In Egyptian hieroglyphs, the symbol for water is a wavy line with
small sharp crests, representing the water’s surface. The same sign, when tripled,
symbolizes a volume of water, that is, the primaeval ocean and prime matter.
According to hermetic tradition, the god Nu was the substance from which the
gods of the first ennead emerged (19). The Chinese consider water as the specific
abode of the dragon, because all life comes from the waters (13). In the Vedas,
water is referred to as mâtritamâh (the most maternal) because, in the beginning,
everything was like a sea without light. In India, this element is generally regarded
as the preserver of life, circulating throughout the whole of nature, in the form of
rain, sap, milk and blood. Limitless and immortal, the waters are the beginning and
the end of all things on earth (60). Although water is, in appearance, formless,
ancient cultures made a distinction between ‘upper waters’ and ‘lower waters’.
The former correspond to the potential or what is still possible, the latter to what
is actual or already created (26). In a general sense, the concept of ‘water’ stands,
of course, for all liquid matter. Moreover, the primaeval waters, the image of
prime matter, also contained all solid bodies before they acquired form and rigidity. For this reason, the alchemists gave the name of ‘water’ to quicksilver in its
first stage of transmutation and, by analogy, also to the ‘fluid body’ of Man (57).
This ‘fluid body’ is interpreted by modern psychology as a symbol of the unconscious, that is, of the non-formal, dynamic, motivating, female side of the personality. The projection of the mother-imago into the waters endows them with
various numinous properties characteristic of the mother (31). A secondary meaning of this symbolism is found in the identification of water with intuitive wisdom. In the cosmogony of the Mesopotamian peoples, the abyss of water was
regarded as a symbol of the unfathomable, impersonal Wisdom. An ancient Irish
god was called Domnu, which means ‘marine depth’. In prehistoric times the
word for abyss seems to have been used exclusively to denote that which was
unfathomable and mysterious (4). The waters, in short, symbolize the universal
congress of potentialities, the fons et origo, which precedes all form and all
creation. Immersion in water signifies a return to the preformal state, with a sense
of death and annihilation on the one hand, but of rebirth and regeneration on the
other, since immersion intensifies the life-force. The symbolism of baptism,
which is closely linked to that of water, has been expounded by St. John
Chrysostom (Homil. in Joh., XXV, 2): ‘It represents death and interment, life and
resurrection. . . . When we plunge our head beneath water, as in a sepulchre, the
old man becomes completely immersed and buried. When we leave the water, the
new man suddenly appears’ (18). The ambiguity of this quotation is only on the
surface: in this particular aspect of the general symbolism of water, death affects
only Man-in-nature while the rebirth is that of spiritual man. On the cosmic level,
the equivalent of immersion is the flood, which causes all forms to dissolve and
return to a fluid state, thus liberating the elements which will later be recombined
in new cosmic patterns. The qualities of transparency and depth, often associated with water, go far towards explaining the veneration of the ancients for this
element which, like earth, was a female principle. The Babylonians called it ‘the
home of wisdom’. Oannes, the mythical being who brings culture to mankind, is
portrayed as half man and half fish (17). Moreover, in dreams, birth is usually
expressed through water-imagery (v. Freud, Introduction to Psycho-Analysis).
The expressions ‘risen from the waves’ and ‘saved from the waters’ symbolize
fertility, and are metaphorical images of childbirth. On the other hand, water is, of
all the elements, the most clearly transitional, between fire and air (the ethereal
elements) and earth (the solid element). By analogy, water stands as a mediator
between life and death, with a two-way positive and negative flow of creation and
