I had a dream that I was sitting on a bench outside a house. Across the yard I saw a huge black panther curled up in a tree, looking at us like a cat, slowly blinking. I was concerned, obviously, I was with my young daughters. I was not sure if we should move or not. The panther came over and started brushing against us and the bench like a cat again. I didn’t know if it was going to be friendly. But then it walked away and we went inside. I was concerned in the house we were in (it was a shack with sliding doors with gaps) that the panther would be able to get inside.
This was a powerful, archetypal dream with two main symbols - the panther and the bench - as well as secondary symbols of a house and a mother.
The Black Panther Symbol
The black panther represents raw instinct, feminine power, shadow wisdom, and quiet strength. Unlike a lion (public power) or a wolf (pack power), the panther is solitary, intuitive, and watchful.
In my dream the panther was a predator in a tree observing but not attacking. The slow blink was significant because in animal language, that’s non-threatening recognition and trust.
When the panther brushes against me this suggests it is claiming space or familiarity. It did not attack as I expected but rather acted like a domestic cat that wanted to bond. This suggest that the panther was not an external threat to me.
The panther then walks away. This surprised me because I was really ready for it to attack! Whether it was respecting a boundary or felt it did not need to dominate me, I was relieved. Was the panther just warning me or was it an introduction?
The Bench Symbol
As I said before, I felt like the bench in my dream was also a significant symbol. A bench is a place to sit and wait, to take a pause. Being on a bench outside a house is a classic dream image of being in between - you are not fully inside (safety) but also not fully outside (wilderness/risk). In my dream, it was in this in between state that I was able to observe the panther.
Symbol of the House
I have many posts about dreaming about a house. Look them up on my blog. Basically, the house symbol represents you, with the different rooms representing various parts of your psyche and personality.
In this term, I went inside my house, which I referred to as a shack in my dream, suggesting something flimsy and temporary. It was not well constructed - big gaps in the siding leaving me vulnerable to the panther (and the wilderness in general). I would interpret this to mean that my “shell” is not solid or secure - I am feeling vulnerable but aware that I need to do something about it to feel safe.
Mother Archetype
In the dream I was with my two daughters. They were a lot younger though like four and eight maybe. I am a mother in real life and I do feel protective of my daughters. I definitely have that mother bear energy! I don’t really see a panther having that same type of protective energy however I do see it as a strong female (queen like) symbol.
There is a tension with wanting to protect my daughters on the bench and in the house while allowing and being aware that something wild and potentially dangerous is nearby. This could be a classic midlife dream that represents the change from caretaker to independence.
Putting It Together
Overall, I see this dream as being very symbolic and important. The bench, house, mother, and of course panther, are classic archetypes that carry a great deal of meaning in dreams. I think it represents where I’m at now in my life, in a waiting/in between place where I don’t exactly feel comfortable and actually quite vulnerable.
I’m still not clear on what the panther was there for - a warning or an introduction - but I feel honoured that it showed up. This is definitely a dream I will have to sit with for a while. I’ll also pay attention to where the panther might come up in my waking life as well.
I’ve had a few dreams about animals - look up dreaming of a bear, cat, frog etc on my blog.
If you’ve ever dreamed of an animal that felt both frightening and familiar, I’d love to hear your experience. Feel free to share below — sometimes dreams speak more clearly when we speak them aloud
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