Читать книгу The Dream Dictionary from A to Z [Revised edition] - Theresa Cheung - Страница 8

ABANDONED PLACES According to Jung, places in dreams where people work or live together, such as villages, towns, and cities, symbolize how you perceive yourself within your community, how well you are fitting in. So if places are abandoned in your dream, like a ghost town or a deserted village, this could mirror feelings of isolation or rejection in your waking life.

See also PLACES.

ABANDONMENT Dream images connected to feelings of abandonment, fear, and loss of control all have some form of conflict as their theme. For example, dreams about missing a bus, train, or plane all point to some kind of tension in the dreamer about failing to achieve a goal. Dreams about being abandoned or left alone by a group of loved ones suggest feelings of anxiety about being left out, or being different from the crowd. Anxiously searching for the right road or path could point to fears about losing your identity. If you are happily wandering alone in your dream, this may suggest a feeling that the source of your problems lies outside yourself. Dreams about anchors and lifeboats also tell of the fight for survival in daily life. If you dream of being lost in dense vegetation, towering trees, or tall reeds, you may feel that your progress is being thwarted by obstacles. As in the tale of Hansel and Gretel, this dream may evoke longing for the comfort and warmth of home.

See also CHILD (abandoned by parents dream) and SEPARATION.

ABDOMEN

See BODY.

ABDUCTION

See KIDNAP.

ABORIGINAL In dreams, an aboriginal is a symbol of that within you which is unsophisticated and natural. It is the basic, life-affirming energy or intuition within you which may have been repressed by experience; you need to get in touch with this simplicity again to understand yourself or a situation in your waking life better. In short, this dream is urging you to reconnect with your intuition and work with it in your daily life.

ABORTION Dreams about abortion, miscarriages, and stillbirth are likely to leave you feeling traumatized on waking, whether you are pregnant or not. And if you are expecting a baby, such a dream is likely to be a nightmare. If this is the case, your dream was simply playing out your natural feelings of anxiety. However, most dreams about abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirth aren’t to be interpreted literally, as they refer to a concept you may have been mulling over, or an idea that is not realizing its potential or is not supported by your confidence or desire. There may be a need to reject a feeling, emotion, belief, or concept that could be problematic in waking life. Decisions need to be taken which will help you get rid of what is no longer wanted in waking life.

How did you feel about the abortion in your dream? If you were distressed, perhaps someone or something is trying to prevent you from succeeding. If you were relieved, your unconscious may be urging you to change direction or change your mind. Perhaps the concept is too demanding or the idea is flawed in some way. On the other hand, the dream may also have referred to something or someone about which you feel guilty. Dreams that focus on miscarriage may have the same interpretation but they may also refer to a miscarriage of justice, especially if you felt anger in your dream. Is someone in your waking life taking the credit you deserve? Stillbirth dreams are in some ways more devastating and sad than dreams about miscarriage, as the baby has been brought to full term with the only element missing being the spark of life. In dreams, a still born baby may represent a talent you have allowed to die, or a relationship that has died due to neglect.

ABOVE

See POSITION.

ABROAD If you are going abroad or are abroad in your dream, your unconscious is thinking about your own personal freedom or your ability to move freely around your inner and outer worlds. Your dream is giving you an understanding of your feelings toward the widening of your horizons or the making of changes in your life. Pay attention to how you feel in the dream, as this will help you interpret it. The dream could also be about a need to escape from, or leave, a situation, as suggested by the phrase for having a vacation abroad – ‘getting away from it all’. If someone or something arrives from abroad, this represents a change or something new happening in your life. Someone of the opposite sex arriving from abroad indicates hopes for a new relationship or the need for new life to be injected into a current relationship. The dream may also be slang – ‘a broad’ – expressing desire for a particular female.

ABYSS If the deep, precipitous sides of a chasm or large hole threaten to engulf and swallow you up in a dream, or if an abyss suddenly opens up in front of you, transforming a previously pleasant scene into a terrifying one, could your unconscious have been warning you that your position in waking life is not as stable as you might think and that you could be facing unexpected mishaps or pitfalls? Chasms and holes in dreams always suggest an element of the unknown or something in some way risky, and they urge the dreamer to make a decision one way or another in waking life. Perhaps you dreamed of teetering on the brink of a ravine, petrified that you would lose your footing? Such a dream may be warning you that you are in danger of falling into an emotional black hole, out of which you feel powerless to emerge. Also, because the earth is a symbol of the archetypal mother, devouring chasms may represent a devouring maternal figure in your life, intent on dominating you or dragging you under.

ACCIDENTS The traditional interpretation of dreams involving accidents is that we are receiving some kind of warning to be on our guard against possible danger or hidden aggression, either our own or others’. From a psychologist’s point of view, such dreams may highlight anxieties to do with safety or fear of taking responsibility. Spiritual interpretations of such dreams suggest the need for some kind of intervention from an authoritative source.

According to Freud, accidents in dreams, like slips of the tongue in waking life, are not accidents but dream events with a meaning that can help us to unravel the often incomprehensible maneuvers of our unconscious mind. For Jung, accident dreams, as well as offering insights into our unconscious thought processes, can provide a reaction to a traumatic experience or the fear of it. For example, if you were in a car accident or are anxious about having one, you may dream of being involved in one. People who suffered great trauma, such as rape victims or war veterans, may have nightmares that are exactly like, or very similar to, actual life events.

The most commonly accepted theory is that accident dreams show how your unconscious has noticed things that you may not have noticed in waking life. They are both a reminder and a possible warning. You may, for example, dream of a teenager being hit by a car on a busy street outside a gas station, only to read a few weeks later that a teenager has been seriously injured in just this way. The most likely explanation is that you have unconsciously noticed how dangerous the street was, having read somewhere about the growing number of teenagers killed due to drivers’ use of cell phones and, without realizing it, you have observed that an accident was highly likely. These kinds of subtle clues and subliminal suggestions are around us every day.

Accident to the Dreamer

If you dream that you have an accident yourself, you should take note of the details, especially if it was caused by something you use every day, such as a bicycle, a car, or a lawn mower, and check that it is in good working order before you use it again. On the other hand, an accident dream could also be warning you of potential danger or loss of control if you continue a particular course of action. For example, you may dream that you are hit by a car as you run across the street to talk to a married colleague you’ve been thinking of having an affair with. An obvious interpretation of this dream is that the accident signifies pent-up guilt for something you have thought, said, or done, and that you are subconsciously punishing yourself over it. You could also be harboring deep anxiety over being found out. Dreams of car accidents might be urging you to slow down before you hit disaster, or telling you that you are ‘driving’ yourself too hard. You need to rethink, or re-plan, your course of action and set yourself on a better path. Your accident dream may also represent your straightforward fears of being involved in an actual, physical accident. You may just be nervous about getting behind the wheel, or going on a train, boat, or plane trip.

Whatever happened in your dream, notice how you emerge. Did you manage to rescue something or someone? If you did, this could suggest someone who needs your help or protection. It could also suggest an aspect of yourself that is worth saving. Were you hurt, or did you come out of it unscathed? If you weren’t injured, this could suggest that you have the strength to overcome what fate throws at you, but if you were wounded, you need to take better care of yourself and ‘toughen up’.

Accident in the Home

Dreaming of accidents in the home means tension may be building up in your home life, although it occasionally means you have unconsciously noticed something that might cause a domestic accident. Therefore check whatever it is that caused the accident: if you dream of falling down stairs, is the stair carpet loose? A dream that focuses on your home may also be saying something about your personality and approach to life. It may be that in order to progress with your life you need to make changes, and these changes may involve destroying what you have built up for some time.

Accidents from Above

To see something hanging above you about to fall implies possible danger. If it falls and misses you, perhaps you have had a narrow escape from some misfortune, or your unconscious is warning you to be alert to potential danger.

Accident to Loved Ones

To dream that a loved one dies in an accident indicates that something in your own self is no longer functional, and is ‘dead’. It is also symbolic of your own relationship with that person. Perhaps you need to let go of this relationship, or let go of a particular phase in that relationship and move toward the next. For example, the first throes of passion may have ebbed away, but you can replace them with love, stability, and commitment.

Accident at Sea

To dream of an accident at sea suggests potential problems with those who are close to you, or some kind of disappointment in love. If water overwhelms you, you are likely to feel overwhelmed by emotions. If this is the case, you need to assess how best to manage your feelings and put them into context. If you are trying to save other people in a shipwreck, you need to think about what these people represent to you. For instance, if you are trying to save a baby, perhaps that represents an element in your waking life, such as unconditional love, or wonder and excitement, which you need to develop in your waking life to help you cope with your emotional response.

Accident to Someone Else

This could be hidden aggression toward that particular person or an aspect of yourself that person represents that you recognize in yourself. It could also suggest anxiety about the welfare of the person in your dream.

See also CAR CRASH, TRAIN CRASH, PLANE CRASH.

ACHE Dream abscesses may indicate a site of physical illness that is not yet obvious when awake, but it is more likely that they represent swollen and painful emotions that are repressed and may be causing psychological infection. Aches in dreams indicate places where there may be blocked energy relevant to that part of the body. For example, we tend to refer to nagging problems in waking life as headaches and, since the head represents an authority figure, a dream headache may suggest an unresolved issue with an authority figure in your life. Throat aches may suggest an inability to express yourself verbally, while dreams of injury or strangulation to the throat almost always relate to current pressures in your life. Such dreams do not always urge you to speak your mind but they do remind you to be aware of those dynamics around you that are affecting you, as well as urging you to be honest with yourself about how you feel about what is going on. Chest aches indicate withheld emotions, and backaches blocked anger.

The sensation of pain in a dream may be a warning against taking unnecessary risks or an attempt by your dreaming mind to urge you to take a more positive approach to life. Dreams in which you are fatigued or racked with aches and pains may signify that in waking life you are worrying needlessly over problems that really aren’t that important. Take a more relaxed approach. Sometimes, however, your dreaming mind will inflict a pain dream almost as an act of revenge over some supposed fault or misbehavior in waking life. For example, if you are on a diet and have slipped recently, your unconscious may punish you in dreams that have the sensation of pain. Perhaps one of the most horrifying pain scenarios in a dream is to be impaled. Whether this is caused by a slip from a high spot onto railings or a vampire stake through the heart, such a dream refers to the pain of unwanted intrusion or enemies in real life.

ACID

See NEGATIVE SYMBOLS.

ACORN

See POSITIVE SYMBOLS.

ACROBAT

See CIRCUS.

ACTING/ACTOR/ACTRESS This can suggest a desire for public attention, but it can also suggest not expressing your real self – playing a part. If you dreamed that you were acting on stage, how did the audience react to your performance? We all role-play during our waking lives, projecting a persona that may not be entirely who we are in order to make ourselves more appealing to others; it is possible that your unconscious is commenting on how your performance was perceived. The part you were playing and the scene you were acting could be particularly relevant to situations in your waking life. Were you a tremendous success on stage? Did you receive a standing ovation? If you did, your unconscious may be telling you that the image you are presenting is convincing to others. If, however, your act was not well received, this might suggest that the image you are projecting is unconvincing to others and unhelpful to you.

If you dreamed that you were unwilling to step into the spotlight, this could suggest that your unconscious is mirroring your reluctance to be someone you are not in waking life, or it could simply suggest that you dislike being the center of attention. If you forgot your lines or needed the assistance of a prompter, you could be suffering from a lack of confidence in waking life, perhaps because you feel unprepared in some way. You may also be relying on someone else in waking life to guide you toward success. If an actor dies or is dead in your dream, this could suggest that a particular role you have been playing in life has outlived its usefulness and relevance. On the other hand, dreams about acting may simply be reminding you that life is not a dress rehearsal and that you only have one chance to make a success of it.

See WORK.

ACTIVITIES/ACTION Activities or actions within dreams are often concerned with hidden motivations and agendas, and – interpreted within the context of your mood and emotions within the dream – are particularly important. The psychological meaning is that action needs to transfer from dreams to waking life in order for progress to be made. Symbolically the action can give an indication of the dreamer’s spiritual progress.

Typically, activities in dreams are associated with moving forward or making progress in waking life. They reflect how well you are doing in your quest to achieve your ambitions. Do you need to move on? Take another route? Speed up or slow down? That’s why it is particularly helpful to take note of the details in your dream. What was the goal you were running, walking, climbing, or swimming toward? Did you feel exhausted or were you in peak form? Were you competing against anyone? Did you reach your destination or achieve your goal? Did you feel satisfied or disappointed? The answers to these questions will help you assess your progress and identify any obstacles or attitudes that may be holding you back.

