Analysis for Daphne, 5 March 1999

This is how you described the room:

The walls are painted bright red. The room is sparsely furnished with a table and green and yellow metal chairs. Warm morning sun streams in across the floor through an open door at the far end of the room. The doorways have brightly-colored, hand-painted decorations around them.

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. This comfortable room suggests a childhood that was pleasant. Few, simple furnishings tells us that the subject has few memories of that time.

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

It's a Redwood forest, with massive tree trunks looming all around me. It's very shady, and a bit chilly. The silence is broken very rarely by a breeze rustling the leaves, or some small creature passing by in the underbrush.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Very tall trees imply that the adults had a significant and substantial impact on the subject’s life. A semi-dark forest tells us that the subject felt somewhat oppressed by the attention the adults gave.

This is how you described the path:

The path through the forest is wide in places, with more narrow, brush-covered trails branching off at various points. Large gnarly tree roots creep across the path from time to time, so I have to be careful not to trip on them. The ground is moist and slightly squishy beneath my feet.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. A wide path indicates that the subject had numerous options for emotional growth at this time. That plants are the major source of obstructions tells us that the subject’s problems arose mostly from interactions with adults.

This is how you described the water:

A small creek bubbles along the side of the trail. It's shallow and I can see the rocky bottom clearly. Tiny little insects hover above the water, and I think I can see some very young tadpoles or minnows swimming along with the current.

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:

It's a thickly crafted, dark-blue mug. It's fairly heavy with a rough texture on the outside, and smoothly glazed on the inside. One side of the mug has a silver Celtic knot design on it. It is empty.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. A container that is both decorative and practical indicates that the subject considers both romantic and pragmatic aspects of marriage.

You took the cup and filled it.

The subject is interested in marriage, and sex will be a significant part of that relationship.

This is how you described the key:

The key is long and slender and fits neatly in the palm of my hand. Though the key is rusty and corroded, some of the original silver sheen still shows.

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). Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional career.

You avoided the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the indirect, non-confrontational 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.