destruction. The Charon and Ophelia myths symbolize the last voyage. Death
was the first mariner. ‘Transparent depth’, apart from other meanings, stands in
particular for the communicating link between the surface and the abyss. It can
therefore be said that water conjoins these two images (2). Gaston Bachelard
points to many different characteristics of water, and derives from them many
secondary symbolic meanings which enrich the fundamental meaning we have described. These secondary meanings are not so much a set of strict symbols, as
a kind of language expressing the transmutations of this ever-flowing element.
Bachelard enumerates clear water, spring water, running water, stagnant water,
dead water, fresh and salt water, reflecting water, purifying water, deep water,
stormy water. Whether we take water as a symbol of the collective or of the
personal unconscious, or else as an element of mediation and dissolution, it is
obvious that this symbolism is an expression of the vital potential of the psyche,
of the struggles of the psychic depths to find a way of formulating a clear message
comprehensible to the consciousness. On the other hand, secondary symbolisms
are derived from associated objects such as water-containers, and also from the
ways in which water is used: ablutions, baths, holy water, etc. There is also a
very important spatial symbolism connected with the ‘level’ of the waters, denoting a correlation between actual physical level and absolute moral level. It is
for this reason that the Buddha, in his Assapuram sermon, was able to regard the
mountain-lake—whose transparent waters reveal, at the bottom, sand, shells,
snails and fishes—as the path of redemption. This lake obviously corresponds to
a fundamental aspect of the ‘Upper Waters’. Clouds are another aspect of the
‘Upper Waters’. In Le Transformationi of Ludovico Dolce, we find a mystic
figure looking into the unruffled surface of a pond, in contrast with the accursed
hunter, always in restless pursuit of his prey, implying the symbolic contrast
between contemplative activity—the sattva state of Yoga—and blind outward
activity—the rajas state. Finally, the upper and lower waters communicate reciprocally through the process of rain (involution) and evaporation (evolution).
Here, fire intervenes to modify water: the sun (spirit) causes sea water to evaporate (i.e. it sublimates life). Water is condensed in clouds and returns to earth in
the form of life-giving rain, which is invested with twofold virtues: it is water, and
it comes from heaven (15). Lao-Tse paid considerable attention to this cyclic
process of meteorology, which is at one and the same time physical and spiritual,
observing that: ‘Water never rests, neither by day nor by night. When flowing
above, it causes rain and dew. When flowing below, it forms streams and rivers.
Water is outstanding in doing good. If a dam is raised against it, it stops. If way is
made for it, it flows along that path. Hence it is said that it does not struggle. And
yet it has no equal in destroying that which is strong and hard’ (13). When water
stands revealed in its destructive aspects, in the course of cataclysmic events, its
symbolism does not change, but is merely subordinated to the dominant symbolism of the storm. Similarly, in those contexts where the flowing nature of water is
emphasized, as in the contention of Heraclitus that ‘You cannot step twice into
the same river; for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you.’ Here the reference is not to water-symbolism as such, but to the idea of the irreversible flow along a
given path. To quote Evola, in La tradizione ermetica: ‘Without divine water,
nothing exists, according to Zosimus. On the other hand, among the symbols of
the female principle are included those which figure as origins of the waters
(mother, life), such as: Mother Earth, Mother of the Waters, Stone, Cave, House
of the Mother, Night, House of Depth, House of Force, House of Wisdom,
Forest, etc. One should not be misled by the word “divine”. Water symbolizes
terrestrial and natural life, never metaphysical life.’

