ANCESTOR
Your ancestry is effectively a bank of genetic factors, character traits, diseases, talents, ingenuity, and potential. You are at the end of a long line of such a train, which represents the infinite capacity of your own potential. This is exciting, but when there are endless possibilities, it can also be difficult to make a decision about which choice to make. Is indecision a dilemma that you’re facing? If you see one of your ancestors in a dream, then he or she appears as a reminder of your own skills and genetic disposition. Thinking about the talents you’ve inherited from that ancestor might help you make a decision.
ANCHOR
The symbolism of the anchor is obvious; stability and security. However anchors can also hold you down. So what is the anchor like in your dream? Again, it’s all about context and the feeling of the dream.
ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
If you ever dreamed that you were in the midst of a glamorous ancient civilization, this rarefied and exotic environment probably means that your everyday, waking life has become somewhat humdrum, and you’re in dire need of an injection of mystery, color, excitement—and a touch of the unknown.
ANGEL
This angel is a powerful archetypal symbol, known and recognized all over the planet. You don’t have to be religious to know what an angel is all about. And the more powerful a place that a particular symbol enjoys in our psyche, the more powerful its meaning within your dream.
Angels, though, are full of contradictions. They can be sweet, loving, and gentle. Or they can be stern masters of discipline. They can help us, or they can teach us the hardest lessons. They can create and destroy in equal measure.
Above all, the angel is a messenger. Now, if you do believe in God, then it’s likely that you’ll see the angel in your dream as carrying information directly from the Head Office, so to speak. However, others believe that we carry our “God” inside of ourselves, but we don’t always listen to the messages conveyed by this internal authority, who knows instinctively and intuitively what’s right and wrong in the context of the bigger picture.
Therefore, you should pay close attention to any angel that appears in your dream, since it’s likely to be giving you information; it doesn’t matter where you think the source of this information lies. This information may be direct—the angel may speak to you—or it could be indirect, for example, if the angel is holding a scroll, indicating hidden information that you’ll need to decipher.
It’s possible that you might even dream that you, yourself, are an angel. This could be a reminder that you have a great capacity to help others, or that you are more powerful than you think.
ANIMALS
Individual species of animals—such as dogs, cats, or horses—appear under their own names in this book. However, it’s also worth examining the meaning of animal dreams in general. The animal side of human beings speaks to intuition and instinct, the primitive, the sexual. Sometimes if we’re feeling repressed, an animal dream might allow us to feel that we have more freedom than we’re able to express in our everyday lives. Don’t forget, too, that animals show us more than just our primitive desires. Many cultures believe that we each have “totem” animals—that is, that we share aspects and characteristics of certain creatures. The best way that this is expressed is in the zodiacs of both Western and Eastern astrology, whose animal shapes parade around the skies. So, to dream of an animal is to be shown that you share the qualities of that creature, whether they seem to be scary, freaky, or perfectly normal.
ANKH
Although this symbol originally belonged to the ancient Egyptians, its meaning is universally accepted; it stands for eternal life. To see it in a dream is a reminder of the connectedness of all things.
APE
Dreams often contain visual or literal puns; bear in mind that to “ape” someone means to copy them. Perhaps you’re worried about this in some context? If not, the ape is also powerful and sexually driven but also known to be undignified and somewhat stupid. Ring any bells for you?
APOCALYPSE
Many dreams—or nightmares—have an apocalyptic theme or feel to them. It’s likely that such a dream reflects similar changes in your life (where one part of your life is coming to an end), although hopefully these changes are not quite so dramatically intense as an actual apocalypse! Such changes might include moving house, marriage or divorce, or a change of job. The apocalypse dream is a prime example of how dreams tend to exaggerate events in our lives and amplify our anxieties.
APPLAUSE
Dreaming of a large auditorium of people applauding you is a relatively common dream and usually a pleasant one. Dreams sometimes give us an experience we’re lacking in real life, though, so it’s probable that you’re not receiving the recognition you really deserve.
APPLE
Ever since Eve offered Adam the Fruit of Knowledge—commonly supposed to be the apple—this fruit has occupied an important place as a premium symbol. Accordingly, to dream about the apple is to dream about wisdom, information, knowledge, healthiness, and prosperity. The apple, because of its seeds, is also a fertility symbol. Do you have fertility issues, either positive or negative? Conversely, to see an apple rotting on a bough is a powerful symbol of autumn and mortality. It could be a reminder that life is short and to “use it or lose it.”
APRON
Aprons protect, but there’s more to this than you might suppose. Yes, they protect a person’s clothes from splashes and stains while working, but aprons also protect and preserve secrets. Freemasons, for example, use the apron as part of their uniform. If you’re dreaming of aprons, it could be there is a secret you’re keeping or one that is being kept from you.
ARCH
To dream that you are traveling underneath an arched structure signifies a portentous moment in your life, a new beginning, and something good to come.
ARROW
The basic arrow speaks of direction, focus, and enthusiasm in your life. A broken arrow signifies the opposite; the end of a dream or a fear of failure.
ASTEROID
This signifies an illuminating episode, such as a sudden flash of clarity or creativity—a “eureka” moment!
ASTRONAUT
What do astronauts do? They travel into outer space. In a spirit of exploration. In a spaceship…OK, but what do they REALLY do? Of course; they reach for the stars. This is what you’re doing. Good luck!
ATTACK
Assuming that you’re not a prize fighter or similar in your waking life, if you dream that you’re attacking someone, then you could be suffering from unreleased anger or pent-up frustration. If, however, you are being attacked, then it’s likely that you’re suffering from a lack of self-confidence or certainty, or that you’re being bullied in your waking life. This dream is telling you to face up to these attackers.
ATTIC
As a part of a house (in which the different rooms represent different aspects of ourselves), the attic represents the head, the mind, the intellect—and the higher,