Dreaming of Snow

 

In dreams, snow is a rich, layered symbol. Its meaning often depends on how the snow appears, how you feel, and what is happening around it. Here are the most common interpretations. 

Stillness & Pause

Snow often signals a natural slowing down. Life may be asking you to rest, reflect, or suspend action for a while. You may be in a between phase,  not moving forward, but not going backward either. This can be restorative rather than negative.

Emotional Coolness or Distance

Snow can symbolize emotional numbness, detachment, or holding feelings at bay. This might be self-protective (you needed space). Or it may point to emotions that are “frozen” and waiting to be felt safely. Are you avoiding something emotional right now or protecting yourself?

Purity, Cleansing, Fresh Start

Fresh snow often represents cleansing, innocence, or a desire to begin again. This could be a clean slate or washing away past experiences representing a kind of renewal. 

Isolation or Loneliness

Snow can create silence and separation. This includes feeling unseen, emotional solitude or being on your own in a situation. While it can mean sadness - sometimes it reflects chosen solitude or sacred alone time.

Dormancy (Not Death)

Just like winter in nature, snow symbolizes life resting beneath the surface. This could mean that Ideas, creativity, or desires are incubating.. Nothing looks active but growth is coming.

This is especially meaningful if you’re worried that “nothing is happening” in your waking life.

How Context Changes the Meaning

• Gentle falling snow -  peace, acceptance, emotional softness
• Deep snow you’re walking through - slow progress, effort, perseverance
• Snowstorm / blizzard - overwhelm, confusion, emotional shutdown
• Melting snow -  emotional thawing, healing, truth emerging
• Footprints in snow - your unique path, past actions leaving a trace

A Reflective Question for You

Snow dreams often ask:

What in my life is quiet right now and is it asking for patience, warmth, or awakening?

Dreaming of Rabbits

 

It's my birthday. I take a cake out of a box. It blows up into a huge, pink bunny. 

I was in my childhood house. My cat changed into a small, white rabbit with red eyes. I had learned a spell to change her back but couldn't remember the right magic word.  So, my cat was this sad, white rabbit hopping around my parents' backyard. I didn't want to lose her.

Dreaming of Animals in General 

Animal symbols in our dreams can symbolize many things. Sometimes, an animal can represent a totem animal or spirit guide. (See Dreaming of A Bear), Animals in dreams can also exhibit qualities about ourselves or others that we might want to investigate further. Recurring animals dreams (See Dreaming of Rats) could happen in order to get our attention and can relate to phobias. 

Psychological Meaning

Freud, of course, saw animal dreams connecting to your sexual nature. Humans have tended to think of animals representing our most base, primitive selves. Carl Jung noted that animals in dreams symbolize our instincts. 

 Symbolism of Animals in Dreams

If you dream about an animal, you should then look at the symbolism of the particular animal. This includes universal symbolic meaning as well as what that animal personally means to you (i.e. Did you have a rabbit as a beloved pet? Or were you bitten by a wild rabbit as a child? ). How you feel about your dream symbol contributes greatly to your dream meaning.

Rabbit Symbol Meanings

A Rabbit has a few different symbolic meanings. The first ones are related to the general characteristics of a rabbit.

• fertility and sexual activity
• warmth 
• shyness or timidity
• hopping (as in hopping from one thing to the next - not staying put)
• loyalty

There are also universal symbols associated with the rabbit.

• good luck omen (the lucky rabbit's foot)
• magical power (the magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat)
• success is coming
• a good omen for love

Why is the Rabbit Considered Lucky?

There is no definitive answer to how the tradition of carrying a rabbit's foot came about or saying "rabbit rabbit" to bring you luck. One thought is related to the old tradition of carrying a dead criminal's  hand as a powerful charm or amulet, "The Hand of Glory" (obviously rabbits' feet would be easier to get than dead criminals' hands!) Additionally, the rabbit's foot might correspond to the good event connected to the place it was taken from (i.e. the location of a battle won). 

Does Colour Matter?

Colour does matter in dreams, as different colours have different meanings. In my case, I think the fact that the rabbit was white was significant. For one thing, it reminds me of the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland who served as a guide for Alice on her adventures. White also represents purity. Red in dreams signifies passion or war but a white rabbit with red eyes is actually an albino rabbit so I don't think the colour of the eyes in this case in significant. It was just a common rabbit type.

