Did I dream about a deity? If so, who?

[the_spiral]

I just remembered a dream I had as a young girl and wanted to run it by y'all! In this dream I was on a sandy beach on a brilliantly hot, sunny day. The landscape was Mediterranean and behind me was a complex of white temple buildings. The water was bright blue and sparkling and I noticed a single dolphin swimming from the horizon toward the beach. As it came into the shallow water it became a man who crawled up on the beach, stood up and approached me. He was tall and young with bronzed skin, black curly hair and bright, piercing golden eyes. He was very beautiful and smiling and radiated energy and power. I woke up after that and strongly felt I'd had a spiritual encounter.

Does this ring a bell for anyone? A deity, a spirit guide or something else? I've often thought about this figure since and wondered why he appeared so dramatically.

[Tristran]

Were the trees and plant leaves larger than expected and did the sun burn your skin ?

If the leaves were larger than standard leaves of today and the sun's rays didn't burn then you were probably confronted by a merman from the days of Atlantas.

[cyberdemon]

Didn't you have experience with sea spirits at some point or another in time..?

[the_spiral]

Were the trees and plant leaves larger than expected and did the sun burn your skin ?

I didn't notice the leaves because they were too far away, but no, the sun was quite pleasant and didn't burn me. And I can't think of a merman without thinking of this [crazy]



@ cyberdemon -

No, maybe you're thinking of someone else here though? I've worked mostly with serpent spirits.

[Nahemah]

Dionysus?

Something about dolphins and golden eyes. Just a thought.

[Occultess]

I don't know if you dreamed of a diety or not, but the dolphin and the Mediterranean thing made me think of this from Greek mythology:

We have seen that when Apollo assumed his god-like form, he took his place
among the immortals; but he had not long enjoyed the rapturous delights of
Olympus, before he felt within him an ardent desire to fulfil his great
mission of interpreting to mankind the will of his mighty father. He
accordingly descended to earth, and travelled through many countries,
seeking a fitting site upon which to establish an oracle. At length he
reached the southern side of the rocky heights of Parnassus, beneath which
lay the harbour of Crissa. Here, under the overhanging cliff, he found a
secluded spot, where, from the most ancient times, there had existed an
oracle, in which Gæa herself had revealed the future to man, and which, in
Deucalion's time, she had resigned to Themis. It was guarded by the huge
serpent Python, the scourge of the surrounding neighbourhood, and the
terror alike of men and cattle. The young god, full of confidence in his
unerring aim, attacked and slew the monster with his arrows, thus freeing
land and people from their mighty enemy.

The grateful inhabitants, anxious to do honour to their deliverer, flocked
round Apollo, who proceeded to mark out a plan for a temple, and, with the
assistance of numbers of eager volunteers, a suitable edifice was soon
erected. It now became necessary to choose ministers, who would offer up
sacrifices, interpret his prophecies to the people, and take charge of the
temple. Looking round, he saw in the far distance a vessel bound from Crete
to the {73} Peloponnesus, and determined to avail himself of her crew for
his service. Assuming the shape of an enormous dolphin, he agitated the
waters to such a degree, that the ship was tossed violently to and fro, to
the great alarm of the mariners; at the same time he raised a mighty wind,+
which drove the ship into the harbour of Crissa, where she ran aground. The
terrified sailors dared not set foot on shore; but Apollo, under the form
of a vigorous youth, stepped down to the vessel, revealed himself in his
true character, and informed them that it was he who had driven them to
Crissa, in order that they might become his priests, and serve him in his
temple. Arrived at the sacred fane, he instructed them how to perform the
services in his honour, and desired them to worship him under the name of
Apollo-Delphinios, because he had first appeared to them under the form of
a dolphin. Thus was established the far-famed oracle of Delphi, the only
institution of the kind which was not exclusively national, for it was
consulted by Lydians, Phrygians, Etruscans, Romans, &c., and, in fact, was
held in the highest repute all over the world. In obedience to its decrees,
the laws of Lycurgus were introduced, and the earliest Greek colonies
founded. No cities were built without first consulting the Delphic oracle,
for it was believed that Apollo took special delight in the founding of
cities, the first stone of which he laid in person; nor was any enterprise
ever undertaken, without inquiring at this sacred fane as to its probable
success.

[TheSeeker]

I don't know if you dreamed of a diety or not, but the dolphin and the Mediterranean thing made me think of this from Greek mythology:

We have seen that when Apollo assumed his god-like form,
he took his place among the immortals...

This is curious.
My immediate feeling as soon as I read the OP was Apollo.