Lynn's Blog

Power, identity and finding what fits Shoes are such ordinary objects that we rarely think much about them unless, of course, they're uncomfortable. Yet they are surprisingly rich in symbolism, especially in dreams. Shoes carry us through life. They protect our feet, help us stay balanced, and let us move from one place to another. They also tell others something about who we are, or who we would like them to think we are. Expensive shoes may convey wealth or status. Worn-out

We seem to be living in increasingly polarised times. Some subjects can change a room's atmosphere almost instantly. Israel and Gaza. Russia and Ukraine. Gender. Race. Immigration. Politics. Religion. Sometimes it takes only a sentence — occasionally only a word — and people begin moving into opposing camps. And once that happens, curiosity tends to pack its bags and leave. We stop wondering about the person in front of us and start deciding what sort of person they are. I’ve

Climbing, slipping, and the struggle to get somewhere Staircases appear surprisingly often in dreams. We climb them, descend them, fall down them, discover hidden ones, find ourselves unable to reach the top, or, occasionally, arrive somewhere we never knew existed. A staircase takes us from one level to another. Perhaps that is why it lends itself so readily to dreams of change. We are no longer where we were, but we have not yet arrived at where we are going. Some time ago,

Sweetness, loss and a mother’s fear There is something rather extravagant about a pomegranate. Beneath its tough skin are hundreds of seeds, each wrapped in a little pocket of juice. Open it, and you discover a fruit that seems to pack in as much life as it possibly can. For thousands of years, it has symbolised fertility, abundance and renewal. Yet it has also long been associated with death and the underworld. That combination becomes particularly poignant in the story of P

Schopenhauer’s Porcupines Schopenhauer tells a lovely little story about a group of porcupines on a freezing winter’s day. They huddle together for warmth, but as they move closer, their quills begin to prick one another. So they move apart. Before long, the cold becomes too much, and they creep back towards each other again, only to be hurt once more. Eventually, they find a distance that works: close enough to share some warmth, but not so close that they injure one another

The Secret Language of Symbols: Stars, Space and Earth Dreaming Amongst the Stars I recently dreamt that I was in space. I was surrounded by stars of every size and shape. There were shooting stars too, and the whole experience was surreal and breathtaking. At one point, I was explaining to someone what a supernova was. Then I was back on Earth, trying to describe how extraordinary it had been. I had been able to see the Earth from space and was pointing out the places I had

Credit: Coarse + Fine on Unsplash A client of mine—I’ll call her Anna—dreamt that she was sitting on three eggs. The eggs were unusually large and golden, and she knew they were full of promise. She sat upon them patiently until, in time, they began to hatch. From each egg emerged a golden, healthy baby. Anna gathered the babies into her arms and cradled them against her, holding them as though they were precious jewels. It was a beautiful dream, and it came at a significant