Karri Allrich’s book A witch’s dream book he was something of a pioneer in the field of dreams. When it was published in 2001, there were few other books on the market that linked the dream with the spiritual. I bought this book when it was first released and have appreciated it ever since as it sparked some incredible dreams for me. While I do not endorse all of the models presented in this book, I still find it a very useful resource for the beginning dream worker.
The first half of the book contains chapters that educate and initiate the dreamer into the subconscious realm based on Jungian psychology. Allrich explains archetypes well and uses real dream examples to introduce the language of symbols and animals in dreams to the dreamer. There are chapters on The Importance of Shadow Work, Nightmares, How to Start Dream Work, and the use of tools such as Tarot to help understand the symbology of dreams. The idea that Allrich raises about the shadow is not something that I personally believe or support, but it does present a common belief among other dream workers that the dreamer should at least be aware of.
The book has shamanic and Wiccan threads throughout its pages with explanations of how to work with the moon and how the lunar phases affect our dreams. Allrich also explains how to cast a dream spell and the uses of association, active imagination, and automatic writing. Although I am not a Wiccan, the information is useful to initiate someone who has never worked with dreams before.
The second half of the book is dedicated to the dream symbols listed in alphabetical order. Allrich derives his dream symbols from tarot, archetypes, and shamanism, which have made more sense to me than interpretations based purely on psychology. Allrich rejects the Freudian concepts of symbols and I totally agree; for example, snakes in dreams for Freud are strictly a phallic symbol indicating repressed sexual desires. This is certainly not my experience. I dream of dreaming about snakes and I have come to see them as allies in the preparation for spiritual initiation, which is how this author also recognizes their symbolism. The symbols Allrich presents in the dictionary section of the book cover much of what the beginner would encounter. Each symbol is outlined with great explanations, as well as questions to awaken in the minds of the dreamers the possible meanings of their own dreams. Symbols are cross-referenced in a useful index that makes the dictionary quick and easy to use.
If you are just beginning your dream journey and are beginning to delve into your dream job, this book would be a helpful resource to add to your dream library.
