Santa’s Nightmare
Dear Cynthia: I work as Santa Claus at a local mall. In my dream, I went to work and everyone was looking at me with great disappointment. I realized that my beard had been cut! My chin was bare! I was heartsick. I knew it would take five months for the beard to grow back. Then I woke up and was relieved to find it still there.
JEFFREY J. MCELDERRY
Glendale
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Dear Reader: You obviously enjoy your role as Santa very much and don’t want to disappoint anyone. Your fear of not measuring up was demonstrated in your dream by the loss of your beard--an integral part of Santa’s appearance.
Numbers in dreams can be very significant. Here, “five months” would take us way past the holiday season, and you would be unable to do the work you love, at least until next year.
By the way, since your dream doesn’t even mention the possibility of wearing a fake beard, it indicates that you have a genuine devotion to your role.
P.S. I have been a very good girl this year, Santa.
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Dear Cynthia: Since I was very young, I have dreamed that I am drowning in the ocean. I start out either wading in the ocean, sunbathing on the beach or standing on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The waves get larger and larger until they overtake me. I try desperately to stay above the waves but I cannot. I wake up shaken by these images. Can you tell me what it all means?
S. LITT
Agoura
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Dear Reader: The ocean is symbolic of our emotions and the unconscious mind. You may, of course, have your own associations based on your own experiences, but wading tends to indicate flirtations with emotional involvement. You are holding back, protecting your heart, not jumping in. Since most of your body is out of the water, you are still in control. Sunbathing on the beach, you are even less involved. It’s like going to a party full of interesting, attractive people and choosing not to connect with anyone. Being on a cliff removes you even further from involvement. In any case, your dream indicates that you consider involvement to be scary.
You may have difficulty trusting and sharing your emotions. You seem afraid that you can lose yourself if you get too involved with anyone else. Possibly you experienced a painful loss early in life that has caused you to protect yourself this way.
My advice is to take a good look at your relationships with those closest to you. See if there are ways of becoming more intimate, of sharing more of your feelings with them. You may be rejected, you may get hurt. But the joy of closeness, or sharing with others, can be well worth a few painful experiences.
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Dear Cynthia: My dreams involve my mother who passed away six years ago. She always brings something for me. Once, she brought me a white pantsuit. Another time she brought me a baby! Please help me to understand these dreams. I miss her so much.
NICHELLE SERVIER
San Francisco
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Dear Reader: Dreams of departed loved ones often take the form of comforting visits. The white pantsuit could symbolize purity, truth, trust and protection. It indicates that your mother is still with you, still looking out for your safety. Babies can symbolize new creative projects: Perhaps your mother is encouraging you to begin something new.
A mother, deceased or not, in a dream is an important archetype. She represents the emotional and nurturing aspects of the dreamer. So your dream also could be encouraging you to be kinder and more gentle to yourself.
The holidays are especially tough for those who have lost loved ones. It can be comforting to remember their favorite holiday traditions and to include them in our own celebrations.
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Celebrity Dream of the Week:
This dream was so vivid that it woke me up, and I have no idea what it means! I dreamed my mom was calling the play-by-play at a Miami Dolphins game! She was very professional and was doing a great job.
KELSEY GRAMMER
Star of NBC-TV’s “Frasier”
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Your dream is profound! It means that your emotional and nurturing aspects--Mom--know the rules and are calling the shots in your game of life.
Dolphins are sea creatures. The ocean , as we’ve seen in S. Litt’s dream (above), is symbolic of the unconscious, and since a dolphin is known for jumping from the water through the air--air being symbolic of conscious awareness--the dolphin is a messenger from your unconscious mind. Dolphins often are portrayed as rescuers, so whenever you’re in doubt, listen for that Mom voice and you’ll do the right thing.
* Cynthia Richmond’s column appears every other Tuesday. To contact her, write to “In Your Dreams,” Life & Style, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or send a fax to (213) 237-0732. Please include a daytime phone number. Letters should be no longer than 100 words and cannot be returned. “In Your Dreams” should be read for entertainment purposes only.