I leave a workshop or conference group and walk along a country road with a woman who has been eager to have private time with me. She is perhaps in her mid-40s, with very dark or black hair. She has painted her lips an intense crimson. I don't find her particularly attractive, but she is working the attraction of power. She is expensively dressed (dark suit, or similar, with fancy accessories) and presents herself as a person with tremendous connections who could take my work to a whole new level in terms of money and recognition.She asks me at one point, "Do you still have Cobra-Rattler in you, or do you just do good works for non-profits?" She's goading me to do business with her, propositioning me in a flagrant and sexual way (which may also be part of the agenda).
I tell her I'm going to make a phone call in her presence, so she'll be able to see what and who I value
I call a wonderful editor who is also a good friend, who understands and supports my work. I want to make the woman with the red, red lips understand the depth of my commitment to those who value my work for its own sake, and that I will simply not be distracted from The Work by the seductions of money or power.
Feelings: Satisfied I made the right choice, and did not get caught in this creature's coils.
Reality: Not sure of the location.
The editor friend I call in the dream is someone with whom I have a wonderful creative relationship.
I don't recognize the power-focused woman with the red lipstick. My first associations are with a couple of of "powerful" women who have approached me in recent months, offering ways to money and fame that I have rejected as distractions from my work. I can see that the "devil in red lipstick" could also be a shadow side of myself, since I do essentially spend nearly all my time "doing good works for non-profits" in the sense that money and power are simply not priorities. It's entirely possibe that the dream could also be a rehearsal for a future situation.
I have never heard of a "cobra-rattler". Sounds sexy, and a little sinister. The kundalini force used for a certain purpose?
I proceeded to call the editor friend and told her the dream.This produced a delightful conversation and reaffirmation of values. Dreams help us to navigate by our inner compass, and to avoid being blind-sided by otherwise unexpected events that could throw us-off course. In a workshop this weekend, immediately following my nocturnal encounter with Red Lips, a woman reported a dream in which she was given a compass that always points towards Truth. I was reminded of Lyra's "alethiometer" in The Golden Compass.
Hmmm...isn't the cobra rattler one of the tools snake charmers use to get the snakes to rise out of their baskets? Haven't looked it up, it just popped into mind. I think if this was my dream, I'd be on the lookout for that powerful woman trying to manipulate me into doing something that was against my true nature - which you very much allude to. Don't get charmed m'dear and forget that venom in some cases is very appropriately applied. Have a lovely Sunday!
ReplyDeleteAnd the red lipstick made me smile! I adore red lipstick, and use it as part of my "war paint" when I have to give a presentation or go into a meeting that I know is going to be unpleasant...
If this were my dream, my first geeky reflex would be to ask the Google oracle about Cobra Rattler, as I'm sure everybody has already done. I would then find out with great amusement that Cobra Rattler is a "vertical take-off and landing ground attack jet", the main attack aircraft of Cobra, a terrorist organization in the line of G.I. Joe toy figures.
ReplyDeleteIf this dream were mine, it would also remind me of a dream from about twenty years ago, in which the devil, elegantly dressed, but without lipstick, tempted me with the riches and power, demonstrating their attractions on what looked like an enormous 3D plasma TV. I believe that in that dream I accepted the devil's offer, but since I have neither wealth nor power now, the devil must have reneged on the deal, so doing business with that lot just isn't worth the trouble.:)
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ReplyDeletethe red lipstck devil sounds like a sort of mami wata figure embodying the attraction of money and power.
ReplyDeleteHi Robert, Instead of telling the woman you aren't interested, you immediately demonstrate that to her through the action of calling your editor friend - reaffirming your commitment in no uncertain terms. That seems important to me.
ReplyDeleteI think of the cobra as kundalini and the red red lipstick perhaps the base chakra.
Nice synchronicity... I just watched "The Golden Compass" with my children. Grinning.
ReplyDeleteIf it were my dream I'd be aware of the distinction with the lips. There are the lips which are painted red with lipstick which for me represents an outer manner, may be about appearances, and can be removed.
