Sebastian pulled out a piece of parchment and started writing down what he had come up with.

Quote:

Bird - Someone high up

Black - Death

Door - A choice

Drowning - Suffering

Falling - Being unsure of oneself

Fire - Disaster

Green - Peace

House - Going Home

Key - Finding a secret

Good work class!! She waved her wand and the list filled in.

Bird - Happiness if a bluebird or a canary. Birds of prey are ominous while parrots are gossipy.

Black - Death, disappointment and mourning.

Door - Opportunity if it is open. Obstacle if it is closed. If it falls off, expect a loss.

Drowning - A call for help or attention or a desire to have you 'sins' washed away.

Falling - Fear.

Fire - If you dream of fire, wake up! Something may be on fire. Seeing your business burn down is said to be good luck. Fire is good luck, but charred ruins means you should expect desolation.

Green - Jealousy, envy, new beginnings, money, outdoor life or inexperience.

House - Shelter, family or retreat.

Key - Solution to a problem or power, but loss of a key is the opposite. They could also represent confinement or freedom with locking or unlocking.

Yurio raised his hand. "Professor, for the birds what if you dream of a sparrow or a pigeon or like other birds found near towns and cities?" he asked.

Meghan scribbled down everything that the professor had just filled in on the board. She looked to see how close to certain things she was. Pleased she set her quill down and listened to what the professor had to say.

Jo took down notes, Boy, was I off on some of those she thought.

Professor Kotkin continued. "Dream interpretation is not precise. To explore your dreams, you embark on a journey of self. Don't allow yourself when seeing the same image, or color, or situation, to interpret the same vision in exactly the same way. Images can have multiple meanings which can renew themselves with time. Open up your dream journals now, and pair off if you would like to work in teams, and let us see what our dreams reveal."

The sparrow would represent happiness, and the pigeon would indicate a message to come.
Birds in general represent the human yearning for freedom and flight.
Other birds like the Eagle - power and illumination fo the spirit, the raven - communication and shape-shifting, the swan - grace, emotions, sensitivity, the owl - wisdom and magic, the crane - longevity and prosperity, the swallow - faithfulness and friendship, the dove - peace, harmony and purity.

Alanna quickly recorded everthing being said. She was surprised at Yurio's question, which she never would have thought of.

"Kay." said Yurio. He took out his dream jounal and wrote down 'Have been having the same dream mostly since I recived my letter. It is a swan swimming on a black lake. Then it seems to just fall through the lake like it was not water at all but it looks as though it is drowning or suffacating. I always wake up short of breath with cold sweat on my face. The swan means happiness I think but then why does it always fall and drown? The lake is black so that is... mourning I suppose. Yes that would fit. Falling is fear but I'm not afraid... atleast I dont think I am. And drowning a call for help I guess because I dont want to wash away my sins and I dont want attention. Whats that mean? That I'm afraid of being happy while I'm mourning and asking for help? That doesnt make sence.'

Mithos raised his hand "Professor, can dreams truly tells us the future if we combine the assorted meanings or simple foreshadow?" Mithos loved Divination but certain things still linger in his mind about it.

Jo took out her quill and amethyst ink and wrote in her journal, "Lately I've been dreaming of standing infront of a green door, my aunts stand behind me, and behind them are a bunch of women I don't recognise, they pass a key from one to the next until it reaches me. birds swoop down from overhead, an eagle, a raven, a swan, an owl and a swallow. I wave the birds away, they scare me. I know I'm supposed to open the door, but I hesitate. I guess I hesitate too long because the ground opens up beneath me and I fall into the abyss. and then I wake up" Jo thought about her recent dream she had been having it ever since she had gotten that strange letter from her Aunts. when she analized all the symbolism, she knew very well what that meant, but she wasn't going to give all of it away. there were other things some of it could mean.

"I really think that the green door is representational of my own inexperience; inexperience that's an obstacle, and my aunts, and probably their aunts before them, are offering me the solution to that, a chance to experience things. the birds overhead represent illumination, communication, emotions,wisdom, and friendship. my aunts are offering me these things, and it scares me. if i hesitate too long, if i don't open up the door and take my oppotunity, i'll miss it, and that scares me."

Professor Kotkin responded to Mithos. "Dreams can give you answers to questions you are seeking in your waking life. Issues that you resolve in your life, will also resolve the dreams they sparked in your subconscious mind. Dreams can also help to show what could be coming or what you should look out for."

(ooc: I will be off until tomorrow around 2-3pm EST. I will respond to your questions... readings then. You may continue to post your dreams.)