This indicates birth (of some person).

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.

To see water in your dream, symbolizes your unconscious and your emotional state of mind. Water is the living essence of the psyche and the flow of life energy. It is also symbolic of spirituality, knowledge, healing and refreshment. To dream that water is boiling, suggests that you are expressing some emotional turmoil. Feelings from your unconscious are surfacing and ready to be acknowledged. You need to let out some steam.

To see calm, clear water in your dream, means that you are in tune with your spirituality. It denotes serenity, peace of mind, and rejuvenation.

To see muddy or dirty water in your dream, indicates that you are wallowing in your negative emotions. You may need to take some time to cleanse your mind and find internal peace. Alternatively, the dream suggests that your thinking/judgment is unclear and clouded. If you are immersed in muddy water, then it indicates that you are in over your head in a situation and are overwhelmed by your emotions.

To dream that water is rising up in your house, suggests that you are becoming overwhelmed by your emotions.

To hear running water in your dream, denotes meditation and reflection. You are reflecting on your thoughts and emotions.

To dream that you are walking on water, indicates that you have total control over your emotions. It also suggests that you need to "stay on top" of your emotions and not let them explode out of hand. Alternatively, the dream is symbolic of faith in yourself.

Seeing water in your dream, symbolizes your unconscious and your emotional state of mind. Water is the living essence of the psyche and the flow of life energy. It is also symbolic of spirituality, knowledge, healing and refreshment. Seeing calm, clear water in your dream means that you are in tune with your spirituality. It indicates serenity, peace of mind, and rejuvenation. Seeing muddy or dirty water in your dream indicates that you are wallowing in your negative emotions. You may need to devote some time to clarify your mind and find internal peace. Alternatively, it suggests that your thinking/judgment is unclear and clouded. If you are immersed in muddy water, then it indicates that you are in over your head in a situation and are overwhelmed by your emotions. Dreaming that water is rising up in your house means your struggles and overwhelming emotions. Hearing running water in your dream indicates meditation, reflection and pondering of your thoughts and emotions. Dreaming that you are walking on water, suggests that you have supreme and ultimate control over your emotions. It may also suggest that you need to "stay on top" of your emotions and not let them explode out of hand. Alternatively, it is symbolic of faith in yourself.

To dream that you are flying, signifies a sense of freedom where you had initially felt restricted and limited.

To dream that you are flying with black wings, signifies bitter disappointments.

To dream of flying high through a space, denotes marital calamities.

To fly low, almost to the ground, indicates sickness and uneasy states from which the dreamer will recover.

To fly over muddy water, warns you to keep close with your private affairs, as enemies are watching to enthrall you.

To fly over broken places, signifies ill luck and gloomy surroundings. If you notice green trees and vegetation below you in flying, you will suffer temporary embarrassment, but will have a flood of prosperity upon you.

To dream of seeing the sun while flying, signifies useless worries, as your affairs will succeed despite your fears of evil.

To dream of flying through the firmament passing the moon and other planets; foretells famine, wars, and troubles of all kinds.

To dream that you fly with black wings, portends bitter disappointments. To fall while flying, signifies your downfall. If you wake while falling, you will succeed in reinstating yourself.

For a young man to dream that he is flying with white wings above green foliage, foretells advancement in business, and he will also be successful in love. If he dreams this often it is a sign of increasing prosperity and the fulfilment of desires. If the trees appear barren or dead, there will be obstacles to combat in obtaining desires. He will get along, but his work will bring small results.

For a woman to dream of flying from one city to another, and alighting on church spires, foretells she will have much to contend against in the way of false persuasions and declarations of love. She will be threatened with a disastrous season of ill health, and the death of some one near to her may follow.

For a young woman to dream that she is shot at while flying, denotes enemies will endeavor to restrain her advancement into higher spheres of usefulness and prosperity.

Dreaming that you are flying means a sense of freedom where you had initially felt restricted and limited. Dreaming that you are flying with black wings means bitter disappointments.

Dreams of flying are common and most people can recall having flown in a dream or two. There are many ideas as to what this means. Some people believe that flying in our dreams can be an actual out of body experience, that we go to places on this physical plane as well as into the inner planes (mostly the Astral). We have a desire to be free and above all difficulties! The details of your dream will give you clues as to what it symbolizes, if your dream was a spiritual experience or ego based; enjoy it, flying is great!

You first start dreaming of flying when you are 3 to 5 years old. It is a very common dream, though less prevalent in adults. More than one third of the dreaming population has dreamed of flying one time or the other.

* Flying dreams are known to have a positive relationship with relief from tension and nightmares.
* Lucid dreamers tend to have twice as much of flying dreams.
* An intense emotional condition can also trigger off a flying dream
* The dreams are not exclusive to the post flying machines era. They have occurred in ancient times too, as records in dream books
of Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations reveal.
* People with an imaginative personality and creative thinkers have more flying dreams
* Those who fly planes have these dreams, though they rather fly like Superman in their dreams, not in aeroplanes.

What triggers off a flying dream? The reasons offered for these dreams are

* Psychological - The dreamer has had an intense emotional experience
* Physiological - There is a change in the breathing pattern of the dreamer
* Physical - There is an actual physical movement of the bed.
* Precognitive - In preparation of a flying trip
* Consciousness - Awareness of movement around you

To dream that you are on the ground, represents your foundation and support system. It is also the boundary between your conscious and unconscious. You may be getting closer in confronting and acknowledging your unconscious thoughts. The dream may be a pun on being well-grounded and down to earth or that you have been grounded. Perhaps you are feeling restricted in some aspects of your life.

