This painting, by Odilon Redon, is called Pandora’s Box. It fits this synchronicity. I discovered this artist through Gypsy’s blog, which is a visual feast. So one night I clicked on the artist’s name under one of her entries – and a whole new world of color opened up.
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Sometimes our inner reaction to circumstances manifests in a physical way involving an object. That’s what happened to a friend, Rita, after she got a call informing her that her long-time business partner had died suddenly of a massive coronary at home. She not only grieved the loss of a friend, but immediately worried about finding a new partner. They had shared the workload and the expenses, and now she was faced with finding someone who could invest as well as work in the jewelry sales business.
Rita was still mulling over this development when she drove to an elementary school a few minutes later to pick up her daughter. While waiting in the pickup line, her car’s engine suddenly died and refused to start – a perfect synchronistic expression of her fears about her partner’s death.
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This synchronicity is similar in tone and texture to one we posted earlier called End of the Road. Death is certainly an attractor of synchronicity.
WoW! Rob. I have the book, "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep" sitting on my desk that has been calling for me to read for a while now. You did it! I've been sick all month, just coming out of it, so Tibetan Yogas of Dream is next. I'm looking forward to anything you may have to report on this.
My comment above about Tibetans was based on a dream workshop I took with Tarthang Tulku in Berkeley at the Ngyngma Institute, late 70's some time. It was a powerful time, and has stayed with me all these years.
Adele
I used to have a lot of dreams of traveling in trains, and usually losing my ticket or luggage. I never take trains in real life. Guess I was in training, and getting rid of my luggage. No doubt still at it.
Adele, very interesting you mention dreams and Tibetans, as I'm studying Tibetan dream yoga right now. – Rob
Terri and Adele – I agree with Gypsy. These are terrific stories. Thanks for posting them!
Thanks for your comments Trish. I agree about the car in a dream relating to me and how I'm doing. It doesn't happen often, but when I dream I'm driving out of control or the breaks don't work or I get a flat tire I wake up knowing something is totally wrong with what I'm doing or with the flat tire, getting sick.
In my posting above, it wasn't a dream. But the Tibetans say there is no difference between the dream and so called "reality."
both adele's story and terri's are really beautiful examples – and the thing of the car – the majority of my dreams involve my "car" – won't digress here with all that but really appreciate the reminder of the dream interpretation of the car and self – clarifies a lot! thanks! great post and neat dialogue!
OK, I have to add a story but there's no death connection. It was just one of those days. I was stuck in a state of frustration and trying to figure out how I ended up in the wilds of Oregon, on an overgrown piece of property, with a decrepit home, surrounded by animals and all their smells.
My former boss from New Jersey was in Tacoma, WA for two days and I really wanted to drive for two hours, just to have a drink with him and reconnect with the world of business suits and dress shoes.
But alas, the rear-view mirror in my car had fallen down that day. It was a newer car and the mirror just fell off that day while the car was sitting in the sun in the driveway. My husband had already affected a repair that sort of made my car un-driveable for the evening.
It wasn't a life altering moment, but is a strong emotional memory of taking a quiet pause and accepting – I can't go back. Which made it even more potent. The awareness of what was, is no longer, what is.
I can look back at the when of that event, and what happened in my life only months later, and understand the need to pause and accept. Which is the true beauty of synchronicity when we learn to see it, and live it. It keeps us on OUR path.
Wow, Adele. Wha an incredible story! One of the dream intepretations of car is that the car is the self. So, in light of that, it certainly makes sense that what our cars do – or don't do – certainly reflect inner states. Thanks for posting this!
"Death is certainly an attractor of synchronicity."
I'm so glad you posted this. I had one of these synchronicities years ago and find it haunting still.
I had a good friend while living in Connecticut in the early 1970's. We confided all kinds of personal issues to each other. There came a time when she suddenly stopped talking to me. While I was confused and upset about her action, especially so because we talked almost daily and did not argue or fight about anything. My life fell apart in every arena at the time, the confluence of which propelled me to move to California where I began a new life with new friends and didn't dwell on my past back East.
There came a time where I could not find a job. It was the late 1980's and one of those stock market crash, job loss times. So, much as I did not want to, I was seriously thinking about moving back East. I took a trip back to visit family, check out the job situation and see how I felt about it when I got there.
One of the phrases Lolly used to say to me many many times, was, "You can't look back. Remember Lot's wife. She turned into a pillar of salt."
Lolly's father was a minister so she was very familiar with the parables of the bible. She would quote the story about Lot's wife who looked back frequently. And actually the only Bible story she did mention. "Don't look back" became her mantra.
We were both engaged in major life changes, divorces, and some scary life altering decisions. Lolly, saying "Don't look back" to me so often was her way of encouraging me, and herself.
I returned to California from my trip back East still not knowing what to do. I loved living there and I still could not find work. I was desperate for money and much as I enjoyed seeing friends and family in Connecticut and New York City, I wasn't feeling pulled there.
A day or two after I returned, while driving my car, almost home, the rear view mirror on my car fell off and I could not see what was behind me. I pulled over to park and see if I could get the mirror so I could see traffic in back of me. I was stunned by the mirror falling off. It seemed so weird. And the thought that ran through my mind was a clear image of my old friend and her words, "Don't look back!" I took that as the message. Don't move back East. I thought maybe I was getting a little crazy basing my decision on my rear view mirror falling down but Lolly's words echoed loudly in my ears with the feeling almost as if she had knocked that mirror down.
When I walked into the house there was a message on my answering machine from a mutual close friend of ours in Connecticut who told me that Lolly had just died and that she had a message she wanted me to get – that she wanted me to know that she always valued the friendship we had even though we had been out of touch.
This gives me the chills just writing it. I haven't told this story before but this post here makes me feel comfortable about doing it,
p.s.
My rear view mirror has never fallen off since and is still a mystery to me as to how it happened.
p.p.s.
I eventually did have to move back to Connecticut, kicking and screaming, but that took another 12 years to happen.
Death is pretty dramatic. One would think it would be very powerful when it comes to synchronicity.
oh, what a story – and one i think which illustrates so well how easy it is to miss these synchronicities in our own lives – something as unassuming as the car not starting one might just think is due to our haste in turning the key or the gears not being meshed properly or whatever – and not being aware of how it truly is a physical manifestation to our own inner feelings – perfect example of this very thing – a very sad story but great eye-opener!
thank you so much for your words on my blog – i, too, was unfamiliar with redon until a few months ago and when i came across his work, knew i had found a "friend in color" – and shapes – love love his work! and this image is perfect with your post!
yikes, and this is exactly how it happens…