Dream Journals

"不知周之夢為蝴蝶與，蝴蝶之夢為周與？"
"But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi."

Just a short post, the inspiration for this came to me when recording in my own journal.

There are a number of reasons why a person may try to record their dreams. Perhaps you're interested in lucid dreaming, in which case a superior dream recall helps. Perhaps you're trying to find insight into your life. Perhaps, you might just be interested in it for its own sake. Whatever the reason, recalling any but the most vivid dreams seems to be incredulously hard for the average person even a day after they've had it.
As such, I recommend keeping a dream journal. How does one keep a dream journal? At the heart of it, that's all that's needed. However, I have a few suggestions that have helped me:

• Keep it distraction-free. If you set aside a journal only for dream recall, not only is it easier to browse through it later, it also helps emphasize the dreams themselves and to (should you subscribe to it) keep the energy of the journal purely for one purpose.
• Keep it by your bed. Even under your pillow if it helps. This makes it easier to write in when you need to, so you don't need to get out of bed to write in it. This also serves as a reminder to you, especially in the early days. Of course, don't forget to have a pen (with a lid on) nearby as well.
• Write in it as soon as you wake up. Focus on getting everything down. I generally find that the longer I wait, the more I forget, almost exponentially. Often, I forget almost everything within the first half hour. There are few things more annoying than trying to remember something you know you want to but have completely forgotten and you realize the inevitability of having lost it forever.
• Use plenty of details. Not only write down the date and time of your dream, but your general mood at the time, the themes of your dream, and the colors (B/W, full color, color themes, faded). Moreover, leave some space so you can write some commentary later, if needed. 
• Make it a habit. Recording your dreams becomes easier if you're used to it; 

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Yule, Saturnalia, Maidyarem, Inti Raymi, Dōngzhì...

As it's that time of year, I would just like to say a few words.

Out of the whole year, the winter festivals - centered around the winter solstice - are probably the most numerous and of the greatest religious importance. Heralding the return of the Sun was a cause for merry-making, dating back to the time when the Sun was directly linked to one's livelihood (moreso than today, at least). Spring meant hunted animals came out of hibernation, and that the majority of crops and plants would start growing again. Moreover, it's a cause for celebration for the mere fact that the harshness and the coldness of winter inhibits survival.

Winter festivals are often marked with items symbolic of light - fire, candles. Hanukkah, the Yule Log, the Advent Wreath are all examples of rituals of this. We've discussed the literal symbolism of these symbols, but light is also a metaphorical symbol, one of hope, of high spirits, and of new beginnings.

The source for hope is obvious - the sun. The sun is of vital importance to our well-being: Vitamin D from sunlight; Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by low levels of light - bright lights trigger chemicals in the brain so, physiologically, the typical human is benefited from the longer exposure to the Sun in spring. The Sun, of course, is invaluable for photosynthesis. So much depends on the Sun, that it's not surprising at all that our subconscious associates hope with the return of the Sun.

Christmas^[1] is the season of giving (symbolic of the gift of God - Jesus - unto mankind). The atmosphere of spending time with family links in with this as well. Gifts, wine, family reunions. All are typically reasons for fervor. Yule has a tradition for families feasting together. Christmas day is easily one of the most global public holidays in the world - the day is also then de facto reserved for rest - a welcome break, I'm sure - such that people can experience pleasure, a separation from anxiety, and a chance to recover their strength.

As for new beginnings, new hope also links in with new beginnings. Moreover, New Year is celebrated a week after Christmas. Most New Years across cultures are celebrated just before spring^[2]. The Mesopotamian New Year was celebrated at the vernal equinox, at spring. The winter solstice marks the coming of spring. New life is found.
Especially with our calendars, it is near the time most people make resolutions (for the new year). I think this comes from the promise of new beginnings. All of us, this wintertime, could improve our lives. What have you been neglecting that you know you should have paid attention to? Are you in shape - have you been meaning to go to the gym, or been planning on going on a diet? Have you told yourself that you have an addiction you need to kick? Maybe it's a simple as starting the project you've been meaning to start, whether is be to write your novel, or put up the shed. Yet, I think, for most people, it might be to spend more time for their families.
  As I write this, in 2011, there is a global recession, and most families struggle more than usual to just buy a simple gift for their children, some even starving themselves to do so. What an act of love! But, I think, just setting your stresses aside, to spend time with your family, would be a simple act, yet just as beneficial. It would be a sacrifice still, but much more subtle - sacrificing your work and money just for one day, to spend time with your family. So, go, sit with your family, crack a joke or two.

After all, 'tis the season to be jolly.

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^[1] Yes, I'm aware the 25^th December is very unlikely to be the date of Jesus' birth, and that it was placed at that date to help the pagans convert (we'll come back to this at a later date). However, Christmas, and the holiday mood, has so greatly influenced the modern western view on the winter festivals, it would not do to ignore it for such a reason like this. The spirit behind it, rather than accurate horological observations is the important thing.
^[2] The big exception to this is Samhain - the Celtic New Year on 1^st November. If someone would care to explain the significance of this to me, I'd be very grateful.

What is Spirituality?

Spirituality: A Poetic Definition

I once had a vision wherein I could simultaneously comprehend and see the biggest of stars and the smallest of particles. While I am in no doubt that there exist bigger and smaller entities than these, it was a very enlightening experience. At the time, it made me feel insignificant and inadequate - understandably so - but later I came to the realization that one should not feel belittle by such, but rather acknowledge and appreciate the fact that everyone is part of the larger whole - a giant tapestry, if you will.
The existence of everything is perpetuated by every individual thing, of which could not exist without the existence of everything in itself. Everyone, everything, is a loom, a thread on the tapestry. If existence did not work in harmony, it would be obviously jarring - the picture would be messy and amateurish.
In this extended metaphor of a tapestry, of course, there has to have been an artist who 'weaved' existence. Some call this artist God, others reference energy or magic, and others believe in the hand of science and mathematics purely. Whatsoever one believes in, it is not a difficult feat to recognize the beauty and harmony of the universe.
This is spirituality. Spirituality is not meditating at the top of a Tibetan mountain chanting mantras^[1]. Spirituality is the realization of the universe and the realization of the individual. It is what one does with this knowledge. It is not a set of practices. It is a path.

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^[1]That is what a spiritual practice is.