Dreams

Somnia

Dreams are a normal, healthy part of the sleep cycle. Acknowledging our dreaming selves can help us both open to and deepen our relationship with the Divine. Take particular heed of any recurring dreams.

We live another life,

Under different skies.

When we close our eyes at night,

There, we create our own hell or paradise.

A little of us transforms,

Every night a little of us dies.

And yet, upon waking, find Diana has blessed

A new us, in a new guise.

In trance magic, practitioners achieve what has been referred to as a “waking dream state,” in which the power of intuition and the subconscious rule. Trance magic is a part of many magical traditions around the world, and most witchcraft and shamanic traditions feature rituals to assist reaching the trance state. Trance is neither a sinister, hypnotic state nor in any way akin to zombism. Instead, practitioners reach a state of calm or ecstasy through techniques as varied as chanting, dancing, spinning, drumming, bell ringing, immersion in water, or the ingestion of particular plant medicines. They might also be trained in out-of-body travel.

Whilst in a trance state, a practitioner might call in or channel spirits, some of whom may be ancestral, some from the realms of deity. When doing so, the practitioner brins the spirit into his or her body with control-then questions may be asked of the spirit or deity, who may give advice in response.

Testimonies of women tried for witchcraft tin Italy commonly described trance and dream states. Today, most modern witches still regard trance-inducing activities as valuable for raising power and opening the unconscious mind, Many also choose more inward-facing ways-meditation, for example, or chanting. In whatever way the trance state is entered, it allows us to contact the spirits, build stronger relationships with the Divine, raise power for our spellcraft, and get clearer results from our divination practices.

Whilst we may never actively seek to enter a trance state, or run wildly through the forests and wild places as Diana did, our own nightly dreams may be the voices of our unconscious mind-or perhaps the gods speaking to us. Streghe believe that dreams can be prophetic and that recurring dreams in particular should be heeded.