Lesson 3: Archetypes in Dreams
More Animals in Dreams
Cat: A cat is a very self-concerned animal. It can be loving but most cats will not come when called or do tricks when commanded. As a matter of fact, the word “command” has no place in a cat’s vocabulary. A cat will be loving and affectionate but is at the same time very proud and faithful to its unique nature. If you have a wounded cat in your dream, ask yourself how you have denied your own instinctual nature toward self-love and self-protection. As you work on the cat energy, you may find that in later dreams, the cat becomes a lion, a highly powerful feline figure associated with sun/self energy.
Snake: Many people are afraid of snakes and the personal feelings toward snakes in general will affect the selection of the snake as a dream symbol. However, the snake has a broad range of interpretations. A snake is a reptile, a cold-blooded creature and some snake images may have to do with a situation that is cold-blooded, that is, unemotional, unfeeling, and uncaring. The snake will often appear as a death symbol when it is time for something to die – a relationship, a job, a religion, or an attitude that is no longer working. The snake sometimes appears in a dream when you have given away your “snake power”, that is when for some reason, you pretend to be less feminine or masculine, less competent, less talented than you really are, when you have diminished or denied some vital aspect of yourself in order to be accepted or in order to survive in a hostile environment. Much of snake interpretation lies in the attributes of snakes. Their movements are graceful, as they slide easily and effortlessly over and around obstacles. Effortless movement through life is one meaning of a snake symbol. The snake is also a figure of transformation. The snake periodically sheds its skin and there are times in life when we too must shed parts of ourselves that have become dead, desiccated, and too limiting for the greater persons we are evolving into.
Sea Mammals: Lakes, rivers, and oceans in dreams represent the emotional life, the unconscious mind, or the very Water of Life. An otter is a joyous, playful creature, equally at home on land or in water. The whale is a huge, intelligent creature, a patient and nurturing parent to its young, and like intuition, a whale will swim in the ocean depths most of the time and then suddenly leap beyond the water’s surface. A beached whale will die under its own weight, unable to breathe. It cannot survive in the dry earth world and thrives in a rich, moist environment. A dolphin is another playful animal, but if a shark threatens it or its young, the dolphin will race headlong into the shark, killing it. The dolphin is a gentle animal that can be fierce when need arises.
Birds: Birds are spirit creatures, creatures of the air. They fly not only for necessity, but for the sheer joy of it. In myth, the eagle is a fierce warrior and a messenger of the gods. Owls can “see into the darkness” and discern what is hidden. The owl is a symbol of wisdom. Carrion eaters consume what is dead, decayed, and useless, preventing it from becoming toxic to the environment. And, of them, the raven and the crow are mystical creatures with a connection to life and death or magic and mystery. And all birds, since they can fly and see farther, often represent the ability to rise above a situation to gain broader perspective.
