problem-solving

Problem-solving in a dream situation and solving waking-life problems through dreaming are two very different experiences. The former is a dream event while the latter uses the dream event to address waking concerns.
In dreams, you may find yourself able to solve more problems than you normally do in waking. Problems that you can solve in dreams are virtually limitless because you are not bounded by logic. Many times this can work to the dreamer's advantage. If you are able to solve problems effectively, it is a reflection of untapped competence in a particular area of your life.

The idea of problem-solving through dreaming comes from the saying, Let me sleep on it. The ego is designed to differentiate which ideas are allowed to enter consciousness. Consequently, some thoughts are dismissed before they even get a chance for deliberation. The problem is that most of us are prejudiced by our experience to eliminate potentially good solutions to our problems. This is due to the neurosis that is part and parcel of every personality.

By sleeping and dreaming about a particular problem, your mind accesses a broader variety of problem solving choices than it would normally have the ability to recognize. When you awaken, you may not remember the specific dream content, but the problem may be miraculously resolved.

Always take note of the methods used in your dream situations to solve problems therein. Is there any situation in life that may benefit by employing similar tactics?

from: astrology

Playground

Playgrounds are the scene of many of our most favored childhood memories. What makes a playground dream significant is who accompanies you and what age you are in the dream. It is not uncommon to have a playground dream where the dreamer is the only child among adults or the only adult among children. These dreams usually indicate that there is a disparity between how you are acting in the world and what a more appropriate disposition would be. You may need to either lighten up or take yourself more seriously, depending on some of the distinct images in the dream.
Equally important in the playground dream is the presence of particular friends or family members. This is especially true if they have passed away in waking life but participate in the dream as living characters (see dead people as live characters). Dreams of this nature are often pointing towards incomplete relationships that are either repeating themselves in waking life or need resolution.

A 44-year-old woman reports this dream: I am on a playground ... there is carnival music playing in the background. I am on the turntable apparatus that spins faster and faster. Suddenly, I vomit in front of my friends. I feel humiliated for losing control. I am very sad because I have on my favorite little girl dress.

This dream is interesting because of the mixture of happy and sad memories. The dreamer does not report ever vomiting at a playground in her conscious memory.

However, upon investigating the dream, she realizes that her father is the one making the turntable spin. She feels as though she was enjoying herself tremendously up until the crucial moment. Then she realized the dress she vomited on in the dream is one she was given the summer her parents divorced.

from: astrology

Loss of Sensory Ability or Motor Ability

Images also include Blindness, Deafness.
Usually, this is a very symbolic event in a dream.
A 34-year-old man reports: I dream of being in a situation where I need to act resourcefully to help a stranger avoid danger. Suddenly, I go blind for no apparent reason! It is very frustrating.
Becoming suddenly impaired in this way is different than being injured in a physical accident. The lights just seem to go out without explanation. With a dream like this, it is questionable whether or not the dreamer feels competent to fulfill his duties in waking life. However, this can also refer to his reluctance to accept the challenge of the hero self.
Seeing oneself as a hero is kind of daunting, and the fact that it is your dream doesn't mean that you will necessarily and easily assume that role. Suddenly, the awareness of caring for those to whom you have no obligation is quickened. It's a hassle. Many of us can barely fulfill responsibilities to the people around us in ordinary situations.
Another scenario for loss of a sensory ability is to exchange it for something or someone else. The old saying, I'd give my eye teeth for ... articulates the human willingness to exchange one ability or attribute for something else of value. There are many times when our minds use the principle of exchange to help us verify the relative worth of relationships or objects.
There can also be a distinct martyr image attached to this kind of loss. This is especially true when the dream includes loss of ability through some potentially painful means. The loss may be seen as an exchange for something that was gained during the dream or in waking life.

from: astrology

Laughter

In dreams, we may feel emotions and responses to them much as we do in waking life. This is especially true about very funny and very sad events. Dream laughter may often come from a deeper level than waking laughter in that our emotional expressions are often more outward and unrestrained in a dream.
The interesting part is that dream laughter may also be very inappropriate. Since we often dream of ourselves as archetypal caricatures, we may laugh with a diabolical twist; whereas in waking, anger would be the more expected response. This sort of unchecked laughter can usually be an expression of the id.
If you experienced laughter in a dream, did others laugh with you?
Did you laugh at something inappropriate?Did you feel ashamed or somehow empowered by laughing at such?

from: astrology

Father

Fathers are interesting dream figures. They may be presented numerous ways and can create many feelings through their presence. Psychological research has shown that your perception of your father has the most impact on your perception of any higher beings that you may believe in.
As a result, dreams about fathers are often dreams about power, presence, and love. Power is often the first experience we have of our father-he is all-knowing and all-seeing. Discipline is a by-product of this. Fathers may often be present in your life in unusual or sporadic ways depending on your family. Such dreams may create the feeling that perhaps all is not settled in the world.
The appearance of your father may indicate warmth, strength, or the lack of these things in their relation to other aspects of the dream. Also, the appearance of your father if he is deceased probably has to do with unresolved issues (these usually can be deciphered based on the other aspects of the dream).
The most important things to note in dreams that feature your father are: the circumstances surrounding his appearance, others in the scene, your normal relationship with him, and any peculiar aspects to his presence.

from: astrology

Story

If you see yourself as hearing or acting in a story, you probably have the feeling that others are controlling your life and making choices for you. While the narrator of the story is probably unknown to you, he or she represents the person controlling your life. If you feel that you are the narrator watching yourself in a story, this may indicate uncertainty about the choices you are currently making in your life. You are wanting to test them without consequence before acting on them in waking reality.


from: astrology

Candles

Candles often reveal a sense of mystery, romance, or supernatural guidance regarding the setting in which they appear. The candle can also be a symbol of providence or security as it may illuminate circumstances. If the candle has an unusually large flame, the fire may be the central image.
Do the candles have a ceremonial feel to them? If so, other aspects of the dream may be requiring reverence.
Is someone else holding a candle or candles? Often a symbolic gesture by a dream character-such as holding a candle-will indicate that they are there to lead you.

