Dream 12.31.22

The sky was gray and the soil was burnt charcoal. There were dust particles floating as if the village had been burnt to the ground. I could hear the rocks and soil shifting under my foot as I walked along side with an elder shaman. He was wearing Hmong clothes and had on a long black veil, a piece of cloth that Hmong shamans use in their rituals. He was a very short elderly man and resembled my grandpa. I don't know how I got here. I don't know what I was doing prior. I was just walking in the open field. Crops dead. Green mustard plants barely growing. Green onions all dried and dead. The elder shaman showing me the dying crops one field at a time. He said in Hmong, "The plants are not growing and soon we're all going to starve." I followed him to the corn field where it was all dried up. Corns stalks infected with mold and bacteria. Soil cracked as if an earthquake ripped through. I followed him to the green mustard field where the leaves looked more yellow than green. Leaves bruised as if it were human flesh. I followed him to the red pepper fields where the plants did not yield any red peppers. The bitter melons and eggplants all deflated as if it was a popped balloon. The field of bean stalks ripped to shreds as if demolished by a beast. He said, "You see son, our plants are all dead. What are we suppose to do?"

I woke up.

This dream was poetic. Hmong shamans use paj lug (poetic verses) when talking about the health and well being of something or someone. We say, "ntsuj xyoob ntsuj tooj" which translates to "spirit tree," meaning a person's spirit. It is a reflection of our health. We say "tooj txwj tooj laus" which translates to "elder tree," meaning an elder person's spirit. We say "hav vaj qej, hav vaj dos" which translates to "garden of garlic, garden of onions," meaning our overall health and well being. We say "pas hawm pas ntshav" which translates to "pond of blood," meaning the blood that runs within a person, our kidneys and liver. We say "nkauj hnub nraug hli" translating to "Daughter Sun and Son Moon," which means the spirit of our eyes. Our eyes are the highest point of our body (sun and moon are the highest in the sky). When we are awake (the Sun) our eyes are open and when we are asleep (the Moon), our eyes are shut. When shamans say "nkauj hnub nraug hli drau toj, drau ces" meaning our eyes have risen and set. This is why when people die, our eyes roll up to look at the sun and moon. My dream was a direct message from my guides and ancestors. It was not a good dream, and so I am following my gut on this one and remaining mindful and aware. Sickness may be among me or my family.

-tfl hmong shaman