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We all use our understanding of symbols every day
Unravelling the meaning of symbols and metaphors is one of the great skills of dream interpretation. You may think that this kind of understanding requires a specialist knowledge and complex abilities that only the few possess. But in truth, while some people are naturally more able to give voice to their understanding of a large range of symbols, (just as some can read music easily and others speak foreign languages), it is a skill that we all possess and in fact use every day. If you are reading this, you can understand symbols. Letters are simply symbols for sounds. If you understood the heading to this entry, you will have immediately understood that “&” is a symbol for “and.”
Symbols are things that have an inherant meaning beyond what they simply look like. We use symbols so much in our day to day life that we rarely question what they mean. We all know a red light means “stop” and a green light means “go.” We all also know that red when on a tap means “hot” while blue means “cold.” We don’t have to stop and think “oh, I see a red light, is that telling me to stop, or that it’s hot?” We not only understand the meaning of the symbol, but also how that meaning changes in a different context. So rest assured we can all interpret symbols with relative ease when when know how. These kind of symbols will come up frequently in our dreams. We just need to take the time to recognise them, and look at the meaning they are conveying, not simply watch the literal story of our dream playing out.
Metaphors are also not so esoteric and mysterious as they might at first seem. A metaphor is when we
Our dreams are like poems our subconscious mind creates
say one thing is something else, to give it extra meaning and actually show what they have in common. This is at the heart of poetry , but we don’t need an advanced degree in literature to understand the poetry of our own dreams. One of the easiest ways to understand metaphors is as a “figure of speech.” When we uses phrases such as “he blew me away,” “this where the rubber hits the road,” “get into hot water” and so on, we are using metaphors. We know we don’t literally mean anyone jumped into a pot of boiling water, or even a warm bath for that matter, but we do understand what is meant by the phrase. Our dreams work in similar ways. We can also scan our favourite songs for the use of metaphors that our dreams may use to communicate with us. Look for examples like “Love is a battlefield,” “You are my sunshine” and so on.
Another way dreams can convey meaning to us is through similes. Similes are quite easy to understand if
Are you dreaming of being wily, or sexy?
we just take a moment to consider them, as again they are ways of communicating we use every day in waking life. To use a simile is simply to compare to things by saying how they are alike. Again, this is a device used commonly in poetry, figures of speech and songs. Some of these similes become so common they are like cliches or stereotypes, but this can be really quite helpful when our dreams try to convey a message where the meaning might otherwise be a little ambiguous or misleading. When you dream of a praticular object or thing, look for representations where you would use the word “like” or “as” in a sentence. Consider comparisons such as “cunning as a fox,” “quiet as a mouse,”swim like a fish,” and “regular as clockwork,” “like watching paint dry” and “love is like a red, red rose.” (Of course, a “fox” to you might instead be a metaphor for someone who is sexy, so remember only you know which meaning to apply in your own dreams!) If you are trying to describe something that you aren’t sure someone else will understand, you may find yourself saying “its like I’m…(insert appropriate simile.) Your dreams work in much the same way. Keep an eye out (note the metaphor!) for when you do this in conversation. “It’s like I’m stuck on a roundabout and can’t get off.” Or “it’s like my hands are tied.” Or “it’s like when she walks into a room I just light up.”
Where we use any of this kind of language when awake, our dreams are likely to play it back to us in pictures. The trick is just for us to recognise when we see it, instead of the usual waking way of hearing it. Symbols, metaphors and similes ask us to look beyond the obvious, and see the meaning in the image.
What seeds are you planting in your own mind?
Dreaming of growing things can be a potent symbol of our own inner growth and how we feel about that. When positive, this can manifest as dreams of flowers, fruits, beautiful trees or healthy gardens. But when negative, the symbols can be more like dark scary forests, overgrown vines, or dead, wilting plants. (While different flowers, fruits and trees can all have their own unique meanings, I will address that perspective ina future post. This post is more about the concept of “plants” and trees in general.)
