Path Through the Thicket of Disapproval

I dream I am in a high church and the mass is over and it’s time to leave I am sort of enamoured with the priest but he loves another woman not me - I have to find a way out for us all but not by the way I came in I find a path and clear a way down through a thicket and clear a path. I am then in a bedroom with my mother she is awful too me and says that I am a disappointment to her that she had tried to show me how to be with Clark and so had he but I just didn’t get it. I said I am not that sort of woman subservient and I am an individual but she kept telling me that I had been a disappointment for her having to live with a daughter who is on her own. Look at you you wouldn’t want to put your painting up in this room. I had left an alcoholic man and I think I felt I had no choice but to return to the bad man.

This dream seems to blend themes of spirituality, self-identity, interpersonal relationships, and familial expectations. Here’s an interpretation of the different components of the dream:

High Church and Mass:

Setting in a high church: This may symbolize a journey of introspection or spiritual evaluation. Churches often represent a place of sanctuary and reflection.
The end of the mass: Could suggest an ending or transition phase in your life, possibly leaving behind old roles or habits.
Admiration for the priest: Represents an idealized figure or authority in your life, indicating aspirations for qualities you see in them. However, the fact that he loves another may signify feelings of unrequited love or admiration in a relationship.

Clearing a Path:

Finding and clearing a path: Represents your desire and ability to forge new ways in life, to find solutions out of situations or mindsets you no longer find beneficial.

Bedroom with Mother:

Tension with your mother: Reflects feelings of inadequacy or the pressure to measure up to family expectations. It could also reveal an internalized critical voice.
Mother’s critique: Suggests feelings of not meeting certain societal or familial norms, possibly in relation to relationships or independence.

Disappointment Theme:

Feeling like a disappointment: Indicates unresolved feelings or fear of failure, especially in conforming to traditional roles expected by family or society.
Insistence on being subservient and Clark reference: Suggests societal pressures on gender roles and autonomy. Clark could symbolize a particular societal expectation or individual influence you reject.

Art and Independence:

Painting reference: Suggests creative expression and personal identity. Not wanting to put your painting up might imply self-doubt or fear of expressing your true self openly.
Alcoholic relationship: Represents patterns of unhealthy relationships or circumstances. The pull of returning to this person signifies a fear of regression or feeling trapped in detrimental past patterns.

Conclusion and Resolution:

Considering these elements, your dream highlights a struggle between individual independence and external expectations. There's also a conflict with self-acceptance and the fear of not conforming to societal or traditional roles. You show resilience and a desire to break through by clearing paths, which signifies empowerment and hope for defining your destiny. This dream invites reflection on the balance between personal autonomy and external expectations, urging an embracement of your true self and creative expression without guilt or fear of disapproval.