Archive: The Dream Dictionary

A dream of a sailor suggests that you are working on a ship. Symbolically, it could mean that you are working on matters dealing with the unconscious or emotions. (see Ship and Water.)

Salt is one of the most abundant chemicals on Earth. Dreaming about it suggests that you may be thinking about or desiring those things that are dependable and, at the same time, exciting (salt = spice of life). If you associate an individual with the salt in your dreams you may be giving that person the attributes that were just mentioned.

Seeing or interacting with the devil in your dreams may have several different meanings and the interpretation depends on the details of the dream. However, it almost always points to something negative and disturbing in your personality, daily life, or environment. Carl Jung called such dark figures the shadow and said that they represent the negative ego personality and qualities which are painful and regrettable. You may have dark thoughts or have engaged in negative actions and now are experiencing guilt, fear, and anxiety. Dream interpretations based on folklore say that seeing the Satan in your dreams may be a warning about poor health, and if the dream persists, you should get a physical checkup. See also: Devil

Is there something in your life you want to cut off? Scissors also indicate a need to cut it out. The person with the scissors may be acting snippy.

Dreaming about a scorpion may be symbolic of something in your environment which is hurtful, dangerous, and stinging. It may represent bitter words and very negative attitudes. Superstition based dream interpretation books say that a scorpion may constitute a warning. It further states that if the scorpion in your dream bit you, you will overcome your problems. However, if you killed the scorpion, be exceptionally careful around people that are not your friends, or are false friends. Some believe that the scorpion is a symbol of transformation.

Scrapbooks are full of things from the past that are filed away and forgotten. Note the other details of the dream. Are you viewing a scrapbook with someone? What are you placing in the scrapbook? It may suggest that you have an unpleasant situation that needs to be put in the past.

Warning dream. Desperation, but also experiencing and waking, as opposed to the image of Sleep.

Dreams of the sea represent unfulfilled longings or unchanging emotions.

Dreaming of September represents good luck and fortune.

To dream that you are having or have had a pleasurable sexual experience, denotes happiness and contentment in your personal relationships.

To dream of joyless sexual relationships, is a warning that you will be contemplating some undertaking which, if carried out, will steep you in disgrace and guilt.

To dream of watching others have intercourse denotes an inability to be part of a successful, satisfying relationship.

Dreaming of your shadow may suggest that you need to address hidden parts of yourself. Perhaps you do not accept these darker aspects of your personality and project them onto others. The dream may also suggest that you need to incorporate the shadow side into your psyche.

The handshake marks either a new beginning or an ending to a situation. Are you saying farewell to someone in a dream? Then perhaps you are saying goodbye to a matter at hand. To dream of shaking hands with a prominent leader may mean you will be held in esteem by strangers in a new situation.

Is there something in your life that needs cleaning up or removed? To dream of shaving yourself connotes that you are in charge of your future. Shaving with a dull razor suggests a troublesome or painful issue. A clean shaven countenance suggests a smooth journey through a matter at hand.

Do you perceive yourself as one of a flock? This can be a comforting image in terms of being part of a community. Or it may indicate that you lack individuality or the will to strike out on your own.

A shell usually symbolizes a womb. Depending on the circumstances of the dream, it can portend a birth of a child or a new project. A shell can also symbolize protection.

Since a ship travels on water, the dream may signify a voyage through the unconscious or a journey involving your emotions. The state of the ship and the condition of the water should be considered in the interpretation. To see a ship in a storm may indicate your concern over a tempestuous or unfortunate affair, either in business or personal matters. To dream of others shipwrecked may symbolize a feeling of inadequacy in protecting friends or family.

Shoes are a means of moving ahead. Shiny, new shoes might suggest a journey is about to begin. Well-worn shoes, on the other hand, might indicate that one is weary of the journey or that it is near completion. Mismatched shoes might indicate that the journey is multifaceted. Consider the old cliche: If the shoe fits, wear it.

Shooting someone or being shot yourself is a fearful and violent dream experience. It may reflect aggression, powerlessness, release of strong and dangerous emotions, and/or symbolize a conclusive event in a particular situation or relationship. See also: Guns

For most of us shopping is not simply a necessity but a favorite pastime. It is a source of pain, pleasure, recreation, and, at times, quality time with family or friends. Depending on the details in the dream and its emotional background, dreaming about going shopping may have several different connotations. Generally, if shopping in your dream is not a source of great stress and confusion, it suggests that those things which you need are available to you. Your environment may have readily available emotional, psychological, spiritual or physical support. However, you may need to learn exactly where to look, how to select what you need, and when to make a wise investment. This dream calls upon you to know yourself. Before you can ask for or get what you need, you first need to accurately identify it.