Then there were my lips that weren't painted, that plainly demonstrated where I place my values. Yay, Robert!
I'm also struck by edit, editing, editor...
Hi Robert, after having read the comments I felt that being an editor, I should also leave a comment, because I have just finished editing the Czech translation of The Secret History of Dreaming. This dream was the perfect symbolic interpretation of my actual situation, because I try to ballance a very unsatisfying, but stable job in a commercial publishing house with something inventive, positive and generally useful, like editing books like these of yours in my free time. The woman with the red lipstick looks exactly like all these repulsive vampire types in the commercial books I have to do, and for me it is a clear hint I should re-organize my priorities. Well, that is it. Thank you for sharing the dream and all the best.
ReplyDeleteHi again, This is too much of a coincidence not to mention...Out of a pile of my books, today I picked up Corbin's, The Man of Light; opening it at random to commentaries on the writings of Najm Kobra.
ReplyDeleteReally like Louisa's response a lot. Like her i goggled that combo but already had that idea flowing and that info just keep me going that direction. if this were my dream im looking back in time, my younger days at war. Cobra to me is always a reference to the Cobra attack helo "the SNAKE" in my lexicon snakes are almost always healers and conveyances like a helo are change. but that is is not feeling right in this case. I would also link the red lips with power, based on the color like men with the Red Power tie on or as Grace said red lip her war paint...the snake thing, cobra tattler, seem to suggest place to me in thid dream and do not occupy that normal place from lexicon. Cobras are from the Middle East to the south east asia area and rattler are mostly from the Americas and all snakes are cold blooded. this lead me to think to look for a woman from around my younger Cold War days that was powerful, but not good looking. How did i interact with her and why. I'm also very drawn to ask where is she from, seems to be very important to me. i would be wary of reentering that place/location she was from in my present time.
ReplyDeleteAs i would also be cautious about what i did in the presents of the dream image; i feel like im getting pumped for info..and when you think of that word pumped and snakes poison comes to mind as they pump poison into there victims. poison the well.. could it be someone is accessing me for information to poison that good connection for their gain? I would also like to note a not so amusing coincidence, the last thing i worked on before reading your post before lunch was getting a unit a new cobra cockpit canopy...protection, control and seeing...
bumper; see the glint, hear the rattle, caution snake about
Tim
If it were my dream I would see this woman as a test from the dark side, which is probable that she is also a part of me lurking in the deep hidden shadows that I have yet to discover (being that everything exists within me). She involves power, and a hunger for it...the complete opposite of how I am living my life...makes total sense. A test to see what I will choose, and perhaps a foresight of some energy coming my way soon. I think it is good and wonderful that you spoke w/your friend, and solidified your choice energetically in this physical reality...which may thwart this energy from ever even approaching. Good for you Robert!
ReplyDeleteDear Robert, If this were my dream, and I were a worldteacher in heart and soul, a passionate man as you are, I would believe her to be a soul friend from a past live. Because she comes across familiar, flattering, dangerous but not obviously treathening, she somehow knows you.
ReplyDeleteThat is perhaps also why she names you Cobra-Ratler. In the Old Days, your name is what you do, what you are. And you have the power to 'hypnotize' people, maybe in past lives you had this gift already but abused it for your own profit (and hers, probably..).
As if she was a friend in crime in a life before this one. But in this life, you have choosen Love, while she is still playing naughty games!
Perhaps this needed be confirmed, that this time around all on your agenda is LOVE. Since you, without even adressing her, immediatly call you friend, this is not really a test. More a closing chapter, I figure?
So actually the woman is nothing evil, nothing good: she embodies the oppurtunity to become either a big fish in a small ocean(which is very sexy to our ego ;) )or grow to be a small fish in the universal ocean.
I would ask myself: what would change for me, if my good friend the editor made the same offer, instead of Miss Prrr?
She has blessed you however, for she was the one who was there for you to break the Spell of the Sexes, to quit the game of grab-and-go.
Thanks for sharing this dream!
Niekie