Earthquakes, Tornadoes, and Floods! Oh My!

 As a native of Tornado Alley, I've had more than my share of tornado dreams. If I lived on a coast, I'm sure I'd have hurricane dreams. I'm willing to bet my cousin in California has had an earthquake dream or two. Natural disasters have been a staple in human lives since the beginning of our age. The forces of nature were not to be trifled with. Often referred to as Acts of God, catastrophic natural events cause massive physical change to the landscape , suffering, and destruction on a scale that only a deity could wield. We may have made strides in understanding the elements and through technology harness their power but they are still the Great Equalizer. No matter how high and mighty we get, Mother Nature still comes along and knocks down our Legos to make us start all over again.

In our dreams, what better symbol to reflect chaos, confusion, frustration, and the feeling of helplessness than these events? What a perfect metaphor for the unforeseen challenges of life. Nature reminds us of our place in the big picture. It reminds us we're still just critters scurrying around with the rest of them-- smart critters-- but critters none-the-less. When you remember that a dream is one big metaphor for what's going on in our world, we can really see why our subconscious chooses this imagery to bring issues to our attention. These dreams are often scary stuff and nightmares are actually just ways to get our attention focused a little more quick-like :)

Aside from the disasters that occur naturally in the regions in which we're from, a look closer may reveal that a specific kind of catastrophe may correlate to an area of your life where you're experiencing difficulty. Look at the element of nature being represented. Tornadoes, hurricanes, and cyclones are all good examples of a disturbance in the element of air. Air is the realm of thought, ideas and inspiration, and perspective. When I've wrestled with some primarily intellectual issues in my life, it wasn't uncommon for some tornadoes to show up in my dreams as I'm trying to sort it out; especially when it comes at me suddenly.

Another really common example are floods. Water is the realm of life experiences, creativity, and emotions just for starters. When overwhelmed with big emotions, it's prime conditions for a dream flood, tsunami, or drowning dream.

If the Earth is shaking or cracking in your dream, take a look at your foundation. Not literally. Well, unless you live in an area prone to Mother Earth's shimmies. Then you might be getting a timely message to check your home before financial troubles arise. By foundation, I was initially referring to your core being; the rocks of your life, the cornerstones. How's your will power?

Forest fires or volcanoes making appearances lately? Think about the actions you're taking, or not taking, in your plans... Or have you acted rashly? Positively, are you experiencing an opportunity for rebirth?

There are some natural events which touch on a little more. Think about a thunderstorm. It can have elements of air, water, and fire within it. Consider the size of the storm. If I, a Missouri girl, dream of a hurricane it's likely that my issue is being felt on a larger scale than a tornado but there's more time to prepare for it. A volcano has both fire and earth. I could be making big changes in the foundations of my life. Look at the severity of the destruction and what was affected.

Really looking at the details around the event in your dream will help you to figure out what you can learn and apply in your waking life.  Use the clues to pinpoint areas of stress so you can jump back in and regain control. Remember, too, that these times of difficulty can be opportunities for creative expression, new beginnings, and renewal of your Soul Self. Just as in nature, what destroys also makes room for new life. A volcano makes an island. A forest fire thins the undergrowth that chokes out the trees. It's important to remember that although they can be disturbing, most often these types of dreams are simply messages in code and once you start deciphering them for yourself, an understanding can be developed and your intuition strengthened.