A tool for digging, a shovel in a dream may indicate that you are searching for something or are about to embark on a quest for inner knowledge. A shovel might also represent labor or hard work ahead. A broken shovel could mean that you are experiencing frustration in your work.

To dream of taking a shower may symbolize a spiritual renewal. It might also signify a bonus or reward showered upon the dreamer.

It is very common for us to dream about all different types of people. Siblings are a fantastic source of dream material. Our siblings are important to us emotionally and psychologically. We are bound to them on some level throughout our lives; thus, they will appear in our dreams in may different forms. We learn important lessons about ourselves through our brothers and sisters. They are a reflection on us, and we can not escape their presence and their love, hate or any other emotion . If you have many unresolved issues with your siblings, it is likely that they will frequently appear in your dreams. See also: People

Hearing singing in a dream signifies a pleasant and cheerful attitude and that you may hear promising news over a matter at hand. If you are singing in the dream, note the type (happy, sad) of song you are singing.

Dreaming of skating may signify to the dreamer that they are gliding over a matter at hand, or that they may be skating on thin ice. Note all the aspects of the dream.

To dream of a skull and cross-bones is a traditional sign of danger and possibly death--a warning.

Dreaming of the sky symbolizes hope, vitality, and a creative force.

At times you may experience the sense of smell in your dreams. The smell could be environmental. If there is a strong smell in your sleeping environment, you may perceive it and incorporate it into your dream. Otherwise, the smell in your dreams is triggered by a memory. You may be associating your dream experience with a pleasant or unpleasant order. For example, if you are dreaming about your mother, you may smell the aroma of a food she once cooked. The smell may trigger emotions and reflect the general quality of the experience in your dream.

If you dream of smoke filling a room, it suggests that a matter at hand is being obscured. On the other hand, if the smoke is clearing, clarity is imminent.

Dreaming that you are having difficulty breathing and are in danger of dying as a result may carry important messages for the dreamer. This type of a dream experience is usually very frightening, and at times people are awakened from their dream due to the fear. This dream may have several different explanations and the catalysts may be forces from either within the individuals emotional and psychological makeup or circumstances on the outside of the individual. The suffocation is either do to internal forces or an external situation. The dreamer may experience great difficulties when it comes to free self expression. They may have difficulties in expressing their fear, anger, love, or any other powerful emotion and are literally choking on them in their dream. Choking in your dream suggests that you are having problems in communicating your thoughts, needs, and feelings. Additionally, smothering may imply that the dreamer can not accept certain situations in their life and is feeling suffocated by a current problem. To interpret this dream accurately consider all of the details in it, think about your daily life and those things that cause you great stress and restrict your freedom. Finally, try to connect your dream with your daily life experiences and unlock the symbolism that the dream holds for you.

A snake is an archetypal image that can have numerous interpretations. In mythology, snakes are symbols of wisdom, of healing and fertility, and--in the shedding of skin--of renewal. Snakes can also symbolize the dangers of the underworld. In Christianity, the snake symbolizes temptation and the source of evil. In some Eastern traditions, the snake is related to a power that rises from the base of the spine and can be a symbol of transformation. The Freudian interpretation relates snakes to the male genitalia. How you view snakes symbolically and other aspects of the dream should guide you in your interpretation.

Snow can represent purity if seen in a pristine landscape. Since snow is a solidified form of water, it can also stand for frozen emotions. If the snow is melting, the suggestion is that frozen feelings are thawing. To find yourself in a snowstorm may represent uncertainty in an emotional matter, or sorrow in failing to enjoy some long expected pleasure. Dreaming of snow-capped mountains in the distance suggests that your ambitions will yield no advancement. Eating snow symbolizes a failure to realize ideals.

Some dream symbols are more difficult to interpret than others. Using soap in a dream seems to have obvious connotations, a need for cleansing and purification. Consider all of the details of your dream and think about what needs to be cleaned or refreshed. Washing with soap in your dream could refer to the cleaning up of your physical environment, your thoughts and feelings, or the resolution of a particular situation in life.

Dreaming about soil and the earth usually symbolizes fertility and the potential to grow. Rich soil may be an indication that the time is right for work and new beginnings. Dreaming about dry, barren soil may be a reflection of your negative mood. It may include feelings of depression or general feelings of boredom and emptiness.

