River 13
Cassandra
Caught in the Fence 1986

~~~~~~dream~~~~~~

I dreamt that I saw the horse next door all tangled up in our border fence. It was so clear that I didn’t even hesitate. When I went down to see my horses I just simply took the wire cutters and a halter. It was in a paddock that we can’t see from the house so I had to walk a fair way. But there she was: the exact same scene that I’d seen in my dream presented itself to me then. She wasn’t hurt. I just cut the wire out from around her legs and I took her home.

~~~~~~

It’s the precognitive dreams I‘ve had which have changed my life and my way of thinking. I used to be pretty cynical. I’m a bit of a sceptic and I don’t believe just anything I see, but when those sort of things happen it opens me up to not being so narrow minded and I can listen to people without being too cynical or judgemental. There might be other things that aren’t really unnatural, it’s just that we don’t know much about them, that’s all.

This was the first really precognitive dream that I can recall, although I might have had more of them when I was a kid. My precognitive dreams are different to my other dreams in that they’re very clear and they make complete sense.

For example, a week or so ago I dreamt that I kept all my horse feed in the chook shed (which I don’t), and I dreamt that my horse had got in and eaten it all. That’s very dangerous for horses. They usually die if they get into something like that, but he was alright. He ate all his food and had a wonderful time. I knew the dream was not precognitive because the feed was in the chook shed, which it never is. I wasn’t worried that he was going to break into the chook shed at any time and get the feed because it’s never kept there. Had I had the same dream but in the feed shed, I wouldn’t have been very wary: watching everybody going in and out of the feed shed all the time, making sure they locked it

I knew my ‘Melbourne Cup’ dream to be precognitive because it was really clear and sensible. The dream voice said ‘Redor by five lengths’. On waking up, I said ‘This is it!!!’ and told my husband ‘I think I’ve dreamt the winner of the Melbourne Cup!’.

I didn’t know anything about the horses in the Melbourne Cup, so we got the paper that morning and he looked through, but said ‘No, there’s nothing in here about Redor. Never mind, we’ll just look through the whole day’s program at Flemington’. There was nothing, not a race at all with Redor in it, but there was a horse called Redonicus in a steeplechase. Well, the first part was like Redor anyway!

At work I told a friend who was a real gambler that ‘There’s a steeplechase before the Melbourne Cup today and I dreamt about this horse and I think it’s Redonicus. I’m going to put five bucks on it’. I never bet usually, but I thought I’ve got to tell someone because if this comes off I can’t not have mentioned it! We went into the canteen at morning tea and listened to the race. I had put $5 each way on it.

I heard the same voice as in the dream say ‘Redonicus by five lengths!’ So, I had the name slightly wrong, but I had proof because I had told people. That’s the only time I’ve ever won!

Cassandra works with horses and is used to communicating with animals while she is awake:

I don’t know whether there is such a thing as telepathy with animals but I’m certainly aware of them all the time, because they’re such a big part of my life. When you’re dealing with horses as closely as I am all the time, you almost get to think like a horse. Being herd animals, they’re really sensitive to those around them. A horse can be a hundred meters away and another horse will be able to notice its intentions from the way the body is standing and the way the muscles are poised. They’re ready for flight all the time because running is their only defence. They can detect the tiniest difference in muscle or body posture and be alert and ready to run. I’m often in the position where a horse is just about to step on my toe when I’m not even looking at it and I’ll know to shift my feet.

Since Cassandra has opened herself to accepting a broader view of reality, she has been able to look back and remember other incidences from earlier in her life.

I was about fourteen or fifteen and had tried and tried to play the guitar, but I couldn’t make any sense out of it or read music. Then one night I learnt in my sleep exactly where to put my fingers. It was only three or four chords but in the morning I woke up, immediately I picked up my guitar, and it worked! Those four chords were so basic that I could play just about anything. I’ve been playing ever since because it relaxes me, and I never did take lessons. I just accepted it at the time. Maybe I had just read something about it subconsciously, but I told Mum how I learnt to play this guitar and she believed me.

Mum has had precognitive dreams and feelings. When my brother had an horrendous plane crash she was lying on the bed in the afternoon having a rest, but wide awake, then she heard him say ‘There’s a problem’ and that’s all. She knew there was something wrong. He was told he was going to be a paraplegic, but we all prayed for him and he’s a pilot in America now. He’s actually written a book about his experience and got it published.

When I was a kid it used to really put the wind up me if I dreamt of Grandma because she was dead. I still dream about her but it’s not threatening any more. When people are as clear to me as in my precognitive dreams, then perhaps they may be there in spirit, but when they’re a bit fuzzy I’m not so sure. My ‘Horse Caught in the Fence’ dream took place just before my son, Robby, was born and I guess it has affected how I’ve brought him up.

I try to encourage him to treat everything that’s not quite so normal as normal. A very good friend of ours, Helen, an older lady, was dying of cancer. A couple of weeks ago my son said to me ‘Mummy, I had a frightening dream last night about Helen’. Why was it frightening? I asked. ‘Because I saw her spirit go up to Heaven’, he answered. ‘Well, that’s not frightening. She is dying and she’ll die soon’, I explained. Anyway we went over to my mother’s and she said ‘I’ve got some news’. I said ‘Helen died. Robby told me this morning’. I turned to my son. ‘See Robby, this lady was coming to say goodbye to you. There’s no need to be frightened. I was so tired she couldn’t get through to me!’ I think it’s important not to be scared about things like that otherwise he’ll get a closed mind.

I don’t want to inhibit Robby’s subconscious and his dreaming, because you can really have problems when you do that. I’m encouraging him to talk to me about his dreams so we can sort them out, but also to learn to trust himself. In this way he’ll grow to act on his dreams.

I’m more open to everything now, but the old cynical part of me steps in when people start setting themselves up as demi-gods and making a heap of money out of it. If I had the gift of being really psychic, there’s no way in the world I would charge anything for it. I believe in the teachings of Jesus and Budda, and they didn’t get money out of it. I’ve read a few books that have put me off reading anything about metaphysical matters. I just read the basic books and think my own thoughts as I go along. I’m open minded but I trust my intuition a lot more now, and that is something which has grown since my dream.

I’m a very practical person. I regard the odd precognitive dream as a handy way to get me out of a bit of strife and I’m inclined to believe in reincarnation because it makes sense that you come back to learn more. I try to act on my dreams now.

Overall, it’s balance in the equation that seems to attract Cassandra now:

I think it’s important to learn from your waking life as well as from your dreams. I believe that whoever’s in charge up there will fit the burden for your shoulders, but it is good to harness our subconscious experiences too. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be technologically advanced but still have all the spirituality of Aboriginal people?

Jane’s Interpretation

Interpreting this dream symbolically I would have seen the horse either as representing Cassandra’s work (since she worked with horses) or in the more universal dream sense as symbolic of her passion. The border fence would be symbolic of the limits Cassandra perceived in her life, and the horse’s legs would represent mobility and freedom. The dream meaning would become ‘your passion for life is feeling restricted. Overcome this either by recognising your limits, or by extending them’. However, in Cassandra’s case I feel this interpretation is probably not needed. This obviously telepathic dream fulfilled its dual purpose: the horse was rescued and Cassandra’s mind was further opened.