Last night ( November 2014) when doing a class with Robert Moss on ‘Dreaming your Soul back to Life’ had a dream of going in an eye .. and inside the iris was a group of people in masks of different animals. I could not identify the people as they had their masks on.
Had a dream in August 2020 also of native people dancing with masks on
Feeling: Knew and felt the power and symbolism of the different animals for various people and was glad and happy they had discovered their guardian animals and powerful allies.
Reality: When I awoke from the dream in 2014 Ithought of a painting I did in the summer of 2012 which went into my “Dream Wheels” book. This painting called “Medicine Wheels’ shows various of dreams from my book ‘Dream Wheels‘ ( which shows my way of recording dreams as make a medicine wheel each year) and the period looked at upon awakening was the one from 1981-87 ( as have divided into seven-year segments) and the main theme was————————
I summed it up for this period being “loving and protecting the earth”.
During this time My husband and I were apprenticing with a native shaman whose totem was a bear who I call “Star Bear” and did many ceremonies so had a lot of animal dreams and discovered many Animal Guardians .. many which seem to reoccur and even have been in my dreams lately in 2020 .. like the one of a Prophetic Deer Shaman and this has become an important dream animal for me, and a White Eagle who’s shared power and became part of an environmental story written and still being performed to this day. We did a pilgrimage to Tikal when Dodoland was performed in Guatemala and Dale went on a research trip to Macchu Picchu. My husband Dale just brought a talking stick into the house on Sunday that had an eagle on the top of the totem handle. Another dream was of a Mermaid & Unicorn which again has been a regular magic creatures in my dreams and encouraged my imagination.
During this time period had a dream where I was told by a Dream Guide that “ a transition is made when a mask is put on” My husband Dale Bertrand and I led many workshops and thousands of children have made masks and then wore them and from this experience they wrote and painted stories. I will share a poem written for my Medicine Wheels painting done last summer 2013 to honor these dreams.
Once Dream Bird (decades ago) in the 1980s came to me and it was like no other bird on earth I had seen. A shaman we were working with said, “Yes, this is a Dream Bird“. This was my first realization that things can live in dreams and be very much part of another reality – the Dream Reality. Also at this time had a dream of a Deer Shaman who told of hard times to come in the future. I saw a ceremony in a dream of Elder Bear people dancing with robes and they asked me to join them. White Buffalo reoccurs in my dreams. The first was in 1982 when my mother Desiree, who was an artist) shape-shifted into a White Buffalo. She came and shared her wisdom.
Much magic and important wisdom to later share in writing and painting come after my dreams. Below you can see the poem and painting ‘Medicine Ways‘.
To sum up: Finding your Guardian Animals – an important thing to discover then and also now in 2020.
Medicine Ways
In your Dreams you find Medicine Ways
A Place of New Growth with Dream Birds and Power Allies
You visit ancient sites – Macchu Picchu, and Tikal
Where a Prophetic Deer Shaman gives a Power song
Tells you you are a mermaid and to be open
Elder Bear People dance in and circle and ask you to join
And on the Medicine Wheel the Eagle Child guides you
Reminded of White Buffalo & Bird Woman dancing
In dreams the Mother of the World gives praises to you of the Light
Della Burford
Medicine Ways painting (Acrylic) by Della Burford – featured in the Medicine Ways Theme in the ‘Dream Wheels” book by Della Burford
Create a Dream, with Della Burford 
Its been and continues to be a multi-dimensional journey
Della, I love this idea of finding our Guardian Animals and find the ones you write about here so magical and fascinating. Can you suggest how we may ‘invite’ them, if you will, into our dreams? For someone who is a beginner at learning to make meaning of their dreams, do you have any advice on how we can remember them or encourage more imaginative and meaningful dreams? Thank you, Myriam
Encouraging more imaginative and meaningful dreams has been a life study for me and continues to this day. I think the more imaginative we are in our lives the more imaginative our dreams are. I have often found when I am involved creatively in art or writing and go to sleep something seems to trigger more imaginative dreams. Also the dream teacher I have worked with for many years Robert Moss suggest Walking into a picture.. this I also find fascinating as I find if I read or look at an image .. lets say of a unicorn before sleeping and am immersed in the energy there could be a good chance I will see something magical in my dreams. Remembering them is the trick and even if you say to yourself – “I want to remember my dreams” before sleeping it will help. Gradually there is more and more chance of remembering. even fragments which can be important.Write them down, even if it is only a moment in your dream, and by honoring them this way you will have more dreams. Linking up to nature and the energies of the universe in the many ways this can be done is also important. When I worked on Dodoland with children had them start by choosing their favorite animal and they drew it and wrote about it and it was the beginnings of a relationship to what can become a source of self-knowledge as each person is so different. Sometimes it is shown on a Medicine Wheels as Directions and animals in different directions which can be a starting point as well as each person has a different time they are born for example. We had the good fortune to meet in the 80’s when working at the Wandering Spirit School a Medicine Man called Sun Bear who has written various books on this topic .. including Medicine Wheels- Earth Astrology. This book is a good starting point. We can have animal guides and also in another train of thought Guardian Angels … and that’s another topic I love. Surround yourself, make intentions, and you will find the creative and imaginative in yourself.
Della, Thank you so much. I will definitely take your advice and implement your suggestions and hopefully be able to evoke more imaginative dreams as well as connect with Guardian Animals. I understand it takes time and practice and that this has been a lifelong journey for you. I look forward to learning more from you! I will also look into the book you suggested, Medicine Wheels-Earth Astrology. Thank you!
Yes, you are so right time and practice and a lifelong journey. We must do some things together and chat via all the various ways. Always good to hear from you .. would love to share a few of your beautiful magical photos on the blog.. the next month the theme will be Wonder.. this may be a perfect time.