Alanna looked through her dream diary for any records of birds. She soon found a short entry:
A swan sat in the middle of a bright, blue lake. There were no ripples or waves at all in the lake; it looked like a mirror. An owl comes, flies around the swan's head, and flies away. The swan flaps it's wings at the owl as it leaves.

Under that entry, Alanna recorded the possible meaning:
The swan could represent emotions, I've been feeling many lately. The owl is probably both magic and wisdom, it is Hogwarts after all. Whenever I talk to Yurio many emotions come up, Emma could be wisdom-she is in Ravenclaw, after all. What about the lake. Hogwarts would be magic...

Meghan opened up her journal and read what she had written the night before:

There is a dark hallway that is lit every few feet by a lamp that gives off a yellow glow. I start to walk down the hallway, but I only make it about three feet before I stop before a door. When I open the door I fall into a pool of water. I am scared to death. The water is about ten feet deep. It's way over my head.I feel as if I am drowning. I make it to the surface but when I get there I find no way out. The door has dissapeared. Suddenly a dove flys over my head and out a window. It found a way out, but I'm still stuck."

Meghan looked at it and thought about it for a moment. Before scribbling down on a piece of paper:

The hallway might symbolize the beginning of a path that I am taking in life or a Journey into the unknown or of self exploration. The fact that its dark might mean that I fear the unknown. The fact that there is a door that I go through might signify new oppourtunity's that are being presented to me. The fact that I fall and am scared might signify lack of control. The fact that I feel like I am drowning might mean that I am overwhelmed with emotions. Doves might represent innocence. The fact that I am stuck means that I might feel helpless.

Meghan looked down at everything she had written. By the looks of it I am on a journey to something unknown and that scares me because I feel helpless and I can't control it and I am just overwhelmed with emotions. Now that Meghan had seen it written down on paper she wondered where exactly her journey was going.

Emma, seated next to Alanna and Yurio, shuffled through the diary. There was one entry she wanted to look into.

Last night I had a really weird dream... first I was swallow was flying over the lake, but it fell and was drowning. Then some boy (seemed oddly familiar but I can't place who it is) lifted me out, dried me off, and set me in a nest.

Emma pondered over it. Bird... a swallow... faithfulness and friendship. Since she was the swallow, was that supposed to be describing herself?

Then she was falling... that's fear. What was she afraid of? Moths, Emma immediatley thought, but that couldn't be it. But there had been a boy at the end. Emma assumed that meant she was romantic, which she knew, but maybe the two had something to do with each other. Was she afraid of a uncomfortable relationship, or heartbreak? Definatley. Maybe it was saying something about her current one... Emma shuddered and moved on.

Drowning now... calling for help? Once more, Emma knew the boy had something to do with it. She had to admit to herself that even though she had a boyfriend, who she was planning on dumping, she did have a slight crush on someone else. Was she confused, calling for explanation? Emma wondered but thought that might be right. She'd asked a few people for help on that subject lately.

And then the boy helped her. Put her in her nest. For a bird, a nest is a home. Boy was another sign of being a romantic. Why does that keep coming up? Emma sighed. And the nest, that qualified as a home, shelter. Did that mean that her romantic problems would turn out OK? And then she'd be sheltered and get the real support she needed from a different boyfriend? Emma hoped so.

With a sigh, Emma shut the notebook and sat back, glad to have sorted it out.

Professor Kotkin turned to Yurio. "That is interesting for sure. The water being dark, as opposed to just seeing it as black, shows that you cannot see beyond the surface of the water. This could show that you are unsure of your own emotional depths. Because you see the swan, sinking beneath the surface, I feel the swan is a very 'protective' bird, and seeing it may mean you have a fear of exploring some feelings you are afraid of expressing and want to be protected. Falling beneath the surface could also show you are ready for the change, especially since you said you didn't have the impression of being afraid."

Professor Kotkin then turned to Jo. "You have a good grasp on the message. The closed door is the obstacle, but having the key gives you the tool to get through it. You already know you have the key, so you need to get past the fear. You should try to accept the birds in your dream, or accept the help from your aunts to gain the knowlege they desire to pass on to you. Either way, the dream will resolve itself when you move ahead through the door. Accept that they will be there for you to help you get through the fear. You are not alone, and that is a wonderful thing."

Professor Kotkin looked down at Emma's notes. "You saw yourself as a swallow flying and then falling. The swallow could represent a friendship, flying could represent a desire to escape, and the fall could represent that you are letting go of someone or something. Being rescued by the boy and being placed in the nest could represent your own struggle to recognize your own strengths or weaknesses, or just the desire to feel comfortable or safe in a relationship in your life. Because you felt you recognized your 'rescuer', I would assume you have an idea as to the kind of person you want to have this relationship with."

