Dream Dictionary

A rabbit is a rich dream symbol and can combine the idea of sex, magic and its appearance or disappearance in your life. As a symbol of the mystery of life, the rabbit is a symbol of pro-creation, both in terms of children and the re-birth associated with transformation. See Animals.

There are several interpretations for the idea of racing or being in a race. First of all, you can be ‘pressed for time’ and racing to get somewhere as a sense of feeling that you are not reaching the expected stages of your life development on time. See Late.  If you are racing in some type of vehicle, it has more to do with motivation and your drive to move forward. See Vehicles and Places of Transportation.  Finally, you can be racing another character as a way of feeling ‘overwhelmed’ by a side of you that is moving forward without integration.

This is a tool that allows you to observe what cannot be seen with the eye. Offering a message about intuition or guidance, you may dream of radar as a sense of acknowledging what may be coming at you ‘from left field.’ Usually offering details related to things that fly, the symbolism can suggest ambitions.

Sometimes hearing a radio is a representation of ‘ambient noise’ or the idea that something is simply playing in the background. If there is a message that becomes loud and clear on the radio, it can offer symbolism as to what you are missing because of your daily routine.

Railroad tracks portray a sense of direction as if it has been laid down for you and is not easily changed. It can show the expectations placed upon you by others. See Train under Vehicles and Places of Transportation.

After the sky has filled with clouds or condensation, rain is released. To dream of rain can symbolize the need to let go of painful emotions that can lead to depression. There is a sense of renewal associated with rain. It offers a message about the need to see the silver lining in every cloud.

Representing wishes and the promise of well-being, you may dream of a rainbow as a symbol of hope. The more ‘tangible’ the rainbow appears in the dream, the more it reflects how you are currently achieving your ambitions.

See Outerwear under Clothing and Makeup.

A ram is a powerful symbol of the drive to achieve. Associated with perseverance, the ram appearing in a dream can symbolize the need to push beyond obstacles. If the ram is associated with fire, it can symbolize a necessary transformation that is taking place. A masculine symbol, it embodies traits adopted by the father, where the goat and its connection to milk personifies characteristics associated with the mother. The goat is also mischievous and overtly sexual and can represent this quality and whether or not you are open to playfulness and sex. The Ram's astrological relationship to the sign Aries as an Archetype captures the idea of the Self, or the mask you wear as your Persona. Also see Animals.

When you are not giving free reign to your emotions or urges you can dream of being ‘dominated’ by a character in a sexual way. Sleep becomes the only ‘natural’ way that your consciousness can process this energy and there is really nothing sinister involved. Sometimes the threat of being raped can symbolize being forced into a situation that has 'raped' you of your values. If you are dreaming of being raped because of actual trauma of this type, consciousness may still be attempting to process these difficult memories. See Shadow and Archetypes and Characters.

Rats and mice are often ‘pests’ or associated with what is ‘unclean’ or forbidden. Rats can be ‘stowaways,’ hiding in ships, or in the shadows, representing abandoning something, sneaking around or escaping like a ‘dirty rat.’ Used in scientific laboratories, both can symbolize ‘experimenting’ in the expression of feelings. See Animals.

See Birds, and Crow also listed under Archetypes and Universal Characters.

Dreams of reading show how you are exploring ideas in an objective format. Seeing something printed is the first step toward integrating this new idea. Reading also portrays your feelings and insecurities about 'revealing' yourself to others. See Advertisement, Book and Newspaper.

To dream of receiving something shows how you are not open to receiving whatever this symbol represents in daily life. Explore the symbol for clues about what this is.

You will experience recurring dreams as story lines or themes that repeat themselves over weeks, months or even years. Sometimes they leave you feeling puzzled because they seem meaningless and at other times, they will be extremely frightening. Since dreams are suggesting what you fail to acknowledge in daily life, whatever you are avoiding or not integrating will continue to be the subject matter of your dream until it is resolved and integrated. Like Nightmares, once the resolution or transformation takes place, the dream will not recur.

See Colors.

See Mirror.

This appliance combines the idea of Food or the exploration of nourishment from a broad perspective with Cold or Frozen as symbolism of what you have put 'on ice' in your development. Your idea of receiving nourishment or the ability for self nourishing thoughts might be in a state of suspended animation. In other words, you are not finding nourishment or fulfillment because of your need for preservation or protection. Whatever symbol is associated with the refrigerator can portray what may need to be ‘thawed’ or brought out of deep freeze in an effort to achieve fulfillment.

See People.

When you describe characters in a dream as relatives, they are usually not the immediate family. If they are, see Family. People can appear as family members in a dream, although in real life you don’t know who they are. This type of setting usually reflects an experience that has left you wondering about your behavior and dynamics. Relatives not included in the immediate family can represent that side of you that you believe might ‘rescue’ you from the family dynamics that you inherited. Aunts, uncles and grandparents provide care in a more unconditional way. Since everyone in a dream represents 'you' explore what they represent to understand emerging characteristics that might help you through difficulty. See People.

Generally you renovate a type of structure.  Since structural imagery represents aspects of the self, there is a sense that you are rebuilding the specific area described as being renovated. See various structures and rooms under Houses and Buildings.

Looking for a place to ‘rent’ can symbolize not wanting to establish roots. In daily life you may be putting a lot of energy into forming intimate relationships only to find yourself alone. This type of dream seems to suggest that your fear of intimacy is at the root of the rejection you may experience. Renting a room can also represent trying out new or temporary attitudes as you move through changes.

