Omens
Omens or portents are signs encountered fortuitously
that are believed to foretell the future. Their interpretation
is a form of divination.The augur and haruspex of ancient
Rome were professional readers of omens. The augurs tried
to read the future in the flight of birds. The haruspex
sought omens in the entrails of sacrificed animals.
Extract about Omens in dreams from Psychic
Dreams by Craig Hamilton-Parker. Signed copies are available
from this site.
WHAT ARE DREAM
OMENS?
Superstition tells us that you must never tell a dream
before breakfast and never relate a Friday's dream if bad.
The proverb says: 'Friday's dream on Saturday told, is sure
to come true before nine days old.'
For most people omens are considered as antiquated superstitions,
yet a surprising number of people secretly believe in them.
Many of the dream dictionaries on the market today -and
particularly those that deal with dreams about the future-
rely on superstition and ignore the discoveries of psychology.
The unconscious speaks to us in symbolism, metaphor and
allegory so long list of dream meaning based only upon superstition
are not particularly helpful when trying to unravel the
real meaning of a dream. According to Aristotle, "the
skilful interpreter of dreams is he who has the faculty
of observing resemblances." This is the ability you
need to develop if you wish to understand the hidden meaning
of your dreams or to know their prophetic value.
Certainly many people are credulous and omens and superstitions
can cater to the insecurities and weakness in human nature
but could it be that there are factors that influence our
lives that are not governed by the laws of causality? The
psychologist Carl Jung spoke about how psychological and
actual events will synchronise. I mentioned elsewhere in
this book how a beetle flew into Jung's consultation room
as his patient spoke about a scarab beetle. I too have witnesses
many remarkable coincidences that have proven to me that
not everything in life follows an orderly pattern.
The earliest records of omens and dreams come from the
time of the Babylonian and Assyrian civilisations. The priests
from these times would deduce omens from the appearance
and actions of animals, birds, fish and reptiles. Signs
were also observed from the condition of human or animal
offspring or from the symptoms of sick men. Omens would
be seen in the appearance of a man's shadow, from the images
seen in a fire or smoke and the forms seen in the landscape.
My personal favourite- and one not to be tried in the living
room- is to look for signs and omens in the entrails of
sacrificial victims.
Most of the superstitions about dreams we have today have
very ancient credentials going back to the times when omens
influenced people's lives.
Signs, Stories, Experiments and Symbols:
Omens occur in daily life and during sleep and it is believed
that to disobey an omen is to court trouble. However, there
are no fixed laws as to the real truth of omens. A superstitious
person will believe that trouble approaches if a bad omen
is seen or dreamt about but any fulfilment of the omen is
probably more by coincidence than fate. And of course our
attitude counts a lot too. When Julius Caesar landed at
Adrumetum in Africa he slipped and fell. This was considered
a terrible omen but the quick thinking Caesar exclaimed,
"thus do I take possession of thee, O Africa."
Omens
The definition
of Omens is part of our online psychic glossary.
More about
Omens and other definitions.
Omens
- Psychic Readings Advice and Definitions
PARANORMAL DEFINITIONS & GLOSSARY
Psychic Dictionary of Definitions
- dictionary of paranormal terms defined. |
