The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams: The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams

ARTS AND CRAFTS

Dreams of the creativity of artistic endeavor are as common as action and adventure dreams. Whether you dream of composing a symphony, painting a masterpiece, writing a best-selling novel, singing in an opera or designing a scrapbook, such dreams with yourself in the artist’s role represent the creative or intuitive side of your nature.

You may feel a need in waking life to express yourself in some way, to be more creative or to enjoy public recognition. If you are meeting an artist in your dreams, this suggests that you are becoming aware of an aspect of yourself that is creative. If, however, you are watching another artist at work, this suggests that you are recognizing artistic or creative ability in yourself but remain passive about it.

Dreaming of creating something will be less significant if you are a naturally creative person than if you are not. If you have never been artistic or worked with crafts, dreaming that you are a potter making a pot—or an author completing a novel—may carry the implication that you should do so, or at least be more imaginative and creative in your waking life. See also LEISURE; MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY.

Arts Situations

In general, dreams about the performing arts, i.e. dancing, singing and acting, suggest that you are concerned with your personality and how you appear to others.

ACTING

This can suggest a desire for public attention but it can also suggest not expressing your real self—acting a role. If you dreamed that you were acting on stage, how did the audience react to your performance? We all role-play during our waking life, projecting a persona that may not be entirely who we are, in order to make ourselves more appealing to others; so it is possible that your unconscious was commenting on how your performance was perceived. The part you were playing and the scene you were acting could be particularly relevant to situations in your waking life. Were you a tremendous success on stage and did you receive a standing ovation? If you did, your unconscious may be telling you that the image you are presenting is convincing to others. If, however, your act was not well received, this might suggest that the image you are projecting is unconvincing to others and unhelpful to you.

If you dreamed that you were unwilling to step into the spotlight, this could suggest that your unconscious is mirroring your reluctance to be someone you are not in waking life, or it could simply suggest that you dislike being the center of attention. If you forgot your lines or needed the assistance of a prompter, you could be suffering from a lack of confidence in waking life, perhaps because you feel unprepared in some way. You may also be relying on someone else in waking life to guide you towards success. If an actor or actress dies or is dead in your dream, this could suggest that a particular role you have been playing in life has outlived its usefulness and relevance. On the other hand, dreams about acting may simply be reminding you that life is not a dress rehearsal and that you only have one chance to make a success of it.

Idioms: act a part; act on impulse or information; acting up; caught in the act; get in on the act.

ARTIST

To dream that you are an artist painting a picture is a reference to the creative and intuitive side of your character. The dream alerts you to talents that you may not know you have. It urges you to recognize the artist within, that aspect of yourself that is in contact with the irrational, creative side of your unconscious.

AUDIENCE

To dream that you are in front of an audience suggests that people you know in waking life are paying close attention to your actions. It could also refer to your fear of having your private thoughts and feelings discovered or revealed. If you are part of the audience, you need to pay attention to the plot of the play. Symbolically, the stage is a representation of your own life play. By observing and being objective about the action being played out, you can gain a new perspective on your life.

AUDITION

If you are attending an audition in your dream, this could refer to feelings of insecurity about expressing yourself in waking life. You may also feel as if you are being put to the test in some way, or that you are in a vulnerable situation. The response of the audience will reveal how you feel others perceive you.

BOOKS

To dream of books can symbolize knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, the search for knowledge and the ability to learn from the opinions of other people. If you are surrounded by books in your dreams, this might suggest that you are more concerned with theory than practice. Depending on the kinds of books that figure in your dream, they can also suggest the world of

Circus

Circus dreams represent the instinctive, passionate, creative sides of our nature. How well are these instincts performing? Have they been brought under control? If you’re enjoying the performance, this suggests that you are expressing your creativity. If you dislike or are bored by the performance, your dream mirrors a sense of frustration in your daily life. If you are performing in the circus it might be a sign that you need a more fulfilling job where you can show off your talents. If an animal escapes or you feel unhappy about the animals being involved in the performance, this could indicate a change of direction in your life or a love interest outside marriage. The circus audience in your dream is also significant because it suggests how your efforts are being received in waking life. Finally, don’t forget that circus dreams may simply be an observation that your waking life resembles a chaotic circus and has become thoroughly disorganized.