Phrases Related to Rabbits

Sometime there are sayings or phrases that literally relate to your dreams. Some common ones that relate to rabbits are:

• Going down the rabbit hole  - being led somewhere or deep diving into the unknown
• Pulling a rabbit out of a hat - you were lucky
• As mad as a March hare - crazy
• Going at it like rabbits - self explanatory:)

Interpretation of My Dreams

These dreams happened on different days. In the first dream, I take the fact that the dream was about my birthday to interpret the rabbit as a good sign for luck in the next year. Big luck! (related to the big size of the rabbit).

In the second dream, there are many factors contributing the to interpretation. First, where the dream takes place: my childhood home. A childhood home can represent your past (See Dreaming of a House).  Secondly, my cat. I see my cat representing a spiritual guide (See Dreaming of Cats). I was uncomfortable about her transforming into a rabbit and the magic involved in that. It did not seem she was happy with being a rabbit and I was afraid to lose her. So, while the image of the white rabbit represents luck coming, maybe I feel like it will not be within my control or that I have to control it somehow? Lots to think about. I should try going back into the dream and seeing where the white rabbit might take me. 

"Depend on the Rabbit's Foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit!" - R. E. Shay

Dreaming of Mountains and Tunnels

Dream 1) I was up in the mountains somewhere in a different country. They were very steep and jaggedy - maybe like Peru or possibly Europe. There was a Mayan-type structure, golden that looked like a giant snake waterslide. A group of British teachers were going to ride on it as a form of protest.

Dream 2) I was looking for my class outside the school. There was a tunnel that I needed to slide down but the bottom opening was clogged with snow. I was afraid I would get stuck, but I managed to clear it with my feet. When I finally got out, I was at the bottom of a hill. It was an isolated area in a forest but there was a rustic cabin with two mountain-men out front fixing an old car. I had to run up the logging road to get back to school. 

Since I had these two dreams on consecutive nights, I knew the symbols of Mountains and Tunnels were important.

The Mountain Symbol

Mountain, as a symbol in dreams, is the archetype for overcoming obstacles. 

If you dream of climbing a mountain, you are overcoming obstacles, literally rising above. Standing at the top of a mountain means you achieved success. Conversely, descending a mountain is taking a step back, and you might have trouble reaching your goals.  The steepness of a mountain represents the degree of challenges you need to overcome. (i.e. flat mountains relatively easy going versus sharp points).

Traditionally, mountains were seen as representing closeness to heaven, spiritual enlightenment and elevation. Hermits, those seekers of truth and knowledge, frequently inhabited mountain peaks. In Chinese tradition, mountains were viewed as a symbol of the peace that comes through meditation.

The Tunnel Symbol

In my dream, the tunnels were slides, reminiscent of a game of snakes and ladders (in the first dream the tunnel was in the shape of a snake - see my post Dreaming of Snakes for interpretation of that symbol.) 

In dreams, tunnels take you deeper into the subconscious.  It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland falling through the rabbit hole. There is a loss of control of reality when you fall through a tunnel.

Psychologically, it could represent going through the birth canal so literally a rebirth.

If you can see light at the end of the tunnel, it means you will emerge to positive outcomes but if something is blocking the tunnel, it could be a sign that you have fears or issues that are impending your way.

Like the mountain, tunnels are also a symbol of a obstacle dream. 

Interpretation of My Dream

I find it interesting that I had two prominent symbols of overcoming obstacles in both my dreams. Besides this aspect, it feels like the mountain represented my higher state while the tunnel took me down into the unconscious. I like the fact that I successfully made it to the top in both my dreams, even though the tunnel took me down, I managed to get back up. I take the dreams to be a message that I am going through some stuff that I will, ultimately, be able to overcome.

Dreaming of a Name

In my dream I lived next door to a man. In real life, it was an old boyfriend, but in my dream he went by the name of Charles Lieberman. In the dream, he was more of a neighbour figure. He had a large house with a hot tub and a big tree. I knew I recognized him from before but I accepted him as this new, unknown person. He said, "Call me Chuck."

There have been a few times in my life where I have dreamt of a name. Usually, when I look it up, however, I can't see the connection. Sometimes it's a full name but other times all I get is an initial or the beginning of a name. (For example, E.... like Ed? Edward? Eric?)

Do Names in Dreams Have Meaning?

