Life as an Amish girl

[ButterFly85]

I had this weird dream a few months back...it was quite brief too. I was a girl, about 14 in age, and I was having a somewhat romantic talk with a young man. I was wearing a white bonnett, to be perfectly honest, I looked like a pilgrim or something. My dress was light blue and I had a white apron and a white bonnet. I was buttoned up to my neck and I actually felt very...how should i put this....restricted, by either my up bringing, or my religion. The young man and I seemed to be hiding from everyone, like that romeo and juliette sort of visit. He was telling me lovely things because I felt the butterflies in my stomach. I think he was planning to marry me and take me "away". Suddenly my intimate talk was interrupted by a woman. She seemed a bit cranky, the very strict mother type. She pulled me by my arm and dragged me into our house. It was a wooden cottage. Not much furniture. She began to interrogate me about that boy and what we were doing. I tried to explain but she wouldn't stop yelling at me. I was so afraid. Suddenly a man walks in the room and she forces me down to my knees and says I need to recite some sort of religious chant and then she gave me something that looked like a wooden ruler, only it had some weird letters and symbols in it and I had to read that and chant. The man that had walked in the room seemed to be some sort of religious leader or high priest. I felt like i was being punished and "purified" during this ceremony. All I remember was me looking into those symbols and chanting.

 

[ButterFly85]

Well I related my way of life as "Amish" feeling while I was dreaming, but I've never heard of that symbol stuff. In a way I felt it was some sort of a cult thing... only I and a few people were a part of this and it was like a secret. It didn't feel like it was right. When you follow your religion, it is supposed to make you feel satisfied in some way, you know what I mean? This chanting stuff I was doing felt forced upon me.


To answer the question about the priest...all I know is that he was wearing white, or light clothing. He had a draped-like shawl or cape and some kind of hat or thing covering his head. He was older, I'd say in his late 60s. As far as the symbols go, I know that I saw them clearly in my dream, but they became foggy after I woke up, I don't really remember any shapes or letter of any kind. I do remember they were written in the same format as a ruler, numbers on top and numbers on the bottom. Instead of numbers they were symbols. It wasn't exactly the length of a ruler it was more the size of a bookmark though, but it had the same thickness because it was made out of wood.

 

[deborah]

HI Butterfly85,


Here is an informative site about the Amish.


It speaks of symbols but isn't specific. Although references are given for further investigation.

The basic concepts of Amish culture can best be described by the German word Gelassenheit 32 . Gelassenheit is a concept which encompasses many aspects of Amish life. It can be broken down into five units which include: personality, symbols, structure, ritual, and values...

 

[ButterFly85]

I found this interesting, it somewhat describes the clothing in my dream.....I've highlighted the words that fit my description:


"Amish women are expected to wear a prayer covering and a bonnet when they appear in public settings. Most women wear a cape over their dresses as well as an apron. The three parts of the dress are often fastened together with straight pins. Various colors, including green, brown, blue, and lavender, are permitted for men's shirts and women's dresses, but designs and figures in the material are taboo.'

 

[ButterFly85]

I think I have found another interesting clue. I looked through some amish symbols. Most of them are drawings, so I figured I might be wrong because i didn't see drawings in my dream, only letters. To my suprise as I looked at the drawings closely I saw the writing underneath and those letters look very similar to the ones in my dream, take a look....

 

[Justin Smith]

I live not far from Amish country. Those symbols are called "hex signs" and the Amish frequently put them on their houses and barns. "Wilkum" in the dialect of German the Amish speak means "welcome".