ADAM AND EVE

See APPLES, MUD.

ADDER

See NEGATIVE SYMBOLS.

ADDRESS In dreams, your address represents your present lifestyle or status, while another person’s address suggests some kind of contact with that person. Past addresses indicate the person you once were. If you forget or lose your address in your dream, this suggests a loss of connection or understanding. Your dream is reflecting your real-life confusion about who you are, where you are going, and how you connect and communicate with others. If you had a dream in which you were going through your address book and deleting or checking names, your unconscious was probably sorting the people in your life into those with whom you wish to remain in contact and those whom you want to leave behind. Were there any surprise messages from your unconscious about any particular people if you had this dream?

ADMIRAL

See WORK.

ADOLESCENCE/ADOLESCENT Technically the teenage years or adolescence extends from about the age of 12 to 18, or 21 at the latest. As you grow older, you may find that your dreams look back to your teenage years with feelings of wistfulness. You may not want to go through the torments of adolescence again, but you may like to unite your maturity and experience with your youthful energy and enthusiasm. Whereas dreams of childhood tend to be nostalgic, dreams that feature teenagers tend to be about wish-fulfillment. If you are no longer a teenager, a dream in which you become a teenager again and hang out with your friends at a disco suggests that you are coping with life at present and not taking it too seriously. On the other hand, your dreaming mind may be urging you to chill out more. If you revisit your teenage years in your dream, or dream of teenagers, your dreaming mind may be urging you to recover some of your creativity, energy, and sense of freedom. If the young man or woman in the dream was acting in an immature way, as adolescents are prone to do, could your dream be warning you that your present behavior is stupid, immature, and unproductive? If your dream featured images of school, examinations, or college, the implication may be that you need to broaden your mind or take up new challenges. Alternatively, if school was a place of unhappy memories for you, it could be urging you to have a more positive, upbeat approach to life.

Although the following dreams can be experienced at any life stage, they are believed to be among the most common for teenage dreamers. If you dream of burying a dead body, you may be aware that you have killed someone, although you may not remember why or how. Your concern in the dream is to bury the body before someone makes a terrifying discovery and exposes you. Despite the horror of what you have done, the main issue in your dream is not the fact that you have killed someone but your desire to cover your tracks and avoid discovery. This dream is all about your need for acceptance and to rid yourself of things that are undesirable in your life. The person you have murdered represents what you would like to get rid of; that is why there is no remorse in the dream. The panic in the dream indicates your fear that people will recognize your anxiety. The teenage years are all about deciding what is or is not acceptable or desirable in your life so, not surprisingly, this dream is most common at that particular time. The things you want to bury can include parental expectation, childish hobbies, or activities, and so on.

During your teenage years you are very likely to dream of meeting a celebrity and becoming their close friend. This kind of dream focuses on the importance of feeling accepted and admired within your peer group. It is not uncommon for a teenager to dream about the death or funeral of one or both parents. Such dreams are not predictive, being simple reflections of the death of the past and the beginning of a new parent–child relationship.

See also STAGES OF LIFE.

ADOPTED If you dream of being an orphaned, adopted, or fostered child, this usually suggests that your relationships with members of your family in waking life have created some sense of loss and rejection in you. Dreaming of having lost your parents or being rejected by your parents so you become an orphan, adopted, or fostered child may denote that you feel you didn’t get their unconditional love and attention, and that you have to find your own way in the world without their support. Alternatively you may feel as if you are an outsider in the relationship to your family. Perhaps you have been excluded or perhaps you have little in common with them. Do you consider yourself rejected or at odds with the rest of your family? Whatever the reason, your dream may be suggesting to you that you need to create a surrogate family to get the support you need (this may be with your friends or your partner), and they will be able to help you feel loved, secure, and accepted for who you are.

Another explanation of such dreams is that it is time for you to be more independent and self-reliant by moving away from your parents. When life forces you into permanently or temporarily losing your parents, either by death or by other circumstances such as foreign travel, you may experience dreams of being orphaned. The dream might not refer to your relationship with your family at all, but might be telling you that you are feeling abandoned, unloved, rejected, and misunderstood by your partner, friends, or colleagues in waking life. If this is the case, the dream connects to feelings of belonging or not belonging in waking life. If you are looking after an orphan in your dream, you are attempting to heal that part of you that feels unloved.

ADVENTURE Adventure dreams can be a reflection of your waking life, which may have become more adventurous recently, but it could also suggest the need to experiment, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The Jungian archetype of the hero, starting out on his adventure and battling adversity in order to learn, mature, and grow, dominates the interpretation of adventure-themed dreams. Adventure dreams urge the dreamer to take on new challenges or seek out aspects of themselves or talents that remain hidden in waking life. They point the way toward a new understanding, and the discovery of inner strength and creativity that can empower the dreamer.

ADVERTISEMENT You cannot escape ads in daily life and you may well find that they pop up in your dreams, too. If an ad does feature in your dream, its purpose will be to highlight your aspirations – so pay particular attention to the content of the ad. What or who was it trying to sell? If your dreaming mind lingered over the ad for shoes, a fast car, vacation, or any other object of your desire, your unconscious may simply be reflecting your waking obsession with it. If the dream highlighted cosmetics or clothes, your dreaming mind may be encouraging you to change your image in some way in waking life.

ADVOCATE

See ARCHETYPES.

AFTERNOON

See TIME.

AGE/AGING You may have a dream in which you or someone close to you appears to age rapidly, sometimes becoming an elderly person or even a skeleton. Such dreams can be frightening, reflecting your anxieties and fears about aging, but some people find such dreams comforting as they can indicate that the aging process is not necessarily a negative experience.

See also STAGES OF LIFE.

AIR You can’t see air but it is crucial for your survival and well-being. The element of air is associated with the Zodiac signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. For Jungian analysts, air seeks to establish itself in the realm of the intellect; it is through the process of thinking that we develop ideas and communicate. Air contributes inventiveness, originality, creativity, and versatility to the personality. It gives that feeling of freedom and objectivity, and the ability to appreciate the differences between people. In dreams, air encourages you to let your thoughts soar, helping you to realize your full potential.

When air’s influence is exaggerated in a person, we see them as living in a dream world full of unrealistic goals and flights of fancy. Air should seek to maintain practicality and develop consistency in dealing with the real world. You cannot live without air, so when it appears in your dreams, consider its quality. Is it foggy, misty, clear, or polluted? The answer will give you an idea of the atmosphere that surrounds you in waking life. If you are outdoors in your dream and conscious of the clarity and coolness of the air, your dreaming mind may be urging you to give freedom to your thoughts. Or perhaps you feel released from a recent problem or situation. Air may also refer to the way in which you behave. Are you putting on airs and graces, or behaving in a superior way that demeans other people?

AIR-CONDITIONER This image suggests a need to calm or slow down. If the air is cold this may indicate emotional coldness.

AIRCRAFT/AIRPLANE/AIRPORTS In dreams, aircraft represent a desire for new experiences and excitement. According to Freudians, aircraft are phallic symbols associated with new sexual experiences. Because air symbolizes spiritual aspiration, if your dream featured an aircraft or a plane ride, could your unconscious have been encouraging you to explore your spirituality or rise above the limitations of daily life? Do you feel you are on a fast track to success, or do you just really need a vacation?

In dreams, as in life, airports can be busy, noisy, and crowded places, and they can suggest a phase in your life you are trying to leave behind or a transitional phase. If you are looking in vain for a familiar face at an airport in your dream, this suggests there may be aspects of your old way of life or thinking that you are unwilling to leave behind. If you dreamed of being in the middle of a flight, your unconscious may have been commenting on your current progress in life. Are you flying high or being buffeted by turbulence? Or is everything up in the air or beset by uncertainty? Dreams of being hijacked or attacked in a plane can suggest anxieties about flying, but they can also represent a fear of rape in women. A dream of a plane crash can suggest you have set your sights too high; perhaps you are expecting too much and have doubts about your ability to reach your goals?

See also PLANE CRASH.

ALARM Ringing bells, timers, alarms in a dream may be prompting you to move forward with an idea in your waking life. Loud alarms – such as sirens – warn of impending danger or crisis.

ALARM CLOCK The appearance of an alarm clock in a dream indicates the need to get up and do something; it may also be a reminder of someone or something you have neglected.

ALCOHOL Dreams that feature alcohol can be interpreted in two ways. They could be a warning that you need to take it easy or they could be a suggestion that your life needs more stimulation and excitement. If, however, a drunk appeared in your dream or you got drunk and had a hangover, this may suggest that you have been overdoing it recently. It can also refer to the way you deal with difficult feelings by drowning them in drink. On the other hand, do you feel drunk with success and, if you do, is your unconscious warning you to rein in your exuberance as it is unsettling to those around you? Don’t forget the Latin phrase in vino veritas (wine reveals the truth) and pay attention to what you and other people say in your dream over a glass of wine or beer.

To see whisky in bottles symbolizes your alertness, carefulness and protective nature. If you are drinking alone, this signifies a selfishness that is driving friends away. To dream of drinking wine refers to festivity, celebration, and companionship. To dream that you are breaking wine bottles signifies over-indulgence and lack of control.

ALIEN If an alien appears in your dream, this suggests feelings of being an outsider in a group or society. It may also represent something new and not previously experienced. Aliens in dreams can also suggest that something unknown or frightening in waking life needs to be faced. Dreaming of aliens may also indicate dealing with something unfamiliar in yourself. Are you behaving in ways that are alien to you, for example? Aliens are something humans have never encountered, so the dream is urging you to prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes in dreams, aliens suggest evil forces, but more often than not they suggest that you feel different or set apart in some way from others. Perhaps you have started a new job and feel like the odd one out.

See also STRANGER.

ALLEY If you appear in an alley within a dream you may find yourself facing a dilemma in the near future. The image suggests that you feel you have little choice regarding a certain situation.

ALLIGATOR

See REPTILES.

ALPHABET The alphabet in dreams may refer to childhood or to basic lessons in life. To see letters of the alphabet in your dream symbolizes any object, animal, place, or person associated with or resembling that particular letter. For example, the letter ‘T’ may refer to a type of intersection in a road or a person you know called Tom. Or, you may still be trying to understand some concept or emotion that is still in the primitive stages.

See also LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET.

ALUMINUM

See METAL.

AMBITION According to Adler, dreams are an expression of our ambitious desire for power and success, a way of overcompensating for shortcomings in our waking life. For example, if a person is unable to stand up to their boss, they may safely lash out in anger at them in a dream. Thus dreams offer some sort of satisfaction that is socially acceptable.

Although some dreams can be interpreted as wish-fulfillment, most modern dream researchers believe that dreams have another purpose, to periodically present us with reports on our progress to date. Sometimes these updates are purely expressions of wish-fulfillment, and therefore easy to interpret: for example, those fantastic dreams in which you win the lottery, or audition successfully for the lead role in a Hollywood blockbuster. Sometimes, though, dreams are harder to interpret because the dreaming mind speaks in the confusing language of symbols. Understanding such dreams is, however, important because they often contain pertinent observations and warnings – not yet registered by the conscious mind – that can help us achieve our goals in waking life.

AMBULANCE The appearance of an ambulance in a dream typically suggests feelings of panic and emergency about a specific situation or person.

AMBUSH Dreams in which you ambush or abduct someone reflect your desperation in waking life to ward off potential humiliation. If the person you are ambushing is someone you know, you also need to consider if you are secretly envious of this person in waking life. If this is the case, your unconscious may have been expressing your desire to capture or kidnap the qualities you admire and make them your own. Alternatively, you may have a hidden desire to control that person. If, however, you were ambushed, abducted, or kidnapped in your dream, this suggests that someone or something in your waking life is trying to take control of you. Your dream expresses your surprise and uncertainty about losing control.

AMETHYST

See GEMSTONES.

AMMUNITION Bullets or ammunition can suggest verbal attacks in the context of dream conflicts. If the ammunition belongs to someone else, this represents things that you feel other people can use against you, such as lies, anger, and so on. If you have the ammunition, it can represent assets you have that can build your confidence, things you could say or do to wound others if you had to. If you run out or don’t have any ammunition, you may be feeling hopeless about a situation and unable to defend your position.