We know that in dreams things are never quite what they seem. An image of someone you think you know might actually stand for someone else. Or the person you see in dreams may be a composite of many different people. (When I dream of a man it will often switch between my ex-husband, my dad or a boyfriend and I take that to be "a male figure of importance".) So, it might not seem to matter what your dream image's name is. However, I feel like when the name is emphasized, like you can see it in writing, how it's spelled, that is an important aspect of the dream to remember.

Some Examples of Names in Dreams

Sometimes, names are given to you by someone in the dream. As seen in the photo above,  the angel Gabriel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to call Mary's baby Jesus. The name Jesus literally means rescuer or messiah. I would say the first step in deciphering what a name means, if it does not have an obvious connection to your life, is to look up the meaning of the name. There are all kinds of lists online that will give you some suggestions. Maybe the name in the dream is referring to a quality you or someone else embody? Like Audrey (bravery), John (grace), or Lucifer (the devil) for example.

Also, when a dream images introduces itself to you by name, that's important. The most well-known example that comes to mind is from The Christmas Carol where each ghost that visits Scrooge introduces himself by name -  "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past....". In the story, this helps to set the stage for Scrooge (and the readers) to give it context. And aren't dreams essentially just stories we are creating in our head to make sense of life?

Names give us, and other people, identity. If you dream that you or someone else has a different name, maybe that means the identity has changed or is in transition?

The Meaning of the Name

 I looked up the meaning of the word Charles - it means free man! (I guess that might means he's still single:) I love the urban dictionary definition of the name: "awesome, fucking awesomest person the world, attractive, smart, loyal, best friend you could ever have..." Sounds like the perfect neighbour, right? And the nickname he gave, Chuck, makes him even more so! Then I looked up the last name, Lieberman, which means dear or beloved. Wow, could this guy be any greater!

The reason I am writing this blog post is because when Googled the name I was given in the dream, Charles Lieberman if you remember, I was a little surprised to see what it said. The first person listed ended up being a famous ENT (ears, nose, throat) specialist in the States. This may not mean anything to anybody else but, since I have been struggling with undiagnosed ear issues for a couple of years now, I found it very interesting! I admit I was taken aback actually because my dream was not specifically about my ear issues nor I had even been thinking about them. It was kind of like a gift my dream gave me (so maybe dreams aren't just stories after all?).  I now need to explore this theme and the writings of the real C.L. further. Maybe my reading will lead me to find a cure for my condition? Or maybe I need to investigate the idea of hearing/not hearing more within the dream?   I will keep you posted!

What Does It Mean To Dream You Are Dead?

In my dream, I knew I was dead. I wasn't sure how it happened but I knew that I was. I was still on Earth though, living at home with my family, going to school, living my daily life, but not everyone could see me. Those that could seemed to know that I was dead but didn't seem too concerned or sorry about it. It sucked for me though. I felt isolated and upset that I was dead and there was nothing I could do about it. One bonus was that I was able to sneak into a concert because the bouncer couldn't see me!

Having a dream when you see yourself dead or dying is understandably scary. Often, people are frightened that the dream is precognitive and it might be a foreshadowing of their own death. However, the symbol of death can be figurative, and doesn't necessarily have to be interpreted literally. As Carl Jung states, "when it is a dream of death, the dream speaks another language".

                                             

Death As A  Symbol In Dreams

Literally, death is the end of something. It can be the end of a life, but it could also be the end of a relationship or a life stage.

Usually, the idea of death in your dream will be a symbol. The grim reaper (Check out my post about Dreaming of A Dark Hooded Figure) a black dog, etc. are all examples of traditional death symbols in dreams. Traditionally, these would represent or foretell a bad event.

                                         



The Psychological Interpretation

Psychologically speaking, dreaming of death is not always a bad omen. It can even signify a new era in your life. It can be a way that your mind is preparing itself for change or exploring the idea of death. It is always important to interpret dreams within the context of one's own life. Dreams are not only made up of symbols but also can reflect the current events happening in the life of the dreamer.

Interpretation of the Dream

In the case of the dream above, the dreamer had just attended the funeral of an acquaintance who had died relatively young, so she obviously had the idea of death and dying on her mind. As well, she had just bought her first car, and was going into her last year of high school which definitely signifies a new stage of life and the end of an old one (childhood). The feelings she had in the dream about not being seen by everyone and feeling isolated could reflect the feelings she was having in her waking life as she goes through this transitional time.

