Yesod is associated with dreams, the subconscious and the Moon. Dreams have always had special significance for me; every since I was a child, I've divided my dreams into "just a dream" and "a real dream". A "just a dream" is what is says - it felt like just a dream and nothing more. I wake up with anything from a vague impression to a vivid recall - and yet it doesn't seem important. Other times, I wake up feeling as though it wasn't "just a dream" - I was actually there. This isn't to say that if I dream of a person that I believe I've physically been to that person's house. I haven't. I've astrally been with them. The effect on me is sometimes very profound, and is as "real" as any physical experience.

To experience Yesod, try the following over a period of two weeks.

Keep a pencil and paper by your bed. Some people remember their dreams vividly on waking; others have only a vague impression, and still others have no recollection at all. One thing that most people have in common is that no matter how vividly you remember your dreams on waking, frequently you will have forgotten them completely within half an hour - or even less.

When you wake up, write down your dream. This is MUCH easier said than done! There are numerous practical problems:

• Once your brain really kicks in, there's a good chance you'll forget your dream. Unfortunately, the act of writing is usually enough to get your brain to start working. You may feel too groggy to be able to write coherently. Don't panic! If you possibly can, write down some key words in your dream (for example: "boat", "cat", "playing backgammon with Genghis Khan"). Or draw a quick picture.
• If you really can't write the second you wake up, shout out some key words at least three times; the act of vocalising the words (which may well be easier than writing them) makes it more likely they'll stick in your mind so you can write them down a few minutes later, after your brain has started working. This tip works well if you live alone, but can cause misunderstandings if you live in a shared house, particularly if you share a house with a psychiatrist.
• You may have absolutely no recollection of your dream whatsoever. Admittedly, this DOES make writing it down a bit of a problem. Without thinking about it, write down the first few words that come into your head (for example, "toadstool", "arguing", "bubonic plague", "multi-tasking operating system")

Notice anything odd. To give an example, on one occasion I woke up laughing, because in my dream someone had quoted a short, succinct poem that was beautiful, elegant and amusing. It was only four lines long, it rhymed and the meter of the poem was just perfect. I woke up and just had to write it down quickly before I forgot. I tried to say the first line before writing it down, and then realised that it was utter gibberish. Not even writable gibberish - that would have been quite interesting in its own right - but just a series of grunts and moans.

After doing this for at least two weeks, see if you feel any different internally. The act of writing down your dreams means that you are less likely to forget them, so your experience now consists of your day-to-day reality together with a knowledge of your dreams. If you want to try to analyse them, that's fine - I don't bother, personally. Just being aware of them means that my Universe is a larger than it would otherwise be.

This may seem a bit obscure - but Yesod is obscure. Trying to experience Yesod directly is like trying to catch moonbeams. It can't be done. But you do know what the sea looks like without the reflection of the full moon in it; and you know what it looks like with the reflection, and you know what the difference looks like. This dream exercise gives you a taste of Yesod by helping to crystallise the fleeting experience that is dreaming.