If your unconscious portrayed you as a juggler in your dream, was it referring to the many commitments you have to juggle or manage in your waking life? Did you drop any of your dream balls or did you keep them in the air? If you were walking a tightrope or performing acrobatics in dreamland, this may suggest that you feel you are treading a fine line to maintain balance in a tricky situation in waking life. If you were dressed as a clown, sporting a huge smile painted on your face, do you feel under pressure to present a cheerful front to others during your waking hours, when you actually feel the opposite? If someone you know was transformed into a clown, they may be the ones feeling under pressure to ‘perform’ in waking life. Also consider if your dream clown was a manifestation of the archetypal trickster/clown whose jokes have a serious meaning.

imagination and escape. Are you surrounded by literary novels, racy best-sellers or fascinating biographies? If the books are very old, this suggests learning and inherited wisdom. If the books are account books, this indicates a need to take care of financial matters.

Sacred books, such as the Koran or the Bible, signify a search for hidden or sacred knowledge. Dreaming of a sacred book can also represent a need to know you are heading in the right direction. To dream of an encyclopedia suggests a hunger for knowledge and new experience, as an encyclopedia represents collective human wisdom. On the other hand, it can also suggest information overload and a need to find focus. To dream you are searching in a dictionary suggests a need to find answers to a particular problem or situation in your life. It can also suggest an over-reliance on the opinions of others. If you look up a particular word in your dream, this can be very significant (see LETTERS AND COMMUNICATION; SOUNDS). Finally, a poem is the ultimate form of self-expression, so if you are a poet, or a poet figures in your dream, or you are reading poetry, your unconscious is urging you to find a creative outlet in waking life.

DANCE

In dreams, dancing and skating (see ACCIDENTS, ACTION AND ADVENTURES) usually express a sense of happiness and celebration, or a freedom of movement and emotion. Perhaps you are feeling pleased about a particular project or relationship. You may also be feeling a sense of freedom from restraint. Other things may also be expressed by dance. For example, if you danced with another person, the intimacy could suggest sexual intercourse. If a man and a woman dance together, it could suggest a union of the masculine and feminine aspects of your personality. If, however, the dance was awkward, this suggests a lack of harmony. Animals dancing can suggest a feeling of harmony with your unconscious drives and sexuality. Skeletons and dark things dancing suggest meeting what you fear in your waking life.

DRAWING

This could simply mean that you have latent artistic talents that should be given expression. But it can have other meanings. Are you overdrawn at the bank? Are you drawing on inner resources? What you draw is very significant, as it can reveal the issues and problems you are trying to resolve in waking life. An ancient tradition says that if a woman dreams she is drawing with a pencil and then rubs it out, her lover will be unfaithful.

MAKE-UP/GREASEPAINT

Actors use make-up to help convince their audience that they are not themselves, but someone else. In waking life, are you—for good or bad reasons—involved in some kind of deception?

MUSEUM

In dreams, museums typically suggest old-fashioned ideas or ways of thinking. They can also represent places where we store cherished memories; the living past within us that we can learn from, but also need to move away from in order to progress.

MUSIC

Many of the world’s greatest composers claimed that they heard their greatest works whilst dreaming, or immediately after waking. Mystics talk of the music of the spheres, the ethereal music that symbolizes the harmony of the universe. In dreams, music represents harmony and the creative potential. Your dream music can also express the emotions you are currently feeling in waking life. Is the tone happy, sad, angry or threatening? If the music you hear is discordant, it may suggest that your creative potential isn’t being expressed. See also SOUNDS.

