A Brief Look at How to Interpret Your Dreams Two of the dreams in this column were from the same reader and within two nights of each other. The Dreamer agreed to allow me to use these two dreams anonymously to illustrate how to interpret your own dreams. As I have mentioned prior, most dreams are a reflection of an unresolved emotion. When I look at a dream, I first take it apart. I break the dream up into symbols and elements and then look at how they all work together to make up the dream.  These dreams are messages to show the dreamer where they may be blocked and how these unresolved emotions are keeping them from growing and moving forward. Dreams are a magical playground of subconscious thoughts and emotions.

The Dreamer:

I dreamt that I was in my wedding dress…walking to a cabin/motel room. I was alone and holding up my dress as I walked towards where I was staying. The weather was grey. As I walked my sister, who was wearing a wedding dress walked towards me (up the hill) with her husband. They were totally happy. I went into the very dark cabin/room and everything was very messy. Then a woman came in all dressed up and said something like, “I got so drunk last night that I left my special drinking cup somewhere” I woke up. First Symbol: Seeing yourself in a wedding dress or getting married generally signifies a “change of status”. Second Symbol: Cabin/hotel would also signify a new state of mind or a shift in personal identity. It can also mean a need to escape. Third Symbol: The weather was gray. Weather signifies emotional state and of mind and can also be related to decisions. Fourth Symbol: Your sister. I would need to know how you feel about your sister in general to determine what this actually meant. Seeing family in dreams can signify security, but also can signify rivalry. It all depends on the relationship with that family member. Fifth Symbol: The messy room signifies your emotion related to this event. Element: The forgetful drunk. This element is how you perceive this change in status. So let’s put this all together. Interpretation: You are embarking on a change or transformation that will be a shift in identity for you. This has you filled with uncertainty even though you have foreseen much happiness in this shift. The anxiety stems from worry that the structure or current status you have in your life will be disrupted or will fall apart.

The Dreamer responded that the interpretation felt correct and that she had dreamt again.