In The Hidden Meaning of Dreams, Craig Hamilton Parker suggests three questions to ask yourself if you see yourself dead in your dream:
1) What is being expressed in the dream? Your dream might point out that you are afraid of death or the means of death in the dream.
2) Are you trying to free yourself from something? This would suggest leaving your old self behind.
3) Do you feel suicidal? If so, it might be expressing this feeling in the dream. Talking to someone you are close to or a counsellor can help you cope with these feeling.

Other posts about dreaming of death you might be interested in:

Dreaming of the Dead: Messages From Beyond
Dreaming of A Dark Hooded Figure
Dreaming of Driving A Car And Near Death Experiences
Resources

Cheung, Theresa. The Dream Dictionary From A-Z.  Harper Element: London, 2006.

Grant, Russell. The Illustrated Dream Dictionary. Sterling Publishing: New York, 1991.

Hamilton -Parker, Craig. The Hidden Meaning of Dreams. Sterling Publishing: New York, 1999.

Dreaming of Spiders

Just as I was waking up from a dream this morning, I had a sudden image of a large, yellow and black striped spider perched on my left hand. It was really large - like almost the size of my hand, with a small body and huge spindly legs. Surprisingly, though, I wasn't afraid, but rather, very intrigued. It was quite beautiful.

Like dreaming of snakes and rats (see other posts here), dreaming of a spider can be really frightening. Spiders are an image that usually scares people. Of course it depends on your own preference and experiences with spiders. While some dream images are universal in meaning, they are always coloured by your own personal interpretation of what that image means to you.

If we look at the aspects of spiders in real life, that can also give us some insight into what the symbol meant in our dreams. For example, a spider is a predatory and efficient hunter. It is also a creator of beautiful and intricate webs that require much patience to weave.

Spiders As An Image of Fear

Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and may have its origins in the legitimate human fear of spiders that are poisonous.

Spiders As An Image of Good Luck

Since Medieval times, dreaming of spiders has been seen as an omen of good luck signifying the coming of prosperity and fortune.

The Spider's Web

Interestingly, we use the term "caught in a web of lies" or "she's spinning a web of lies" to illustrate when someone is being deceitful. It could also represent that you are feeling entangled or trapped. It is possible if you are dreaming of a spider in a web, it suggests this is going on in your life. On the positive side, the web can be seen as form of perfection and protection.

Freud's Interpretation of Spiders

Freud saw the spider image (a mother who poisons and devours her victims or even her own children) as a representation of the mother who devours her own children through possessiveness and guilt. The spider image does represent feminine creative energy.

Interpretation of My Dream

Because of the positive feelings I had about the spider in my dream, I prefer to think of it as a good omen. I am also paying attention to the other symbols in the dream. For example, the spider being on my left hand side (the more logical side of your brain), and my hand suggests receiving something.
As well the colours in the dream were striking to me - yellow means and black striped. As a positive image, yellow can represent hope and happiness while black can mean strength. Both colours also have negative connotations too though. I found a picture online similar to the one in my dream. A yellow and black striped garden spider can be found in my area. Looking at all this information, I interpret this dream to simply be a powerful symbol of good things to come.

Resources:

Ball, P. The Complete Dream Dictionary. Ontario: Prospsera Books, 1999.

Cheung, T. The Dream Dictionary from A-Z. London: HarperElement, 2006.

Hamilton-Parker, C. The Hidden Meaning of Dreams. New York: Sterling Publishing Co.,  1999.

Hindman Miller, G. 10,000 Dreams Interpreted. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1995.

Dreaming of a Tsunami

                                                 Photo by Cristian Vazquez from Pixbay


I'm at school teaching a small group of students. We hear there is going to be a Tsunami so we all head home. My dad/boyfriend/ex (not sure who it is because it keeps changing) is driving me home to our house which is an older style (not really my house). As I look out the left window, I see a Tsunami churning at the bottom of the street. I tell my dad that we have to go up to the second floor. He is resists this idea but eventually we do. I still think we need to go even higher, like to the roof of the house because I can see the water has risen all the way up our house. 
It's the next day and the water has receded. We are outside. The house is soggy and damp but still intact. I wonder if all the school people are okay.


Tsunami Symbol

I have never dreamt of a tsunami before. Generally, this symbol represents repressed feelings or emotions. In my dream, the tsunami was churning which is a good way to describe emotions (the churning feeling in your stomach). In reality, a tsunami is a large, catastrophic event that can cause a lot of damage.