Chasing Another Person

Chasing another person you know in a dream may be a sign of needing to protect that person from themselves. Many times people embark on paths that seem illogical or even self-destructive. The impulse is to chase them down and try to redirect them.
Another common chasing dream revolves around heroic behavior. You are chasing someone to right a wrong committed against you or another. You may not directly know whom you are chasing, but you know their relationship to someone else you love and value-be it their boss, a criminal who has victimized them, or some other antagonist. If you can't remember why you are chasing someone, try to concentrate on the emotion that the chase aroused.

Music

If everyone had their own personal background music, interpersonal relationships would be a lot easier. If you didn't like someone's music, you would know to avoid them. If a love song was playing, you would know what to do; heavy metal likewise. It is not unusual to have background music in dreams. We are used to having music on television or in a movie set the tone of a particular scene or character.
An interesting phenomenon is when you compose music in your dreams. It may be very telling regarding the emotions present in your dreams which, in turn, can help you decipher the meanings of the images.

Victim

The awareness of crime in our society is creating sensitivity about the potential victimization we all face. Dreams of being victimized are common and on the increase. You can be victimized by almost anything in a dream: beating, rape, theft, murder, a monetary swindle, an abusive sibling, parent, spouse, partner, object ... anything. Each means of being victimized carries with it certain explicit, as well as subtle, implications.
The primary considerations are how vulnerable a position were you in prior to the victimization occurring, and who was the aggressor.
Did a relationship that generated a sense of security suddenly turn evil?
Was it a random act of violence committed by a stranger?
Did you observe or have the feeling that the aggressor knew you or that you were somehow connected with them?
After these considerations are elaborated, turn inquiry to the specific crime and the implications of it.

Hats

Hats as noteworthy objects in dreams are not too common. A hat can be seen as an extension of power and influence in the dream. Removal of the hat by another can be taken as an invitation to confrontation. Giving a hat to another may be considered a romantic wish-fulfillment projection.
Also, the presence of a hat may be related to a dream of percieved balding.
In some cases, the hat is simply a reminder of another event, such as a sporting event involving a professional team, or an activity like skiing or fishing.

Topaz

Topaz is the crystal of spiritual wisdom and intuition. Often, it is found in dreams of problem-solving concerning interpersonal relationships.

Music

If everyone had their own personal background music, interpersonal relationships would be a lot easier. If you didn't like someone's music, you would know to avoid them. If a love song was playing, you would know what to do; heavy metal likewise. It is not unusual to have background music in dreams. We are used to having music on television or in a movie set the tone of a particular scene or character.
An interesting phenomenon is when you compose music in your dreams. It may be very telling regarding the emotions present in your dreams which, in turn, can help you decipher the meanings of the images.

yoga

Yoga
If yoga is a feature of your waking life, then dreams of it usually do not have substantial interpretative content -- they are merely replays of normal events. However, if you are not a yoga practitioner in waking life, this dream may indicate a desire for more mind-body balance or harmony with the universe. Or, it could indicate some sort of reference to a convoluted situation in your life.

Armageddon

Images also include Apocalypse, Flood, Natural Disaster, Tornado.
The radical annihilation of the world is a theme that seems to recur in many of the world's cultures, cults, and religions. Sometimes there is a subsequent reordering and renewal of the world that includes a particular group being placed in supremacy. Other times, there is a mystical translation of chosen inhabitants into a structured paradise. Another option is unrelenting chaos and loss of this world without recourse.
Sometimes, the premonition feeling that you get after these dreams leaves you feeling very eerie. You may be unsure (or fairly sure) that what just happened in dreamland may be about to happen out in waking life. The means may be different for any given dreamer depending on your worldview, but the feeling is roughly the same-that time seems short for this world.
There can be several different approaches to seeking meaning in this dream. The origins of these approaches are in personal psychology, cultural tensions, and religious or spiritual revelation.
Feeling dramatically out of control in your personal life can trigger apocalypse dreams. This may be caused by hormones in adolescence, the death of a loved one (especially parent), or divorce and other significant relationship losses. The ending world is an escape mechanism to avoid dealing with a world so dramatically changed by new circumstances. This world-ending dream often features the dreamer alone amongst generally unrecognized figures. This reveals that all people close to the dreamer are gone.
Cultural cues for world-ending dreams come out of a collective angst about the frailty of our planet or the human race. Angst is concerned about what might not be, as in radical non-being of the self, planet, etc. These dreams may be triggered in times of global hopelessness and unpredictability. A millennial change generates this kind of dreaming for some people. Damaging news about the earth, global warming, and cosmic collision potentials will do it for others.
Economic uncertainty will create angst for some people. Whenever instability or insecurity become themes of cultural awareness, apocalyptic dreams increase. Interpreting this type of dream asks, How is the world ending and who is to blame? This dream may be a calling for you to protect yourself against a risk that is beyond your comfort zone, become more involved in a particular cause, or to think again about the rationale of your fears.
Religious or spiritual revelation that heralds the end of the world is a powerful image. Usually, the dreamer will see some significant icons of their faith initiating or withstanding the destruction. Another scenario is that adherents to the mysticism are identified in a particular way and survive the destruction because of their association. In these dreams, the world is often reordered. Many times, these dreams will accompany a time in the dreamer's life when he or she feels that the entire world is against them and only their association with something larger than themselves can provide a resolution to the struggles being faced. (Or, they may just be receiving an oracle about the conclusion of this world ....)

