The Dream Dictionary from A to Z [Revised edition]: The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams

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BIBLE A symbol of what you hold true or traditional moral standards. Also religion or the way you feel about religion.

BICYCLE/CYCLING For many people, riding a bike was the first experience of mastering a skill and gaining independence, so it can represent youthful enthusiasm or a yearning for a life without responsibilities. It can also suggest growing emotional and sexual confidence and the desire to control your own destiny or power your own progress in the world. How well you ride the bike suggests how you feel about your place in the race of life. The speed of the bike is significant, as it will suggest how strong your desire for independence is. If you fall or lose your balance, you may lack confidence. If you ride the bike downhill you may be taking a risk or need to take extra care. If you ride a bike uphill, more hard work is needed to reach your goals. If your bicycle is stolen this suggests lack of enthusiasm or self-belief. In general, both bicycles and motorcycles symbolize a need for balance in life and the need to reconcile the often opposing demands of the conscious and unconscious.

BIKINI

See CLOTHES (#litres_trial_promo).

BILL

See MONEY (#litres_trial_promo).

BINOCULARS This symbol suggests a desire to see something more clearly or get to know someone more intimately.

BIRDS What sets birds apart is their ability to fly and escape the boundaries and limitations of earth. For this reason, they are a universal symbol of transformation and the progress toward wholeness and harmony. Their association with the element of air – itself associated with aspirations and ideals – means they have also become a symbol of high-flying ambition and the quest for enlightenment. In Greek mythology, birds are often messengers of the gods, so in psychological terms they show that the unconscious is offering you wisdom and insight. Birds can take a bird’s-eye view of the world, and are therefore associated with the ability to take an objective overview of a situation.

Birds can also symbolize relationships with other people. For example, thieving birds, such as magpies, may suggest a threat to a relationship and the possibility of an affair; territorial birds, such as blackbirds, might suggest jealousy. Baby birds of all species can symbolize relationships with children or dependents. Freud believed that birds were sexual symbols that represent the penis, whereas Jung believed that birds in dreams were messengers from the unconscious, offering insight and wisdom. Sometimes birds in dreams can denote the feminine principle or the anima in a man’s dream.

Birds in dreams, therefore, represent freedom, transformation, insight, objectivity, relationships, intuition, and the ability to see the bigger picture. If you see a bird alight, appear or take flight in your dream, ask yourself if you are wishing you could escape from pressures and responsibilities. Do you want to be free from a situation and set off for pastures new? Do you want freedom from a particular relationship or an outstanding debt? Or is it an attitude or situation you want to rise above? Do you long to travel or take flight? Alternatively, was your unconscious referring to a ‘flight of fancy’, something you were hoping and wishing for in waking life? Or do you need to see the bigger picture and leave the details behind? And finally, because your unconscious conjures up bird images to reflect certain attitudes or situations in life, you also need to consider the symbolism associated with the following bird situations and different types of birds. At all times, the condition or health of the bird is important. If the bird is suffering in any way, this will suggest a certain degree of frustration. If the bird is flying or is in good condition, feelings of freedom and liberation may be indicated.

For centuries it was considered a good omen to dream of birds, but bear in mind that there are also many negative superstitions about birds. Here are some well-known ones that might influence your dream interpretation and your feelings toward a particular bird, or birds in general: albatross – sign of bad luck; black crow – misfortune; buzzard – beware of gossip; dove – peace; eagle – success in business; goose – improvement in fortune; hawk – a bright future; magpie – a change of plan; owl – disappointment; rooster – if it crows, good news; stork – family problems; turkey – bad luck, unless you are eating or killing it.

See also PETS.

Bird Color

The colors, as well as the general interpretation for birds, are significant here. For example, black birds represent one’s shadow side and white birds one’s open, expressive, and free side, while golden-winged birds represent ambition. A display of plumage represents the way you see yourself. Is the plumage a gorgeous display of vibrant color, or a disappointing shade of shabby brown?

See also COLORS.