Dancing in the dark

Ballet

If ballet or ballet dancing appears in your dream, or if you are performing ballet, this suggests a search of poise and balance in your waking life. The ballet dancer symbolizes music and the inner aspect of feeling. You may be aware of the creative side of yourself and feel the need for controlled movement to express it. Dreams of ballet may be wish-fulfillment if becoming a professional dancer was, or is, your dream; alternatively, they may refer to losing or keeping your balance in some waking situation. They may also be encouraging you to persevere with artistic skills, or they may be a general comment on your attitude to work that demands discipline.

Ballroom dancing

Who was your partner? If the two of you were dancing together as one, this could suggest your longing to get closer to the person you were dancing with. If you didn’t know the identity of the person with whom you were dancing, it could suggest longing for a relationship or greater intimacy in the relationship you already have.

Disco dancing

If you were dancing alone, this could be a simple expression of joyful feelings in waking life. If you were dancing with a group of people, this could suggest good team spirit in waking life. A dream about a discotheque is a sign that the dreamer may be feeling excited but confused about a new relationship or project

Line dancing

Were you dancing in line with people you know in a country music scene? If so your unconscious may be reflecting on your tendency to conform or else your habit of stepping out of line or of failing to conform to the behavior your loved ones expect. Were you dancing in line or were you out of step?

Other kinds of dancing

Dreams that feature movement could indicate that you need to move on take another route, or speed up your progress in some way. Dancing a jig or waltz can suggest simple, innocent pleasures. Jumping or leaping in a dream can suggest ambition or the desire to improve your status. If you were at an exercise class, perhaps in waking life you should take more exercise?

Musical harmonies

Clarinet/Flute/Recorder

Wind instruments express extremes of emotion and excitement. Because of their shape, wind instruments are sometimes associated with masculine virility, but can also represent anxiety. The flute expresses the sound of the spirit and, as such, it can be a symbol of both joy and sorrow. A musical pipe suggests connection with the rhythm of life.

Cymbal

Associated with rhythm and sound, the appearance of cymbals in a dream suggests the need for a basic sense of harmony. The cymbals consist of two halves and represent the reconciliation of passion with practicality. There can also be a link with sex as, along with the drum and tambourine, they are used to induce an ecstatic state.

Drum

The basic rhythm of life needed to stay healthy and happy. The importance of being more in touch with your natural urges. If you are playing the drum, this suggests that you are responsible for the rhythm of your life.

Gong

If you hear the sound of a gong in your dreams, this suggests the end of a phase in your life and the beginning of another. If you are striking the gong, this suggests a need to find strength in waking life or to wake up to the reality of a particular situation. See also SOUNDS.

Guitar

If you are playing the guitar in your dream, this can suggest your need to be more creative in daily life. If you hear guitar music, it can indicate a need for caution or the possibility of a new romance.

Harp

The harp is the symbol of music and indicates the correct vibration we need to create harmony in our lives. To harp on about something is a term used to describing keeping on about something in waking life, and dream harps may well be urging us to be persistent in some activity.

Horn

A musical or hunting horn in a dream suggests some kind of summoning or warning in waking life.

Organ

In dreams, an organ can often represent the dreamer’s feelings about religion, but recall that in some circles, organ is a slang term for penis. The organist as an image in a dream is the part of us that knows how to bring the parts we play into harmony. It represents the discipline and determination we need to manifest in daily life in order to make ourselves heard.

Piano

In dreams, pianos, piano players and piano playing are symbols of your own creativity. To be a great piano player you need to learn and practice, and the same applies to using your creativity. Pay attention to the piece you are playing. Is it one you have composed, or is it by someone else? Often in life we need to be creative with someone else’s work. Is it time for you to create something of your own?

Tambourine

If you are playing the tambourine in a group, this suggests your ability to participate effectively in life. If you are playing alone, you have some control over the basic rhythm of your life.

Trumpet

In a dream of a trumpet, it suggests the need to be ready for action. It may be alerting you to some danger you might be facing. Angels are often depicted blowing trumpets, and it could also suggest the call to reach your potential and find the best within yourself.

