Wishes and Dreams of Your Holy Desire

from The Magdalene Path © Claire Sierra 2013

I brew a strong cup of Chai, my favorite wintertime tea and cozy into a chair in my bedroom. The morning light is so lovely and on these dark days in the Pacific Northwest, I can use all the brightness I can get. As I settle into my meditation, I feel calm and lightness come over me. After some time, I call in Magdalene to begin today’s dialogue.

Mary Magdalene: Today we are interested in speaking with you about dreams and wishes, the differences therein and their virtues. Dreams are those things (and experiences) that you are inspired to create, while wishes are things you hope for and would like to happen. Let us explain further.

A dream is a deeply seeded desire. It is a plan that you hold in your heart, though you may not recognize it as such. It is often vague and specific at the same time. It has a certain feeling-tone or quality.

Wishes are hopes; they have no grounding in the heart-seed. While full of heartfelt intent, wishes do not have the quality of being or presence that a dream has. It is a nice idea. It is something you hope for.

Be aware when you are verbalizing to others, of your wishes/hopes versus dreams (your inborn intentions). Recognize that they may look or sound the same. But they do not feel the same, nor do they have the same quality. A dream has a strong quality of light, while a hope or wish is has light building within it.

You have dreams and hopes and they are not to be confused. Allow both to grow, but do not distract your dreams with your hopes. Hopes (wishes) are delights of the heart, but they do not carry the force-field that is embodied in the heart of your dream.

While these seem like picky, even petty esoteric distinctions, allow yourself the luxury of this new awareness. Let yourself notice the differences and you may be surprised yourself at how easily one can become distracted with wishes and forget focusing on dreams. That is all for now.

The Practice: Heart Dream Meditation

1. Start to notice your cravings and longings. Identify your dreams and your hopes or wishes. Review your intentions and Manifestation List to identify which category these desires fall under. None are wrong, just different.

~ Dreams come from a deeper heart place and are often connected to soul intention and destiny.

~ Wishes (or hopes) are often lighter in quality, more superficial and can be a distraction from your deeper desires. They can also come from the dominant culture and media.

2. Discern the difference (or make your best guess) so you can place your attention and intention where you prefer. This distinction allows you choice, which brings freedom and power.

3. Sit in a quiet spot, where you can be undisturbed for 15 minutes or longer. Create sacred space for yourself with candles, incense and music or using any of your favorite methods. (Or try something new!)

4. Relax, settle and center, using any of the meditations in this book, or are part of your practice. Breathe deeply, feel your body rested and relaxed, your feet connected to the Earth through the floor.

5. After several minutes, allow your attention to float gently to the center of your chest, to your heart. Feel, sense or imagine your heart-space. Notice the color, shape, texture, temperature, etc. of your heart’s terrain.

6. Discover the chambers of your heart. Your heart has many rooms, each holding different treasures. Explore these rooms.

7. Allow yourself to travel to the place where your deep dreams and holy desires reside. Using as many senses as you can, note what this room looks and feels like.

8. Ask to be shown your dreams. Ask your Holy Desire to present itself. There may be one or many. They may be old and familiar or completely unexpected. Feel, sense or imagine them as completely as you can. Receive whatever you are shown openly.

~If the images or sensations you receive are confusing or unclear, ask, “How does this relate to ______ (my dreams, desires, work, home, relationship, family, etc.)?”

~You can always ask clarifying questions to make the answers more understandable. If the images or answers are still unclear, trust that they will reveal themselves when it is time.

9. Be sure to take a few moments to fully return to your waking consciousness. Breathe deeply several times. Wiggle your fingers and toes, open your eyes and stretch.

10. Take notes in your journal or sketch a drawing so that you are able to capture as much of this as possible. This guidance fades quickly.