The Non-Ordinary – Part II: Connecting With Animals – Sea Lion

Point Montara Lighthouse

Dreams are a gateway to the subconscious. I think Freud said that, or something like it. I’ve been studying dreams and how to understand their importance in our lives for a few years, or at least paying close attention to what information is out there. One school of thought is that we should not necessarily try to interpret our dreams, but rather rehearse them out loud and in the retelling of them gain clarity.

On a trip up the California coast a few years ago, I was rehearsing a dream when I had an unusual encounter. I was staying at the Point Montara lighthouse, a youth hostel right on the coast. I opted for a private room that overlooked the ocean. The room seemed to hang out over the cliff and the view was breathtaking. Right outside my door a path led down to a tiny cove that for some reason was rarely visited by anyone. I took full advantage and spent as much time there as I could.

On one particular morning during my stay, I went into the communal kitchen, grabbed a mug out of the cupboard, made myself some tea and sat down by the big plate-glass window overlooking the ocean. I looked down at the mug absentmindedly and saw the words “Los Lobos Marinos” written atop a picture of a sea lion. It was a serendipitous moment. I had been reading Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D. and so had been pondering wolves and their nature quite a bit. My deep connection to the ocean and this reference, “Los Lobos Marinos” which means “Wolves of the Sea” or sea lions caused more than a little uptick in my interest.

After breakfast I walked down to the cove and decided that this secluded moment was perfect for rehearsing a recent dream. The gist of the dream was a young boy wanting to go on a quest. No one seemed qualified to act as a guide, when suddenly a young man appeared and volunteered. I had inside knowledge that this young man had flaws that I believed disqualified him as a guide and yet in the end, flaws and all, I realized he was indeed the exact person to lead the quest. The dream seemed to be an affirmation of competence, something I needed very much for a “quest” I was facing.

As I was rehearsing the dream out loud, there in the cove, a young sea lion emerged from the ocean. He came up on the sand close to where I was standing. He opened his mouth wide and spoke in sea lion language, which of course I didn’t understand. I stood gaping in incredulity. When I gathered my wits, I thanked my visitor, as I’ve read is the appropriate response when blessed in this way. He stayed for quite awhile. I finally turned to go and as I did, I turned back around and said, “I want to thank you for your presence today. I acknowledge it as unique and very purposeful.” Or something along those lines. As soon as I said that, he turned and went back into the ocean.

Perhaps this was all just very coincidental, but I choose to think not. Instead, I believe that I had a non-ordinary encounter with one of nature’s creatures, one that affirmed a message I was receiving from my own unconscious through a dream.

What affirmation would you welcome at this season of your life?

Writing Prompt for the Week: Serendipity