Dream Work 102: Incubation

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Purpose

Set your intention

Identify your source

Incubation ritual

Purpose

Incubation is an ancient form of divination that dates back to Mesopotamia times. High priestesses would perform sacred rituals in order to receive prophetic dreams from their respective divine beings.

What made incubation so special back in the day was that high priestesses would incorporate this into their daily rituals.

They would sleep in their temples, the home of the divine in hopes to receive divine messages. It was believed that their “gods” lived and dwelled within the temple, within such a consecrated place priestesses drifted into sleep before their altars.

But what does incubation look like to the modern practitioner?

This looks like using a ritual to set an intention for dream divination. It looks like having questions or concerns in mind that you want to be answered by your interpretation of the divine.

While incubation can seem intimidating, the main thing you have to understand is your intuition. You do not need years of dream interpretation experience, though it would be helpful in some ways.

Modern incubation begins with a purpose. For incubation to be successful, for divination purposes, you will first need to identify your intention.

Step 1: Set your Intention

Before you can get into the ritual the ritual must be planned. The first step to creating any type of ritual is going to be to identify and set your intention.

The basis of your ritual is your intention, so all tools will be formed around the idea of your intention.

The purpose of divination is to receive divine messages. But what type of divine messages are you looking for?

What aspect or aspects of your life do you need help with? Where are you the most confused or unsettled and need support?

Of course, there is the option to go into incubation with an open heart and mind and take messages as you receive them. This would be your intention in that case.

I find that the more clear my intention is for divination the better capable I am to interpret and apply these messages to my life.

Step 2: Identify your Source

If your practice is monotheistic, meaning you believe in a singular god, then this becomes rather easy. Your source has already been identified and you have the faith to back up this request for divine messages.

However, if you are polytheistic you must identify first what problem or issue you would like to be resolved.

For example, if you are looking for relationship advice you would want to ask an entity who is known for showing love but is willing to give you hard-to-swallow truths.

Examples of Love Dieties

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Every dieitiy and manifestation of a divine heavenly body has their own requirements for establishing and maintaining a relationship with them.

With closed practices such as the Yorba religion you will require a rite of passage initiated by an elder and or priestess to help you establish a long standing relationship.

These sacred practices are typically kept under wraps by the inner circles from which they belong.

If you are looking to go into closed practices you will first have to find a mentor who is willing to guide you into the relationship.

Sometimes in rare cases you may be guided by spirit to certain divine entities and it will be put into your hands to develop this relationship from scratch.

Just be careful to protect yourself, and have a meaningful understanding about the relationships you are delving into.

This is the same for diving into open practices. You can learn about how to establish relationships with the divine here.

Divine Wisdom

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Or maybe you just need some general life advice and divine wisdom here are some entities that can assist you.

There are an endless number of sources you can use.

It all depends on your unique preference and what source you would like to reach out to. You can also reach out to the shadow in this form and perform a more constructed form of dream work.

If you are trying to reach the shadow through incubation your intention would be to integrate and understand your shadow self.

If you want to have a good basis on what dreamwork in relation to your shadow you can find the guide here.

However, if you are a practitioner with a developed practice and identified spirit guides feel free to reach out to these familiar entities through the ancient form of incubation.

Step 3: Incubation Ritual

Now that you have identified your intention and the divine source you would like to receive messages from this is where the beginning of your ritual takes place.

At this point, you should be ready for bed and are moments away from setting your head down into blissful sleep. Any other nighttime rituals would be performed before these next steps, like skincare, brushing your teeth, nighttime prayer, etc.

Begin by lighting a candle to honor the source you are hoping to connect with. Each entity has its respective color palette that would best honor them, though you can never go wrong with a simple white candle.

This candle can be dressed specifically for each entity but I will give you a white candle dressing that can honor any form of the divine. With special intent for incubation!

You can use all of these magickal tools to create your candle in order to honor your divinesource.

this can include a few of these ingredients, all of them, or even just the white candle itself!

The more you know about your divine source the better you can tailor your candle to match their exact wants when it comes to creating an offering.

Ritual

1. Dress your candle with the herbs and oils or just leave the candle plain. Light the candle as an offering to your divine source and meditate on your intention while gazing into the flame of your candle.

If you want to begin your divination before you sleep, learn candle divination here.

This is a great time to write out your intentions in your dream journal and slip it under your pillow or next to your bedside near the candle. This also makes for easy access to record your dreams as soon as you wake up.

2. Anoint yourself with a dream or Lapis Luzuil oil. If you have an oil for your crown or third eye chakra this would also be a great substitution.

Anointing with oils will help to activate your crown and third eye chakra making you more receptive to divine messages.

3. Take your oil of choice and place it in the palm of your hand massaging it in while focusing on your intention.

Now anoint your crown, swiping your hands on the top of your hair or just above it going over and down the top of your crown.

Then you will anoint the forehead to touch the third eye and make sure your intuition is prepared to be put to work while dreaming

If you do not have anointing oils feel free to skip this step.

4. Place an amethyst crystal under your pillow for more vivid dreams as they are the easiest to remember. You can also use a range of other crystals that correspond with your divine source or your intention.

5. Drift into sleep. But be prepared to record your dreams as soon as you wake up for maximum results. I find it best to keep my dream journal on my bedside or even underneath my pillow.

6. Observe your dreams and write them down in your journal the best that you can. Take note of even the smallest of details before you attempt to interpret the messages from your dreams.

If you are having a hard time interpreting your dreams to consult your divine source in prayer. “ what did you mean by…”

Wen performed correctly incubation can give you amazing guidance and push you past your problems. Make sure to show your appreciation to your divine source for giving you these messages so that you can continue to perform this effortless form of divination.