This was the Ancient Ritual

(Live audio version of the dream from One Earth, One Dream with music and words of C G Jung) 4:30

I’m part of a line of troops that’s spread out across the street of a war-torn city.  Buildings are pock-marked with bullet holes, and rubble lies in the street — a War Zone!  Enemy snipers occupy the buildings on both sides of the street down which we’re about to march, waiting to fire on us…and we carry no weapons!

Three friends of mine are standing next to me in line.  One says to me, “Did your friend fix this up for you?”  I have a woman friend who’s very influential (She may be the Vice President), and he’s teasing me, pointing out that my connection with her hasn’t helped me avoid this situation.  I say ruefully, “Yeah, she made sure they’d see me.”  I’m at the very right hand end of the line, nearest one row of buildings, completely exposed, no place to hide.  Now we begin to advance down the street.

After a moment of panic, fully expecting instant death, I notice that our leader, who is standing in the very middle of the line, is moving down the street in a very strange sort of mime/dance movement.  He advances first his right arm and leg together, then sort of slithers forward and does the same with the left ones in a sinuous, alternating movement. Somehow, this movement is keeping the enemy from firing!  We advance further down the street.

Still no one fires.  I see enemy snipers with their rifles poised on the window ledge, aiming at us.  They’re not physically paralyzed; they’re just…unable to pull the trigger.

Finally, we’re in the main room of the building we’ve been trying to reach, and our Leader is standing at a long table with the enemy leader.  They’re getting ready to drink from a beaker of alcohol that’s sitting on the table.  It’s a celebration of the armistice.  Our Leader says, “This was the Ancient Ritual,” or “This was the Ancient Mystery.”  It’s what he was working towards all along: to bring the two sides together in a shared ritual of intoxication which unites us.

Contributed by Peter Armetta

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