AMNESIA Typically a sign of avoidance or repression of something or someone in your waking life, but can also suggest unfulfilled potential.

AMUSEMENT PARK Dreams in which you are visiting an amusement park may be a sign that you may need to incorporate more enjoyment within your life. They can also be symbolic of things that can easily distract you from your tasks. If the amusement park is empty or seems shut down, it signifies the need to stop taking yourself so seriously. Consider also how everything in the park is an expression of some aspect of yourself.

See also FAIRGROUND.

ANCHOR

See ABANDONMENT.

ANESTHETIC If you dream that you are having an anesthetic or are being put to sleep for an operation, this suggests that you may be trying to escape reality in some way in waking life or attempting to deaden some emotional pain. There may be something in life you don’t want to face or simply want to forget about for a while. The answer may be simple as taking a much-needed vacation.

ANGEL Angels are celestial messengers sent to guard over us. To imagine one appearing is a symbol of spiritual protection and inspiration. If angels give you advice in a dream, what they tell you should always be taken very seriously. Nowadays, with a greater acceptance of the appearance of angelic figures, they are once again accepted as messengers of enlightenment. If you are religious, visions of an angel in your dream may be taken as validation of belief, but if you are not religious, you can take solace in the thought that you have a spiritual protector watching over you. Another interpretation suggests that dreaming of an angel suggests you are searching for this unconditional love and support in waking life, and the dream is urging you to find these qualities within yourself.

See also ARCHETYPES.

ANGER In a dream scenario, anger may express the tension between your conscious and unconscious urges. The aggressor in the dream will often represent the part of you that is demanding to be acknowledged. Freud spoke of an aggressive drive which he believed revealed itself in all walks of life and in all types of people. He believed that the aggressive drive was just as much present in sex as in war. Alfred Adler, an early disciple of Freud, believed that anger was the most fundamental force of the psyche and, if repressed, it could express itself in dream images of anger and aggression. Whatever may be the trigger, anger is one of the most common emotions to express itself in dreams, either by physical violence or by using symbols of anger such as weapons. Such dreams are likely to continue until the trigger for your anger is discovered and dealt with.

If a person has recurring dreams in which they are assaulting, raping, or attacking someone, this suggests deep-rooted sexual problems that they might want to talk over with a doctor. A single dream in which aggression, sexual or otherwise, occurs is not so worrying and is actually quite common. Such a dream will be expressing negative feelings of anger, hostility, rejection, embarrassment, or envy that have probably been repressed in waking life. Dreams of assassination or murder have the same interpretation. Dreams in which you are evicting someone from their home or your home suggests that there is something in your life you are angry about and of which you desire to be rid. This may be some characteristic within yourself or another person. Dreams that focus on ambushing may have the same theme, but in this case there may be something about the person or thing being ambushed that you want to possess yourself.

Libel dreams in which you are attacking someone verbally may suggest that you are spreading vicious rumors or someone is spreading them about you. Any dream in which you have a feud, dispute, or attack suggests either a disagreement with someone in your waking life or inner conflict with an aspect of your character. Dreams in which you are rebelling against someone or something have the same interpretation. Pay attention to the atmosphere of your dream as it may reveal much about your emotional state at present. The dream may also be describing your feelings of being threatened.

ANIMA/ANIMUS A part of our persona is the role of male or female we must play. For most people, that gender role is determined by their physical sex. But Jung, like Freud and Adler and others, felt that we are all really bisexual in nature. When we begin our lives in the womb, we have undifferentiated sex organs that only gradually become male or female, under the influence of hormones. Likewise, when we begin our social lives as infants, we are neither male nor female in the social sense until society molds us into men or women.

In all societies, the expectations placed on men and women differ, but in our society today we have many remnants of traditional expectations. Women are still expected to be homemakers and nurturers; men are still expected to be strong breadwinners. But Jung felt these expectations meant that we had developed only half of our potential.

The anima is the unconscious female aspect present in the collective unconscious of men, and the animus is the unconscious male aspect present in the collective unconscious of women. The function of the anima/animus is to help the dreamer establish a good working relationship with their male/female counterpart. This is an important step in the development of the personality.

The anima or animus is the archetype through which you communicate with the collective unconscious generally, and it is important to get into touch with it. It is also the archetype that some researchers believe guides our choice of partner. We are, as suggested by an ancient Greek myth popularized by Plato in the Symposium, always looking for our other half – the half that the gods took from us – in members of the opposite sex. When we fall in love at first sight, then we have found someone that ‘fills’ our anima or animus archetype particularly well!

If someone of the opposite sex played a leading role in your dreams or aroused feelings of deep yearning, attraction, and fascination, then your dreaming self has witnessed the appearance of the anima/animus, the opposite of your conscious personality. This is why if you are an indecisive, shy man your anima may take the form of a party-loving woman who is resolute – or if you are a cautious, rational woman, your animus may take the form of a spontaneous, passionate man. The anima/animus may be either positive or negative, and both can be symbolized by people you know or don’t know in waking life, as well as mythical, symbolic, and legendary characters, or by objects that somehow represent the masculine or feminine to you. Typically, the anima is personified as a single-figure image – for example a young girl, a witch, or an earth mother. It is likely to be associated with deep emotionality and the force of life itself. The animus may be a plurality of figures, for example a band of robbers or a council passing judgment, although it is also often personified as a wise old man. It is likely to be presented as logical, rational, and judgmental.

By introducing the anima/animus, your unconscious is urging you to seek balance and compensate for those attitudes or behaviors that dominate your thinking and being in waking life. Heeding the promptings of your anima/animus can help you become a more content and rounded personality, and perhaps strengthen your relationships with the opposite sex.

ANIMALS Animals in dreams represent primitive drives and desires, such as fear, lust, and anger that can only really be understood on an instinctual level. Thus, to dream of a certain animal could suggest an aspect of your personality that is instinctual, hidden, or striving for recognition. It could also represent a part of yourself you find hard to control. And because we often assign characteristics or personality traits to animals, dream animals may also symbolize gut feelings we have about others. An attacking lion, for example, may depict how we see someone who is being aggressive toward us.

Animal dreams rouse special interest because they contain images that are familiar to us, but at the same time we recognize something that is unfamiliar and obscure. Traditionally, the characteristics of the dream animal are applied to the world of humans, often seeing the animal as a harbinger of misfortune or good luck; for example, a wolf is often thought to predict thieves or misfortune. According to Freud animals in dreams are not predictive of future events but a classic expression of repressed or unexpressed sexual and aggressive tendencies. Jung, however, argued that animals in dreams should be analysed individually, depending on the character they portray in the dream and the association the dreamer has to them.

Jung believed that animals are sublime and, in fact, represent the ‘divine’ side of the human psyche. He suggested that animals live much more in contact with a ‘secret’ order in nature itself and – far more than human beings – live in close contact with the ‘absolute knowledge’ of the unconscious. In contrast to humankind, the animal is the living being that follows its own inner laws beyond good and evil – and is, in this sense, superior and a source of inspiration and guidance.

Although animals are one of the most common dream symbols, dreams that feature them can be complex and hard to interpret. Perhaps the simplest way is to first think about how you feel about the specific animal in your waking life. You may, for example, adore cats and think of them as lovely creatures because you have a much-loved pet cat, or you may associate cats with feeling unwell because you are allergic to them. Thinking about how that animal makes you feel within the context of your dream should help you recognize if that feeling is struggling to the fore, or is already expressing itself in daily life.

If, on the other hand, you have no feelings in particular about the animal in your dream, you need to think about the quality you typically associate with it: for example, a fox with cunning and stealth, an elephant with strength and mystery, or a dog with unconditional loyalty and love. Because animals are thought to represent unedited feelings and drives, it’s possible that your unconscious used the symbol of the fox in your dream to alert you to your own or someone else’s cunning. Thinking about that aspect of yourself – again within the context of your dream – should tell you whether you need to nurture and develop it, tame it, or be on your guard against it in someone else.

If you still feel puzzled, it may be that the hidden meaning lies in archetypal, traditional, legendary, mythical, or magical associations. Dream animals may also embody a pun. For example, if you dream of a badger, are you feeling badgered or aggravated in some way? If you dream of a zebra, could this refer to your black-and-white viewpoint?

Dream animals, no matter how problematic, offer us an opportunity to contact and explore both the parts of ourselves that we have shut away and the parts that we have yet to discover. In general, researchers believe that animal dreams mean that the subconscious has woken up and has come to life.

Our dreams will be selective and personal in the choice of animal used to portray our life situation, but as you interpret never forget that animal symbols in dreams typically represent a fundamental push toward life and living it with passion.

See also BIRDS, FISH, PETS.

Animal Scenarios

Agricultural Animals

Neither pets nor wild creatures, agricultural animals often represent personal traits that you may have tamed to a certain extent, although there is always the risk that they will escape conscious control and run wild. It’s important to reflect on the context of the dream involving a working or farmyard animal, as it may reflect how you feel about the burdens and responsibilities of your daily life.

Animal Noises

If you hear animals making sounds in your dream, you need to consider what these sounds mean to you in waking life and then to make a symbolic link. For example, if you hear an animal barking, wailing, or whining for attention, these sounds could be calling your attention to the qualities that that particular animal represents to you. If you hear ominous growling, roaring, or cackling, it could reflect pent-up anger either within yourself or another person. If you hear braying, it could indicate a need to overcome basic animal instincts. If you hear bleating, you may be taking on new cares and responsibilities that could be positive or negative depending on your attitude toward them.

Animals in Pain

To dream that you are rescuing, caring for, or saving the life of an animal suggests that you are successfully acknowledging certain emotions and characteristics represented by the animal. A wounded animal can mean a pain you need to come to terms with that has caused an instinctive reaction, such as reactive anger or terrible fear. To find yourself in the waiting room of an animal hospital suggests a desire to avoid a responsibility or commitment you have in your waking life. To see lab animals in your dream suggests that an aspect of yourself is being repressed. Alternatively, it suggests that you need to experiment with your fears, choices, and beliefs. Try not to limit yourself.

Animals in Water

Dreams about animals in water are symbols of our emotions. Water is a symbol of emotion because water, like emotion, constantly moves and flows. How the animal moves within the water reveals our emotional mood. For instance, if the water is calm and beautiful then it shows our emotions are good.

Animals with Their Young or Baby Animals

Maternal and paternal instinct; your basic childhood need for love and protection or your own experience of being parented. A baby animal can refer to yourself when young and vulnerable; feelings or memories concerning your childhood; desire for babies; vulnerability; fundamental survival instincts such as crying out for protection and comfort and the need for dependence and bonding. If the young animal is injured or dying, this could suggest problems with maturing or dealing with adult life.

Caught or Caged Animals

To see wild animals caged suggests that you are in control of your instincts. If you are in the cage with them, it could suggest a need to break free from constraints. If you dream of an animal tangled in barbed wire or in a trap, this could suggest an unhappy relationship with yourself or someone else. If the animal seems calm, it suggests inner strength during adversity, but if the animal panics, unhappy memories or unhealthy habits are limiting your potential for development and growth.

Changing into an Animal

Also known as zoomorphism, to dream that you are changing into the form of an animal indicates that you are becoming less civilized and restrained, and becoming more free and instinctive. You may be expressing your new-found freedom and independence. Alternatively, taking the form of an animal can also suggest repressed urges that need to be understood and managed. Consider also the qualities of the animal that you turn into and what happens to you in the dream. According to Jung the end of the dream is particularly significant. Favorable resolutions direct us to the most constructive ways of solving problems, while unfavorable dream resolutions contain a warning of negative changes. Dreaming of animal skin could mean you may have found or need to acquire the traits, power, and wisdom of the animal concerned.

Cold-blooded Animals or Reptiles

The unfeeling, cold, almost inhuman element in some human instincts is often suggested by cold-blooded animals or reptiles.

See also FISH, REPTILES.

Composite or Deformed Animals

To dream of animals mixed up with each other, for example half-animal/half-man, could suggest confusion in finding the best approach to a situation in waking life. Perhaps the qualities of the animals in the dream need to be assimilated and integrated? The dream could also suggest that the dreamer is recognizing their potential for development.