Meaning of the Left Side in Dreams

In my dream, I looked out the left window of the house to observe the tsunami. In dreams, the symbol of a house represents yourself and different rooms mean various things (see articles Dreaming of a House, Dreaming of a House Surrounded By Water, Dreaming of a House, Basement and Hell). When you look to the left side you are perhaps looking at things from a different angle (versus the RIGHT side). On the other hand, the left side of the brain is commonly regarded as the more logical, rationale way of thinking.

Meaning of the Second Floor

Again to do with the House symbol (see above), the second floor represents your higher self, whereas the first or ground floor deal with more basic needs. In my dream, I felt the need to go to this higher place in order to be safe. I had difficulty convincing my dad to do this. After the water reached the second floor I wanted to go even higher. The Roof Symbol suggests ambition (climb to the top) as well as heightened awareness.

School Symbol

Because I am a teacher, I often dream of a school so for me the general symbol of school being a place to learn is also a place of stress, feelings of inadequacy, anything that would generally be related to a job. (You can read more about the school symbol in Naked Teacher Dreams, Dreaming of Being Stabbed and Dreaming of Birds). In this dream, I would see the school symbol first of all, as symbolizing this is a dream where I will learn something important, and second, representing my regular, every day life.

Symbol of the Male Figure

In my dream, the male figure changed from being my boyfriend/ex-husband then finally settling on being my father. The male symbol in my dreams usually means a person judging me. As well, it could suggest the opposite to my feminine side, a more rational way of thinking. Because my father has also passed away, I take dreams involving him to have a special message for me. (See Dreaming of the Dead).

The Interpretation

You can see that this was a dream with many different symbols that contributed to its overall meaning. I know from past interpretations of dreams, that some of the symbols have a unique meaning to me, while others are more general. The message I take from this dream is to be prepared for an event that will cause me some emotional turmoil. In order to face this and have a good outcome, I need to look at it from a different and higher perspective, in fact, the highest consciousness I can.

Dreaming of a Dark Cloud

In my dream, I am part of a Chinese family. There is a mom, dad, two younger kids and a grandma. We have come out of our apartment in the city and we are running down the street. The streets are crowded with others doing the same thing. I can see there is a dark, ominous cloud moving towards the city and threatening to blanket it. The dad can sense our worry. He looks up at the cloud, shrugs and says, "So what if the cloud separates us. You will make new friends wherever you go." I felt reassured then.
Photo by Lynn Grayling


Cloud Symbols in Dreams

 Cloud symbols in dreams usually represent feelings. For example, a fluffy white cloud can symbolize happiness while an ominous, dark cloud can represent feelings of oppression.

Dark Clouds As Images of Bad Luck

Traditionally, dark clouds and rainy days were seen as bad omens. For instance, getting married on anything but a sunny day would foretell of bad luck for the marriage. In real life, you might be feeling, literally, that you are living "under a dark cloud" of bad luck.

Dark Clouds Representing Feelings of Oppression

Sometimes in cartoon strips, a depressed character is seen with a dark, scribbly cloud over them in a bubble. Dark clouds can represent feelings of depression, oppression and apprehension that the dreamer has in waking life. The predominate image in this dream for me was the dark cloud. In my dream I felt like it meant that something bad was coming.

The Sun Breaking Through

If you dream of dark clouds but then in the dream the sunshine breaks through, this would be considered a good omen. It could represent that you will be able to break through whatever you are dealing with in real life. It connotes feelings of hope about a situation.

Although the sun didn't break through in my dream, the reassuring words of the father figure did. I took it to mean that while there might be trouble coming, I would be okay no matter what happened.

An interesting side note is that lately I have been reading about the Tao Te Ching so that's probably why the Chinese family and father figure sage with his wise Tao-like advice made an appearance:)

Dreaming of Your Mom

I am in my childhood home with my current boyfriend. We are in my mom's bed. We hear her come home and we jump up and quickly make the bed. Leaving the room before she can walk in.

Have you ever had a dream like this? Here I am a grown women living in my own house but I'm still afraid of being caught making out with my boyfriend by my mom. What does it mean if you dream about your mom?

The mother symbol in dreams can mean a variety of things. A lot depends on your own relationship and history with your mother so there can be positive or negative aspects to your dream.

Mother as the Nurturer: Your mother gave you life and so can be a symbol of Mother Earth, the life-source for us all. In this way, she can represent a caring, nurturing symbol in your dreams.

Mother as Controller: As much as your mother nurtured you, she was also in total control of your life when you were young. And, dependent on your relationship with her, well into your later years. If you see your mother like this in your dream it could mean that you are feeling controlled by something in general, and you want to break free and rebel.

