Dream Symbol Excerpts

(randomly selected from Appendix B of What Are Your Dreams Telling You?)
A Lá Lansün

 

The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul.
— Carl G. Jung, Psychological Reflections.

ABANDONED – To feel forsaken; fear of rejection. To have lost the inner light or guidance.

AIRPLANE – The higher mental vehicle; higher road; ability to rise above limitations and circumstances; a faster method of travel. If the plane is crippled or crashed. Something has hindered your ability to remain above limitations or follow the guidance of Spirit. If landing, could mean “come down to earth” — apply your intuitive wisdom and insight to your everyday life. Can be literal; a trip.

BABY – A new start, rebirth. May symbolize a work or idea the dreamer is to bring forth; the condition of the baby is important as well as any activity involving the baby.

BARBED WIRE – An obstacle; restrictions. If you are caught in it, means entanglement in an unpleasant situation or circumstance. If it appears in front of you, a warning that to proceed on the present course or decision will entangle you in something very unpleasant. Cutting through represents freedom from some bondage.

CADUCEUS – The wand (Tree of Life) with intertwined serpents, representing the polarity force in that one is black (negative or yin pole) and one is white (positive or yang pole). A symbol of two opposing forces that balance one another to create a higher form (wings). Physician’s symbol.

CAMEL – The “ship of the desert.” The endurance required during your desert period of introspection and clearing. The ability to keep faith and persevere by drawing on your own inner resources, without the sustenance of personal reward or the approval of others. . . .

DANCE – “Incarnation of eternal energy.” An act of creation, expression of union, either of spirit and flesh, or man and woman. The nature, including location and outcome are highly significant.

DEATH – The end of an era, a cycle, circumstances, or present state of awareness; death of a desire or relationship. Can also point out an underlying death wish —the desire to give up in the face of great opposition. Rarely means physical death. (See Chapter Seven)

EAGLE – Height; the sun; spirituality in general. Victory over the lower nature’s limitations and lusts. . .air equivalent of the lion (earth symbol) . . . heavenly messenger, the Logos, Father principle. . .ability to soar above difficulties. . .

EARTHQUAKE – Definitely a shake-up of some kind! A sudden change; the feeling you may have when the mental clearing begins. One dreamer witnessed an earthquake in a dream and advised her sister (personality) to “stay in the middle of the road” (hold balance) and she would not be harmed by the buildings (old ideas) collapsing around her. . .

FALCON (Hawk) – Superiority, aspiration, spirit, light and liberty. . .a solar symbol of victory. . .king of birds in ancient Egypt. “The eyes of the hawk” represent clear insight, farseeing. Important information or insight is imminent. Be alert and vigilant. Listen – a “messenger” may be nearby.

GARDEN – Kahlil Gibran spoke of “the garden of the soul.” Nature subdued and controlled. A pleasant place unless unkempt and weed-filled. Ask to have the “weeds” identified and consciously pluck them out.

GRANDSTAND – Witnessing an event. (Chapter Five). Grandstanding, can mean showing off, overreacting, “hamming it up.”

HALO – A luminous circle or crown of spiritual forces, the illumined intellect that accepts guidance of the higher self, indicating that the human mind and personality are under the control and direction of the higher self.

HAT – Ideas, concepts, roles. To change one’s hat means to change one’s mind or role. To try on several hats means to try out several ideas or concepts, assume different roles. To accept responsibility “He’s wearing that hat.” What kind of hat? Attractive or unattractive? What role does the hat play in your dream?

ISLAND – Retreat; santuary; a desire to escape from some situation. The inner center of protection from the waves (events) of life (sea). Can also mean isolation and the inability to relate to others.

JOURNEY – Sometimes literal. A quest; the road of experience you must travel to attain understandng and balance.

KEY – Insight or action needed to unlock understanding or change conditions. Three keys universally represent initiation. First key (silver) psychological understanding. Second key (gold) philosophical understanding and insight. Third key (diamond) power to act upon your understanding and insight. Finding the key is the stage preceeding unlockig the treasure.

Keyhole: ASK for the key!

KISS – Beyond the obvious personal aspect, the kiss is a religious symbol of spiritual union. It is featured in many fairy tales as the act that “awakens” the beloved. If you “kiss” someone in a dream, even a brief kiss, some form of attraction has been formed, so the nature of the kiss is important. Was it pleasant or unpleasant? In the Bible the kiss Judas gave Jesus has been interpreted as betrayal, when in fact his act was preplanned by the two of them. Without this act in the divine play, the transfiguration would not have been forever placed before mankind.