Domestic Animals

Domestic animals symbolize fundamental urges and drives in ourselves which we have learned to meet and direct with reasonable success. They still have to be cared for, though, or they may rebel against what we ask of them. Buying and selling an animal may indicate the need for the dreamer to be aware of possible tensions with the people close to them. If the dreamer is selling an animal, this could indicate delays and frustrations; the need for inner calmness to help the dreamer through until they see the light at the end of the tunnel.

See also PETS.

Killing or Eating an Animal

Attempting to kill the animal within (our lower brain functions) can cause tension, depression, and illness; giving in entirely is no answer, either, as our higher brain functions need expression also. One of the challenges of maturing and growing is to meet and relate to our ‘animal instincts’, and if possible find ways to express them positively. To dream of eating an animal suggests that you need to draw upon your own inner wisdom and energy, but it can also suggest a desire for sensual pleasure.

Neglect of Animals

This is a common dream symbol that typically represents neglect of some aspect of your inner nature. For example, you may have been given an animal to look after, usually somebody else’s pet, while they were away on vacation and then completely forgot about the animal, only to discover it later starving, injured, or even dead. This dream is reminding you that you have a responsibility to yourself and to see that your own sexual, nutritional, and bodily needs are met.

Parts of Animals

These have the same interpretation as parts of the human body (see BODY). If a four-legged animal has a leg or legs missing, it suggests a personality that is not fully rounded. If you dream of a tail, this could signify a need for balance and adjustment in tough circumstances. It can also indicate sexual arousal or the penis. If claws figure prominently in the dream, this could suggest spitefulness; desire to hurt; hidden aggression; clinging; or ‘getting your claws into someone’.

Watched, Attacked, or Chased by an Animal

Hiding from or being trapped by animals can suggest you are feeling controlled or threatened by your urges or the emotions or feelings of others. If the animal is watching you, your unconscious is reminding you not to forget or neglect the instincts that it represents. If the animal is attacking you, this could indicate that you are in the grip of a rage that you fear you may unleash. Your dream is urging you to express or deal with your anger in a controlled way. If an animal is chasing you in a dream, this may suggest that in real life you are in flight from some area of your personality that wants to be expressed. If you are trying to find refuge from animals – either by building a defense or running away – this indicates a struggle with instincts that threaten your safety in waking life. In some cases dreams of being threatened or attacked by animals may be telling you that you are repressing your instincts – perhaps being too civilized – and you should try and loosen up more. Being bitten by an animal could indicate aggression from someone close to you, or that your own aggressive instincts are not under control. Any threat from a sinister animal suggests fears and doubts you may have about your ability to manage your emotions.

Wild Animals

A wild animal is the symbol of a deep-rooted instinct or the beast within you. Freud suggested that dreams of wild animals represented our most sensual passions, and sometimes the ‘evil instincts’ that lie deep within our unconscious. The more wild and dangerous the beast, the greater the danger that suppressed aspect of yourself will break free from the control of your conscious mind and force you to confront and deal with it in waking life. If you dream of a herd of wild animals, this could suggest you are meeting, or need to meet, aspects of yourself you have not yet learned to direct or usefully integrate. Taming or harnessing a wild animal indicates a need to control your instincts and if possible make them productive and useful.

Wise or Talking Animals

To dream of wise animals suggests important information from your intuition or inner wisdom. This intuitive wisdom is within every one of us and the result of thousands of years of life experience. Many cultures all over the world represent great wisdom and holiness as animals or animal-headed beings. To dream that animals can talk represents a wisdom inside yourself that is innocent and simple. It could also represent your potential to be all that you can be.

Animals A to Z

More than anything else, dream animals represent powerful instinctive reactions to situations; for example, fight or flight, the urge to find a mate and protect our young, the desire to have standing and recognition within a group, and so on. When instincts need to be understood, expressed or controlled in some way animals can often appear in our dreams to symbolize them. By understanding animals in dreams and the qualities they represent, we can approach life in a more instinctive, simple and natural way.

Bear in mind though that there is a huge difference in meaning between wild animals and domesticated animals in dreams. In general, domesticated animals or pets, such as a dog or rabbit, represent those urges we have more control over and are therefore less threatening to our conscious desire to be in charge. The wild animals we dream of are more threatening to our ego, but they are also more powerful, because if we can develop a working relationship with them they offer incredible potential for growth.

Ape/Monkey

To dream of apes, monkeys, gorillas, or baboons suggests a link with the impulsive, imprudent, inquisitive side of ourselves, such as the self-centered grabbing of food, or sexual gratification without concern for the needs of the other person. It can also suggest the ability to mimic or copy, as well the childish, foolish, and infantile side of the dreamer’s character that delights in mischief-making.

On the other hand, to dream of apes or monkeys, especially if they are white-haired, can link in with the dreamer’s own unconscious wisdom: the wonderful experience of existing, of being alive with all the powers of a living creature such as strength, passion, awe, and wonder in meeting life and the stars. Does your dream monkey reveal a wiser side of you? The three mystic monkeys cover their eyes, ears, and mouth showing that they ‘see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil’. Do you need to keep your own counsel?

Badger

Define what you associate with the badger. For most of us, the play on words will feature strongly, as a dream about badgers can often refer to badgering people, or feeling badgered and needing to get away from the influence of other people.

Bat

Bats can see in the dark, suggesting thoughts or influences that emerge from our intuition or inner wisdom.

Bear

Often represents the mother figure in dreams and, depending on the dream, this image can be caring or uncaring, or possessive and all-devouring. If the bear is recognized as male, then it could refer to an overbearing person, or perhaps the father figure in a person’s life.

The bear is largely a solitary animal that prefers to live and survive alone. This, and its human way of standing, may be major reasons for bears appearing in dreams. We can therefore link the bear with feelings about living alone or surviving by one’s own strength. Because of the bear’s ability to hibernate, it can also represent our ability to recreate ourselves after a period of rest and reflection.

Bears in dreams may also link to feelings we have about becoming independent, or meeting strength and independence in someone else, or even wild rage as ‘the bear with a sore head’. If the latter is the case, it could suggest your relationship with someone who is touchy or grouchy or powerfully possessive in a smothering relationship. It could also indicate the danger of sudden unpredictable reactions.

Beast

Many dreams feature beasts or animals that are of no particular characteristic or type. In some cases the beast is terrifying and we awake with a feeling of dread. Such creatures are usually an expression of memories, or instincts and drives, which have been repressed or avoided in our waking lives for one reason or another.

Beaver

Beavers are typically associated with industriousness and independence, although the word does also have sexual connotations with the female sexual organs. If a dam is being built, this could suggest holding back feelings or the need to conserve energy. In Native American tradition the beaver is considered holy, and if a beaver should speak to you in a dream, this may be an expression of your inner wisdom trying to make itself heard.

Boar

Boars are symbols of the magical spirits that protect the woods. If they appear in dreams, they can suggest protection from danger and hardship in waking life.

Bull

When bulls appear in dreams they might refer to powerful instinctual responses that can sweep us along or cause problems if we try to deny them. Such instinctual urges may be to do with lust and desire, anger at people invading our space, paternal or maternal love and protectiveness, or simply an aggressive bullish trait within ourselves or someone else. It can also suggest personal traits to do with being earthy, basic or sexual in our approach as well as strength, obstinacy, and power. If the bull is aggressive, this shows the frustration that can arise from basic drives being thwarted. For example, a person may have a high libido and feel frustrated with a partner who does not care for sex as much. If the bull is wounded or killed, this suggests a killing of natural urges or drives for sex and procreation. If the bull is sacrificed, this can suggest generosity and self-giving. The ridden bull indicates harmony between instinct and decision-making.

In many cultures or myths around the bull there is the theme of the hero confronting and overcoming the bull – for instance Theseus and the Minotaur. Victory over the bull therefore represents the human struggle and victory over instinctual or reactive forces influencing consciousness. From this victory a new life or consciousness can be born.

Camel

Suggests the dreamer’s ability, or the ability of someone the dreamer knows, to face adversity – especially over the dry and barren aspects of life. It may also link with inner strength, endurance, patience, and plodding perseverance. Occasionally the camel’s hump may suggest pregnancy or the desire for children.

Cat

Jung saw cats in dreams as representing the hidden or secretive side of a person’s nature. Cats often feature in dreams of women to represent the urge to care for someone or, in some cases, a desire for sex and the need to reproduce. In men’s dreams, a cat or group of cats may refer to a woman or group of women, or to the intuitive side of men’s nature, perhaps warning him of hidden dangers; cattiness, jealousy in a relationship. On the other hand it can also suggest independence, stealth, and fertility. An alley cat indicates promiscuity. In some dreams, a black cat, depending on what the dreamer associates with it, may indicate good or bad luck, or fear in general. If the dream suggests cats are to be feared, this can indicate fear of the female in oneself, fear of females or a particular ‘catty’ female, or difficulty in meeting feelings and intuition. If you are allergic to cats and dream of one, it might signify a negative and threatening reaction to a situation or relationship. If cats speak in your dreams, this suggests sexuality, femininity, and an ability to express it.

See also PETS.

Stealth, ferocity, power, strength, cunning, and the will to survive are suggested by wild cats in dreams – see below.

Chameleon

The dreamer is recognizing in themselves the ability to change and adapt to circumstances.

Cow

Similar to the bull in many ways but suggesting the female aspect of a person’s nature, in particular a willingness to put the needs of others before one’s own. Cows can symbolize motherliness, receptiveness, nurturing, and the feminine energy that can lead or direct the masculine energy in oneself. They may also indicate being taken advantage of by someone in some way.

Deer/Reindeer/Antelope

The gentle side of oneself that can be hurt or wounded easily by cynicism and aggression or criticism. Generally, a deer symbolizes vulnerability and, in some cases, lovesickness. In a man’s dream, the deer may depict a young woman the man is in pursuit of. If the dreamer is pursuing a deer, this indicates success in overcoming fears. If you see yourself killing a deer, this is a warning dream to indicate the possibility of someone hurting you in waking life through no fault of your own. To dream of a stag suggests male sexual drive and virility, courage, and both life and healing energies. The stag may also represent a man or father figure that the dreamer admires in some way and the dream expresses the dreamer’s desire to become more like the admired person. Finally, a deer or reindeer herd have a strict hierarchical structure and the dream could suggest that the dreamer needs to recognize their own place in the world. Is it time for you to branch out from this place in the world and make new connections? Are you in the process of renewal, or do you need to be?

Dinosaur

The dinosaur indicates the most primitive, unsocialized, basic urges of human nature such as fear, reproduction, and survival. Such instincts are still alive within us and need to be integrated otherwise they remain in a primitive form, perhaps in conflict with our personality. To dream of dinosaurs could also indicate some aspect of our personality or approach to life that is outdated and no longer needed for survival.

Dog

The dog depicts natural urges that are well integrated, but still have the tendency to revert back to the spontaneous or ‘wild’ state quite easily. For instance, our anger might usually be well under control but, if someone teases us, we might unexpectedly erupt with uncontrollable anger. Like the cat, the dog can also represent affection or caring. A black dog suggests depression or fear of death.

See also PETS.

Donkey/Ass

In the Bible, the ass carries Christ and is often thought to represent humbleness and humility but it can suggest the stubbornness arising perhaps out of long-entrenched habits and automatic behavior. Generally the donkey represents the plodding, long-suffering body and its basic needs, and a dream in which the dreamer is riding on a donkey hints at progress, even if it is slow. Do you feel impatient with your progress or overburdened? Are you refusing to give way on an important issue? Don’t forget about Eeyore, of Winnie the Pooh fame. Eeyore is a depressed and sluggish donkey. Are you feeling that way?

A dream that features a donkey braying implies that the dreamer is on a liberating journey from some kind of family or health trauma. A dream in which the donkey is tied up attests to the dreamer’s fierce willpower that can ‘move mountains’ if directed toward a positive goal. If the ass or donkey is being ridden by or pulling someone else, you may be feeling you are doing all the hard work in a relationship, or working like a beast of burden.

Elephant

To dream of an elephant is to recognize the qualities of patience, long memory, strength, wisdom, and loyalty. It’s a particularly good sign if you are riding it. If other people are riding the elephant, it could suggest help from a friend or a close strong friendship. To feed an elephant suggests meetings with people in key positions. If you run from a herd of stampeding elephants, this could suggest being afraid of your own strength or inner power. If a rogue elephant stampedes, it could represent a chaotic element in yourself that threatens to wreak havoc in the waking world if it isn’t controlled. The question is, can we meet this enormous strength and energy in ourselves and learn to direct it positively? The elephant’s trunk is sometimes said to be a sexual symbol indicating the ability to satisfy needs.

