The Dream Archive

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Search across 2,348 dream symbols drawn from the older dream books and the public archive. Each entry carries an original interpretive note for the contemporary dreamer.

From the Dream Archive
Water medallion
Water

Water

Water carries the emotional weather of your inner life — clear when you feel aligned, murky when uncertainty clouds your sense of direction. Notice whether the dream asks you to cross it, rise above it, or sink beneath; each posture suggests a different relationship to what you're feeling but perhaps haven't yet named.

Miller 1901Fontaine 1862Anonymous 1894
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What the old dream-books say

These are the entries the historical dream-books record for water, in their own words. They are period voices, not predictions, and they do not always agree with one another.

Gustavus Hindman Miller, 1901

Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted

To dream of clear water, foretells that you will joyfully realize prosperity and pleasure.

If the water is muddy, you will be in danger and gloom will occupy Pleasure's seat.

If you see it rise up in your house, denotes that you will struggle to resist evil, but unless you see it subside, you will succumb to dangerous influences.

If you find yourself baling it out, but with feet growing wet, foreshadows trouble, sickness, and misery will work you a hard task, but you will forestall them by your watchfulness. The same may be applied to muddy water rising in vessels.

To fall into muddy water, is a sign that you will make many bitter mistakes, and will suffer poignant grief therefrom.

To drink muddy water, portends sickness, but drinking it clear and refreshing brings favorable consummation of fair hopes.

To sport with water, denotes a sudden awakening to love and passion.

To have it sprayed on your head, denotes that your passionate awakening to love will meet reciprocal consummation.

The following dream and its allegorical occurrence in actual life is related by a young woman student of dreams:

``Without knowing how, I was (in my dream) on a boat, I waded through clear blue water to a wharfboat, which I found to be snow white, but rough and splintry. The next evening I had a delightful male caller, but he remained beyond the time prescribed by mothers and I was severely censured for it.'' The blue water and fairy white boat were the disappointing prospects in the symbol.

Fontaine, 1862

The Golden Wheel Dream-book

To dream of being on the water, is good, if the water be clear; but if muddy or troubled, the reverse. To see a wide expanse of water, over or on which you wish to get, but cannot, shows that you are about to embark in some undertaking without first securing the means of success.

Anonymous, 1894

A fortune-teller's pamphlet

Water.—To dream you are drinking water denotes great trouble and adversity; in trade, loss of business, and being arrested; to the lover it shows your sweetheart is false, prefers another, and will never marry you.