from: astrology

Pool

Swimming in or lying beside a pool is the ultimate wish-fulfillment dream for many people. The rest and relaxation of sunning outside is a wonderful invitation. However, depending on who is in the pool, you may be missing out somewhere in waking life.
Evaluating this message depends on who is in the pool and what they have in common with people in your waking life. Perhaps you need to be less of a watcher and more of a joiner.
Do you feel as though you should be 'part of the action' instead of on the side, sunning yourself?
If the water seems somewhat unwelcoming, there may be underlying feelings that the pool represents something you are being lured into against your will. In this case, the occupants of the pool may be people whom you generally trust, but also have some misgivings about.


from: astrology

Pain

Physical
Pain in dreams is an interesting phenomenon. Sometimes, a peculiar sleeping position becomes the trigger event for a painful dream. It's the body's way of saying, Hey stupid, roll over. However, the ability of the brain to produce physical stimuli that match the dream event is an amazing thing. It makes dreams that are emotionally realistic even more real.
Many times, the pain sensation is related to a particular facet of body awareness or relationship disparity. Nowhere is this more apparent than in dreams of injury, infection, and amputation where physical sensations accompany visual images. Try to recall where the pain was centered, and relate that body part to aspects of your life that are applicable.
Was the pain caused by you, another person, or an object? Was it caused purposefully, or by accident?
Did the pain feel so great as though it may lead to amputation, or was it merely a nuisance?
Psychological
In dreams, we are often faced with dilemmas that create a lot of anxiety for the dreamer. Some of the things we do not know directly in our self-awareness are unknown because the trauma of unmediated awareness would be devastating. If dreams cause psychological pain, it should be treated much the same way as physi-cal pain.
Does it hurt enough to get help, or just a little bit when precipitated by peculiar actions?
How often does it occur, and is it staying the same or getting worse?
Does it interfere with daily routines because the lingering pain is so troubling?
Do you feel you have enough knowledge and resources to treat the pain yourself, or does it feel as if the pain has deep roots in your life?
Depending on how you answer these questions, you may wish to seek professional help dealing with the psychological pain of dream events.

from: astrology

Nagging

One of the reasons we respond so strongly to dream content is because it often is an exclamation point rather than a period. Dream statements exist in the superlative as often as not. This is especially true of the interpersonal relationships-some are revealed as the best; others as the worst. Over time, no interpersonal event is more draining than the nag.
Who is nagging you and why? Some dreams include the nagger as a caricature of nagging, and the droning eventually becomes funny. Other dreams create a symbolic avoidance of a person because of a fear of nagging. The final version of the nag is the forward, ongoing sapping of your emotional strength through the dream story.
There may be a facet of your waking life where you have chosen denial as your modus operandi. Nagging dreams may be a specific attempt to draw you back into dealing with it.
More often, the dream is about a person that you are taking too seriously or not seriously enough. The interpretation depends on your waking relationship to the individual, the content of the nagging as it reflects actual waking priorities, and your honesty in the relationship.
Are you meeting the expectations of others responsibly or do you feel inherently inadequate?
Are others directly criticizing your inadequacy at certain levels?

from: astrology

Ocean

The ocean is the place of origin for all life. Especially in Jungian interpretation, this is a place of creativity, fertility, and birth. There is also a lingering sense humans have of rising up out of the collective origins of life in the oceans. It is easy to see the Darwinian influence of these ideas. More importantly, it is easy to see the lack of connection some dreamers could have with this approach to dream interpretation.
Given the widespread popularity of boating, scuba diving, and cruise vacations, numerous people have experiences with the ocean that were not available in the past. It may be that the dreamer has one of these connections to the ocean, rather than a general perception of fertility.
For some, the ocean can impart a sense of fear and foreboding, especially if they can't swim. Its ultimate vastness, coupled with their lack of swimming ability, can appear in a dream as a reflection of some insurmountable struggle they may be having in waking life.


from: astrology

Jokes

Jokes are funny because of the element of truth contained in them. In dreams, we may access our own sarcasm or humor about our circumstances. However, we may have characters in our dreams that make jokes that we do not find at all amusing. These may reflect our own ambivalence or a need to lighten up because we are not enjoying ourselves as we could.


from: astrology

Nurse

The nurse is a unique figure in medical personnel dreams because of the romance attached to the helping professions.
Sometimes nurses are even portrayed as angels. Aside from the romantic component, nurses often functions as extras in other medical or sickness dreams.