Positive plant dreams can be like other celebration dreams such as running or driving freely, swimming underwater or flying. This is often a healthy sign that we have learnt some important lesson - the growth, beauty and bounty of the plant representing new found feelings of confidence and self mastery. If we dream of nurturing a plant or garden, this can be a sign that we are learning to look after our self, to nurture our own inner needs, be they emotional, psychological or spiritual. To dream of picking flowers or harvesting fruit and vegetables can be a very powerful sign of reaping the rewards for hard-work invested, or of a new sense of abundance that might follow a period in life when it seemed we weren’t getting all the support and emotional nourishment we needed. Planting seeds can be the beginning of a new idea, relationship or way of thinking or behaving that we wish to grow into something stronger and more prominent in our self or in our life. Dreams of beautiful gardens can be almost mystical sometimes, and can create a profound sense of peace, belonging and union with nature. This is a sure sign we are onto some pretty good inner work, as we have discovered a place of great beauty within ourselves, and for some this may include the heavenly presence of a departed loved one, or even be a communion with the divine. Such dreams are to be treasured!
Trees can also be powerful symbols in that they can represent not only our self, but our connection to family
Where can you trace your roots to?
and heritage, literally a symbol of our “family tree.” Depending on how we interact with the tree, we can look to see whether we feel supported or not, if we are trying to climb or sit in the tree – are the branches strong and hold us, or do they feel weak and unable to take our weight? This might mean we feel disconnected with our family or a particular family member, or that they literally aren’t supporting us in a project or course of action that is important to us. Is there a way we can make them see our point of view? We can see how connected with our past and how developed our sense of home and place is by understanding how strong and deep the roots are. If we have moved recently, it is not unusual to dream of a fallen tree, or one that is somehow out of the ground. This can represent that we feel “uprooted” and have yet to adjust to feeling at home in our new place. Roots as well can be a source of nourishment – from the ground the tree draws nutrients and strength, so dreams of tree roots invite us to look at where we gain our nourishment from, both physically and emotionally, and are we sufficiently “grounded,” or have we become a bit lost in our imagination with thoughts and fears and insecurities?
When plant dreams go bad, it can be a sign that something in our life is either out of control, such as when we dream of overgrown gardens or crazy vines; or it can be a clear message that we are neglecting something important, like the pot plant that dies when we forget to water it. These kind of dreams ask us what areas of our own personal life are we forgetting about and not caring for?
Dreaming of dark scary forest or wood can have multiple meanings. Often this symbol is used in fairy tales as the place where the hero or heroine runs away to escape something, only to face a hidden danger. This sense of lurking danger in the darkness carries over to our consciousness even today. But in the fairy tales, the hero or heroine either usually discovers a treasure, meets special helpers or else conquers the danger whilst in the forest. It is important for us to journey into this forest to learn a lesson, win a prize or find a treasure. In these dreams, the forest can be a symbol of the unknown areas of our own mind. It is not unusual to dream of dark forests as we begin dream work or other personal development work, as we bravely (if somewhat nervously!) venture into dark areas of our own mind. But remember, like Snow White found her seven dwarfs, we may find our special helpers, in key messages and symbols to teach us important lessons about our self. We need not fear what is in our own minds, for once we journey inwards and start to know our way around, we will find it is not so scary after all, but a place of magical wonder and mystery.
With care and attention we can all blossom!
Our subconscious mind really is like a garden: nurture it with the attention it deserves, shine the sun of your own kindness onto your sadness and guilt, trim out the weeds of anger and fear, prune back the over-zealous emotions and indulgences, and dig the soil to tend the roots of your own sense of belonging - then you shall have a mind of peace and beauty, with a rich bounty to harvest of creative ideas, inspiration and solutions to problems.
You will know a place in your own mind that is untouchable by others, your own sanctuary where you can find peace, draw strength from, and retreat to when you need to contemplate or heal.
Such a garden bears fruits that nourish and flowers that inspire. It proveds shelter and supports life.
Such a garden will benefit far more people than just the beautiful mind it exists in!
