Analysis for Peaches, 23 November 1998

This is how you described the room:

The room is fairly cold, with long red velvet curtains and red carpeting. There are gold tapestries, and the air is musty with dust. There is a green couch, which I had been lying on, against one wall.

The initial room is the subject’s childhood. What interests us here is the general atmosphere of the room, in addition to the level of furnishings described by the subject. An uncomfortable room suggests a childhood that was devoid of happiness. The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong memories of childhood.

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest is very dark, thick, and oppressive. The trees have lush emerald-colored leaves on them, and there are no birds or animals in sight. There is a narrow dirt path directly in front of me.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. A very dark forest tells us that the subject felt considerably oppressed by the attentions of the adults.

This is how you described the path:

The path is narrow, and has been used many times before, perhaps by fairies? The ground is hard and smooth.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time. The strong evidence of fellow travelers tells us that the subject received a lot of support from friends and family during that potentially troubling time. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

The water is a gently moving stream, naturally occurring. The water is clear, you can see dark plants and algae undulating in it. There are tiny minnows in it.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Slow, gently moving water suggests a passive, restrained, calm sex drive. Clear water tells us that the subject has no issues regarding sex. The presence of life in or around the water indicates a strong desire for children.

When you came to the water, you crossed it.

The subject is open to new sexual experiences.

This is how you described the cup:

The vessel is a simple wooden bowl, well worn, obviously well loved by its owner. Very smooth.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. A practical container indicates that the subject is pragmatic when it comes to questions of marriage.

You took the cup but left it empty.

The subject is interested in marriage, but sex won’t be a significant part of that relationship.

This is how you described the key:

The key is a dark, hard iron skeleton key. I think it opens a secret box somewhere, filled with happiness and love and all that good stuff.

The key is the ideal career for the subject. What interests us here is how the key appears (representing how others view the career) and what it may open (representing the subject’s goals for the career). Magical or fantastic keys suggest that the subject has unreasonably high expectations of what will result from a career. Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional career.

You confronted the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the direct, no-nonsense approach.

When you came to the wall, you tried to go around it.

The wall represents death: by trying to walk around it, the subject shows an acknowledgment of death, but also a need for an alternative to its finality, such as an afterlife or reincarnation.