Two traditions of dream reading
Dream Journal
Write what you remember of a dream below. We will pull out the symbols we recognize, read each one in the tradition you choose, and surface any pairings the tradition has notes on. For a full written interpretation by Dylan, see the instant interpretation.
The 2nd-century Greek master of dream interpretation. Artemidorus collected thousands of dreams and tracked which ones came true under which circumstances. His rule: a symbol's meaning depends on who is dreaming it, what they hope for, and what is happening in their waking life.
Or tap symbols, pick as many as you like
When these meet
teeth × mirror
Self-image and the capacity to act, assertion under examination. The dream is asking whether the way you present yourself is actually backed by what you can do.
fire × house
Passion arriving in the structure of the self. If welcomed, transformation of the deepest patterns. If feared, an old form of self resisting its own ending.
Each symbol, Artemidorus
forest
elements, landscape
If favorable: An open grove is the place of contemplation; nymphs and the gods of place favor it.
If shadowed: A dark woods you cannot find your way out of warns of confusion in counsel.
fire
elements, landscape
If favorable: Fire upon a hearth signifies the household alive and well; small flames in a lamp are auspicious news.
If shadowed: Fire devouring the house warns of conflict or loss, anger badly used.
school
where the dream is set
If favorable: To teach in a dream is to be respected for your learning.
If shadowed: To return to school confused is the warning to revisit a fundamental matter you have skipped.
falling
what's happening
If favorable: To land softly is to be caught by friends or fortune.
If shadowed: A sudden fall foretells loss of position; falling into water is recovered, falling onto stone is not.
teeth
the body, parts of self
If favorable: Strong, sound teeth foretell relatives still living. To clean them carefully is to attend the family well.
If shadowed: To lose teeth predicts the loss of relatives, the front teeth, the younger ones; the molars, the elders.
house
where the dream is set
If favorable: Your own house in good order is the augury of inner balance.
If shadowed: A ruined or unfamiliar house warns of trouble at the foundation of your affairs.
hiding
what's happening
If favorable: To hide successfully signifies the prudence to wait out a hostile moment.
If shadowed: To be discovered while hiding warns of exposure of a secret.
mirror
things in hand
If favorable: A clear mirror reflects you fairly, the augury of self-knowledge gained.
If shadowed: A broken or distorting mirror warns of false reports about your character.
Go deeper
For an interpretation that ties these symbols together into a single woven reading, written for you, drawing from both Artemidorus and the Jungian frame, let the dream be read whole.
Instant interpretation →