from: astrology

Searching

Hunting for a misplaced item is frustrating. However, discovery can be a pleasant reward. In dreams about searching, whether the dream ends with or without finding the object is important to its meaning.
If the dream resolves itself, it is important to note what or who you were looking for, and how those things were found. Think about the relationship that exists between the object and who (if anyone) helped you find it. Many times, the thing that is lost in the dream reflects an area of life where we are feeling incomplete or ineffective. Finding it in partnership with others may be a cue to seek outside wisdom in the resolution of the circumstances.
A 48-year-old man reports dreaming: I am looking for my car keys. They are nowhere to be found. I am turning the house upside down, yelling at my wife, and generally coming unglued. My daughter is out, and I begin to blame her. A friend of hers comes in and says I should look in the front door. I do. My keys are there.
This searching dream is interesting because the man reported throughout counseling how anxious he was concerning his daughter's driving. The loss of control he was feeling in his daughter's life consumed much of his emotional energy. After this dream, he realized that much of the home conflict he was experiencing came from his own anxiety more than actual defiance on the part of his daughter. The insight produced from the dream resulted in a much more peaceable home life for everyone involved.
In an unresolved dream of searching, the dream often illustrates the need to find resolution of an emotional trauma. The unresolved search can be for an object or a person.
Some common versions of the person dream include the crying baby that cannot be found, chasing a runaway whom you cannot locate, or receiving a message that cannot be returned. These dreams may occur in periods of extended grieving, such as the death of a loved one.
Another unresolved search scenario is the unfound place or item. For example, you may have a map in a dream that leads to no where. Or perhaps you simply lose an object by setting it on the table. Dreams of this nature can give tremendous insight into the goals of your life and how effectively you are actualizing them. If you are having a lot of these types of dreams, it may be that you need to examine whether your goals and your behavior are consistent or mutually exclusive.


from: astrology

Disfigured Objects or People

We are used to the modern proverb it's all screwed up as a metaphor for situations and relationships that fail to meet our expectations. Dreams of this nature often reflect our verbalization of people or things that fail to fulfill our needs. How many disfigured people or objects you encounter in your dream is an indication of what facets of your life are not meeting your expectations. Can you ascertain how the object or person came to be disfigured?
Does the disfigured object continue to work, or does the disfigured person seem unaware of what you are seeing?


from: astrology

Wolf

The wolf is often a symbol of loneliness or predator behavior in dreams. If you dream of a wolf, you are probably in a situation where you lack friendship or companionship.
Another scenario may be that you feel others are preying on you, or you are preying upon others for personal gain. Does the wolf appear close up and snarling, or do you notice it far off at bay?

from: astrology

Injury

Becoming incapacitated by injury during a dream is fairly common, especially if you perceive yourself as operating out of a power deficit in waking life. Many times, people feel as though advantages lie outside themselves or with others, and see themselves as handicapped.
The cause of the injury (means and inflictor) tells a lot about the significance of the injury as a dream symbol. If the wound is self inflicted or accidental, there may be a sense in which you are tripping yourself up by engaging in self-defeating behaviors. If the wound is inflicted by someone else and is intentional and malicious, others may be preventing you from reaching your potential. Of course the wound, its care, and the consequences from it also mean much. If you continue dreaming after the wound occurs, what are you unable to do that is normally classified as an essential activity?
Are you able to repel the attacker and treat the wound successfully?

from: astrology

Flowers

Flowers are a universal symbol of beauty. To discern a particular meaning, the color of the flowers may be as significant as the flowers themselves. This is especially true for flowers of unusual or nonsensical colors such as green roses. In a dream it would not be surprising to get green roses from a dear friend. This would happen if you are dating your friend's heartthrob in waking life or you sense jealousy from them concerning your romantic attachments.
Consequently you may have acquired knowledge about flower meanings that your subconscious is now accessing to illustrate a point. This can be especially true if you are given flowers by or are giving flowers to another.
Do particular flowers have special memories for you due to childhood, the death of a loved one, or a prom date or wedding?
Here are some common reference points for particular flowers:
Lilac -- Poison, Illness, Death

Daisy -- Indecision about feelings, giver illustrates issue of concern

Orchid -- Sexuality and sensuality

Rose -- Poison White = purity, Black = death

Lily -- Renewal, springtime, ressurection

Narcissus -- Self-love, personal reflection

from: astrology

Pregnancy

Pregnancy has two points of entry into our dream lives. The first is dreaming of oneself as being pregnant. The second is that you actually become pregnant in waking life and that trigger event creates this particular dream content.
In dreams, anyone can get pregnant. It is not an experience that is limited by gender or age. Generally, it is a herald of creativity, virility, or wealth. However, there are numerous underlying themes that need additional interpretation.
If you are a younger woman who dreams of getting pregnant, but has no waking intention of doing so, it is likely that you are working through an archetypal transition into a new self-awareness. One of Jung's archetypes is the archetype of parenting or preserving the species. To see oneself engaged in such activity is to grow from being a child to identifying more prominently with adults.
If you are sexually active, but without the intention for pregnancy, your dreams of pregnancy may occur in harmony with your monthly cycle. In these dreams, there may be a certain amount of what-if anxiety that needs resolution.
A man who dreams of being pregnant himself is often in a situation where his virility or creative participation in the world is in question. This occurs most among men who see themselves as less creative than they would like to be. The dream serves as a form of compensation to illuminate the more creative facets of their personality. Men who are pregnant do not give birth exclusively to children, but a wide range of objects that somehow support their mission in the world.
Becoming pregnant in waking life can conjure a huge variety of dream events. These range from the violent to the hilarious and almost everything in between. Since pregnancy conjures a wide variety of feelings in waking life, from euphoria to tremendous anxiety, this is not too surprising.
Other dreams that are prevalent during pregnancy include dreams of marital infidelity, death of the partner, chronic health problems, birth defects in the child, losing the pregnancy through accident or miscarriage, having twins or multiples, and dreams of heightened fertility where additional conceptions and gestations occur frequently or despite prevention.
Infidelity and death of the partner dreams often are played out in response to feelings of insecurity do to appearance changes or changes in sexual relationships during pregnancy. Dreams of chronic health problems and birth defects represent negative wish-fulfillment anxiety on the part of the woman.
Dreams of multiple-order birth and repeated gestation are the most complex dreams. Often times, pregnancy is overwhelming at some level for the woman. These feelings most often stem from fear to adequately mother. The onslaught of pregnancies may be a visual representation of this anxiety.