Elk/Moose

Suggests the wild drives or emotions that can carry us along, or trample us.

Ferret/Ermine

Suggestive of inquisitiveness – the ability to ferret or find out things – as well of selfish actions that can injure another person’s feelings. (The ermine was traditionally linked with virgin saints and thus purity.)

See also PETS.

Fox

A fox symbolizes shrewdness in dealing with life’s challenges, but also a tricky person or relationship, or false or deceptive rumors. It also suggests unpredictable behavior and a refusal to conform. If the dreamer chases a fox in a dream, it suggests that they are too detached from reality and is in danger of floating in a sea of untruths. Do you need to be as ‘wily as a fox’ at present? Does your dream fox need protection from the hunt and, if so, what can this be linked to in your daily life?

Game Animals

Game animals – notably the deer, rabbit, and hare – offer encouragement, and dreamers should view their presence optimistically. The rabbit’s renowned ability to breed offers the promise of fertility in women and virility in men. Hares are closely associated with the moon goddess and they suggest an ability to see the magical in everything. Deer are also viewed as animals of the spirit. Due to the branching nature of their antlers, stags have been linked with the ‘tree of life’, and are thought to impart intuitive wisdom to those who dream of them.

Goat

Traditionally a symbol of virility, and so if a goat appears in a woman’s dream, it can be linked to a lover she desires, or to fertility and procreative power. Similarly, if a goat appears in a man’s dream, it attests to the amount of importance he ascribes to his virility and, in context with the rest of the dream, should be interpreted in this way. It can also suggest the ability to ‘climb’ and survive difficulties, personally or socially. Occasionally it is connected with natural drives which, if they become repressed, are associated with the devil. If the goat is attacking, this may indicate somebody butting into your life or some form of conflict.

Hare

In past cultures, the hare was often given great respect. It stood for intuition, rejuvenation, and resurrection, and thus of the immortal nature of humans. Because of the hare’s habit of bounding up suddenly from hiding places, to dream of a hare suggests sudden, powerful intuition. If the hare appears as a supernatural figure giving advice or as a sacrificial animal, it indicates the ability to draw on hidden potential and make great changes in life. On the other hand, dreams about hares and rabbits can also symbolize timidity and inhibition as far as sex is concerned. Having said that, if the hare is running or in flight it could suggest that great changes are about to take place, and a positive change in status, environment, and finance are on the cards. If you dream you are eating a hare, this can suggest envy – yours or someone else’s.

There is a legend that a hare breeder has only to tell a hare to kill itself and it will do so, thus showing its capacity for self-sacrifice. Are you making sacrifices at the moment? Are you thinking clearly or doing yourself an injustice?

Hedgehog/Porcupine

If a hedgehog or porcupine appears in a dream, it might indicate that the dreamer, or someone they know, is very prickly, easily offended, or irritated by the remarks or actions of other people. It might also represent a vulnerable part of oneself that is quick to withdraw, but can react by lashing out and hurting others.

Hippopotamus

A dream about a hippopotamus suggests the dreamer is suffering from feelings of inferiority. Those who dream about a hippo are not satisfied with themselves, physically or mentally. These feelings do not always have a basis in reality but represent how you view yourself. The hippopotamus is considered to be clumsy, ungainly, and fat, and you may also feel this way about yourself. Whether true or not in waking life, this inner feeling of being a loser will hold you back and prevent you from succeeding in life. The dream implies that the image you have of yourself is a figment of your imagination. If you could only shake it off and see yourself in a less critical light, you would feel much better about yourself and be able to attract success into your life. Dreams about hippos can also represent concerns about fertility and childbirth, as the female hippopotamus represents the Egyptian Great Mother, Amenti, the goddess of childbirth.

Horse

Studies show that the animals that most often appear in dreams are horses, along with cats and dogs, and women seem to dream of horses more often than men do; indeed, Artemidorus of Daldis (2nd century ad) lists horses among the most common dreams of women. Some dream interpreters suggest that horses represent male sexuality.

According to Freud, horses symbolize the sexual drive. Jung noted that horse dreams could often be indicative of health conditions. Horses, like dogs, represent urges and passions in ourselves that we have learned to harness or direct, and in general they represent positive things that are about to happen in a dreamer’s waking life. Horses suggest the sort of enthusiasm or feelings of well-being that can carry us through the day and through life. Having said that, much depends on the context of the dream; for instance, if the dreamer falls off the horse, this may suggest relating badly to urges and passions and the resulting tension this creates. If the horse is wild, this suggests undirected energy, such as sexual desires which override personal or interpersonal needs.

See also PETS.

Hyena

The appearance of a hyena in a dream suggests taking advantage of someone, or being taken advantage of. A dream about an attack by a hyena may foretell an attempt to ruin the dreamer’s reputation.

Jackal

Similar to ‘dog’, but a wilder version. The jackal is a cunning scavenger, and as a result is sometimes associated with death. It can also see in the dark, and the ancient Egyptians believed the jackal to be a pathfinder in the underworld – i.e. the unconscious – leading the dead to the other world or enlightenment. Be aware, too, of the pun: there’s a ‘Jackal and Hyde’ inside all of us.

Jaguar

Assertiveness and fierce anger.

Kangaroo

A dream about a hopping kangaroo suggests a problematic relationship, or the potential for problems, if one person spends too much time with other people or refuses to commit. It could also indicate problems with concentration and focus in waking life.

Lamb

The childlike, vulnerable, dependent, innocent, pure part of a person which, Christlike, has the power to defeat evil. A dream about slaughtering lambs will suggest success at the expense of peace of mind. If wolves or dogs are tearing lambs apart, it means innocent people are suffering at the hands of unscrupulous others. A dream about carrying lambs means that the dreamer is carrying the burdens of the people they love happily. If lambskins appear in a dream, this suggests that the dreamer or other people have been deprived of joy and comfort.

Leopard

The leopard’s spots – which can be seen as eyes – represent watchfulness or the need for it. As with all the big cats, leopards in dreams suggest anger, speed, courage, passion, and, in some cases, cruelty.

Lion/Lioness

Generally a positive symbol that suggests physical strength and success in waking life. It can also suggest self-assertion, or the need for this to be expressed in waking life because of the lion’s roar. If, however, the lion is small or injured, or in a vulnerable situation, this could suggest that the dreamer feels that they are in a dangerous place, but also that these difficulties can be overcome with strength and daring. If a lion is chasing you, this is most likely due to a struggle with natural feelings of anger or aggression.

Lynx

Shares the same qualities as all the big cats, with an emphasis on the vigilance and the keenness of the lynx.

Mole

Associated with solitude, seclusion and the avoidance of human company, the mole can represent the attitude of a recluse. It might also indicate problems festering beneath the surface, as in molehills.

Mouse

Suggestive of the mousy, shy, or timid part of the self, dreaming of mice could also suggest small but important developments or subtle changes that can gnaw away at our self-esteem. Dreaming that you are a mouse could mean you feel dull, undistinguished, and lacking in confidence in waking life. The sexual organ which goes in and out of a hole is another association. If a person sees a mousetrap or a mouse caught in a trap, it could mean they need to watch out for people who gossip or take advantage of them.

Otter

Ancient cultures saw the otter as a pure, holy creature, and to see an otter in a dream suggests an ability to adapt to circumstances without ‘drowning’ and to clearly see what is really going on under the surface of everyday life.

Ox

Very similar to ‘bull’, with the possible exception that oxen are often castrated, so dreams in which they feature could suggest frustration. Can you recognize the strength of the ox within yourself? Are you engaged in a task that demands great commitment?

Panther

A Christian symbol, representing power to protect against evil. It also suggests anger and fierceness.

Pig/Wild Boar

Pigs are symbolic of a life governed by untamed physical needs and passions; they can also suggest impossible ventures, or inappropriate behavior and neglect of the spiritual side of life. By contrast, among the peoples of the East, a dream about a pig is interpreted as a good dream that attests to prosperity.

Rabbit

The rabbit breeds easily, so in dreams it is often linked to sexuality. It is also associated with the soft, vulnerable part of us that can be easily hurt or hounded. If the dreamer is hunting wild rabbits, this could suggest that they are being criticized, attacked, ‘hunted down’, or hounded.

See also PETS.

Ram

Representing masculine sexual energy, the ram can also indicate a refusal to conform or be part of a group, together with an unconscious desire to lead rather than follow.

Rat

The rat is a symbol of fears and anxieties, or is the diseased or devious part of a dreamer or their situation. It can also represent something which is repulsive in some way. The dreamer may be experiencing disloyalty from a friend or colleague. Other associations are of dirt and squalor, or of time gnawing away at our life and the unacceptable parts of oneself. By contrast, dreaming about a pet rat suggests the opposite: vulnerability and responsibility for caring.

Seal

Dreaming of a seal suggests the dreamer is at one with the life they have chosen to lead. If the seal is wounded, injured, or hunted, the opposite might be suggested.

Sheep

Sheep in dreams represent the aspects of oneself that conforms to social pressures, such as feeling part of a crowd or being herded by others. Dreaming of sheep can also suggest aspects of ourselves that are the same as other human beings, or working hard to accomplish a goal. If the dreamer is caring for sheep, this may indicate a desire to grow spiritually.

Squirrel

The squirrel represents the hoarding aspect of the personality.

Tiger

Similar to the lion in many ways but with an emphasis on uncertainty and unpredictability. For example, tigers in dreams may suggest the possibility of plans changing unexpectedly. It can also warn against trusting a new acquaintance. The tiger can also represent sexuality but, depending upon how it is presented in the dream, a sexuality of uncertain elements – for example, will I be attacked or ignored?

Weasel

The weasel highlights the devious and more dubious side of our personalities.

Wolf

Dreaming of a wolf suggests that the dreamer may be feeling threatened by other people, or may be vulnerable in some situation. The wolf, as suggested by fairy tales like Red Riding Hood, also represents the female fear of powerful male sexuality, and yet might also figure in female sexual fantasies. Wolves are also symbols of repressed sexuality and anger.

Zebra

In dreams, the zebra has much the same significance as the ‘horse’, but with the additional meaning of balancing the black-and-white aspects of the personality into a powerful whole.

ANKLE

See BODY.

ANTELOPE

See ANIMALS.

ANTS

See INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS.

APE

See ANIMALS.

APOCALYPSE

End-of-the-world dreams refer to situations in your waking life that are in the process of some kind of radical change, and that change can be emotional. If your dream is post-apocalypse, this suggests the way you feel about something dramatic that has happened is making you feel emotionally drained or hopeless. If you have this kind of dream it can feel unsettling, but your dreaming mind is using these images to show you that change is inevitable; and if there is huge stress because of big changes happening in your life right now, you will survive. You may feel like it is the end of everything, but whenever something ends something else always begins.

See also CLIMATE CHANGE.

APPLES In Judeo-Christian belief, the apple denotes sin and temptation because of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after the serpent tempted Eve to eat the apple growing on the Tree of Knowledge. Greek mythology associated the apple with sexual attraction. So if you are married and tempted to bite or steal an apple in your dream, this could represent the attraction of a forbidden affair. Their association with the Tree of Knowledge means that apples may also indicate the self-knowledge and insight gained from experience. On the other hand, they may also symbolize a desire to return to lost innocence.

To see apples growing in a tree in your dream symbolizes wisdom and that well-earned rewards will be gained in the future. Consider also the common phrase, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’; this may imply that you need to take better care of your health. To see green apples represents developing love or love that has yet to blossom. To see a rotten or half-eaten apple in your dream denotes that what you are striving and aiming for may not only be unfulfilling; it may even be harmful to you. A popular image of the comforts of home and childhood, apple pie probably reflects a desire to return to the security of childhood. Old rivalries and resentments may be expressed if you appear to be served a smaller slice of pie than the others present in your dreams.

See also FRUIT.

APPS

See TELEPHONE.

APRON

See CLOTHES.

ARACHNIDS

See INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS

ARCHETYPES ‘Collective unconscious’ is the term Carl Jung used to describe the part of the unconscious that everyone has access to, a sort of psychic warehouse for all humankind. The contents of this storehouse are called ‘archetypes’: patterns and symbols that can be found within the unconscious of everyone. These archetypes represent the broad human memory within each of us. They appear as mythical images that occur in every culture throughout recorded history – the images appearing in the dreams of our ancestors are those that speak to us today.