Mother as Authority: Similar to controller, you may have had to answer to your mother when you were young to questions such as, "Where were you? Who were you with? You can't go out with that much makeup on!" Maybe you are feeling guilty about something or that you have to justify something in your waking life when you dream of your mother like that.

In my own dreams, my mother has appeared as all of these symbols. In this particular dream, however, I see her as an authority. Maybe I am feeling her judging my relationship or I am just feeling guilty and that I have to hide something in my waking life.

Dreaming About a Party

I dreamt I was hosting a Christmas Party at my house. I invited m ex-boyfriend and his children but they avoided me all night. Then my dream switched to a different scenario where they didn't come at all. I spent the party feeling anxious and wondering why. I thought he would at least text if he wasn't coming. Did something happen to him? Or was he just not interested?

Symbolism of a House

I have written quite a few blog posts about the house symbolism in dreams - Dreaming of a House, a Basement and Hell, Dreaming of a House Surrounded by Water, Dreaming of a House. Basically, a house is a symbol of yourself. Different rooms represent different areas of your psyche.

Symbolism of a Party

A party is a celebration. It indicates that life is good! Having it in your house means you might have the need to celebrate yourself.

However, if you are not enjoying yourself at the party, it might indicate that you have doubts about your social situation and life in general.

Having a party at your house is essentially inviting people into your psyche, your very personal space. A party represents the social aspects of your personality.

What Does My Dream Mean?

So knowing what the party theme symbolizes, I think that in my dream,  I was inviting my ex to have a look at my new life - a life I am proud of and want to celebrate. But although I tried in two different scenarios, he just wasn't interested. In the second scene I was even trying to make excuses for him that may or may not be legitimate. However, I take this dream s a very clear sign to move on with my life.

Dreaming of a House, a Basement and Hell

I am living in a house that is not mine in real life. Two men come to look at it to buy. As I show them around, I realize that I haven't been in the living room for a year because last year's Christmas tree is still there, dead pine needles and all. I also realize that there is major water damage, it is all soggy along the carpet and walls. "You're going to have to get this fixed," the man said. As I continued to lead him through the house I saw corridors and rooms I had never seen before. I was surprised but also delighted by so many cute rooms! One hallway led to the basement which was a huge underground cave, there was a dark beach area with water. Hundreds of people were in the water. I knew immediately that this was hell. I had been living in a house where hell was in the basement...I wasn't that disturbed by it, the people in the water seemed like lost souls but not scary at all. I was concerned, however, when my daughter ventured into the water. I was afraid the people would pull her in so I called her back.

Most dreams feature a combination of images, that when put together, lead to a richer interpretation of a dream. When you dream of a house, it symbolizes your inner psyche and the different rooms represent different areas of your life. 

 Living Room Symbol

A living room is generally a room where families and friends gather to socialize and celebrate. Since, in the dream, I hadn't used the living room in a year, points to the fact that in waking life, I have been neglecting that social side of my life. The damage to the carpet could suggest that my social standing is unstable and needs to be fixed.

Hallways and Corridors

These represent a transition in life, going somewhere, or a journey into self-awareness.

Basement Symbol

The basement is a symbol of your unconscious - things you have kept buried inside you and might not want to acknowledge in waking life.

Hell

Most people would view the image of Hell to be a symbol of suffering, guilt of sin but in my dream, it was more of a neutral waiting place. Water as a symbol can mean a cleansing of sins, which is what these people might have been undergoing. I don't think that I had to take part in this cleansing, in fact, I felt it was dangerous and pulled my daughter out. My daughter, who by the way is very religious, so maybe that represented saving her from religious ideologies such as the belief in hell? There is an idea (as seen in mythology) that once you have confronted hell you have confronted the dark side of your personality. I find the dichotomy between the "living" room and basement of the dead very interesting. This is a dream I will definitely ponder for years to come.

Dreaming Of A Sink Filled With Water

 I dreamt I was in a house that was supposed to belong to me but my ex-husband was there. I was about to go on a trip but I noticed that there were three sinks in the bathroom and they were all filled with water. My ex said that is what you were supposed to do before you went on a trip as a precaution.  It was a way to prepare the house for my departure and my return.

Dreaming of a Bathroom

As I've talked about in a previous post (Dreaming of a House Surrounded by Water), dreaming of a house represents your inner self and soul. The specific rooms of a house relate to specific areas of your life. A bathroom relates to your emotional psyche, the need to cleanse yourself or eliminate.

