Dream Symbols and Their Meanings

Nature

Water

Emotions. Clear water is calm and clarity; murky water, confusion and something unresolved.

Sea

The unconscious and large emotional movement. Calm means balance; stormy, suppressed tension.

Fire

Passion, anger or cleansing. Controlled, transformation; uncontrolled, a destructive feeling.

Rain

Relief and washing clean. A weight that has built up finally releasing.

Snow

Pause and silence. Something being put on hold for now.

Wind

Change is coming. Blowing hard, a fear of being caught unprepared.

Earth

Grounding and reality. A need to plant your feet.

Sun

Clarity and hope. Light falling on a matter that had been in shadow.

Moon

Intuition and cycles. It marks a shift in an emotional season.

Stars

Hope and direction. A distant goal is still in sight.

Forest

Entering the unknown. A fear of losing the path, or an unexplored area.

Mountain

A large goal, or a difficulty that has to be climbed.

Motion and state

Flying

Release: escaping a burden or wishing to rise. Flying in fear is a worry about control.

Falling

A sense of losing control. It shows you gripping something as the ground shifts.

Being chased

Something you are avoiding. A matter waiting to be faced will not let go.

Running

Haste and the anxiety of keeping up. A fear of being late to something.

Getting lost

A weakened sense of direction. Not knowing which road to take in a decision.

Swimming

Coping with feeling. Swimming easily is going with the current; drowning is overload.

Climbing

Effort and aim. Climbing with difficulty says the reward for your work is nearing.

Hiding

Not wanting to be seen. Avoiding a responsibility, or someone's gaze.

Not being able to wake

A feeling of being stuck. Unable to leave a loop of your own making.

Being late

Fear of a missed chance. Dread of being assessed before you are ready.

Taking an exam

Anxiety about judgement. An area where you question whether you are enough.

Not being able to speak

An unsaid word. An objection or feeling waiting to be voiced.

Animals

Snake

Transformation or a hidden threat. A strong warning coming from below the surface.

Dog

Loyalty. Aggressive, an unease about someone you had trusted.

Cat

Independence and intuition. Sometimes tied to a feminine figure or a concealed feeling.

Bird

News and freedom. Caged, a feeling of being confined.

Horse

Strength and instinct. A reined horse is a passion brought under control.

Fish

Abundance and an idea rising from the unconscious. Out of water, feeling out of place.

Spider

Feeling inside a web. Either an order you built or a situation you were caught by.

Mouse

A small worry that has become constant. A detail you keep overlooking.

Wolf

Lone strength and instinct. A side that moves apart from the pack — or a threat.

Lion

Power and authority. About your own strength, or a power dynamic with someone.

Insect

Small irritating details. A gnawing unease that has not been named.

Tortoise

Shelter and slowness. A need to protect yourself by withdrawing into a shell.

Places and objects

House

Your inner world. Rooms are areas of your life; an unknown room is an undiscovered side.

Door

A threshold. An open door is opportunity; a locked one, a step you are not ready for.

Stairs

Rising or descending. Going up is progress; going down, a return to the past or the depths.

Car

The steering of your life. Who is driving says who holds control.

Mirror

Looking at yourself. The face you see may be a side you struggle to accept.

Money

Self-worth and confidence. Losing it is tied to a feeling of not being enough.

Key

A solution. It says the answer you are looking for is already in your hand.

Bridge

The crossing between two chapters. Reaching the other side means the decision is made.

School

An unlearned lesson, or a sense of inadequacy left over from the past.

Hospital

A need to heal. Usually emotional repair rather than physical.

Lift

A fast rise or fall. A change in which the control is not yours.

Road

The course of your life. Straight, stability; winding, an unpredictable stretch.

People and life

Teeth

Change and anxiety. A falling tooth is usually a fear of loss or of losing control.

Hair

Strength and identity. Cut, the close of a chapter; growing, a gathering of strength.

Baby

A new beginning or an idea needing care. Crying, a side of yourself you have neglected.

Death

Almost never literal death; it is the closing of a period or a habit.

Wedding

Union and decision. Two sides coming together — possibly two wishes inside you reconciling.

A stranger

A side of yourself you have not met. What they say to you matters.

Someone who has died

An unfinished farewell, or a reminder of the value that person stood for.

Pregnancy

Something ripening. A project, a decision, or a new phase of life getting ready.

A fight

Conflict inside you. Usually two wishes, or two values, colliding.

Kissing

A wish to come close. Sometimes making peace with an idea rather than a person.

Being naked

Defencelessness. A reluctance about being seen or judged.

An ex-partner

An unclosed file. Usually not the person but what that period gave you.

Frequently asked questions