According to Jung, dreams are attempts to guide the waking self. He thought that the purpose of life – and for him, dreams play an important role in it – is to understand and integrate all parts of ourselves; dreams are simply one aspect of the self trying to communicate with the conscious part. Dreams don’t disguise the unconscious; they reveal it, through archetypes.

Sigmund Freud disagreed with Jung, as he believed that dreams were disguised attempts to hide, not reveal, true feelings from the waking mind. Freud did, however, recognize a concept of ‘archaic remnants’, inherited – rather than learned – beliefs, through which basic emotions and responses are represented. For example, the mother figure is a universal symbol of nurturing and protection.

Today, most dream researchers believe that we are more likely to see archetypal figures in our dreams at transition points in our lives than at other, more stable times. Change generally brings about anxiety and self-reflection. Going from education to the workforce, singlehood to marriage, or childless to parent are some typical archetypal transitions. Many of these archetypes are very familiar to us already, because they can be found in myths, legends, fairy tales, books, and movies: the wicked stepmother, the authoritative father, and the vulnerable maiden. We are as familiar with the superhero in films like Spiderman or Batman as we are with the character of the dastardly joker or villain. All these characters are archetypes, and enduring representations of basic human qualities, instincts, and experiences.

The first step in analysing an archetype, as with any symbol, is through personal reference. For example, a dream about monsters may refer to our inner fears, but it may also be a carry-over from the horror film you watched the same night. The next step is to take into consideration the other images in the dream, as well as the feelings and general atmosphere.

When archetypes appear in your dreams you will rarely feel indifferent to them and your instinctive response is crucial to the interpretation. Do they make you feel angry, inspired, sad, protective, frustrated, or liberated? Never forget that such images spring from the deepest levels of the unconscious, and it is up to you to discover why they have been conjured up.

Jung contributed to our understanding of dream archetypes with constructs of his own, which some dream researchers find helpful in interpreting dreams. Although Jung believed that there is no fixed number of archetypes which we can simply list and memorize, he did believe that most archetypes are aspects of the following constructs: the persona, the anima/animus, the ego, and the shadow. As you interpret your dreams you might want to consider these constructs along with the other archetypal images suggested in the pages of this book.

See also ANIMA/ANIMUS.

Archetypes A to Z

The archetypes listed here are just a few of the many ancient patterns that exist in human consciousness and manifest as symbolic figures, played by yourself or someone else, in your dreams.

Addict

(DREAM IMAGES: CONSPICUOUS CONSUMER, GLUTTON, WORKAHOLIC, ETC.)

Besides the usual suspects – drugs, alcohol, food, and sex – one can be addicted to work, sports, television, exercise, computer games, spiritual practice, negative attitudes, thrill-seeking, and many other activities. When this archetype appears in dreams, it suggests the need to confront some kind of addiction and restore balance in your life. From a symbolic perspective, the shadow aspect of the addict represents a struggle with willpower and the absence of self-control.

Advocate

(DREAM IMAGES: ATTORNEY, DEFENDER, ENVIRONMENTALIST, LEGISLATOR, LOBBYIST)

The advocate embodies social justice and a sense of devotion to championing the rights of others in the public arena. The shadow advocate manifests in commitment to false or negative causes, or in committing to causes for personal gain. If this figure appears in your dreams, you should ask yourself how much of your life is dedicated to the welfare of others, and a willingness to take action on their behalf.

Alchemist

(DREAM IMAGES: INVENTOR, MAGICIAN, SCIENTIST, WIZARD, ETC.)

The alchemist, wizard, and magician are capable of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Whereas a wizard is associated with magical powers, the magician tends to be seen more as an entertainer. The alchemist tries to turn base metals into gold, but in its highest manifestation, alchemy seeks complete spiritual transformation. The scientist and inventor are associated with advances and developments in human history. The shadow sides of these archetypes are found in the misuse of the power and knowledge to transform people’s lives. This archetype may appear in your dreams if your work or living situation demands that you be especially inventive. On the other hand, it could suggest that you, or someone you know, may be using skills and knowledge for unethical purposes.

Androgynous Being

(DREAM IMAGES: HALF-MAN/HALF-WOMAN, HERMAPHRODITE, TRANSVESTITE)

The symbol of a person who has attained the perfect balance of male and female characteristics, an androgynous being represents the union of opposites, an important idea in Jung’s theory. In dreams, this archetype is not so much referring to your sexual nature, but more to the union of your inner and outer world. Your interpretation will depend on how this dream image made you feel; were you relaxed and natural, or did you feel repulsed or confused? The latter suggests disharmony, while the former suggests harmony.

Angel

(DREAM IMAGES: FAIRY GODMOTHER/GODFATHER)

Angels are typically represented as winged beings who intervene at times of great need, or for the purpose of delivering a message of guidance or instruction from God to human beings. Therefore in dreams, angels represent your higher self-image and offer guidance from within, but they can also represent an evil being of similar powers: the fallen angel who has been led astray, or is leading other people astray. Bear in mind, too, that the dream may refer to someone in your life who is an angel because of the loving and nurturing qualities of character that they embody. One may also play the role of a fairy godmother or godfather by helping someone.

See also ANGEL.

Artist

(DREAM IMAGES: ARTISAN, CRAFTSPERSON, SCULPTOR, WEAVER, ETC.)

In dreams, the artist archetype suggests the need for self-expression. The shadow artist indicates an eccentric nature and the madness that often accompanies genius. In evaluating your relationship to this archetype, recognize that the need to inspire others in some way – for example through teaching, writing, listening, and encouraging – is as much an expression of the artist archetype as actually holding a brush in your hand.

Athlete

(DREAM IMAGES: FITNESS INSTRUCTOR, OLYMPIAN, SPORTSPERSON, ETC.)

This archetype represents the ultimate expression of the strength of the human spirit as represented in the power and magnificence of the human body. Athlete dreams should not be interpreted in terms of whether your body is perfect in form and function, but whether you have the willpower and strength of spirit to achieve your goals. The shadow aspect of athletes may manifest in dreams about cheating, suggesting a lack of honor in yourself or someone you know.

Avenger

(DREAM IMAGES: AVENGING ANGEL, MESSIAH, SAVIOR)

This archetype suggests a need to balance the scale of justice in your waking life. Dreams about bringing war criminals to trial, or legally pursuing corporations that harm society, or saving the world from impending disaster are examples of the avenger archetype in action. The shadow side of the avenger manifests in dreams with acts of violence and a burning desire to get even at all costs as their themes.

Beggar

(DREAM IMAGES: HOMELESS PERSON, INDIGENT, ETC.)

Homeless and penniless, the beggar is associated with dependence on the kindness of others, living on the streets, starvation, and disease. It is easy to believe that when this archetype appears in your dreams, the interpretation should be a negative one, but this isn’t always the case. People don’t just beg for money; they can also beg for attention, love, authority, success, and material objects. Learning about the nature of generosity, compassion, and humility, and understanding what it is you really need, are fundamental to interpreting this dream image.

Bully

(DREAM IMAGES: COWARD, DEMANDING BOSS/TEACHER, GANG OF INTIMIDATING THUGS, SCHOOL BULLY, ETC.)

The archetype of the bully manifests the core truth that the spirit is always stronger than the body, and your relationship to this archetype should be evaluated within a framework far more expansive than evaluating whether you bully people or are being bullied. Consider whether in waking life you are giving up on things and people too easily. Conventional wisdom holds that underneath a bully is a coward trying to keep others from discovering their true identity. If the theme of cowardice or intimidation by a boss, teacher, or gang of thugs appears in your dreams, perhaps your unconscious is urging you to stand up to being bullied by your own inner fears.

Child

(DREAM IMAGES: CHILD OF NATURE, DIVINE BEING, MAGICAL/INNOCENT, ORPHAN, BEING WOUNDED)

The child of nature archetype inspires deep, intimate bonding with natural forces. Although the nature child is loving and giving, it can also have an inner toughness and ability to survive – the resilience of Nature herself. Nature children can develop advanced skills of communicating with animals, and in dreams reflecting this archetype, an animal often comes to the rescue of its child companion. Such dreams can reflect a compassionate, nature-loving aspect of our character, or the need to stop abusing the environment (understood in its widest sense) and reconnect with nature.

The magical child embodies qualities of wisdom and courage in the face of difficult circumstances. In dreams, it suggests the power of imagination and the belief that everything is possible. If, however, the magic is not put to positive use, the dream image is a negative one, and indicates lack of energy and action in waking life.

The orphan child is the major character in most well-known children’s stories, including Bambi, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, The Little Mermaid, Little Orphan Annie, The Matchstick Girl, Snow White, and many more. The pattern in these stories is often reflected in the dreams of people who feel from birth as if they are not a part of their family or community, or who fear surviving alone in this world.

The wounded child archetype in dreams holds the memories of the abuse, neglect and other traumas that may have been endured during childhood. From a spiritual perspective, a wounded childhood cracks open the learning path of forgiveness. The shadow aspect may manifest as an abiding sense of self-pity, a tendency to blame your parents for your current shortcomings and to resist moving on through forgiveness.

While dreams about children that never grow old reveal a determination to remain eternally young in body, mind, and spirit, they can also suggest an inability to grow up and embrace the responsible life of an adult. Peter Pan is the most obvious example of this archetype – he resists ending a cycle of life in which he is free to live outside the boundaries of conventional adulthood. For women, this archetype may manifest as extreme dependency on those who take charge of their physical security. A consistent inability to be relied on and the inability to accept the aging process are also markers of this archetype.

Carl Jung claimed that the dream symbol of a child is a metaphor for the forgotten things in childhood. For example, your dream may be telling you that you have forgotten how to play, or that you should take a more innocent, carefree attitude. The symbol of the child also represents possibilities and paves the way for future changes in the personality. In addition, it can also represent the part of you that needs security and reassurance.

See also BIRTH, CHILDHOOD.

Clown

(DREAM IMAGES: COURT JESTER, FOOL, TRICKSTER)

If a clown appears in your dreams, ask yourself if you need to bring humor into a situation or carry truth into closed circles or closed minds. Did a clown or trickster try to undermine you in your dream? Did someone you know play a trick on you? Playing pranks is associated with the clown or trickster, who delights in challenging the status quo and rebelling. Although confusing, this attention-seeker is worthy of your attention, as it represents the part of yourself that wants to challenge you out of your complacency. If you listen to the message, the clown can transform your waking life into a more carefree, spontaneous, and happy one.

Damsel

(DREAM IMAGES: PRINCESS, YOUNG GIRL, ETC.)

The damsel in distress may be the oldest female archetype in all of popular literature and the movies. She is beautiful, vulnerable, and in need of rescuing. If this image appears in your dreams, it may suggest your intense desire to be rescued or protected by a loved one; it may also suggest the need to go it alone. When disappointed, a damsel must go through a process of empowerment and learn to take care of herself in the world.

Destroyer

(DREAM IMAGES: ATTILA, MAD SCIENTIST, SERIAL KILLER, SPOILER)

The impulse to destroy and rebuild is archetypal. We are bound to that cycle so that new life can begin. Dreams which have destruction as a theme, or where you or someone else are destroying things or people, often refer to releasing emotions or behavior that are destroying us. It can also represent an aspect of yourself that destroys relationships or promotes attitudes and opinions that destroy others’ dreams or potential.

Detective

(DREAM IMAGES: DOUBLE AGENT, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, SHERLOCK HOLMES, SLEUTH, SNOOP, SPY, ETC.)

Positive characteristics of the detective include the ability to seek out knowledge and information that supports solving crimes and protecting the public. The shadow side of these archetypes can manifest as voyeurism, falsifying information, or selling out to the highest bidder. If the detective archetype appears in your dreams, it could be encouraging you to become more inquisitive. On the other hand, it could be questioning your motives for seeking out information.

Don Juan

(DREAM IMAGES: CASANOVA, GIGOLO, SEDUCER, SEX ADDICT)

Although associated with sensuality and sophistication, this archetype represents a man preying on others for the sake of conquest alone. Like the Femme Fatale, if the Don Juan archetype appears in dreams, it can make us aware of falling into sex-role clichés, and misusing the power of romantic attraction and pursuit.

