Climbing
Climbing often reflects the dreamer's relationship with effort itself—whether struggle feels meaningful or exhausting, whether the summit matters more than the ascent. The dream may be asking: what are you trying to reach, and does the striving feel like hope or like proving something you already doubt?
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These are the entries the historical dream-books record for climbing, in their own words. They are period voices, not predictions, and they do not always agree with one another.
Gustavus Hindman Miller, 1901
To dream of climbing up a hill or mountain and reaching the top, you will overcome the most formidable obstacles between you and a prosperous future; but if you should fail to reach the top, your dearest plans will suffer being wrecked.
To climb a ladder to the last rung, you will succeed in business; but if the ladder breaks, you will be plunged into unexpected straits, and accidents may happen to you.
To see yourself climbing the side of a house in some mysterious way in a dream, and to have a window suddenly open to let you in, foretells that you will make or have made extraordinary ventures against the approbation of friends, but success will eventually crown your efforts, though there will be times when despair will almost enshroud you.
[38] See Ascend Hill and Mountain.
Anonymous, 1894
Climbing.—To dream you are climbing a tree denotes some honor in the State, and success in life; if you are in love, you will marry your sweetheart after a long courtship. To dream you are climbing up a very steep hill or place foretells many difficulties and much sickness; if you reach the top, you will get over all your difficulties, and recover from your illness; but if you awake before you have attained the top, you will be disappointed in love and other projects in life, and die in your next illness.