Dreaming that you are on the ground, represents your foundation and support system. It is also the boundary between your conscious and unconscious. You may be getting closer in confronting and acknowledging your unconscious thoughts. The dream may be a pun on being well-grounded and down to earth. It may also be a pun on being grounded. Perhaps you are feeling restricted in some aspects of your life.

In the majority of allegories and emblems it is the personification
of death. In alchemy it is a symbol of the colour black and of the putrefaction or
‘disjunction’ of the component elements.

To see a skeleton in your dream, represents something that is not fully developed. You may still in be the planning stages of some situation or project. Alternatively, a skeleton symbolizes death, transformation, or changes. You need to get to the bottom of some matter. The skeleton may also be a metaphor for "skeletons in your closet." Do you have something to hide?

To see someone depicted as a skeleton, signifies that your relationship with them is long dead.

To dream of seeing a skeleton, is prognostic of illness, misunderstanding and injury at the hands of others, especially enemies.

To dream that you are a skeleton, is a sign that you are suffering under useless worry, and should cultivate a milder disposition.

If you imagine that one haunts you, there will soon come to you a shocking accident or death, or the trouble may take the form of financial disaster.

Seeing a skeleton in your dream, represents something that is not fully developed. You may still in be the planning stages of some situation or project. Alternatively, it may suggest that you need to get to the bottom of some matter. You need to stand up for yourself and your rights. Seeing someone depicted as a skeleton means that your relationship with them is long dead.

You can't get around the fact that bones are symbols of death. If you are dreaming about a skeleton it does not necessarily mean that you are dreaming about physical death. This is a good dream because it is telling you that you may need to begin filling up with feelings, adventures, work, or general enthusiasm for life. It may be that your style of living and relating to people has been drab and empty; your soul can't take it any more.

Up to a certain point it corresponds to landscape-symbolism in general,
of which it forms one representational aspect, embracing the important symbols
of level and space, that is, height and situation. With the dawning of history there
arose, according to René Guénon, a true, ‘sacred geography’ and the position,
shape, doors and gates, and general disposition of a city with its temples and
acropolis were never arbitrary or fortuitous, or merely utilitarian. In fact, cities
were planned in strict accord with the dictates of a particular doctrine; hence the
city became a symbol of that doctrine and of the society which upheld it (28).
The city walls had magic powers since they were the outward signs of dogma,
which explains and justifies Romulus’s fratricide. Ornamental reliefs on capitals,
lintels, and tympana of the Middle Ages often depict the outlines of a walled city,
although in a way which is more emblematic than symbolic. These ornaments are
a kind of prefiguration of the heavenly Jerusalem. An angel armed with a sword is
sometimes to be seen at the city gate (46). Jung sees the city as a mother-symbol
and as a symbol of the feminine principle in general: that is, he interprets the City
as a woman who shelters her inhabitants as if they were her children; that is why
the two mother-gods Rhea and Cybele—as well as other allegorical figures derived from them—wear a crown after the pattern of a wall. The Old Testament
speaks of cities as women (31).

To see a city in your dream, signifies your social environment and sense of community. If you dream of a big city, then it suggests that you need to develop closer ties and relationships. You are feeling alienated and alone. To dream that you are in a deserted city, indicates that you feel rejected by those around you.

To dream of a city in ruins, denotes that you are neglecting your social relationships and allowing them to deteriorate.

To dream of an underground or underwater city, represents your unconscious and how through deeper understanding of yourself, you find commonality and shared experiences with others.

To dream that you are in a strange city, denotes you will have sorrowful occasion to change your abode or mode of living.

Seeing a city in your dream means a sense of community and your social environment. Dreaming that you are in a deserted city or that you feel alienated from the activity of the city, then it suggests that you feel rejected by those around you. Seeing a city in ruins means that you are neglecting your social relationships and allowing them to deteriorate.

