with curlicues or small triangles jutting from its sides may well stand for the scorpions.
In Meister Eckhart's Sermons: 'There is within the soul a castle into which not even the gaze of the Triune God can penetrate', because it is the castle of pure Oneness. The Arabs call the constellations of the Zodiac borj (stronghold), as does the ta'wil (esotericism), in so far as they 'shelter souls from damnation'.
The meaning of a dream about a cat may depend on what you associate with cats. If you are afraid of them in real life, they may represent in dreams things you are frightened of in yourself. But remember that a real-life fear of cats may be a symptom indicating a fear of some aspect of the femininity that cats generally symbolize.
In dreams we may need to run back into our cave, (infantile dependence,) to escape the larger, fierce reality of every day life. On the other hand, if we fear the cave and its darkness, we may be expressing a lack of self-confidence about our ability to cope with the unknown. We need to analyze our behavior in and around.
A centaur, or any other creature having a human head and an animal body, may represent a (needed) union of head and body, 'spiritual' and 'animal' or sensuous, conscious and unconscious. The dream is probably telling you to set about integrating contents of your unconscious psyche into your conscious life.
The traditions of the Pygmies of the Ituri River in Zaire lend the supreme sky-god, Arebati, the attributes of thunder, lightning and the chameleon. The last is the Demiurge, creator of mankind, and therefore sacred. If Pygmies come across one, they carefully remove it from their path for fear of attracting thunder and lightning.
The game of chess originated in India and its symbolism is clearly linked to the strategy of war. What takes place is a battle between black pieces and white pieces, between light and darkness, between Titans (asura) and gods (deva). The game of Stones (Go) between Heaven and King Wu-yi, was a battle between the owl and the pheasant.
To dream of a Child may involve a personal regression into ones past, back when the little dream boy or girl 'assumed' almost no responsibility whatsoever. This was simply because all needs were fundamentally fulfilled. The dreamer may be expressing the anxiety of a 'high-pressure' adulthood, where he or she must answer for their actions.
