Keeping track of our dreams by writing them down in a journal can help promote lucid dreaming and can also illuminate major patterns or underlying themes that we can draw on for inspiration. In addition, having a written log of our dreams can often reveal our own prophetic and intuitive powers, and we can use this insight to help us plan ahead and avoid misfortune.

There are many ways to create a dream journal. You might choose a special journal with a hardcover binding, an everyday plain and simple spiral notebook, or even a day planner. Whatever you choose, make your dream journal more personal by decorating it with artistic designs, collage, fabric, or pretty paper. Write your name in the front cover along with an inspiring question or phrase such as, “What mysteries and wonders will my dreams reveal?”

Upon waking each morning, write down everything you can remember about your dreams. Note colors, numbers, symbols, and other images that stand out. Include your interpretation of the dream, as well—you can always revise your interpretations as your dream journal begins to shape up.

For each dream entry, note the date of the dream, and list any circumstances of note such as illness, exhaustion, hunger, or a particularly pleasurable, exciting, or difficult day. Note also the phase of the moon; you might find that your most prophetic dreams come to you near the full moon, for instance, or that you're most prone to nightmares during the waning moon.

Knowledge is power, and by tracking your dreams, you're opening up a world of new information and learning about your sleep patterns and your subconscious fears and desires. Track your dreams for a month and see what you discover—then use this knowledge to create the waking and sleeping life of your dreams!