Bird Egg

Often a symbol of money in dreams, as in ‘nest egg’. The condition that the egg is in will say a lot about your current financial situation, or your dreams of financial success. A clutch of eggs can also express your wish to have a large family, or represent the dawning of a new, exciting idea. If the eggs are smashed, have your dreams and hopes been smashed in some way? If you dream of hatching birds, this may suggest the birth of new ideas, projects and relationships, while if baby birds appear in your dreams, they are usually symbols of childhood and new beginnings.

Bird’s Nest

A symbol of independence, refuge, home, and security, which might indicate that you need something to fall back on. Alternatively, it may signify a prosperous endeavor, new opportunities, or an imminent fortune. Making a nest suggests homebuilding and the accumulation of material possessions, as in ‘feathering your nest’, or partnership with someone else and the parental urge. If you dream of birds leaving the nest, it might suggest that you are taking on new responsibilities in waking life or are the parent of a child who is about to leave home. Similarly, an empty nest can suggest your own sense of loneliness. Has your brood flown away to make their own way in the world?

Bird Song

If you hear bird song in a dream, the same interpretation as for birds in general applies. Pay attention to the sound. Is it sweet, happy, anxious, excited, or alarming? All these impressions will help you with the interpretation.

Caged Bird

This can indicate restraint or entrapment or feeling stuck in a job, lifestyle, or relationship. Is your freedom somehow restricted in waking life? Are your inhibitions stopping you from expressing your personality? Is your job humdrum? Is your partner possessive? If you opened the door in your dream and let the bird out to fly away with joy in your heart, this is almost certainly a message from your unconscious to take steps in waking life to release yourself from restrictions and or inhibitions. If the bird wouldn’t or couldn’t fly away, are you putting limitations on yourself? If the bird’s wings were clipped, is someone deliberately holding you back? Freeing a bird from its cage relates to expressing your emotions. If the bird in the cage is a pet bird, this often suggests happy memories.

See also PETS.

Flying Birds

Represent a sunny outlook in life, rising above everything, a sense of freedom, independence, and liberation, as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Flying birds can also suggest aspirations and desires, and if the bird is flying high, an expansion of your viewpoint. Another interpretation is that flying birds represent sex, a similar form of release and uplift.

Flock of Birds

A group of birds can often symbolize yourself and the people in your life. Are the birds flying in the same direction? If they are, this can suggest harmony; if they are not, confusion may be indicated. Are the birds huddled together? If they are, do you prefer to surround yourself with people similar to you, as in ‘birds of a feather’? A flock of birds can also represent your need to be part of a group that you identify with and admire; but is the flock celebrating or stifling your individuality? If the birds are in a tree, the branches of the tree may represent your family life, and the leaves and birds your thoughts. If the birds are fighting, this suggests disagreements about viewpoints, or differing opinions, in waking life. If a bird is attacking you, it may represent an attack on your ideas and opinions, such as being criticized by a parent; another interpretation is it symbolizes a fear of others, or of going beyond your boundaries.

Large Bird

A large bird represents the power of the unconscious to uplift or terrify, and can also suggest a threat or a parent.

Wounded or Dead Bird

If dead birds appear in your dreams, they might represent a threat to your freedom, depression or the loss of purpose and meaning. In your waking life, an ideal or hope may have died, or your creativity has been stifled. Wounded, molting or songless birds can also represent problems that are constantly on your mind.

Birds A to Z

Blackbird

Ancient dream oracles suggest that to see a blackbird in your dream is a bad omen, bringing about misfortune for you in the coming weeks. It is a good sign, however, if the blackbird is flying. Modern dream researchers suggest that anxiety is expressed by the presence of black birds, or a blackbird in particular, in dreams. If the blackbird is attacking someone or something in the dream, it is a comment on how you may be relating to your emotions in waking life.

Blue Jay

If a blue jay appears in your dream, it could be calling your attention to something or someone you are neglecting in waking life. Alternatively, it can also suggest the need for humility, as you may be arrogant and over-confident.

Buzzard

An almost universal symbol of death and decay. It could represent an ugly or rotten part of yourself or your life.

