I start off moderately lucid, shifting from one lucid dream to the next, almost swimming between dreams.

At some point I'm walking along some kind of bush path. It's night time. I see that there's a man here - older, armed with a gun or knife. It's a moment of confrontation. He seems crazy and at first I'm intimidated, but the scene somehow passes.

Now I'm walking down a hill. As it turns out, it's the hill which lies behind my old family home. The only difference is that the trees are much thicker in this case. In fact, I almost have to fight through them in order to head in the direction of the house, and the more familiar part of the property below. As I continue onwards, my mouth takes on the sensation of being unusually dry, and I start to feel that my skin has been cut up/scarred by the work of pushing through the bush. I'm surpised that my senses are so intact, knowing that I'm actually dreaming.

I"m wondering about all this, and why it is I'm here, when I hear the voice of my companion join me.

"Doesn't this remind you of that dream you wrote about the golden dawn".

Somehow the words, bring a memory to a me, a memory I didn't know I had. A memory of a Lion.

My vision stretches out to the bottom of the hill below, and the driveway. Now I see that same Lion, heading towards us, pacing full of pride, up the driveway. At this point, we are still at some distance, but I seem to know what's in store.

I'm going to meet with the Lion. I put my best thoughts forward, the use of the word 'golden' has put a positive edge on the encounter, yet I'm still nervous. I can feel the size, the courage, the heart of this creature as it approaches.

I try and puff myself up, to meet it with the respect/majesty it deserves, but find it slightly terrifying to look it in the eyes, instead nervously keeping my face somewhat edged toward the ground. For a moment, I think I've passed it - that I can breathe easy again, but the lion is clearly no stranger to my fear. It turns back, edging past me. LIke the hunter this beast is, it seems to sniff out my fear, testing me.

I see myself now divide, almost becoming two characters. On the one hand there is the 'dream' me, my spirit, brave and accepting of this creature, but holding me back, lagging behind is another 'me' - my physical self, clinging to an unknown fear.

The lion looks at me, and I see a sequence of images, as though spun into my mind from the lion's eye. The images speak of behaviours I'd rather let go, aspects of a younger, teenage self. I immediately know what it is I have to change about my life, that will take this fear away. I feel opened/cleared by the honesty of the lion, and he now becomes more man than animal. I give him a hug, grateful as I am for this message.

By now we have reached the base of the driveway. The lion now takes the form of a man, speaking to me in English. For some reason, he has however taken the appearance of a character from a Brazilian film I saw a while back, so I feel tempted to speak back in Portuguese.

"Obrigado" (Portuguese for Thank you)

For a moment I wonder if he will understand, yet he does, fluently offering a reply along the lines of "tudo obrigado", which somehow suggests that the encounter is something that benefits us all.

I'm starting to feel like I should wake up now, and seemingly understanding of this, my other companion at this point speaks up..

"We have some other things to go on with, but if you want to see him again you should know his name" 

"Madrugada"

I wake from the dream.