from: astrology

Disproportionate Objects

Woody Allen, in the movie Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask), gave us a breast as big as a house. This breast was a terrifying and consumptive thing. Yet breasts receive so much attention many times, it is hardly surprising that they occupy tremendous perception power in our world.
In dreams, certain objects may assume unusual proportions. This significance often reflects the importance of the object to the dream story as well as the emotional dimensions of the object. Emotional dimensions refer to the importance people place on others, on things or on situations. For example, it is often difficult to help people perceive the emotional power of family members. If you ask them to draw their childhood house-apportioning rooms based on the amount of influence and memories they have about the places-the emotional dimensions of the home become clear.
Many times, people have attached emotional dimensions to very positive or very negative experiences that alter the dimensions of those objects in their subconscious perception. A spouse who feels emotionally chastised may dream of oversized silverware, reflecting the dimensions of a spoon used to give spankings in childhood.

from: astrology

Guns

Dreaming about guns and interpreting these dreams depends greatly on your attitude about guns. There are many people who are comfortable with the life-and-death power of guns and use them recreationally. Whether the dreamer is a recreational target-shooter or hunter, guns may not have much significance apart from what is being shot at or who is hunting with you.
However, for others who are more awed by the gun's power to cause death, the gun is a taboo symbol. Dreaming about guns from this context reveals a sense of being deeply threatened by the environment of the dream or persons in the dream. The gun may represent a nearly desperate need to reassert personal control in the situation or to find personal power in relationship to others.

from: astrology

Masks

Dreaming of wearing a mask is often a dream of how you want others to see you. A twist on this theme is that you may be afraid others are perceiving you without knowing the real you. It may be that the mask attaches and removes from your face, depending on whose company you are in. Also, others may be conspicuously placing the mask on you to give you an identity that you are uncomfortable assuming. Or, they are wearing the mask themselves to deceive, frighten, or amuse you.
If you are wearing a mask, who is in your presence and what is the mask like? Ask the same questions if others have the mask.

from: astrology

Tidal Wave

Dreams of impending disaster generally indicate that the dreamer is feeling out of control. In the case of the tidal wave, this out-of-control feeling is often combined with the need to make a fresh start.
A 16-year-old boy reports dreaming: I am running, trying to get away from a tidal wave before it crashes over me. Finally, I realize it is hopeless. I turn around and let the full impact of the wave crash over me. Remarkably I stand up in spite of the wave's power. When I turn back to the direction I was running, everything -- my house, my parents, my car -- it's all gone.
This youth presented numerous complaints at the outset of counseling, all of which revolved around home life and the absence of his father. Upon further inquiry, the youth admitted that he was a drug abuser with sexual identity problems. He desperately wanted a second chance, feeling as though he had undermined his own life.
Often to dream of a catastrophic event is to wish for a catharsis in real life. See Armageddon

from: astrology

Loss of Sensory Ability or Motor Ability

Images also include Blindness, Deafness.
Usually, this is a very symbolic event in a dream.
A 34-year-old man reports: I dream of being in a situation where I need to act resourcefully to help a stranger avoid danger. Suddenly, I go blind for no apparent reason! It is very frustrating.
Becoming suddenly impaired in this way is different than being injured in a physical accident. The lights just seem to go out without explanation. With a dream like this, it is questionable whether or not the dreamer feels competent to fulfill his duties in waking life. However, this can also refer to his reluctance to accept the challenge of the hero self.
Seeing oneself as a hero is kind of daunting, and the fact that it is your dream doesn't mean that you will necessarily and easily assume that role. Suddenly, the awareness of caring for those to whom you have no obligation is quickened. It's a hassle. Many of us can barely fulfill responsibilities to the people around us in ordinary situations.
Another scenario for loss of a sensory ability is to exchange it for something or someone else. The old saying, I'd give my eye teeth for ... articulates the human willingness to exchange one ability or attribute for something else of value. There are many times when our minds use the principle of exchange to help us verify the relative worth of relationships or objects.
There can also be a distinct martyr image attached to this kind of loss. This is especially true when the dream includes loss of ability through some potentially painful means. The loss may be seen as an exchange for something that was gained during the dream or in waking life.

from: astrology

Elephant

In the Zulu culture, the elephant is the symbol for wisdom, patriarchy, and sacred relationships (similar to the bear or eagle in Native American culture). It is important to notice that geographically different cultures find symbols within their own contexts to convey universal themes of human concern.
Also, most western cultures revere the elephant as powerful and possessing a strong memory. Because of our common acknowledgment that elephants have powerful memories, to dream of an elephant may be an association with the act of memory-this may point to something forgotten in your life.

from: astrology

Plants

Plants are often not a specific item of dream interpretation because most of the time they function simply as background scenery. The exception to this rule is when a particular type of plant is identified in the dream.
Plants that are significant are those that have historic importance in literature or your personal experience. For example, you may dream of visiting a friend who is sitting in a thicket of hemlock. Obviously, this plant is significant because of the implications of hemlock and suicide in ancient lore.
Other plants that may be significant are those that remind you of a childhood memory, a particular place, or a particular person. In those cases, identifying the relationship of your current circumstances with your memories is important.