Canary

If the canary is healthy, it represents your own happiness. The opposite also holds true – if the canary is hurt or injured in any way, your own pain or injury is being mirrored.

Cardinal

If a cardinal appears in your dream, it represents a sense of vitality and happiness. You feel as if you could accomplish anything.

Chickadee

Is there something or someone unique in your waking life that you need to pay more attention to? Small miracles happen every day in the most ordinary of activities. Perhaps your children are reaching milestones of development? Is your garden blossoming? Have you noticed how much your family and/or partner is supporting you?

Chicken

To see chickens in your dream can symbolize cowardice and stupidity, or chatter and gossip. Listen closely to what people may be saying about you or what you are saying about others. Alternatively, chickens can also show that there is potential for growth but this may only come about with the support of others. A group of chickens can also suggest that something you have done in waking life is about to rebound on you: as in chickens coming home to roost.

The rooster suggests male sexual characteristics and so the need to be more assertive. It is also the symbol of the new day and of keeping watch. Less positively, it might suggest that you are being overbearing and trying to rule the roost. The hen suggests being totally immersed in the concerns of motherhood. If a hen crows in your dream, this is taken to represent maternal domination. A group of hens may symbolize gossip and calamity. It may also suggest being ‘hen-pecked’ or that you feel being picked on, like chicken feed. Chicks represent babies or very young children in your life, or your feelings about your own childhood. They can also point to vulnerability. Are you counting your chickens before they have hatched?

Cormorant

Symbol of introspection or inner wisdom. Are intellectual theories and ideas, or your studies in waking life, helping you to understand yourself better?

Crane

Symbol of maternal love and of acts of kindness performed by yourself or others. Can also suggest the ability to cope with difficult situations and/or emotions in waking life.

Crow

To see a crow in your dream represents darker aspects of your character that need to be managed. Traditionally, crows are symbols of approaching death or bad news, but they can also represent wisdom and or deviousness.

Cuckoo

Interpreting the presence of the cuckoo in your dream is difficult, as it can be a symbol of unrequited love or deviousness, while also being the herald of spring and an indicator of change from old to new. Do you need to change your direction or alter your approach in how you approach some situation? Alternatively, there may be someone in your life whose presence is unwelcome or annoying.

Dove

The peaceful, calm side of a man’s nature can often appear in a man’s dreams as the dove. To see doves in your dream suggests peace, harmony, and innocence, or the longing for these in your waking life. The dove is furthermore a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity, so if this resonates with you, your unconscious could be urging you to seek fulfillment. In particular, to see white doves in your dream symbolizes loyalty and friendship. It may also represent a message from the unconscious to become aware of your potential, and let go of thoughts of hate and revenge. A pair of turtle-doves billing and cooing at each other in your dream may suggest that you are longing to find a gentle, loving person with whom to settle down. Doves that are building a nest symbolize a joyous home life and obedient children.

Duck

To see a duck in your dream can suggest childish behavior. If flying, it can represent freedom from superficiality; if swimming, it can represent the unconscious. Ducks can walk, swim, and fly – and may therefore represent your flexibility and ability to adapt to various situations. They may also warn against being superficial in the process, especially if you see a white duck. When interpreting the meaning of birds in dreams, it’s always helpful to mull over any meanings that are attached to their names. For example, if you dreamed of an albatross, do you feel as if a burden has been placed around your neck? If a duck waddled in, are you trying to duck out of a situation, instead of confronting it head on? Or is criticism like water off a duck’s back to you? Perhaps have you taken to a new hobby enthusiastically like a duck to water? Alternatively, the dream may indicate that you are setting yourself up or being set up in some way, as associated with the phrase ‘sitting duck’.

