Courage

Hi Maggie,

Animals symbolize the untamed and uncivilized aspects of yourself. Thus, to dream that you are fighting with an animal signifies a hidden part of yourself that you are trying to reject and push back into your subconscious.

To see your own nose in your dream signifies a conscious effort to achieve whatever endeavor you chose to undertake. The nose represents energy, intuition, and wisdom. The dream may suggest your need to learn more about a situation at hand.

To dream that you have or get a black eye indicates unresolved conflict. 

http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/  

Good call noticing that I had one domesticated, tame animal with me, and one wild animal.  Apparently I am struggling with a hidden part of myself. But also there is a duality of tamed/untamed.

A swollen nose, in Chinese facial diagnosis means your heart is in bad shape.   Or actually, the first words I thought were:  your heart is at risk.

Just thought to look for bed, as an image:

To see your bed in your dream represents your intimate self and discovery of your sexuality.  If you are sleeping in your own bed, then it denotes security and restoration of your mind. You may be looking for domestic bliss, for peace or for some form of escape.

I have been vividly aware of duality lately.  I watch videos of animal rescues, and am relieved at the good outcomes, and appreciate people who are heroic. But then I stop and remember, animals are hurting because of human mistreatment or at least human ignorance.  And I think maybe we are half and half...half of us are mean or just ignorant.  Half of us stop to help. Half of us have open hearts.

Now that I am specifically thinking about it, other examples escape me.  But duality is in my awareness a lot each day.

Then there was another point...maybe rather than duality, we have moments, or lifetimes, of half-done.

I found a "poem":  


The Difference Between Strength and Courage 
It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.
It takes strength to stand guard,
It takes courage to let down your guard.
It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt
It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend’s pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.
It takes strength to hide your own pains,
It takes courage to show them.
It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.
It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another
It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

(https://findyourmiddleground.com/2015/05/07/whats-the-difference-between-strength-and-courage/)

Are strength and courage a duality? Maybe, sorta, but not quite.

But I find that I am an incredibly strong woman.  Maybe a little bit courageous, but not enough.

These words hit me hard, and trusting synchronicity, I think they speak to what I'm being called to do - to be courageous.

We'll see how that pans out...

Thoughtful love  and hugs from Clare