The Sink Symbol

The sink is usually where you wash your hands, which can be symbolic of getting rid of a situation. (think Lady Macbeth). Water as a symbol, (Dreaming of a Lake) can also represent cleansing.

In my dream, the basins reminded me of the baptism basins in a church where they keep the holy water. This is interesting because there were three sinks, unusual in a bathroom. The number three (see Numbers in Dreams) can represent the Trinity (three in one).

I'm not sure why my ex would tell me to leave the water in the sinks.  I don't usually see him in my dreams as a helpful guide...but it could be a suggestion to keep something filled and prepared for something in the future.

Dreaming of a Wheelchair, Airport and Golf Club

I dreamt that I was in a wheelchair going through airport customs holding a golf club in my hand. There was nothing wrong with me so I don't know why I was in the wheelchair. The customs agent told me I would have to check both the wheel-chair and the golf club so she took them away. I was concerned because they didn't have any tags or packaging so I didn't know if they would be okay or get lost.

There are a few images in this dream - an airport, customs, golf club and wheelchair. To put the dream into context, I have been learning to play golf and have been contemplating taking a trip. The wheelchair image, however, completely baffled me. I don't think I have ever dreamt about that symbol before.


The Wheelchair 

Being in a wheelchair in your dream can mean that you are feeling helpless. Interestingly, chairs traditionally represent female sexuality. The image of a wheel represents the need to move forward.

In my dream, this aid was taken away from me and I was concerned, even though I didn't really need it. This suggests that I have been relying on something that I don't really need to. I need to, literally, "stand on my own two feet" in order to make changes.

An Airport

This image represents a place of transition. Being in departures means new beginnings on a journey. The area of Customs in an airport is a place where you are told what you are allowed to do. Things can be taken from you that you don't want to give up. In this sense in my dream, the customs agent can be seen as a sort of spiritual guide.

The Golf Club

As I said, I have been learning to play golf. In golf, you are basically competing against yourself, so it suggests self-sufficiency. A golf club can be used as a weapon (think Tiger Wood's ex-wife smashing his car...) and in my dream, I was kind of holding it like that. Specifically, the club that I held was a driver, which could represent my own "drive" to move forward.

Putting It All Together

It is so interesting to see how these symbols relate to each other and overlap in meaning. As well, seemingly random images, that I thought were just remnants of my waking life,  actually have meaning too. My takeaway from my dream then is that I am on a spiritual journey or in a transition to something new, but I have to let go of both my drive and feelings of helplessness in order to continue.

Dreaming of Rats

Every night I have the same dream - I am in my house. It is full of giant rats! They don't seem to bother me though. But I am bothered that I keep having this dream...
(image by Kapa65)

Recurring Dreams

Recurring dreams can be frustrating or even scary (see Checking on My Car) Generally, a dream like this has a message that you definitely should pay attention to, like an unresolved issue, feeling or even something that you are not consciously aware of. Once you have dealt with that, in waking life, the dreams should subside.

Rat Symbol in Dreams

Rats can evoke different feelings in people, but generally, rats are seen as undesirable animals that are sneaky or disease-ridden (think black-plague). They travel in packs, live in unsanitary conditions and can bite. Rats are also regarded as clever problem solvers (finding their way out of a maze). 

In Asian cultures, the rat is seen as good fortune in business. Those born in the year of the rat, are said to be clever, easily adaptable, organized and family oriented with a tendency to hoard or be stingy.

Rats in Dream Interpretations

A rat in your dream could represent someone in your life that is being disloyal. 

Seeing a rat in your dream could mean that you are repulsed by something about yourself or in your life. 

Rats can represent your fears about a situation.

Specific Dream Interpretation

In the dream above, in her waking life, the dreamer was struggling with a decision to get an elective surgery done. The fact that it was a reoccurring dream, means that the decision weighed heavily on her mind. In this case, the rats could represent both her fear of the situation and the disease. I wonder if she made the decision to have the surgery if the dream would go away?

Dreaming of French Fries and other Random Things

I am riding in the back seat of a car with my children. My husband is driving in a crazy, manic, manner. Suddenly, my children and I are transformed into giant french fries, in a fast food box, and we are limply flopping around.

Sometimes dreams can contain really random images(see Kim Kardashian's Mushrooms) I can't remember if I had french fries to eat that night, that would explain a lot.