from: astrology

Anima / Animus

These are terms that Jung created to describe the opposite-gender self that lives within each of us.
The anima is the feminine component dwelling inside a male's unconscious mind. The animus is the masculine component dwelling inside a female's unconscious mind.
In dreams, this opposite-gender self can be a helper or an antagonist. These dream figures can appear as translations of persons we meet with whom we have a tremendous sense of romantic love or platonic camaraderie. One of Jung's interpreters held that the anima/animus character was only understandable to those who have known true love.
However, our opposite-gender selves may reveal to us negativity in ourselves or negativity we perceive in dealings with the opposite sex. It is important to note that sometimes, when you dream about a person of the opposite sex, they may be representing your own inner self. Carefully consider all persons of the opposite sex in your dreams as a possible appearance of your own anima / animus.
What do these strangers teach you about how you view the opposite sex-do you fear, lust for, or despise these strangers for any apparent reason?

from: astrology

Disease

Curing diseases may be a projection of your benevolence for the world. Many of us want to feel as though we are good people who have something to contribute. Disease and the cure thereof allow us to feel power to influence the outcome of other's lives.
Getting a disease could be revealing of a self-defeating lifestyle choice if the disease creates a particular handicap. If the disease is transmitted from a particular person, you may be ambivalent about their influence in your life. If the affliction holds taboo quality, for example, AIDS or other sexually transmitted disease, there may be internal anxiety about the moral quality of your life. Getting a disease can also reflect a fear that is either rational (family history) or irrational (news story as trigger event).
Is the disease peculiar in that it is only apparent to certain persons or only comes over you in the presence of certain others? The body often symbolizes the emotional content of relationships.
Are you embarrassed by the disease and its consequences, or do you tell others about it?

from: astrology

Weather

Dreams can have very unique weather. It may be sunny and thundering, or pouring rain everywhere except for where you are standing. Weather images in dreams often reflect your feelings about your environment. You may view the world as contrary to your goals; thus a dream would have bad weather in it. On the contrary, pleasant dreams or dreams at a time when life is going well usually feature good weather. The weather in dreams is generally not as significant as other images unless it is somehow aberrant from normal, waking world weather.
Did the weather in your dream prevent something good from happening, such as a planned event?

from: astrology

Walls

In psychoanalytic technique, walls are generally held to be a symbol of the male personality, with a focus on power. This thinking seems to stem from the impressions a young child would have of dominant male power in the home (which is a fortress surrounded by walls and dominated by the patriarch). In dreams, many people encounter walls as a random barrier and/or a projection of power.
In your dream, do you come upon a wall in your travels, or do you find yourself immediately surrounded by walls?
Do you try to scale the wall, find its end, or simply ignore it?

from: astrology

Leopard

Spotted animals are interesting symbols because of their nonconformity to a uniform color. Often we may see people as spotted or as leopards if we suspect them of shiftiness or insincerity.
To see a leopard mauling a kill, especially if it makes eye contact with you, likely means that you have been dealing with someone who you do not trust, and that you should take stock of recent dealings with that person and others like them.

Crying

Weeping in dreams is not at all unusual. This is often because of the emotional power carried by the images and persons you are encountering. Weeping in the dream is generally separate from actual physical tears forming. It is more often that weepy feeling you get in your heart when a particularly moving scene is played out before you. The best advice is always to go with the dream. Emotional releases and revelations can have a very cleaning effect on the psyche and should be embraced whenever possible. However, you should try to determine the trigger event that caused the emotion.
Did someone else make you cry directly?
Were you crying for a particular reason, or was it for a general emotional release?
Did the tears make you feel ultimately better or worse?

from: astrology

Cross or Crucifix

from: astrology

This powerful religious symbol often carries with it either comfort, judgment, healing, pain, or a desire for protection. Obviously, how the object enters the dream and what effect it has on the dream plot is very important.
The symbol can have either great attraction to the dreamer or revulsion and avoidance. To avoid the cross may indicate either judgment, shame, ambivalence about traditional values, or a memory-dodging consciousness. This memory-dodging is a defense mechanism to prevent looking all the way into the implications of choices or experiences tied to religious symbols in your life.
On the positive side, the cross can feel very redemptive or provide a sense of security. Many religious icons operate as a positive taboo for us. Just as dark taboos are symbols, practices, or icons we do not mess with out of fear, certain positive symbols carry positive taboo power. We are secure because of the power of the symbol. Christians who encounter the cross in dreaming may experience a sense of inner healing, renewal, or reconciliation in the dream.
Who is with you when you encounter the cross and what are the activities immediately prior to or subsequent from the cross experience? These questions may give clues as to whether the cross is an internal healing symbol or external one for broader reconciliation.

Birds

from: astrology

If you have ever seen the movie The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock, you will understand at once that birds receive mixed reviews in the human saga. Birds have often been perceived as troublemakers and omens of bad tidings throughout history. To have the birds of the air pick the flesh off your bones was an awesome sign of judgment in the ancient Near East.
Ravens, crows, and vultures could share in this task. However, the gift of flight has retained a sense of majesty for birds as a genus, and certain birds in particular. Note that the phrase Soaring on eagles' wings has been a sign of hope for twenty-five centuries.
The visual acuity of many birds (i.e. the eyes of a hawk) also conveys positive perceptions, while ravens and owls are also stereotyped as vessels of wisdom in myth and literature. The ability of some birds to speak places them in a special category as far as non-human creatures are concerned. Some people may be characterized as bird-like in your dreams. If you speak with birds in your dreams, you probably have some communication issues to consider. This is true even when the birds do not speak in reply. As with other animals, the bird and its underlying image in your experience are crucial to discerning the meaning of your dream.
In addition, persons whom you characterize as being particularly wise, predatory, or visionary may be represented to you in a bird form-not necessarily as a bird with that person's head or face, but more as a metaphorical appearance.

