Francesca Oddie

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Dreams

Not the kind of dream that motivated and focused people talk about, that’s a goal.  This was an actual, asleep dream.  I was high up in the sky flying around the tops of the skyscrapers in New York.  I woke up thinking, that’s strange, but cool and thought nothing of it again until that afternoon when I received an email from Fleetwood Mac (as you do when you’re cool and on their mailing list) announcing their reunion tour and dates in NYC.  It was then that I suggested the trip to my friends and we booked.

NEW YORK is a city of dreams, “concrete jungle where dreams are made up, there’s nothing you can’t do, now you’re in New York!”


THAT is a cliché and I LOVE cliché for they are always saturated with truth.  What I didn’t know and no one had ever mentioned is that as you wander the streets of New York there are many little doorways, “PSYCHIC, PALM READER, ASTROLOGER, come in today!”  I’m not particularly well travelled, I’m not at all sheltered, I live in London, I’ve not been to India but I’ve never seen this before… the frequency of these ‘shops’ was HIGH!  It’s like when I went to Thailand and I couldn’t believe that no one had told me that the country is full of dogs and Israeli tourists.  Obviously these facts are not interesting or relevant for everyone, so they don’t share these thoughts!  Still, I couldn’t believe that out of the 10000 people who go to Thailand and travel around a bit, no one had told me about all the dogs and Israelis!  It’s not a problem, just, worth mentioning.  Well, New York is full traffic, yellow cabs, coffee, bagels, restaurants, shops AND spiritual hideaways.

I didn’t investigate, which makes for a boring blog.  I did go to yoga at the Dharma Yoga Centre close to Madison Square Park and that had a very different feel to any class I’ve been to in the UK.  It was a much more ‘hippie’ vibe, far more ‘out there’ and groovy.  Strangely, the teacher reminded me of a librarian and made lots of noises that should be reserved for eating your favourite meal… or the bedroom; which was a little odd and out of place and quite distracting.  I should try a few more classes out there before I pass judgment (or in true yogic style, not judge at all and just accept.)  However, the yoga was far more spiritual and quite intimidating if you’re not that way inclined (which surprisingly, I am not.)

New York is a spiritual place; it has the magic and warmth of a city that is full of believers. Strangers on the street talk to each other with ease.  I expected a cold, hard city like London but it’s different, its people are more varied and much more INTERESTED and for me that denotes the presence of spirit.  The spirit connects us with things, people, places, events and if people are insular and disconnected it seems like something is missing.  In New York people seemed to have their personalities very close to the surface, it was easy to talk to people, everyone wished me well and not all of them were moronic “have a nice day now” Americanisms.  People seemed to REALLY acknowledge and read each other, chatting and connecting all day long.  For this reason it reminded me of Rome and I wondered if the link is something to do with all the Italian / Irish immigration, as both nations have this quality.  When I lived in Rome I talked of the MAGIC of Rome, from April to November the city offered a wonderful atmosphere.  The kind of atmosphere we have in England on the most beautiful day of the year.  Sitting in Piazza Navona watching the world go by was as glorious as attending a good friend’s BBQ, drinking Pimms, laughing and chatting.  Rome offered warmth, familiarity, enchanting beauty, humour and deliciousness.

New York is less relaxed!  The city is more like a Christmas party than a Saturday afternoon BBQ.  It brings adrenalin, anticipation and the promise of excess consumption, which it promptly delivers (provided that you step outside your door.)  New York is exciting, full of variety and possibility.  They say London is too, and I suppose it is, but in London you have to follow certain paths.  Both cities are elitist, I don’t know enough about life and culture in the USA but I’m guessing when I say London is steeped in the tradition of a nation with an obvious class system, whereas The American Dream of equality and opportunity for all has its influence over NYC.  Possibilities for all, the hustle, hard work and reward seemed to be available to all and more inclusive over the pond.

Premonitions, vivid dreams and intuition are all linked to being an HSP, a highly sensitive person, something I just read in the blog that I reposted.  Something I’m investigating in my own life and as I think I’ve already mentioned, something I’ve only just become sure of.  Only recently did I realise that I read people and situations better than most, I thought we all saw things the same way but everyone else chose to ignore the obvious in favour of a smooth life!  Ignorance is bliss!  When I ‘know’ how people feel, or ‘know’ I will see someone or ‘know’ someone’s birthday it is because I have processed information and drawn a conclusion, it’s not a lucky guess… it’s intuition.

The big question I have regards what INTUITION can be.  A lovely clairvoyant I met in a bar earlier this year told me that intuition elevates through levels and as we practice trusting and working with our intuition we get to the point where we can communicate with the spirit world.  However, watching Derren Brown I get the feeling that anyone with low-level autism, an outstanding memory and ability to somehow decipher patterns can predict other things about someone’s life.  Since I realised that I am highly intuitive I’ve been putting it into practice and surprising people at parties just by making ‘educated guesses’ about their lives, what they do, how many siblings they have, when their birthday is, the sex of their unborn child… I’m not doing anything other than drawing a conclusion based on evidence… so where does the spirit world come into all this?

Does it come into it at all?  Is it simply detail and factual observation, noticing people’s body language, the way they speak then drawing conclusions.  Or is it communicating with a higher energy?

For me astrology is a science, because I read people’s personalities and match some characteristics to a sign of the zodiac.  It’s as simple as playing SNAP when you know the characteristics.

The spirit world, clairvoyance, tarot cards etc… are grouped together with astrology, I don’t immediately see the connection.  Astrology makes sense scientifically (I am sure of it), clairvoyance scares me.  However, next time I go to NYC which I’m sure will not be in another 30 years, I will investigate more about this city of dreams, astral travel and psychic connection!  I may well do it before I return to New York!

I have had some strange dreams this year, only 4 or 5, but all have been connected to something about to happen in my life.  I don’t usually remember what I dream so it’s all a new phenomenon.  Perhaps the phrase follow your dreams came from the idea that we should pursue things that our deep subconscious desires and reveals to us when we are at our most relaxed.  It’s a strange sensation, to see things you have had dreams about suddenly become real life!

ALL IN ALL – I don’t know.  I don’t know what intuition is, how we ‘know things’ why astrology works, how clairvoyance works.  However, that’s what I’m here to discover and want to explain… Astrology school starts next week!

Journey on 🙂

Frank

“Dreams”

Now here you go again
You say you want your freedom
Well who am I to keep you down
It’s only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully to the sound
Of your loneliness
Like a heartbeat.. drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering what you had
And what you lost…
And what you had…
And what you lost
Thunder only happens when it’s raining
Players only love you when they’re playing
Say… Women… they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean… you’ll know
Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions
I keep my visions to myself
It’s only me
Who wants to wrap around your dreams and…
Have you any dreams you’d like to sell?
Dreams of loneliness…
Like a heartbeat… drives you mad…
In the stillness of remembering what you had…
And what you lost…
And what you had…
And what you lost
Thunder only happens when it’s raining
Players only love you when they’re playing
Say… Women… they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean… you’ll know