In the Egyptian system of hieroglyphs, the tower is a determinative
sign denoting height or the act of rising above the common level in life or society
(19). Basically, then, the tower is symbolic of ascent. During the Middle Ages,
towers and belfries held the significance of watch-towers, but also, by the simple
application of the symbolism of level (whereby material height implies spiritual
elevation), they expressed the same symbolism as the ladder—linking earth and
heaven. The tower-symbol, given that it is enclosed and walled-in, is emblematic of the Virgin Mary, as can be seen in a great many allegorical designs and litanies
(14). Since the idea of elevation or ascent, implicit in the tower, connotes transformation and evolution, the athanor (the alchemists’ furnace) was given the
shape of a tower to signify inversely that the metamorphosis of matter implied a
process of ascension. Another symbol usually mentioned in this connexion is the
bronze tower in which Danae, the mother of Perseus, was imprisoned (48).
Finally we would point to the analogy between the tower and man: for just as the
tree is closer to the human figure than are the horizontal forms of animals, so, too,
is the tower the only structural form distinguished by vertically: windows at the
topmost level, almost always large in size, correspond to the eyes and the mind
of man. It is in this sense that the Tower of Babel acquired special symbolic point
as a wild enterprise bringing disaster and mental disorder (31). And, for the same
reason, the sixteenth enigma of the Tarot denotes catastrophe by the image of a
tower struck by lightning. However, it is possible to discover a dual tendency in
the symbolism of the tower. Its upward impulse may be accompanied by a
deepening movement; the greater the height, the deeper the foundations. Nietzsche
talked of descent during ascent. Nerval (in Aurélia, to be precise) refers to the
symbolism of the tower and says: ‘I found myself in a tower, whose foundations
were sunk so deep into the earth and whose top was so lofty, reaching up like a
spire into the sky, that my whole existence already seemed bound to be consumed
in climbing up and down it.’

To dream of seeing a tower, denotes that you will aspire to high elevations. If you climb one, you will succeed in your wishes, but if the tower crumbles as you descend, you will be disappointed in your hopes.

To see a tower in your dream, signifies high hopes and aspirations. If you are looking down from a tower, then it indicates that you have a perceived superiority over others. Your ego is inflated. Alternatively, a tower symbolizes the phallus.

To see a water tower in your dream, suggests that you are keeping your emotions inside. You may be unable to express your true feelings, especially feelings of love. Alternatively, a water tower indicates a false sense of security.

To dream that you are climbing a tower, denotes your quest for spirituality and unconscious ideas that may be surfacing.

To dream that a tower is falling or crumbling, heralds a drastic change ahead.

Seeing a tower in your dream means high hopes and aspirations. If you are looking down from a tower, then it suggests your perceived superiority over others. Your ego may also be inflated. Seeing a water tower in your dream, suggests that you are keeping your emotions inside. You may be unable to express your feelings, especially feelings of love. Alternatively, it indicates a false sense of security. Dreaming that you are climbing a tower indicates you quest for spirituality and unconscious ideas that may be surfacing.

Planet: Mars.
Positive associations with this tarot card:
re-evaluation, necessary change, a blessing in disguise.
Negative associations with this tarot card:
sudden change, downfall, disruption, disaster.
After the Death card and the Devil, The Tower is likely to be the card that causes most fear and constenation. It's hard to find a positive side to this card, however, it tells you that the unexpected shock and upheaval of events will create new opportunities and make you a stronger and wiser person.
The Tower represents sudden and sometimes shocking changes in events and can often represent problems or delays relating to your home or the purchasing of home.
Whether material or emotional upset, this card encourages you to see that such upheavals can force new directions that can be more beneficial.
Negatively The Tower represents unecessary suffering. You may be falsely accused of something and suffer some form of imprisonment or isolation, or you may be the one causing the shock and change with a rebellious attitude.
The main thing to remember with this rather unpleasant card is that this phase will pass and that a new direction or new opportunities can be created from it.

To dream of darkness overtaking you on a journey, augurs ill for any work you may attempt, unless the sun breaks through before the journey ends, then faults will be overcome.

To lose your friend, or child, in the darkness, portends many provocations to wrath. Try to remain under control after dreaming of darkness, for trials in business and love will beset you.

A dark place, such as a cave, in a dream can symbolize negative emotions. In your dream, are you able to find your way out of the dark place?

A dream about being in darkness can also mean that you believe you are being "kept in the dark" about something - that someone else is keeping a secret from you.

If you dream that you are afraid of the dark you could be unwilling to deal with obstacles that you expect to face in the future.