The Dreamer: Last night I had another “experience”, this one was even stranger. I was driving through a housing area (what is BEYOND STRANGE and a FIRST TIME EXPERIENCE FOR ME – is that the houses that I was seeing (mansions really) were all very familiar to me and in the experience I could not determine if I was seeing them in the astral or if I was remembering that I had already seen these in my “real life” Even as I sit here I truly cannot tell the difference. Have I seen these homes? I feel that I have…strongly. Yet I cannot remember where and when in this lifetime. Does that make sense? As I looked at the houses (most were peach or beige in color) I noticed that they were falling apart. I thought to myself, “This is why I did not buy these homes. I knew they were bad construction and now look…just look at what is happening to them.” They were beautiful…but falling apart. I drove past one and realized that it was the one that I had specifically considered purchasing for myself. It was very large, peach in color. I saw that they were renovating it into a hospital. And this section they were working on was all grey concrete and those rods that they put inside of the concrete. I went inside the main section of the house. It was well lit with lots of very large windows. I started at the top of the house – very large – and went to a stair case (spiral, kind of) and started walking down it. As I went further down it got smaller and smaller – not the staircase itself but the walls around it – the house. When I got to the bottom the space was quite small. What should have been a grand foyer was but a small and tiny round landing with the front door. A woman sat on the bottom step and was depressed. I looked at her and said, “It will be okay. I’ve been through this too.” First let’s look at the symbols in this dream First Symbol: Driving always represents the path you are on. So this dream is about a current path. Consequently, moving in general whether it be driving, riding or walking would indicate a current path or direction. Second Symbol: Houses represent self. Third Symbol: Hospital – Seeing a hospital can indicate a need to heal physical or mental health but can also indicate a fear of losing control. Fourth Symbol: Stairs – going down represents repressed thoughts. If you are afraid to go down it represents fear of confronting repressed thoughts or not acknowledging something from your past. Elements: Color, condition of the homes, size of the rooms, depressed woman. (Many times in dreams the other people we see that we do not know are merely aspects of our self.) Interpretation: Again like the other dream, this dream represents anxiety or worry about your current path or direction. You see yourself falling apart if you take this direction or possibly losing control. You have repressed emotions concerning the decision to take this path. This could be related to something from your past. Only in this dream your higher self is trying to reassure you, the one who is feeling the constraints that you perceive could disrupt the structure and close in on you, that it will be ok. The Dreamer replied that this also felt correct to her. In the following two dreams I did not illustrate the Symbols or Elements. See if you can pick them up and see where the interpretation came from. Amy: Hi Kimberley, I just read your article in this month’s issue of BelleSpirit.  You know how the universe is always sending us messages?  I’ve always been intrigued by the thought that our dreams are more than just dreams, however today, on facebook, a friend of mine had on her status about a book she’s reading called Spiritual Psychology and it incorporates learning to read your dreams.  A friend of hers commented on the status about how she interprets dreams as well.  And for some strange reason, I commented too, and asked her how one learns how to read dreams, that it sounded interesting.  I don’t even know why I commented on it.  Then looking at this issue of the magazine this afternoon, and I found myself totally captivated by your article.  I don’t know if there’s something to this for me or not, but I’m certainly tuned in now, that’s for sure. Last week I dreamed that I went to the Toyota dealership where my Dad works to buy a car.  He’s a mechanic though, and I wasn’t there to see him, just the salesman.  We were in an office, with the door closed, and I remember the walls weren’t painted but rather covered in that old brown paneling that used to be popular.  The office really was bare, a desk, carpeted floors, 2 chairs and furnishings were outdated (hence the paneling).  Didn’t see any pictures on the walls at all.  I was sitting on one side of the desk or actually, more at the end of the desk, so that it really wasn’t in between us at all as he was sitting across from me, and the salesman was showing me figures for the cost of the car that I wanted, and I was disagreeing with it.  I seemed to be the one in control, working the deal, even though it doesn’t work that way in real life when you go to buy a car.  Then he left the room, his name is Justin, he’s worked with my dad for years, and my ex-husband works part time milking cows at his parent’s farm.  Then all of a sudden, without having gotten up and walking there, we were in a different room, with white walls and much more comfortable, but still an office, and Justin was there, but so was a friend of his, Devin, who used to be a friend/co-worker of mine and I haven’t seen in a few years.  Devin and I sat and talked and talked, catching up as though he was my best friend from days gone by.  Justin eventually left the room to let us finish chatting.  And sitting with Devin was just that total feeling of sitting with an old friend, talking and catching up…you know that warm friendly feeling. Kimberly: This dream seems to be related to work/career. From the dream I would say that you are bored or tired of your current job and don’t always agree with the policies or decisions and have been considering changing jobs. Amy: Right on!  Actually, I’ve already handed in my resignation.  As of Sept 7th, I am done, and headed back to school for Holistic Nutrition Consulting. Angie: In my dream I was driving to a show (which I am working at this coming weekend). I had two friends with me and I was going to drop them off on the way as they were going to the airport. However we all needed to find a bank and get some cash so we stopped off in a town. We walked along trying to find a cash point (it was really sunny) and went into a building thinking it was a bank. Inside the building was empty. There was a spiral staircase running through the centre of the building and as we walked down the building became more and more derelict. In the building we met two men who insisted in walking with us. We all felt uneasy about that and I knew that one of the men (who was on a red motorcycle) were very dangerous. I thought he was going to murder us all. I started to look for an exit to help us escape. Then my dog (who has died) came along and she started leading me further down. It was getting quite tense, the guys were still with us and the building was falling into greater disrepair. Suddenly my dog indicated for me to follow her and I found myself right down in the basement – I remember thinking if this wasn’t the way out we were really in trouble. But then I saw a broken doorway with the sunlight shining through. I went outside with my dog. There was a man and woman outside carrying a very old black dog. They told me to carry on because the bank was right outside. On going through the door I was in the high street. I then remembered my friends inside with the men but realized I couldn’t help them myself so was going to call the police. I then noticed a large plant pot with a tree in it. Planted at the bottom of the tree was a marigold – it was wilting and I said I thought it was sad because it was going to die – but  passer-bye replied “no it’s going to be fine, I just watered it”. Hearing this made me really, really happy. Then I woke up!!! any ideas? Kimberly: Your current path in life is a desire to help people in some way and you are happy with this path, however, sometimes you encounter situations that were not what they initially appeared to be. So at times you are unable to help directly and have to revert these situations/people elsewhere. The dream tells me that your work creates a detachment from family or they do not appreciate the path that you have chosen for yourself and this causes some internal grief for you. You have a rebellious side, someone who does not follow the status quo. Even though you are very intuitive with strong values and good intentions, this rebellious side surfaces when your own personal beliefs are challenged. Regardless, of the detachment, you seem to always remain positive and optimistic on the outside and intuitively find your way through situations easily. You trust very easily. The message I get from the dream is that your rebellious side will cause you trouble, whereas, listening to your intuition which is strong will guide you out of sticky situations. You may need to be a bit more flexible when dealing with people close to you and listen with your heart. Since I do not know what is going on with you this may be related to a specific event or it could be general overall. Angie: Thanx for that, it was pretty correct and very interesting – I’ve commented below (: Your current path in life is a desire to help people in some way and you are happy with this path, however, sometimes you encounter situations that were not what they initially appeared to be- This is very true – Angie- -I am very happy with my path. I try to help a lot of people through my work but have learned that you can’t save everyone- I’ve had problems with a stalker (who ended up in prison) and often find that people demand more and more, then when you can’t do it they get resentful!! You have a rebellious side, someone who does not follow the status quo. Even though you are very intuitive with strong values and good intentions, this rebellious side surfaces when your own personal beliefs are challenged. Angie – This is also very correct but I feel I’m meant to be this way because I’ve had a lot of challenges and have had to be a bit of a bulldozer to get through it (: Regardless, of the detachment, you seem to always remain positive and optimistic on the outside and intuitively find your way through situations easily. Angie – Yep. I have a general detachment, I often say I’m autistic –  BUT I am a very optimistic person and very positive (I just don’t  DO emotions) —  (: The message I get from the dream is that your rebellious side will cause you trouble, whereas, listening to your intuition which is strong will guide you out of sticky situations. You may need to be a bit more flexible when dealing with people close to you and listen with your heart. Angie – I can take this in a particular area of my life. Angie: Thank you for that – it was interesting. I read dreams myself but as you know, it’s not easy to be objective about your own (: I did not include in Angie’s interpretation that her dog (who has passed) joining her going down the stairs, could represent some unresolved grief. If you have a dream you would like me to interpret to include in this column, please email me at: Kimberly@newbeginningsholisticwellness.com.  Each month I will choose a dream to illustrate how to work with your own dreams. Sweet dreams, Kim Views:]]>