Eagle

As a bird of prey, eagles in dreams suggest precision, perceptiveness, and farsightedness. They also suggest dominance and supremacy. If you are the eagle in your dream, or associate yourself with it, this represents your wish to dominate. If you feel threatened, someone may be trying to dominate you. Eagles symbolize nobility, pride, fierceness, freedom, courage, and powerful intellectual ability. Eagles also indicate persistence, and the desire to realize your highest ambitions and greatest desires. If the eagle is chained or has its wings clipped, this suggests that you may be feeling trapped in a desperate situation where you feel you can’t express yourself. To discover what is holding you back, consider what the eagle is chained to. To see a nest of young eagles in your dream signifies social advancement. If you kill an eagle, this suggests your ruthless determination to succeed: nothing is going to stand in your way even it if means upsetting people around you. If someone else kills the eagle, then your power may be taken away from you. If you eat an eagle in your dream, this shows that your strong and powerful character will lead you to success.

Falcon

As a bird of prey, the falcon has similar symbolism to the eagle and hawk. It is a symbol of freedom and hope over those who feel they may be restricted, but also suggests that your success may make others jealous. If you are hunting a falcon, you may be too aggressive in waking life and this aggression could cost you dear.

Flamingo

If a flamingo appears in your dreams, you may be experiencing or longing for new experiences or situations. You may also be in danger of worrying about how you appear to others too much.

Fowl

Symbol of potential worry, or of disagreements with friends in waking life.

Goose

A symbol of conformity, but also a sign that you are well grounded and practical. Geese are thought to represent loving relationships and, like the swan, can represent the possibilities of new beginnings. A flock of geese could be a warning against some kind of misfortune or silliness. Are you trying to kill the goose that laid the golden egg? Wild geese can represent the soul, the wanderlust, and longing for freedom within all of us.

Gull

To see gulls in your dream represents the relationship between your emotions and your logic. If the gulls are soaring, you have a clear perspective on things but if the gulls are wounded or dead, this suggests confusion and struggles between what your heart and your mind are telling you.

Hawk

As a bird of prey, with all the aggressive intentions associated with this class of birds, could your unconscious be urging you to watch someone like a hawk?

Hummingbird

To see hummingbirds in your dream can suggest concern with the details of your life, or the need to show that concern. Alternatively, it indicates your inability to commit to a relationship or project.

Ibis

Often associated with the stork, the ibis can be a symbol of determination and ambition.

Jaybird

Symbol of enjoyment and contentment. If the jaybird is dead or wounded, however, this suggests domestic troubles.

Kingfisher

A symbol of dignity and calm.

Lark

Symbolic of a desire to transcend the mundane and fly high, if larks fall during flight, this suggests that your success will be bittersweet. To hear larks singing in your dream foretells of success in business, or happiness in a new situation. If the lark is dead, wounded or injured, this denotes sadness and gloom. If you kill a lark in your dream, this suggests a loss of innocence.

Loon

Symbol of unconscious wisdom and your ability to search deep within for answers. To dream of a loon may also be a metaphor for someone who is ‘loony’, or crazy.

Magpie

Because of the belief that magpies are thieves, dreaming of one may suggest that someone is trying to take something away for you. Alternatively, it can be a sign of good news.

Mockingbird

Symbol of independence that can easily cross over into cockiness. You may be taking credit for the work of others, or getting what you want at all costs.

Nightingale

To see silent nightingales in your dream signifies disagreements among friends that can be easily resolved if communication is resumed. If the nightingales are singing, this suggests harmonious relationships or the desire for them.

Ostrich

The ostrich famously sticks its head in the sand, so are you attempting to run away from responsibility? Are you not facing reality and living in a world of your own? You may be in denial, or unwilling to accept a situation.

Owl

Owls have the ability to see in the dark, and therefore represent your intuition or ability to really see what is going on around you and within yourself. The owl is also a wise advisor, but because of its association with darkness, it can also suggest fear or danger. In Jewish lore, it is unlucky to dream of an owl, but lucky to dream of any other bird. In some ancient traditions, the owl is connected to death. Death in this sense may also represent a symbolic death, such as an important transition in life or the end (death) of one phase and the beginning of a new one.

Parakeet

If a parakeet appears in your dream, it might suggest that your unconscious mind is trying to send you a message. The details of the dream should help you discover what that message is.

Parrot

To see a parrot in your dream represents gossip, repeating what others have said or copying the actions of others. It may also mean that you, or someone else, are being repetitive.