According to many dream dictionaries, french fries can symbolize frivolous things. They could also suggest aspects of the fast food culture like cheap ingredients, cheap prices, or lower class culture. Based on these meanings, dreaming of french fries could suggest that you are experiences these things or feelings in your waking life.

In my dream, I was left with a feeling of being helpless and out of control, like a limp french fry flopping around in a container I was afraid to fall out of. My dream seemed to suggest that I was feeling this way, helpless and without control in a relationship where my husband was is the driver's seat.

What are some random images that have shown up in your dreams?

Dreaming of Running

You are in a crowd of people. You glimpse the man that is trying to catch you. You try to run but your feet refuse to budge. It's like you're running in slow motion. You can't get away...

Many people have dreamed about this situation. Running, or rather trying to run, in dreams is so frustrating because you're trying to move but you just can't, It's like trying to run under water. Why does this happen in dreams?

Running in dreams represents movement. In waking life there are situations that we move through easily and others where we feel stuck. If you dream of running quickly and without effort in a dream, it might means that you can do the same in your waking life reality. Whereas, dreaming of having trouble running, may mean the desire to flee from a situation.

We can run away from situations or people or towards them, with others or alone. Try to pay attention to the other aspects of your dream that can help you interpret what running in a dream symbolizes for you.

Dreaming of Being Stabbed

I dreamed I was looking after a class of nine year old school kids. We were at someone's house watching a movie. Suddenly, a boy (known to me in real life) picked up a knife that was on the coffee table. I tried to talk him into putting it down since it was very unsafe. Then he lunged at me and stabbed me through the hand. When I looked though, there was no mark. I went back to school and tried to tell the administration what had happened. It was hard to talk and they didn't believe me.

In this dream, the predominant images that stood out to me were stabbing, knife, and hand.

Dreaming of being stabbed often means you are open or vulnerable to being hurt.

A knife is a symbol of the severance of something or someone. This can be a cutting away of something no longer essential.

In my dream, what was cut was the palm of my right hand. As a body part, the hands signify the power or creativity of the individual. The right hand, especially, represents power while the left hand is associated with passivity. A wound through the palm of the hand is suggestive of the image of the crucifixion of Jesus, nails through the hand.

This dream can be directly related to something that happened in my waking life at work. I felt powerless and accused by a student and was unsure of the support of my administration. Interestingly, this dream happened awhile after the event, but I guess my subconscious was still trying to work the issue out. I liked the positive outcome of the dream that though I was stabbed I came out of it unscathed. Usually I have teacher dreams like this at the beginning of school... Can anyone else relate?

Dreaming of Kites

I am flying through the air on a kite. My body is the frame, my arms are tied to the corners of the kite but I don't feel bound. I love the feeling of soaring. It is a beautiful, sunny day. When I look down I can see that a man is holding the string attached to the kite, essentially flying me. It's okay, I'm not worried. Then another man takes over. He and his friend laugh as he unspools the string so I go higher and higher into the sky. Now, I'm worried as I look down to the ground. I am way too high, I don't like the feeling. I convince the man to let me down. I land safely on the ground.

Usually, people dream of flying kites themselves. This kind of dream deals with feelings about new pursuits or ventures. You are in control. If the kite crashes to the ground, this may indicate that things won't turn out well. If the string breaks, your venture may not be under your control anymore.

Kites usually represent a playful time in childhood with positive connotations.

It seems to be a variation of a flying dream. In these dreams you feel euphoric, like you can overcome anything. But in contrast, To dream of flying on a kite suggests that something comes with strings attached. Someone is literally pulling the strings behind the scenes. You are not in control.

Dreaming of a Hotel

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I'm in an expensive city hotel. In my room there are girls I went to high school with. Some of them are in the jacuzzi that is in the middle of the room. I feel insecure and judged.


While dreaming of a house suggests exploration of your inner psyche, dreaming of a hotel can represent occupation with your external more public self. It could mean you desire an escape from yourself or that you are in, or wish to be in, a more unsettled, temporary situation.

The condition of the hotel you dream about could shed some more light on the meaning of your dream. If your hotel is chic and expensive you could be desirous of these things in your life. Whereas, a hotel in an old, or dilapidated condition could represent unhappiness with your material possessions.

Hotels are public places and in your dreams will usually be populated with people in your life, ranging from family members to acquaintances, to strangers you may have seen. In my dream above, being in a hotel room with classmates from high school gives me an opportunity to sort out feelings of insecurity I might have in my daily life.