Dream Number Three
“When I was a child I had a dream where I was walking down the street, with my father nearby. There was a ditch on the side of the road and I began to wander toward it. My father warned me to stay away from the ditch, but I kept on. Finally I fell into it, and I was terrified to find it filled with snakes. I called to my father for help, but he said I should have to listened to him in the first place.”
Interpretation:
This is a meaningful dream with clear-cut symbolism. The street is the path you are on in life, and the ditch represents possible pitfalls. Symbolism often has meaning on several levels, as is the case here since the street also represents your conscious and the ditch your subconscious. The snake is a powerful image and it’s possible meanings are vast. It can represent lies or deception and temptation, largely from the Christian story of the Garden of Eve, or it can represent the kundalini, the life force, or chi. The snake can be purely a sexual symbol as well. The circumstances in the dream and the dreamer’s feelings are key in uncovering the true meaning. In this dream, most likely the snakes represent temptation and hidden knowledge. You are drawn to the ditch, even as you father (who may be standing in for your own internal wisdom and authority) warns you away. Once you approach the ditch, you fall in (i.e. lose control, get in over your head, etc.) and you call to your father for help. The message in this dream is to temper your curiosity with caution. In real life you need to heed the warnings of other older, and perhaps wiser, people and also listen to the ‘responsible’ voice in your head urging you towards restraint. |
