Here There Be Tygers.
13:48 | 
Posted by
Tony Foster
I was part of a tiger training team, responsible for my own animal. We were walking the streets near Owlwood Drive, and I was conscious of being on edge the whole time. First, the animals were big and growled a lot, I wasn't sure if I could control mine, and had some trouble singling him out from the other two, who were a lot more dangerous and being looked after by the lead guy, who was probably the Lion Man off the telly, Craig Busch. A lot of the dream is spent exploring that relationship between man and beast, I was managing quite well, but I knew I had to be stern and firm and not show weakness.
Eventually we entered the back yard of 46 Owlwood drive, my old house. There was a ringside enclosure set up there, very modern, very state-of-the-art. I felt relieved that at last we could get the animals inside an enclosure. I was sweating and trembling with the effort of keeping them under control. At one stage I grabbed the wrong animal and felt its massive head under my touch. I roughly pulled it along as I would have with mine, which seemed a younger, more submissive animal. This older animal spoke to me, saying 'don't push it' and I left it alone to seek my own animal.
By this stage we were inside the enclosure but there were a team of young cheerleaders practising inside. There was a bit of chaos as the animals ran around while the youngsters squealed a lot, not necessarily in fear though, I think they trusted that we controlled the tigers and that they were tame. I tried to get the girls to leave but there was more confusion, and I feared for the safety of these girls and the youngsters milling around too as the tigers became more boisterous. In the midst of the confusion, I summoned my animal, only to find that our pet labrador, Ben, long-since dead was running towards me. It looked sort of like a lion and began gnawing at my hand affectionately. This was the Ben of old, before he contracted Parvo and died in considerable pain. I greeted him excitedly, saying how long it had been since I'd seen him and thinking what a long and fulfilling life this golden labrador had had.
The dream then wisped away, with the tigers still loose in the back garden of my old house.
Notes:
The Lion man is a programme I watch with a mixture of awe, horror and fascination. The animals are huge and deadly. Craig's skill in controlling them is consummate. It's clear that sometimes he is within an ace of death as one or other beasts roars at him. But he asserts his dominance and carries on. I am exploring that idea in the dream, of the nearness of death and the effort of will it takes to maintain that dominance.
Eventually we entered the back yard of 46 Owlwood drive, my old house. There was a ringside enclosure set up there, very modern, very state-of-the-art. I felt relieved that at last we could get the animals inside an enclosure. I was sweating and trembling with the effort of keeping them under control. At one stage I grabbed the wrong animal and felt its massive head under my touch. I roughly pulled it along as I would have with mine, which seemed a younger, more submissive animal. This older animal spoke to me, saying 'don't push it' and I left it alone to seek my own animal.
By this stage we were inside the enclosure but there were a team of young cheerleaders practising inside. There was a bit of chaos as the animals ran around while the youngsters squealed a lot, not necessarily in fear though, I think they trusted that we controlled the tigers and that they were tame. I tried to get the girls to leave but there was more confusion, and I feared for the safety of these girls and the youngsters milling around too as the tigers became more boisterous. In the midst of the confusion, I summoned my animal, only to find that our pet labrador, Ben, long-since dead was running towards me. It looked sort of like a lion and began gnawing at my hand affectionately. This was the Ben of old, before he contracted Parvo and died in considerable pain. I greeted him excitedly, saying how long it had been since I'd seen him and thinking what a long and fulfilling life this golden labrador had had.
The dream then wisped away, with the tigers still loose in the back garden of my old house.
Notes:
The Lion man is a programme I watch with a mixture of awe, horror and fascination. The animals are huge and deadly. Craig's skill in controlling them is consummate. It's clear that sometimes he is within an ace of death as one or other beasts roars at him. But he asserts his dominance and carries on. I am exploring that idea in the dream, of the nearness of death and the effort of will it takes to maintain that dominance.
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