bunnies and rabbits

I had such a scary dream last night. I was in a grassy yard, it was nighttime and silent, the yard illuminated by moonlight, when I noticed a dozen or so bunnies and rabbits of various colors and sizes, motionless and in various positions around the yard. The yard had something to do with my childhood/adolescent friend Suzy, and I was in charge of her cat or someone’s cat. The cat was in a tent and I could hear it mewing. I was impressed by the nature of the scene. I noticed one cat among the bunnies, big and gray, puffing its chest out and growling. I went to the tent to get my camera to take a picture of the bunnies, rabbits, and cat. But when I opened the tent, the cat I was responsible for ran out. It was running toward the other creatures and one big rabbit went right for it. I cried out and was trying to run to break up the fight. Right away I saw the rabbit would kill it. I saw it sink its teeth into the cats back, and another rabbit running/hopping up to attack the cat also. I thought of calling the police or the vet, but I knew it would be too late. I never reached the fight, but woke up saying “no, no!”

I went online this morning and read some dream interpretations, and they made me cry for some reason. One article said, “Dream bunnies are complex characters symbolizing everything from fear, sexuality, creativity, luck, self-sabotage, vulnerability, and popularity to re-birth.” It goes on to talk about how rabbits and bunnies symbolized these things in ancient cultures like in Egypt and Europe and how those traditions eventually got merged with Christianity and Easter, which celebrates Christ's self-sacrifice and rebirth. I see some connections to my daily life, in that I have some serious fears about how my teaching goals will work out. The rabbits were so scary – my fears attacked me so viciously. Yeah, I think they symbolized both my creative/professional endeavors and my fears about those endeavors. In terms of rebirth, I see that I might be changed, “reborn” so to speak, by the changes happening, but these rabbits weren’t sacrificing themselves and being reborn, and neither were the cats reborn. I don’t understand. I’m scared.

(Adding on later this afternoon)...I have been pondering the dream all day, and every time I really imagine the dream tears rush to my eyes. Isn't that strange? I think this dream might be from God. The more I consider it, the more it truly seems to portray the killing of Christ. The mood and the colors of the dream, the moonlight, the hostile and volatile atmosphere, and the way the cat sacrificed itself, more or less. True, the was no raising of the dead in this dream. It was just Good Friday, no Easter. I was like Mary, mother of God, watching and horrified. I don't know what it means that God would send this dream to me, but I know it's something important.