Professor Kotkin glanced at Alanna's notes. "Because the water flows and changes shape, it may represent fluidity. The color blue may reflect your mood. You may be looking for peace, rest, refuge or emotional tranquility. And later, seeing the lake as a mirror could represent your true self, or contemplating on your 'inner' life... self-knowlege, self-discovery, truth or sincerity. The swan, represents your emotions as well, while the owl flying denotes wisdom and magic. The swan's wings represent freedom and escape from the mundane. Together it seems that you have enjoyed the peace and tranquility you have experienced. With your growing wisdom and magical skills, you are reflecting on your new experiences and self-discoveries, and you are accepting the changes from the mundane or 'peace' that your life once led, to new experiences and adventures with your schooling."

Heshasa pondered for a moment struggling to remember her most recent dream. She began writing what had happened...

I was sitting in a field of flowers and laying against a lone tree whose roots held it up out of the ground. A black stallion comes trotting up bringing darkness with it. Then it steps aside and I see a shadowy figure a ways away. Every five minutes or so it takes a step forward killing the flowers around it. The stallion gallops towards and past it so the darkness leaves and as the stallion passes the figure it lets out a hoarse scream and disappears but the flowers around it remain dead. I keep thinking if it came close enough I would die,it is a reacurring dream that I've had since I was little.

Heshasa shivered at the thought of this nightmare and looked around for Professor Kotkin.

Emma's eyes grew wide as she listened with rapt attention. Yes, that made sense. After Professor Kotkin moved onto Alanna, Emma wrote down what the professor had said.

Professor Kotkin looked at the concerned look on Meghan's face. "The hallway symbolises a journey, where you are leaving behind the familiar in order to explore the unfamiliar. It could represent you current feelings about challenges you face or goals you may have set for yourself. Though you say it is dark, you speak of yellow lights. We tend to perceive the world in opposites, such as dark and light. The darkness could represent something you are trying to conceal from yourself or others. Yellow is the hottest color, and represents the warmth of the sun. You may be trying to bring something to light, maybe what you have hidden. It also could mean you are hopeful about changes in your life. The door represents new opportunities or a form of transition. It invites you to explore the unknown. Because you fell in the water, you felt 'swept' away or overwhelmed by the new experiences. You may be struggling with changing emotions. The dove may show innocence, or just your desire for peace, as opposed to dealing with change. The flight of the bird shows that you can rise above it if you choose!"

Yurio thought about what the Professor said most of it made sence. He was unsure of his emotional depths but he didnt feel like he was ready for any changes. He sighed and rested his head in his hand looking down at the page and pulling on his hair slightly.

Emma opened her notebook, where a few weeks before she had written her dream.

I'm walking down a dark and erie street, followed by a man in the moonlight. I quicken my step and am feeling my heart beating just as quickly. I look back quite a few times. Once I looked back and fell into a sewer, but the sewer extended into an endless dark hole. I scream my lungs out but it was of no use. However, as many would think, I did not wake up, a few seconds later, I find myself flying a broom across the sky. Not to long afterwards, I land safely home, my parents welcome me and tuck me safe into bed.

And that's when a friend woke me up reminding me that Potion's class started in the next few minutes...

"Gee, I didn't know dreams could be so complicated..." Whispered Emma. She raised her hand to show the Professor that she was finished. As she waited, she wrote more into her notebook:

I suppose the street is a bit like a hallway, showing that I'm embarking into something new, yet being dark may represent it being unknown... Perhaps Hogwarts? At that time I had only been here for a month or two. The hole obviously represents fear, maybe the fear of not making friends. By that time however, I had tried out for the Quidditch team, I wonder if making the team has taken me out of this fear, given me a joy. The broom, representing Quidditch of course, saved me from my fear, the endless hole.

Lala reads her dream from her journal. It was a very short dream, there is very little detail she can remember but it sure is very unforgettable yet scary. It was just a scene where it goes like this:

Im with my best pal Cathy and we're about to exit the mall. As we get near the exit, I spotted a miserable-looking man who shouted something. Then all of a sudden, people started to get confused too. They're panicking *sp?.. What I saw next is that the man had brought out a gun... He'd used it and fired it towards us... Still near the exit, I fell of. I realized I was hurt because of the broken glasses, I think.. I learned that Cathy was beside me tugging me a bit, looking very worried and with teary eyes...

Thats all I can remember, I woke up suddenly and wondering, "what is that"? Its really weird because, Cathy is one of my best friend but we lost contact for about two years. Weird that, I had just a dream involving her, which a pretty scary one.. I guess this dream suggests that I fear something, involving her. What is it?...