Anger

from: astrology

Who are you angry at? Why are you angry? What is the outcome of your anger in your dream? Being angry in a dream often represents an emotion we want to have in waking and will not allow ourselves to experience. This reflects the fact that anger can be destructive and sometimes ends up being treated as a taboo in our personality. The fact that it comes out in dreams may be attributed to the id.
People who dream of being angry often have difficulty expressing the emotion constructively in waking life. Anger is a reaction to a perceived threat. As such, anger reflects our feeling that we are being denied what is ours by necessity or by right.
Dreams that contain anger may often serve as an insightful beacon into our waking relationships. Sometimes, you may find yourself dreaming of being angry at someone who never angers you in waking life. This may simply be an indication that they are not perfect; a sort of check that reminds you that they are human.

"Marble (stone figurines, buildings, hallways)"

from: astrology

Marble in architecture is the premiere ostentatious element. Often, marble is reserved for dwellings of authority and power (government, big business, stately mansions, etc.). If you are fortunate enough to occupy the building, it may be that you are feeling a special allegiance with power structures. If you are occupying a corporate or government building, it may be a representation of power that you feel in daily living. The people who come to visit you in these structures are central to understand the meaning of the dream. If you are living in a marble mansion, you may be on the verge of a successful business venture.
If you are visiting these places, note the feeling they arouse in you.

"Gods: Greek, Roman etc."

from: astrology

Various gods such as these figures often represent idealized desires, obstacles, powers, or relationships. The presence of the god figure often comes as a superlative. Some examples of this include: Thor as the most strength, Zeus as the most wisdom, and Eros as the greatest sexual desire. We may either encounter these figures directly or feel ourselves as persons occupying their bodies or adopting their attributes.
These experiences show us important features of ourselves as agents of action in the world. We are confronted by these superlatives and are either thwarted by them or become more self-aware in who we need to be in the circumstances and relationships of life. If you are a student of mythology, it may be useful to investigate your dreams for themes of power, problem-solving, and self-awareness.

Computer

from: astrology


The computer has become a symbol of access to knowledge and power. It also has become a ball and chain. The good thing is, we can work anywhere thanks to Internet connections and laptop computers. The bad thing is, we can work anywhere thanks to internet connections and laptop computers.
You are either on the verge of excelling at work, or you probably need to quit working such long hours. Was the computer simply background furniture in your dream, or did it play an integral part? Was the computer more powerful than you are used to, or was it causing you problems?

Divorce

from: astrology

Divorce is an excessive commodity now days. A first grader recently said, My parents haven't gotten their divorce yet. Unfortunately, divorce has translated from a social taboo to a rite of passage.
Often, it symbolizes anxiety concerning insincere commitment from a partner or underlying resentment toward a partner. It may be represented by other significant persons in your life going through the divorce as a displacement of your anxiety over the matter.
Do you have relationships that are very tiring or emotionally draining? Perhaps you are wanting to get someone out of your life, but lack the diplomacy skills to address the situation.
Do you feel excluded from or cut off by past friends over a current disagreement?

Boundaries

from: astrology

Although we rarely dream of boundaries per se, we often encounter uncrossable fences, immovable gates, and other non-traversable obstacles. A Freudian approach would be to discern what might be gained by overcoming the barrier and then attempting to associate that gain with a taboo event. If you have any helpers to get you over, through, or under your obstacle, they may be co-conspirators in the violation-or, your joint conquest of the obstacle may be the taboo in itself.
Depending on whether the taboo is anger, sex, or another violation, you may need to look closely at your feelings about what is on the other side of the fence, across the river, or whatever the obstacle is.
It can be an eerie feeling to encounter a boundary where either you feel unable to go past or your dream companions keep reminding you that nobody goes over there. It may be that the perceived threat or inability to cross the boundary is the central message of the dream.
Perhaps you see yourself as needing to move through a transition into a new self-awareness. In this case, the boundary may reveal what is hindering you. This is especially true if you are traveling too heavily to cross a river, or have companions who will not cross with you. If you have dream companions helping you with whatever boundary you face, it may be worth heeding their dream advice. Often times, we feel that a fence must be crossed when in fact the protection they provide is important.
While boundaries may feel constricting at times, the psychological pain of attempting to cross every boundary in life can cause great problems that could have been avoided by knowing when to stop.

Gate

from: astrology

Think of the gate in larger terms as an opening in a boundary or secured area where one is not normally allowed access.
Is the gate locked or unlocked? Do you have to open it or is it opened for you? Depending on your answers, these questions may reveal some level of tension concerning an opportunity that may exist for you.What is inside the gate: a building, a sacred or taboo place, or a place of tranquillity and safety? You may see yourself going to such a place alone or with a helper for some kind of ritual experience.
If you go through the gate with somebody, it may herald that a relationship in your life is moving on to a different level (for good or bad).
Are you at a loss for opportunities, or do you feel prevented from making progress towards a particular goal? The gate may reflect potential progress, or the hope thereof, depending upon where it leads in your dream.

Spiritual Icons

from: astrology

Dreaming of spiritual or religious icons often reflects either power or unity. We want to feel united with the universe, and icons are a good way to symbolize that identification. Other times, you may dream of being in a situation where supernatural power is required to resolve the conflict. In this case, icons serve as the vehicle or symbol of that power.
There are countless icon images available to all humans. The ones you find in your dreams will relate to your experience in life. (Some examples are: the crucifix, the full moon, the Star of David, Stonehenge, and the Buddha.)
Are your experiences with icons tied to sacred or supernatural events that you prescribe to in waking life?
Are the icons revered or disdained by others in your dream? How do you feel about it?