The reptilian portion of the brain is the oldest and is associated with autonomic reactions, sex and survival mechanisms. Often dreams of reptiles will portray organic and autonomous functioning that remains unconscious to you. Our most ancient evolutionary processes are captured by the image of reptiles. They shed their skin and move around on all fours in a fight or flight posture, symbolizing insecurities or a sense of panic that is uncontrolled. This primitive side of your autonomic functioning and your relationship to it, will be portrayed in the type of reptile and your interaction with it.

Frogs emerge from tadpoles that resemble sperm and often signify reproductive elements or sex. Lizards keep close to the earth and require sun or shade to regulate temperature, often symbolizing biological or evolutionary processes connecting with consciousness. Snakes can have sexual meanings, although their ability to renew their ‘protective covering’ suggests transformative aspects currently taking place. They can also represent the biting or poisonous side of your instinctual nature, which you try to repress, and thus, it recoils.

Unlike warm blooded and emotionally reactive mammals, reptiles are associated with being cold blooded and seeking protection. The turtle can portray covering your feelings or insecurities when you are hurt or feeling shy. How big (dinosaur/dragon) or self-destructive they appear will suggest the level of repression as your unconscious processes seek wellness and expression. Their vigilant behavior and ancient associations with transformation will portray your physical well being and bio-physical processes. When a reptile is injured in a dream, it can portray how your defensive mechanisms are actually hurting you.  

Alligators and Crocodiles move below the surface, but are carnivorous, and suggest something painful stirring beneath the waters of the unconscious that can Bite you to draw Blood or allow you to feel. Experiencing fear associated with of any reptile will portray just how ‘tightly’ you are blocking your natural and instinctive processes.

If you need to be rescued in a dream, chances are you are unaware of a similar need in daily life. When one character is rescuing another, it portrays the side of you that is weak, being compensated for by the side of you that is strong. Explore the imagery associated with the characters or symbols for more clues. See People and Animals. 

See Houses and Buildings.

If you have the sense of riding or being a passenger in a vehicle, then you are not currently acting autonomously in your decisions to move forward. The type of vehicle and characters involved should be explored as a way of moving toward empowerment. See Vehicles and Places of Transportation.

See Weapons and Utensils.

See Placement and Perspective.

The ring combines the ideas of something of value that is bequeathed, and the idea of eternity and the circle. It can symbolize commitment, or how it is lacking in a situation. As an heirloom, it can represent family dynamics or what is passed on to your children. See Purses, Wallets, Luggage, Jewels and Keys.

See Ceremony.

The river carries water from one place to another. It can reveal the flow of emotions or a sense of what sustains your passions. Since it has a tendency to pick up the earth, stones and debris that it place upriver, it brings forward the idea of the things that you are doing in the present that create your future. The river can also be a symbol of learning to ‘let go’ and move with ‘current’ trends or changes. See Water.

You may have forgotten that you are a ‘traveler’ on a journey through life that is ever changing and not static. Dreaming of roads can show you how you are ‘paving’ your future with your thoughts of today. It can offer a message about how you are making your way forward. See Crossroad.

When you dream of a robot or ‘mechanical way of being,’ you may have the sense that you are doing things by routine without fully participating in life. Observe your patterns of behavior and routine to see if the robot can shed light on this aspect of your nature. See Machine. 

The rock holds the element of the earth in its most ‘concrete’ form and can be associated with what was once earthy and malleable, which has hardened and become inanimate. When you are ‘stuck between a rock and a hard place,’ you experience the sense that either choice has difficult consequences, therefore the rock is often a symbol of difficult transitions. You may dream of carving something from a rock as a way of giving new definition to a way of being that has become hardened. If the rock appears valuable or sacred, then the message suggests the need to ‘hold to’ the things of value that you may be ignoring or discarding.

Unlike the UFO, which appears to ‘Abduct you’ when you behave in an Alien or unusual way, the rocket is a supercharged ‘airplane.’ It is associated with extreme drive in achieving your ambitions. In some cases, the rocket can be a symbol of male genitalia as you explore your assertiveness. See Vehicles and Places of Transportation.

See Houses and Buildings.
 

Rooms can portray a compartmentalized view of different areas of the mind: bedroom-sex, kitchen-nourishment, living room-interacting with others, office-work, hallways-transitions, attic-spirituality or conscience, basement etc. See the various Rooms under Houses and Buildings.

The root is a figurative symbol representing the cause of something. It nourishes something that is growing and dreaming of a root can portray how you are exploring the basis of your feelings or the cause of your behavior. See Gardener and Tree.

A rope is usually associated with safety, as in ‘throw me a rope.’ You can unwittingly hang yourself ‘given enough rope.’ It can be a symbol of a barrier if it is blocking your way. See Knot.

See Circle.

There are not many ways of propelling yourself forward with your arms. The psyche is very 'economical' in how it can suggest two principles with one symbol: moving forward and the idea of personal effort. Because of its association with the arms, it can represent the idea of give and take as you move forward. At the same time, you must rely on the ‘current’ or be present enough to maximize your efforts. You may be questioning your ability to pull your own weight. Rowing can symbolize moving forward from a better sense of who you are and what you need in life. See Water.

See Garbage.

See Carpet.

Visiting ruins suggests both, outworn structures that may no longer serve you and the idea of Ancient or the those things that endure through time. If you
are uncertain about the direction to take, seeing ruins suggests that the ‘old way’ is no longer working.

When you dream of running, you may be looking objectively at your motivation and desire to move forward too quickly, or you may be running away from something that you would rather not face. Running utilizes the legs and so, has associations with exploring your ability to move forward. See Attack or Being Chased.

Seeing something that has become rusted, shows how the ‘elements’ or experience have worn you down. It can sometimes portray feelings that have become ‘mechanical,’ or routine and is not unlike a complex or abstract view of blood, as in your life force that has run dry. See Metal.