Engineer

(DREAM IMAGES: ARCHITECT, BUILDER, SCHEMER)

The characteristics of the engineer reflect the grounded, orderly, strategic qualities of mind that convert creative energy into a practical expression. This archetype also manifests as a talent for designing solutions to common dilemmas. Are these talents ones you are expressing or need to develop? The shadow engineer manifests as a master manipulator, designing and engineering situations to one’s own advantage, regardless of the needs or desires of others.

Exorcist

(DREAM IMAGE: SHAMAN)

Shamans and exorcists conduct rituals for the release of negative spirits, and if this archetype appears in a dream, it suggests a form of possession by destructive or antisocial impulses in oneself or others, and the need to confront it.

Father

(DREAM IMAGES: PATRIARCH, PROGENITOR)

This dream archetype represents the guiding wisdom that comes from within. A true father guides and shields those under his care, sacrificing his own desires when that’s appropriate. The shadow father emerges when that caring guidance and protection turns into dictatorial control or abuse of authority.

See also FAMILY.

Gambler

The gambler is a risk-taker who plays the odds. In dreams of winning lotteries and gambling at casino tables it can suggest following hunches, and believing in your intuition, even in the face of universal doubt. To assess whether you are a gambler, review your ability to follow your intuition and what others might consider risky inner guidance. Ask yourself how many of your decisions are based on gut instinct, rather than facts and figures. Alternatively, gambling dreams may refer to the way you are focused on looking for lucky breaks, rather than doing the hard work needed to succeed.

God

The God archetype, whether represented as a deity or a worldly power in dreams, represents the ultimate in male dominance. On the positive side, a God can be benevolent and compassionate, willing to use his powers to help others out of love for humanity. The shadow God easily becomes a dictator or despot, oppressing others with those same powers, or using his physical attractiveness to get what he wants without ever returning the affection he elicits. Such dreams suggest that you have a life-long sense of great power. Are you using this power selfishly or selflessly?

Goddess

The oldest religious tradition on earth may well be Goddess worship, which some archaeologists trace back further than 30,000 years. It was certainly natural to worship the archetype of woman as the source of all life, especially in the age before male warriors replaced her with their combative sky gods. The Goddess archetype in dreams can be inspiring as it embodies wisdom, guidance, physical grace, athletic prowess, and sensuality. If a particular goddess appears in your dream, study the specific qualities of that goddess and evaluate how much of your sense of self is reflected in one of those patterns. For example, Venus/Aphrodite: love and fertility; Diana/Artemis: nature and hunting; Minerva/Athena: strength, clear thinking; Ceres/Demeter: motherhood; Juno/Hera: queenship and partnership; Proserpina/Persephone: mysticism and mediumship; Sophia: wisdom.

Gossip

The gossip archetype is associated with rumor-spreading, backbiting, and passing along information that is exaggerated, harmful, and intended to disempower. If a gossip or gossiping figures in your dreams, the archetype is connected to lessons of truth, integrity, and honoring the trust another has placed in you.

Guide

(DREAM IMAGES: CRONE, EVANGELIST, GURU, SAGE, SPIRITUAL MASTER, WISE WOMAN)

You do not have to be a professional preacher or guru to have this archetype, as we can all learn to lead others spiritually through developing our own intuitive spiritual awareness and passing on whatever we have learned with genuine humility. If a guide or spiritual master appears in your dreams, your unconscious is urging you to pass your wisdom on to others. Alternatively it can warn against controlling others rather than guiding them.

Healer

(DREAM IMAGES: ANALYST, CAREGIVER, COUNSELOR, NURSE, THERAPIST, WOUNDED HEALER, INTUITIVE HEALER)

The healer archetype in dreams is encouraging you to guide and support others in some way. Alternatively, it could be urging you to heal and transform your pain into a sense of direction and purpose. The shadow of the healer manifests through a desire to take advantage of those who need your help.

Hedonist

(DREAM IMAGE: BON VIVANT, CHEF, GOURMET)

This archetype has an ‘appetite’ for the pleasurable aspects of life, from good food and wine to sexuality and sensuality, and when it appears as a theme in your dreams, it could simply be urging you to enjoy yourself more. As scientific research has shown, pleasure can improve our health and extend our lives, and needs to be part of a balanced life. The shadow hedonist may manifest as pursuing pleasure without regard for other people or one’s own good health.

Hero/Heroine

The hero is a classic figure in ancient Greek and Roman literature, often portrayed as one who must confront an increasingly difficult path of obstacles in order to mature into adulthood. Today this archetype still holds a dominant position in the social mind, and can appear in dreams as a superhero, or similar icon of male and female power. Such dreams suggest that you have within you the courage and determination to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Judge

(DREAM IMAGES: ARBITRATOR, CRITIC, EXAMINER, MEDIATOR)

One need not be an attorney, judge, or critic by profession to identify with this archetype; it can appear in your dreams if you are, or need to be, a natural mediator or are involved in interventions between people. It can also appear if your unconscious requires you to learn justice and compassion. The shadow judge manifests as consistently destructive criticism, judging without compassion or with a hidden agenda. Legal manipulation, misuse of legal authority, and threatening others through an association with the law are other expressions of the shadow.

King

(DREAM IMAGES: CHIEF, EMPEROR, LEADER, RULER)

The king is an archetype that represents the height of temporal male power and authority. He represents the father figure in your life, or the dominant ruling power – the part of you that is in control. Both benevolence and cruelty in their extreme expressions are associated with this archetype. Whether your kingdom is a corporation, community, family, or your own life, such dreams suggest the need to rule compassionately.

Knight

Loyalty and self-sacrifice are the knight’s great virtues, along with a natural ability to get things done. The black knight donning dark armor and riding a black horse represents the shadow characteristics of this archetype, especially the absence of honor and chivalry, or loyalty to a questionable cause. In its negative aspect, the knight can fall into a pattern of saving others but ignoring his own needs. Such dreams may be urging you to find a balance between self-sacrifice and self-neglect.

Lover

This archetype appears not only in the dreams of those who are romantically inclined, but also in anyone who exhibits great passion and devotion. One can be a lover of art, music, gardening, dogs, cats, nature, or needlepoint. Such dreams are related to a sense of affection and appreciation of someone or something, and the need to find or express that passion. The shadow lover figure in dreams of a lover who doesn’t turn up or lets us down in some way suggests an obsessive passion that has a destructive effect on your physical or mental health and self-esteem.

Mentor

(DREAM IMAGES: JEDI, MASTER, TUTOR)

Mentors do more than just teach; they pass on wisdom and refine their students’ character. In dreams, they represent aspects of yourself you can trust, or people you can rely on. In its shadow aspect, however, the mentor can take on an overbearing attitude that is more about imposing control than imparting wisdom. They can appear, for example, in dreams about people who undermine you or refuse to help you for no good reason.

Midas/Miser

Midas turned everything he touched into gold, including, tragically, his beloved daughter. The archetype is associated with entrepreneurial or creative ability, and appears in dreams where wealth and luxury figures strongly. That Midas was a king symbolically implies that the Midas figure has the power to generate wealth for an entire kingdom, yet is interested only in his personal aggrandizement. Greed is his downfall. For that reason, lessons of generosity are a large part of the characteristics of this archetype. The shadow Midas or miser creates wealth by hoarding money and emotions at the expense of others, and refusing to share them.

Monk/Nun

If a monk or nun appears in your dreams, the positive aspects of this archetype are fairly obvious: spiritual intensity, devotion, dedication, persistence, and perhaps wisdom. Are these qualities you need to develop within yourself? The monk archetype can also suggest the ability to be single-minded, assiduous, devoted to a spiritual path or to any great achievement that requires intense focus. On the shadow side, the role of a religious recluse could be seen as being removed from the real world, overly pious, even privileged in the sense of not having to be concerned about earning a living, or raising a family.

Monster

Your innermost fears or negative attitudes that are seen as larger than you can handle.

See also NIGHTMARES.

Mother

(DREAM IMAGES: MATRIARCH, MOTHER NATURE)

The mother archetype appears in many forms – mother, princess, and witch – and is symbolized by the primordial mother, or ‘earth mother’, of mythology, by Eve and Mary in Western traditions, and by less personal symbols, such as the church, the nation, a forest, or the ocean. According to Jung, someone whose own mother failed to satisfy the demands of the archetype may well be one that spends her life seeking comfort in the church, or in identification with ‘the motherland’, or in meditating upon the figure of Mary, or in a life at sea. In dreams, mother figures suggest nurturing aspects of ourselves and others, or the need for greater compassion and selflessness; they can, however, also suggest the shadow side, which is overprotection, abandonment, cruelty, and abuse. Bear in mind that the qualities that are associated with this archetype can be expressed in other than biological ways, such as giving birth to books or ideas, or nurturing others.

See also FAMILY.

Networker

(DREAM IMAGES: COMMUNICATOR, COURIER, HERALD, JOURNALIST, MESSENGER)

Although networking seems like a very modern skill tied to career advancement in the media age, it is actually quite ancient. Networking would also have been an integral part of any military alliance as well as all social and clan confederations in prehistory. If a messenger or journalist appears in your dreams, this suggests that you have the skills to bring information – or power – and inspiration to others. The question is, will you use these skills for the good of the group, or for personal gain?

Pioneer

(DREAM IMAGES: EXPLORER, PILGRIM, SETTLER)

The pioneer discovers and explores new lands, whether that territory is external or internal. The passion to explore the South Pole is as much a pioneering endeavor as the passion to explore medicine or spiritual practice. Even initiating new fashions, art, music, or literature may qualify as expressions of this archetype. The core ingredient is innovation – doing and creating what has not been done before. In dreams, this archetype suggests a need to step on fresh and undiscovered territory in at least one realm. The shadow pioneer manifests as restlessness and a compulsive need to abandon one’s past and move on.

Poet

The poet combines lyricism with sharp insight, finding the essence of beauty and truth not only in the great epic affairs of humanity, but also in everyday acts and objects. Great poetry extols momentous events and great deeds, and also expresses wonder at the hidden joys and sorrows that most of us might overlook. If you dream you are a poet, or a poet figures in your dream, this suggests the need and the ability to discover beauty in the people and things around you, and to express it in a way that helps others, too, see that beauty. The shadow poet turns his gift for lyricism to negative or destructive effect, as in songs or poems written in support of military aggression or genocide.

Priest

(DREAM IMAGES: EVANGELIST, MINISTER, RABBI, VICAR)

A priest may represent traditional religion with its spiritual rules and regulations. Are you making moral judgments? Alternatively, the priest could represent your own spiritual wisdom. The shadow side of this archetype manifests in lapses of personal morality.

Prince

The true prince is a ruler-in-training who is in service to the people over whom he will rule, whether that is a literal kingdom or a figurative or spiritual one. The shadow prince can manifest as a young man with great feelings of entitlement, or an heir apparent who uses his position solely for self-aggrandizement. Are you dedicated to service, or do you feel that the world owes you a living?

Prostitute

This archetype activates the aspects of the unconscious that are related to seduction and control. Prostitution should also be understood as the selling of your talents, ideas, and any other expression of the self – or the selling-out of them. This archetype is universal, and in dreams it relates to the need to birth and refine self-esteem and self-respect.

Queen/Empress

Freud believed that the king and queen represent the dreamer’s parents, while a prince or princess represents the dreamer. The queen is a symbol of power and authority in all women. She may also stand for the unconscious, intuition, nature, and the instincts. Jung saw royal figures as representations of the animus and anima – the male and female principle – and the queen personifies the feminine forces within the psyche, the unconscious feeling for life. The shadow queen can slip into aggressive and destructive patterns of behavior, particularly when she perceives that her authority or capacity to maintain control over the court is being challenged. The ice queen rules with a cold indifference to the genuine needs of others – whether material or emotional. The queen bee is a mixed image – the astonishing ability to power the entire hive without leaving her ‘chamber’, yet at the cost of enslaving the rest of her community.

Rebel

(DREAM IMAGES: ANARCHIST, NONCONFORMIST, PIRATE, POLITICAL PROTESTER, REVOLUTIONARY)

The rebel in a support group can be a powerful aid in helping the group break out of old tribal patterns. In dreams, it can also help you see past tired preconceptions in your field of professional or creative endeavor. The rebel can also lead you to reject spiritual systems that do not serve your inner need for direct union with the divine and to seek out more appropriate paths. The shadow rebel, conversely, may compel you to rebel out of peer pressure, or for the sake of fashion, and so become mired in another manifestation of conformity.