Moon

from: astrology

The moon is often an archetypal woman image. In many cultures and religious orders, the moon is identified as a mother figure. This is true in Native American, African, Christian, and Eastern literature and lore. The moon dream may come with or generate an intuitive feeling that someone in the inner circle of your life is pregnant.
Another moon scenario is a product of the twentieth century. Specifically, the desire for space travel. These dreams can be based on either the scientific desire to experience the event or the spiritual desire for absolute separation from the churning, tumultuous human experience on earth.
The moon can also evoke feelings of magic and mystery.

Running

from: astrology

Running is a traditional symbol of health and vitality in addition to being a means of fleeing potential danger. Thus running could be considered a dream of virility, as well as fear.
Usually, in a dream of running in which fear is the dominant emotion, you will find that you can either run all night and successfully escape the danger (albeit with a serious emotional drain), or you find that you continue to falter and stumble, making the object of your fear even more terrifying. In the latter case, try to relate the dream situation to a situation in your life where you are feeling incredible pressure. Sometimes a simple change of perception can solve the problem.

from: astrology


Who you are in your dreams says a lot about your body image in waking. Many times, you experience your body in dreams as just a regular version of you. However, another time you may see it as idealized or disfigured. These feelings about your body may be communicating how you perceive yourself or how you think others perceive you, for better or worse. Often, how you think about your body reflects how you think about yourself as a whole person.
When an experience of body perception is central to a dream it is worthwhile to analyze the origin of your feelings about the body perception or image. At times, our bodies will dramatically change in dreams to acquire various mystic properties. These include walking through walls, flexibility increases, or changes in height and shape. These are often just problem-solving techniques. However, they may also reveal a sense of limitation from one's body or power over one's body.
Other times, we or others in the dream will transform from a human form into something else. Transitions of this nature can be absurdly funny, or a little frightening. Sometimes, we will adopt a human body that fits the needs of the dream circumstances. This is the anima/animus experience at work in the self. Other times, we can adopt an animal body to achieve a particular goal or character attribute. These events reveal areas where we feel either strong competence or distinct weaknesses in our character. Does your sense of body seem similar to that of waking life?
If changed for the worse, does your body completely prevent you from succeeding in the dream, or does it merely make things more difficult?

Animals

from: astrology

Animals in dreams can take on almost any conceivable character or symbolic role. From some of the earliest recorded human dreams, animals have revealed much about the meaning of a particular dream. This includes dreams of personal insight or circumstances, and also dreams of revelatory content. Animals can befriend us, talk with us, chase us, eat us, or just be there in the dream to either comfort or bother us.
Animals often appear in dreams for very personal reasons, and have to do with your own experiences with them.
How you experience an animal in both waking and sleeping is central to its meaning. This includes both how the animal actually behaves in your dream, and your waking stereotypical attitude about the animal. This is important because the two may be juxtaposed.
Consider a dog. Dogs are often considered to be loyal and friendly. However, many people have a deeply rooted fear of dogs. Dogs also have stereotypes that are opposites (for example, man's best friend versus call off the dogs). People with a deeply held fear of dogs may experience a dog dream that validates the fear one night and contradicts it another time.
What the animal is doing is also central to how the dream is interpreted. Are you being chased by animals? Eaten by animals? Talking with animals?
Farm animals are not too unusual in dreams. However, they seem to be less common than they were in more agricultural times. Grazing farm animals generally reflect a sense of being provided for adequately. In early dream history, grazing animals were taken as a sign that prosperity and calm were coming to, or prevalent in, a land.
Killing animals is a more unusual dream theme that divides into two general areas: killing by necessity, and killing arbitrarily. Killing out of necessity could be a hunter-provider archetype dream or a survival dream. These dreams often reflect a sense of responsibility for the other characters in the dream or of a need to prove oneself. Dreams of killing animals arbitrarily may reflect either wish-fulfillment, anger projection, or frustration with a social taboo.
Wish-fulfillment and anger projection have much to do with how you perceive the animal you are killing.
Does this animal have any representation for you among persons in general or do you characterize a specific person as an animal when speaking of them?
The social taboo of arbitrarily wounding or killing animals has become a criterion for evaluating antisocial behavior in people. Consequently, it is not surprising that in dreams this would be a sign of taboo frustration. Again, what the animal represents may be of significance to you.
Starving animals hold significance in agricultural societies and Native American spirituality. These animals often reflect a concern or foreboding about the adequacy of needs being met the future. In the past, starving animals were a reflection or anticipation of famine periods. Starving animals may also be metaphors for relationship transactions in which you participate.
Common animals' stereotypical perceptions that may appear in dreams as metaphors for yourself or others (listed as good-bad): Cat: quiet, independent-aloof, disengagedCow: provider, gentle-easily intimidatedDog: loyal, friendly-consumptive, aggressiveHorse: hardworking, useful-strong-willed, independentMouse: quiet; diminutive-unable to assert powerOx: hardworking-dumbPig: clean, smart-gluttonous, dirtyRabbit: fast, gentle, fertile-timid
See bear, birds, cats, dogs, elephant, fish, fox, oxen, rats, wolf

Tarot Cards

from: astrology

Tarot cards have recently received renewed popularity. Often times, dreaming about a psychic reading indicates a desire for a third party to illuminate and validate some big decision(s) you are facing. A contrasting possibility is that you feel as though your decisions are not important and your life is in the hands of fate, outside your personal control. Whether or not you subscribe to psychic practices in waking life is the most important element of discerning the meaning of this dream event.