DREAMS OF EXPLORING HOUSES MAY BE INDICATIVE of our mental investigations of a variety of ways of living or habits of thinking. Today’s dreamer moves through the rooms in an old Victorian home, perhaps pointing to an antique state of mind in her past relationship.

Dear SMYD,

OK. I have another dream for you! Last time I sent you my dream about a house that was too crowded with furniture. It seemed to be about navigating all the “baggage/furnishings” of my divorce, which was fresh at the time.

In this new dream, I was walking through the great big Victorian home of an elderly person with whom I apparently had some sort of connection. I guess the owner left/died/wasn’t there; but many family members were there to give whatever furniture away to those wanting it.

The furniture was all antique, some ornate, but it was all dusty and there were all sorts of rooms. There was even a closet with some unusually decorated boots that didn’t appear to have been worn much but were very colorful.

I was excited to be able to help myself to some of the furniture, all the while wondering if it would fit in my vehicle. Just as I felt I had extracted all I should, I looked out and sighted a huge storage building filled with stuff. I realized I had no room for more stuff. Then I woke up.

Now, my relationship with my ex is almost a full year in the past. Is this dream about that too?

Signed, Scavenging Antiques

Dear Scavenger,

So nice to hear from you again! And yes, your current dream could well be a followup to the earlier dream we discussed. Remember that processing the end of an important relationship and phase of life is much more than a one-shot experience.

Notice that in your current dream you are walking through an old house (an old way of living or thinking). This time it’s not so crowded, which could be an indicator that you’ve sorted through some of the things that cluttered your past thinking and thinned them out. Now you are in the process of considering what might be worth taking with you — carrying forward into your new life. With the passage of time, you may be noticing that in spite of the overall negativity of your past (Victorian) relationship, there are some pieces of it that are valuable. You might want to take some things with you.

Of special interest are the colorful boots that didn’t show much wear. These may be a nudge in the direction of kicking your heels up. Your dream suggests that in your past relationship, this part of you was kept in the closet — you didn’t have much fun.

Finally, your dream suggests that you do not have room to carry with you or even to store all the “stuff” that remains from those days. Let it go, Dear Dreamer! Better to travel light!

Sweet Dreams to you!

Carolyn Plath, M.Ed., is a Benicia resident and member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Reach her at sendmeyourdreams@yahoo.com.

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