My dreams are often tied to phases of the moon and the new moon in particular often leaves my dreamland filled with an odd variety of graphic surprises.

This week, in particular, has been an odd week for sleep. Dreams have been vivid, full of color and texture and even flavor. It seems as if a bit of intuitive and uncanny senses have been awakened as soon as I slip into slumber.

My dreams last night, however, were disturbing. Slightly menacing, nearly terrifying, and graphic in an unpleasant way. I began riding as a passenger in a car, observing events as if watching them on TV. We pulled over, and sat facing a young black woman as if watching a drive-in movie. We watched as an outside group began discussing the merits of removing the faces, and it was understood that the face belonged to one who was already dead. A pair of large, metal, dangerous scissors began cutting the skin from the face of this beautiful woman--right up the middle from the chin towards the forehead. The blood seemed slow to start and their was no reaction at all from the woman until I screamed, "Wait! She's not dead! you can't cut the faces of people who aren't dead!" and the blood began to flow as the scissors seemed unable to cut further towards the scalp. The scene shifted, and I was back at Evergreen, a dream event that recurs several times a month.

Yesterday, while on a hike, I had a glimpse of thought regarding why I always dream that I return to Evergreen, and I am moving, trying to find a house, registering for classes, and always slightly lost. But today I can't remember what that reason was.

In any case, back to the dream. My partner and I entered a small, all glass building where people were doing Aikido. There were a few benches on the side, filled with observers, and the floor of the room had a mat with thick blankets on to serve as padding. The Sensei was manipulating people and throwing them on the floor. Several people I remember from my short tenure in Aikido moved to do their thing in the center of the floor. I held my daughters on my lap and we watched from the sides. As we stood to leave, the Sensei came over to me and placed his hands on my back. As he did so I felt all the tension in my shoulders and neck surge to the surface as if trying to escape. And then I relaxed and felt the healing power flow through his hands. I breathed deeply and felt as I do at the end of a Rolfing session. Although this Sensei was not my Rolfer, even though he really does practice Aikido.

Lastly, I was walking along a street in White Rock. It was night and I was upset, possibly scared. I kept seeing people getting run over by cars on the street. Most would get up, brush themselves off, and keep going. I saw a mother and her daughter get run over on the opposite side of the street. I ran to them, and was yelling at the driver to stop, which he did. I was helping the mother and daughter to lay down on the sidewalk, and took the young girl's hands in mine. Begging with her, pleading, I kept asking, "where does it hurt, are you hurt?" The mother was fine but wanted to sleep. The young girl was fine too. We sat back with our heads on the curb and saw a white van with a yellow hat flying in the air above us. A teenaged girl was sitting on a chair atop the van and was holding its reins and hollering at us. While it rightly is an amusing and funny sight, it was terrifying. The girl kept flipping the van in the air, doing hundreds of flips and circles. I watched it in absolute terror, certain it would fall on top of us. The girl seemed to know that we were mortified and kept hollering and laughing and flipping. Another flying vehicle began to float over us, and I was sure this one would do us in. And then I woke.