Analysis for Maryska Faour, 10 January 2003

This is how you described the room:

The room is large with rough stone walls. I find myself on a spacious four poster bed made of some dark wood like cherry or mahogany in the center of the room. I'm under a pile of warm but course wool blankets and slightly musty smelling furs. Across the room is a stone fireplace but no fire burns in it. Two long tapestries are hanging on either side of the fireplace. They are faded but seem to portray some kind of hunting scene. As I climb out of bed for a closer look my bare feet make contact with a bitterly cold floor. I shiver.

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 significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting memories of childhood.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest before me appears to be very old. The trees are ancient, gnarly and covered in grey spanish moss. It's full of sounds. As I peer into the darkness I can hear the sounds of small things scurrying through the undergrowth but I see nothing but endless twisted trees. Despite the foreboding look of the forest, if feels peaceful and is strangely beautiful.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Stunted, damaged, or absent trees imply a dearth of adult interaction with the subject. 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:

A path suddenly catches my eye. It is narrow and barely visible. I don't think I would have noticed it had not a shaft of sunlight broken through the shadowy branches and illuminated it. A couple of trees on the side of the trail have patches of bark rubbed off to expose the smooth pale flesh of the tree underneath. It occurs to me that those might be caused by deer rubbing the velvet off their antlers in the fall. Could this be a deer path and not man made?

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. Poor visibility of the path tells us the subject was often confused by the changes brought on by adolescence. A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time.

This is how you described the water:

The trail comes to an abrupt end at a small pool. It's strangely clear but the water appears to be greenish in color. It is almost eerily quiet. The only sound being the steady musical sound of a small creek feeding into the pool. Even the forest noises I had because accustomed to seemed to cease as I got nearer the water's edge. I climb onto one of the large mossy rocks surrounding the pool and look into the water. Several large orange and black fish dart about, occasionally surfacing to swallow an unfortunate spider or insect on the surface. It looks deep.

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 went around it.

The subject is not interested in new sexual experiences.

This is how you described the cup:

I navigate the rocky edge of the pool without too much difficulty. To my surprise I find evidence of a human presence on the other side, where the path continued. A small tin cup lay half buried in the soft mud near the water. It's owner must have passed this way some time ago. There is a hole rusted clear through the bottom.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. That the container is refuse or damaged suggests a cynicism about the institution.

You left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

A little further down the trail I find a key. Like the cup it appears to have been lying there for a long time. I think it's brass. I pick it up and turn it around slowly in my hand, brushing off the dirt and examining it closely. It looks like it could open a door or maybe a chest.

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). Having the key open a house, car, or other commonplace use tells us that the subject has no extraordinary expectations about a career. An ordinary-looking key suggests that the subject desires a nondescript career.

You avoided the bear.

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

When you came to the wall, you jumped over it.

The wall represents death: by jumping over it, the subject not only acknowledges death but has come to accept its finality.