The Dream of Prison and the Ice Box

The other night I had a dream that stayed with me — not just as images, but as a feeling. One I’m still unpacking.

In the dream, I was in what felt like a kind of jail. People were moving about, it was all women. But, I knew I was in a prison, being kept there with some choices to move around. Oddly, there was a bar inside, and as I had the freedom to move about, I went up to the bar. I was there with a woman — someone who, in waking life, wouldn’t feel like “my person.” She was bold, flirty, sexy, which was fine but I knew she was also deceptive or had a "bad" side. I'd say in the dream it felt like I would not fully trust her. And yet… when I went to take a drink at the bar, she stopped me. She implied the drink had been drugged. That one moment of protection pierced through everything I thought about her.

Then came a moment of panic — we realized we needed ice to survive, to maintain being human almost, and there was none in sight to nourish us. I felt anxiety rising in my chest. But suddenly, I remembered something simple and essential: I had a full box of ice back in my room. I said it out loud with relief. I knew we would be okay. That image — the remembered ice — became the anchor of the whole dream. We went back to the room together and looked at each other relieved. "We" would be ok.

Later in the same dream, I was holding a baby. He’d start to stir, but every time I brought him close to me, he’d settle and fall back asleep. I wasn’t trying to hush or distract him — just offering comfort through closeness.

Using the same tools I often share at retreats and online courses...

I see now that this dream held three powerful archetypes:

🌬 The woman: something in the process of maturing, the wild, the unfiltered, the part of me that knows what danger feels like — and how to protect myself from it, even when the messenger seems unlikely. The part of me others may perceive as a threat but feels safe and whole and needs nourishment.

❄️ The ice: a potent symbol of nourishment, purification (water), clarity, preservation, and the deep inner resources I often forget I have until I need them most.

👶 The baby: a new beginning, something that does not need fixing, perhaps just the soft, vulnerable truth inside me, that needed comfort, closeness and re-assurance.

When I woke, I felt calmer than I’d expected. Not because the dream was sweet, but because it was true.

It reminded me of the work I’ve been doing — quietly, fiercely — to trust what I already carry. To see the unexpected parts of myself not as threats, but as signals. To remember that I have what I need inside me. The protection. The softness. The clarity.

We’re allowed to feel messy, layered, confused. We’re allowed to dream wildly and not always know what it means. But sometimes, the messages do come through — your inner knowing has already packed the ice. You just need to remember it’s there.

If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to download my new “Holding Your Flame” gentle journal worksheet. It’s a soft invitation to notice the parts of you that want more room to breathe.

Holding_Your_Flame_Journal_Worksheet.pdf

Download PDF • 2KB

And if you’re ready to live into these questions more fully, join me for the Grace in Greece III retreat — a space for women who are ready to listen inward, rekindle their intuitive fire, and remember they are never too much, and never alone. Three spots remain! I release rooms after September 2, 2025 and cannot guarantee you a room after this date even though the retreat is in 2026. If you want to try though, reach out!

In the meantime, much love, and remember...

🌀 You are allowed to hold your flame with reverence. Even when it flickers. Especially then.

Love, Arlene