Seeker

(DREAM IMAGES: NOMAD, VAGABOND, WANDERER)

This dream archetype refers to the search for wisdom and truth wherever it can be found. The shadow side of the archetype is the ‘lost soul’, someone on an aimless journey, without direction, ungrounded, disconnected from goals and others.

Servant

(DREAM IMAGES: INDENTURED SERVANT, SLAVE)

To dream that you are a slave suggests that you are not taking charge of your own life. Have you become so consumed by the needs of those around you that you have lost all focus on the value of your own life?

Student

(DREAM IMAGES: APPRENTICE, DEVOTEE, DISCIPLE, FOLLOWER, PUPIL)

The student archetype suggests an open mind and the ability to absorb new information as an essential part of one’s well-being. The shadow student usually manifests in learning all the tools of the wrong trade or misusing the knowledge learned. The shadow can also show up as the eternal student who never embarks on the sea of life in earnest, but manages to find ever new reasons to continue being schooled without ever putting that knowledge to the test.

See also SCHOOL, WORK.

Teacher

Teaching is the art of communicating knowledge, experience, skill, and wisdom to another. Teaching, or offering instruction of any kind, can manifest through parental guidance, business apprenticeship, or by inspired instruction in ethics or kindness. If this archetype appears in your dreams, it can suggest that others seek you out for the richness of your experience or that you need to seek out someone or something to teach you the ropes. The shadow teacher manifests as a desire to manipulate or abuse those you are instructing, and to be more concerned with recognition than with imparting knowledge.

Thief

(DREAM IMAGES: BURGLAR, CON ARTIST, PICKPOCKET, ROBIN HOOD, SWINDLER)

Symbolically, theft can take many forms, including plagiarism, stealing ideas and even affection. If the figure of a thief appears in your dreams or you become a thief, it suggests that you may be taking what is not yours because you lack the ability to provide for yourself; you therefore need to learn self-respect. This archetype prods you to learn to generate power from within.

Victim

When we become a victim in our dreams, it can be a tremendous aid in letting us know when we are in danger of letting ourselves be victimized, often through passivity, but also through rash or inappropriate actions. It can also help us to see our own tendency to victimize others for personal gain. In its shadow aspect, the victim shows us that we may like to play the victim at times because of the positive feedback we get in the form of sympathy or pity. Our goal is always to learn how to recognize these inappropriate attitudes in ourselves or others, and to act accordingly.

Warrior

(DREAM IMAGES: AMAZON, CRIME FIGHTER, GUNSLINGER, MERCENARY, SOLDIER OF FORTUNE, SAMURAI, SOLDIER)

The warrior archetype represents loyalty, physical strength and the ability to protect, defend, and fight for one’s rights. To be unbreakable and to fight to the death is a large part of the warrior archetype, which is also associated with the passage from boyhood to manhood. Such dreams appeal to our fantasies of independence, and the power to defend ourselves and right wrongs. The shadow warrior distorts or abandons ethical principles and decency in the name of victory at any cost. The warrior archetype is just as connected to the female psyche as to the male. In today’s society, the warrior woman or Amazon archetype has emerged in its glory once again through women who liberate and protect others, especially women and children who need vocal and financial representation. The concept of the spiritual warrior directs us to use the classic warrior virtues of heroism, stoicism, and self-sacrifice for conquering the ego and gaining control of our inner lives.

ARCHITECT

See WORK.

ARGUE Clear indication that you are feeling conflict about some aspect of your life and that you are perhaps not releasing or expressing these feelings of conflict in your waking life.

ARM

See BODY.

ARMOR If you are dressed in armor in your dream, do you need to protect yourself against something or someone? In donning such heavy attire, you are better protected but you also restrict your movement; perhaps your unconscious is telling you that it might be better to open up about what is troubling you, instead of keeping it a closely guarded secret. If chains feature alongside the armor, this is a symbol of enslavement and unhappiness with your current commitments. If your chains break or are broken, this is a positive sign.

ARREST If you were arrested in your dream or someone else was arrested this suggests the need for some kind of restraint in your waking life or a fear of authority.

ART Dreams of the creativity of artistic endeavor are as common as action and adventure dreams. Whether you dream of composing a symphony, painting a masterpiece, writing a best-selling novel, singing in an opera or designing a scrapbook, such dreams with yourself in the artist’s role represent the creative or intuitive side of your nature. You may feel a need in waking life to express yourself in some way, to be more creative or to enjoy public recognition. If you are meeting an artist in your dreams, this suggests that you are becoming aware of an aspect of yourself that is creative. If, however, you are watching another artist at work, this suggests that you are recognizing artistic or creative ability in yourself but remain passive about it.

Dreaming of creating something will be less significant if you are a naturally creative person than if you are not. If you have never been artistic or worked with crafts, dreaming that you are a potter making a pot – or an author completing a novel – may carry the implication that you should do so, or at least be more imaginative and creative in your waking life.

ARTIST To dream that you are an artist painting a picture is a reference to the creative and intuitive side of your character. The dream alerts you to talents that you may not know you have. It urges you to recognize the artist within, that aspect of yourself that is in contact with the irrational, creative side of your unconscious.

See also ARCHETYPES.

ASHES If you were raking over the ashes in your dream, upon which aspect of your past are you reflecting? Ashes in a dream often indicate penitence and sorrow, and the feeling that there is nothing more than can be, as the ashes or memories are all we have left. The important thing now is to learn from the experience. And bear in mind that your unconscious may also use the dream images of smoke, ember, and ashes to warn you that you are at risk of physical or emotional burnout.

ASS

See ANIMALS.

ASSASSINATION

See MURDER.

ASTRONAUT

See SPACE.

ATHLETE

See ARCHETYPES, WORK.

ATOM BOMB An atom bomb in your dream may be a symbol of the end of one way of life and the beginning of another. It may also represent fear of the irrational forces of life and feeling at the mercy of external and uncontrollable forces, or a lack of compassion and disregard for life.

ATTACK/ATTACKER If you are being attacked in your dreams, this suggests you are feeling threatened in some way, perhaps by your own impulses, or perhaps by other people and their attitude or remarks to you. If you are the attacker in the dream, who or what are you attacking? Attack is almost always a form of defense, so may also suggest defensiveness about some issue in, or aspect of, your life. There is also a positive side to attack, as new ideas and positive changes can threaten our old way of life and habitual way of thinking about things. If you are attacked by an animal in your dream, this suggests anxiety about aggression in yourself or other people. If you are attacked by a shadowy or frightening figure, this may depict feelings of fear and pain associated with the past. How you deal with the attack is important. If you run from it, the trauma is not being dealt with in waking life.

Dreams in which your anger turns into violence and you start attacking someone usually suggest hidden hostility toward someone or something in your waking life. If you do find yourself punching, kicking or fighting with someone in your dream, try to think about what triggered the violent attack. It is possible that your dreaming mind conjured up the image of an attack as a safety valve through which you can release your frustration. Another interpretation suggests that dreams in which you inflict violence on someone or something may be prompted by a sense of helplessness or resentment in waking life. Perhaps there is someone whose authority you find powerless to resist? If this is the case, your dream may be compensatory by allowing you to exact revenge against the person or object of your resentment. It is also possible that your unconscious was encouraging you to stand up for yourself.

Alternatively, dreams which feature violence can symbolize your hidden desire for power and control in waking life. When interpreting this dream, try to identify whether the target of the violence represented an aspect of yourself, particularly if the victim was a stranger. Or could your unconscious have conjured an archetypal image of the stranger to bear the brunt of your anger?

ATTIC To see an attic in your dream represents past memories and experiences. It can also highlight family patterns of behavior and attitudes that have been handed down to you. To see a cluttered attic is a sign urging you to organize your mind and thoughts, but an overly neat attic may suggest an approach to life that is too formal and timid. Ghosts in the attic represent memories that haunt you, while a jumble of unused clothes and equipment reflects unused energy. In some cases, particularly those in which your dream attic is radiant and heavenly, your attic may represent your higher self but in general, such dreams refer to stored material. Whatever your dream attic contains, consider it a clue to making your present circumstances more rewarding.

See also HOUSE.

AUCTION If an auction figures in your dreams, what was the identity of the object you, or others, were bidding for? Was it a position at work? Was it for a lifestyle change? Was your bid too low or too high, or did you pay more than the object was worth? If so, should you re-evaluate your ambitions in waking life?

AUDIENCE To dream that you are in front of an audience suggests that people you know in waking life are paying close attention to your actions. It could also refer to your fear of having your private thoughts and feelings discovered or revealed. If you are part of the audience, you need to pay attention to the plot of the play. Symbolically, the stage is a representation of your own life play. By observing and being objective about the action being played out, you can gain a new perspective on your life.

Who is the audience in your dreams when you receive or don’t receive recognition? Who is there to see you succeed or fail? How does their presence make you feel? Scared? Supported? Distracted? Proud? Are they cheering you on? Or are they holding you back? Typically the people we choose to watch and comment on our progress in dreams are those authority figures who exist in both our waking life and our memories. Parents and family members tend to be the most persistent authority figures in dreams about success and recognition. It is up to you to work out how much their values and dreams guide and nourish you, and to what extent they keep you from the finishing line. How often does your boss or a work colleague or an old teacher or friend from school appear in your dreams? Chances are when they do, your dreams are about proving yourself.

Is your partner there cheering you on, or are they absent? Which friends are there to watch your moment of glory in your dreams? If it is someone who hasn’t been in your life for years, what do they stand for? We all have authority figures in our dreams and in our lives. They are necessary because they each represent something important. They can guide us, warn us, and give us the feeling that we are supported. On the other hand, they can also undermine us, hold us back when we need to be moving forward, or drive us harder toward impossible to reach goals.

AUDITION If you are attending an audition in your dream, this could refer to feelings of insecurity about expressing yourself in waking life. You may also feel as if you are being put to the test in some way, or that you are in a vulnerable situation. The response of the audience will reveal how you feel others perceive you.

AUNT For Jungians, an aunt may represent the anima (feminine aspect) of a male dreamer and the uncle the animus (masculine aspect) of a female dreamer. Uncles and aunts in dreams can also be symbols of your unconscious feelings toward your mother or father. The most general characteristic of dreams that feature your aunt is that they depict an aspect of yourself. For many people an aunt is a role model, so if she figures in your dream, she is commenting on the success or failure of certain strategies you may be using in your waking life.

See FAMILY.

AUTOPSY To dream of examining a dead body suggests a need to look within yourself or to search your past experiences for answers or insight. Alternatively, your dream could be urging you to examine what part of you has died or stopped functioning.

AUTUMN Dreams dealing with the autumn mean that a series of ups and downs may be experienced, but the transformations that are felt may be crucial to your personal growth. This time may represent a maturing of your ideas. It is also a time when one cycle ends and trees bear fruit, so it may suggest the fruition of a plan. Autumn may also symbolize middle age. Bear in mind, too, that Keats’ ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ conjures up images of poetry even in dreams. If you dream of autumn, your dreaming mind is urging you to reap what you sow and appreciate your blessings.

AVALANCHE This dream may refer to oppressive forces within your waking life that are threatening to overwhelm you – an avalanche of responsibility, for example, that accompanies the birth of a new child. Therefore if you dreamed of an avalanche, your unconscious is warning you that the foundations of your waking life are under threat. Or maybe you just feel snowed under by responsibilities, or overwhelmed by the avalanche of work your boss requires of you? If you dreamed of being caught in the middle of an avalanche, this suggests you are feeling overwhelmed by circumstances, but if you witnessed an avalanche, you are currently experiencing a destructive force in your life. The dream is urging you to assume control and take precautionary steps to protect yourself from danger. An avalanche dislodges snow and ice, so your dream may have expressed your fear of someone else’s hostility or emotional coldness, and the impact this has in the real world. Snow is white (the color of innocence), so you should also consider whether you are disguising some action in waking life.

AX This can be both creative and destructive, as it is often used to separate the valuable from the worthless. An ax or hatchet can be a symbol of emotional readiness to cut out dead wood so you can free yourself from whatever is holding you back. If the ax belongs to an executioner, do you have a tendency for excessive self-criticism?

See also WEAPONS.