Violin

If you are playing a violin well in your dream, or hear violin music, this could suggest that you are expressing your creativity with skill. If you aren’t playing well, or the music sounds discordant, this could suggest the opposite. Violins can also represent sexual intercourse or even masturbation. Be aware of the term, ‘get the violins out’, as your dream may be suggesting that you are trying to get unnecessary sympathy. It could also relate to ‘fiddle’ as another word for violin. Are you ‘fiddling about’ and doing nothing constructive? Are you playing ‘second fiddle’ and feeling second best in waking life?

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

To see musical instruments in your dream suggests an anticipation of fun and pleasure in your waking life, but if the instruments are broken, this denotes the interruption of pleasure.

ORCHESTRA

If an orchestra or musical concert figures in your dreams, it refers to those aspects of your personality that must work together with one another in order for you to function properly. Such dreams suggest ways for you to bring all these aspects of yourself together to create a balanced whole. If you orchestrate something, this means you make it happen and this dream may also be urging you to take action in your waking life. If you find yourself conducting an orchestra, this means that you need to take control, but are you creating sweet music or disharmony? If you are a member of an orchestra, you are a vital part of a greater task. Are you in or out of tune? This could refer to your waking life, in which you might be blending in harmoniously with friends and colleagues, or conflicting with them.

OPERA/SINGING

If you are watching an opera in your dream, this suggests that you need to observe the drama taking part around you in waking life. If you are taking part in an opera, but not singing, this suggests that you need to inject more drama into your waking life. If you are singing in the opera, you are beginning to express your emotions more fully in everyday situations. If you hear singing in your dream, this suggests that you are, or need to be, in touch with your emotions and creativity. Singing is a way of raising your vibration to a higher level, emotionally and spiritually. If you are singing, this is a pure expression of joy and love of life. If you are singing alone, you have learned to enjoy your own company. If you are singing in a choir, you are able to express yourself well in a group.

PAINTING

To be looking at paintings or painting in a dream suggests that you are paying attention to new ideas, and making changes in the way you think and feel. It may also refer to the need to take note of the details of a certain situation in your life. Painting has a lot to do with self-expression, and what you are painting and the colors you are using are important. If you are painting a miniature, perhaps you need to concentrate on small details. If you are painting a nature scene, perhaps you need to spend more time in the fresh air. If you are painting larger pictures, perhaps you need to see the larger picture. The actual image that you are painting in your dream may symbolize the way that you are visualizing your current situation in your waking life. If you are painting as in decorating, this could suggest making changes in the way you feel about yourself. It could also represent changes in your appearance or lifestyle. See also COLORS; PLACES.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photos in dreams represent some aspect of yourself that you need to be looking at, perhaps your younger self, or a part of yourself that you have grown out of but need to understand. If you are developing photos, this suggests discovering hidden talents or abilities. If you are looking at family photos or an album, this refers to an appreciation of past influences in your life. If the photo is of yourself, this suggests you need to take an objective look at yourself, especially if you are given the photo in your dream. You need to stand back and see clearly. If the photo is of someone you know, perhaps you need to look at that person’s qualities and make use of those qualities yourself. If the photos in your dreams come to life, this indicates your continuing involvement in what the picture depicts, or that the past as a whole is still influencing you.

If you are taking a photograph, this suggests that you need to remember or take notice of something. If you are using a camera in your dreams, this might suggest that you need to remember what is important in your life and perhaps take more notice of certain situations or people. You may have noticed something out of the ‘corner of your eye’, but not yet have processed it into waking consciousness. If you are being filmed or having your picture taken, you need to take a careful look at your thoughts and responses to certain situations.

PICTURES

Pictures in dreams often represent situations in our lives, or a view we may have about something. The subject matter will suggest what we should be looking at in our lives. The condition of the picture will be significant, as will the colors (see COLORS). If a drawing fails to appear, a video refuses to focus or a photo refuses to develop properly, there may be something wrong with your own vision of an important part of your life. Are you seeing things clearly?