LAMP – Similar to a candle; Light. If out, the inner light is not being used as a guide. If flickering and in danger of being blown out, the winds of circumstance are threatening you in some way. A steady flame may represent you are in harmony with and expressing your true self. A steady course, a revelation.

LEAVES – Experiences. If green and attached to the tree (of life), your perception is clear and growing. Dead Leaves: perception and intuitive wisdom are lifeless. Falling Leaves: If the leaves are dead, old ideas are falling away; if green leaves are falling, are you letting good ideas fall by the wayside?

MASK – Mystery. A protection the ego creates. Can hide the transforming process taking place within (see chrysalis). Role playing. A personality expression (pattern – stage of growth/experience). Can be a protective front, or imply deceit. Look behind it.

(See Patterns (of Awareness): Removing the Mask – Bookstore).

PEACOCK – Although often representing pride or vanity in Western Art, in most other cultures it is a symbol of royalty, the “soul bird” of an empress or princess; spiritual power, dignity, high rank and solar glory. In Christian art a symbol of immortality.

PHOENIX – The Egyptians believed that every five hundred years the Phoenix returned to the Temple of the Sun and set fire to its own nest (personality, old self), rising from the ashes transformed. In general, a resurrection and transfiguration symbol. Chinese: the emperor of birds, also a sun symbol. To Christians, it represents a symbol of eternal life as in the resurrection of Jesus.

PIT – Not a nice place to be! A mind that is cluttered with error beliefs. The descent into the hell of our unconscious fears and negativity (a clearing process). If before you — a warning. Look out!

REINS – Control of the forces of life. If thrown down you have relinquished control of your life. If cut, someone or some situation has robbed you of control or wounded your self-esteem. Are you allowing emotion or another person to direct or control you? Slack Reins: “yield to nature.” (See Horse).

SAILS – The set of the sail (attitude) determines the course. Spiritual power, the “breath of heaven.” (A thousand dipping oars can less avail than heaven’s breath that fills one ragged little sail.) If collapsed, you are not reaching up for the power and help available to you. If no wind fills the sails, Spirit is not behind you; maybe you are headed in the wrong direction; could be wrong timing.

TEETH – Ability to defend oneself; vitality; effort (“put some teeth in it!”) “Chew on it” may mean make an effort to understand or assimilate information you received in some way. Or, are you chewing on something you should let go of? Loss of teeth represents vulnerability to the attacks of others. May indicate loss of your hold on a truth, a decision, or a situation.

TELEPHONE Communication in some form, either an important literal message or the influx of spiritual instruction. Can be negative. Who is on the other end? Gist of the conversation? Your feeling about it?

VACUUM – Cleaning up some debris, mental or physical. See Appendix A for a similar dream.

VOLCANO – A potentially explosive situation or emotion. May be an unconscious resentment or an erroneous belief that could erupt and create problems unless understood and cleared. Can also mean a sudden burst of creative energy or sudden insight, although Lightning is more indicative of this.

WALL – A barrier, either an obstacle of some kind or a limited concept that is blocking advancement. To be enclosed by walls may indicate either protection or a prison, depending on how presented and the feeling that accompanies the dream. A closed mind is another possible meaning. Study its purpose in the dream.

WAVES – Events — the oncoming tide; opinions that surround you and create difficulty in holding to a decision or course. What kind of waves are they? What do they do? Where are you in relation to them? What do you feel as you look at or experience them? See Waves as related to emotional power, Page 16.

WEB – Entanglements; restrictions; deceit or illusion ( see Spider). I wrote a short story (Cobweb Chains) that highlight the subtle web that can be woven around you.

WHIP – In one sense to whip or conquer means mastery, superiority. Negative: punishment, enslavement [somebody else has the whip hand (control)]. Do you feel driven in a direction you do not want to go?

WORM – Lowly, insignificant. Submission to the egos and ideas of others rather than confidence in your own unique and special true self. Pretransformation form. Is the transformation taking place, as in a chrysalis? During the clearing phase before a rise in cosciousness, it is easy to feel insignificant when you face your ego-mistakes.

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