Hearing sounds in your dreams can be looked at from a spiritual point of view. Nice sounds are usually positive symbols. Some may say that in your dream state you have traveled to other higher and more spiritual plains. Traditional interpretations tell us that if you hear a familiar melody, you may bump into old friends. Psychologically speaking, you may have heard a song during the day and in your dream state you are simply replaying it. However, since dreams always have meaning, the song that you are dreaming about may have messages in it that will assist you in solving a problem or will help you to feel better.

A spaceship in a dream may suggest a journey into the unknown, or symbolize a spiritual quest.

Thrusting a spear at someone in a dream may represent an effort to thrust your will on another person. If the spear is hurled over a field, toward a mountain, or an ocean, the dream may mean that you are making a powerful statement to the world.

Spiders may symbolize a careful and energetic approach to your work and that you will be pleasantly rewarded for your labors. To dream of a spider spinning its web signifies that your homelife will be happy and secure, while many spiders represent good health and friends. A confrontation with a large spider may signify a quick ascent to fame and fortune, unless the large spider bites you, in which it may represent the loss of money or reputation.

To see these friendly creatures may mean that pleasant acquaintances will soon visit, or that you will advance in business.

Climbing a stairway in a dream can mean that you are on your way to achieving a goal. Descending a stairs, or falling down one, might indicate a fall in prestige or economic status. To sit on a step could suggest that you are pausing in your everyday life with its challenges to consider where things stand.

Old dream interpretation books say that seeing stars in your dream means that your wishes are going to be fulfilled. Even from a more pragmatic point of view, stars seem to be positive dream symbols. They could represent insight, luck, fortune and the mysteries of the universe. Stars represent those wonderful things that we aspire to but have difficulty obtaining. To follow a star is to follow a dream, an insight, or your intuition to a more desirable location or position in life. Thus, stars in your dreams could also symbolize internal or external guidance and truth.

Dreaming of a statue or statues could signify a lack of movement in your life. Statues are also cold and can symbolize frozen feelings.

To dream of a stillborn infant indicates a premature ending or some distressing circumstance in a matter at hand.

Stones can represent small irritations or obstacles that must be overcome. Seeing yourself throw a stone in a dream may mean that you have cause to reprove someone.

To dream of an approaching storm indicates emotional turmoil in some aspect of your life. Dark skies and thunder may also be a forewarning that danger is approaching. Alternately, a storm could symbolize rapid changes occurring in your life.

The interpretation of seeing and interacting with a stranger, or strangers, in your dream depends on the details of your dream and on your personal belief system. Some Eastern cultures believe that the strangers in your dreams are spirits from another dimension. These spirits may be teaching you lessons or giving you specific messages. The more modern approach to interpreting a dream with strangers in it is that they represent different sides or unfamiliar aspects of our personality. The best way to tell is to check inside of yourself and simply try to understand the message of this dream. Whether the message is coming from your unconscious or from a different reality might be irrelevant. The lessons gained through a dream are far more important then where they came from. Just remember: The mind that dreamt the dream also knows its source and meaning (and that is YOUR own mind). See also: People

Dreaming that you are having difficulty breathing and are in danger of dying as a result may carry important messages for the dreamer. This type of a dream experience is usually very frightening, and at times people are awakened from their dream due to the fear. This dream may have several different explanations and the catalysts may be forces from either within the individuals emotional and psychological makeup or circumstances on the outside of the individual. The suffocation is either do to internal forces or an external situation. The dreamer may experience great difficulties when it comes to free self expression. They may have difficulties in expressing their fear, anger, love, or any other powerful emotion and are literally choking on them in their dream. Choking in your dream suggests that you are having problems in communicating your thoughts, needs, and feelings. Additionally, smothering may imply that the dreamer can not accept certain situations in their life and is feeling suffocated by a current problem. To interpret this dream accurately consider all of the details in it, think about your daily life and those things that cause you great stress and restrict your freedom. Finally, try to connect your dream with your daily life experiences and unlock the symbolism that the dream holds for you.

Dreaming of the sun is usually fortuitous. The sun is the symbol of light, warmth, and energy. In Native American lore, the sun symbolizes the father or the masculine principal.

A dream of swimming suggests the dreamer is immersed in an exploration of emotional matters or the unconscious.

A sword is a symbol of strength and power. It also can cut to the bone. Dreaming of a sword might suggest that aggressive action is required.