A Desert Journey

Waiting can be a special form of torture, worse than any momentary pain. The
combination of frustration and boredom can send even the bravest heart into
a state of panic. Our first journey will bring us face to face with the infinite.
Take a moment to prepare yourself, and eternal desert...

1. You are riding a camel across the vast and empty expanse of a seemingly
endless dessert. You have ridden until you are near exhaustion. What words
would you say to the camel that has carried you all the way?

2. Just at the point you thought you’d die of thirst, a beautiful oasis appears.
But someone has arrived before you. Who is this other traveller? (Use the
name of a person you know.)

3. Time passes slowly in the desert, and it feels like an eternity before the
lights of a town appear on the horizon. You have finally reached your
destination. What are your feelings as you come to your journey’s end?

4. The time has come to part with the camel you have ridden for so long. Just
as you dismount, a new rider climbs into the saddle to take your place. Who is
the new rider? (Name another person in your life.)
Key to a Desert Journey

After you've answered the above questions - no cheating! - highlight the

space below with your mouse to reveal the interpretations :)

The desert and camel theme symbolizes the journey toward personal
independence. Specifically, this scenario reveals your feelings about parting
with a lover. Your answers show how you might react when the time comes to
go your separate ways.

1. The words you spoke to the camel reveal what you might say to yourself
when you realize love has been lost. Did you try words of encouragement like
“We’ll make it through somehow!” Or was there a hint of despair — “We’re
lost… this is hopeless… I think we’re going to die out here”?

2. In psychological terms, the oasis symbolizes the key to solving one’s

problems. The person you encountered here could be someone who has
helped or comforted you in the past or one you might turn to in times of need.

3. The town at journey’s end stands for the order restored to your emotions
once you’ve recovered from your broken heart. Your feelings upon reaching
the town are your true feeling about finally getting over a lost love.

4. The new rider is a person toward whom you feel a secret rivalry, jealousy,
or resentment. Is the person you named a rival in love or maybe someone
who once broke your heart?

A day at the Beach

Perhaps it’s because we instinctively trace the roots of life back to the oceans,
perhaps it’s something hardwired deep within our brains; whatever the reason
may be, the sea holds a special power over us. The tang of the salt air, the
fine spray of the surf, the soft crashing of the waves-the net effect is to
stimulate and soothe. Sometimes a stroll along a sandy beach can transport
you much further from your everyday reality than the actual distance you walk.
That may be why the sea holds a special place in lovers’ hearts. It provides
them with the chance to journey together, if only for a brief time, into another
world.

1. You are walking along a quiet beach. As you wander the dunes, you spot a
surfboard washed up on the sand. Describe the surf-board and the impression
it makes on you.

2. You climb onto the board and paddle out to try your luck on the waves.
How are the conditions for surfing today?

3. You have managed to get to your feet and are experiencing the thrill of
actually riding the wave, when suddenly you wipe out and tumble headfirst
into the water. What do you think, feel, or try to scream as you struggle to find
your way back to the surface.

4. You finally emerge from the water unscathed, and looking back toward the
beach, you see that a person you know has been watching you. Who is that
person?

Key to A day at the Beach

Most of us sense intuitively the strong psychological associations between the

sea and sex. The way you imagined your experience on the waves tells us
something about your expectations and desires in the sexual realm.

1. Throughout history and across cultures, the sea is portrayed as feminine.

Against that backdrop, the surfboard provides an overt example of what Freud
referred to as the “phallic symbol.”

Women.
Your description of the surfboard corresponds with your image and
impression of masculine characteristics.

Men.
Your answer shows your perception of your own physical sexuality.

2. The surfing conditions you described reveal your own hopes and
expectations from sex.

3. Total submersion within the churning waters is a metaphor for the peak of
sexual pleasure. Your thoughts and feelings as your struggled upwards
correspond to those you experience in the throes of ecstasy.

4. The person you pictured standing on the beach is someone you show
intense interest in, in a sexual sense. This doesn’t necessarily indicate active
sexual desire; it may be that you’re simply curious about what that person is
like in the most intimate and unguardable of moments. Then again maybe,
just maybe, that’s something that you want to find out firsthand.