I was walking through a labyrinth made of concrete for a long time with my lover. Then it opened up into an enormous room, which made me think of a giant water tower, but it was empty. Just as I had had that thought water came rushing down from the ceiling where there were some windows to the sides. Quickly I had to leave the room not to be crushed by the oncoming blast of water. However I felt that I would want to return at a later time to explore this great room of water.
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.
An architectonic structure, apparently aimless, and of a pattern
so complex that, once inside, it is impossible or very difficult to escape. Or it may
take the form of a garden similarly patterned. Ancient writings mention five great
mazes: that of Egypt, which Pliny located in lake Moeris; the two Cretan labyrinths of Cnossus (or Gnossus) and Gortyna; the Greek maze on the island of
Lemnos; and the Etruscan at Clusium. It is likely that certain initiatory temples
were labyrinthine in construction for doctrinal reasons. Ground-plans, sketches
and emblems of mazes appear fairly frequently over a very wide area, but principally in Asia and Europe. Some are believed to have been conceived with the
purpose of luring devils into them so that they might never escape. It is to be
supposed, therefore, that, for the Primitive, the maze had a certain fascination
comparable with the abyss, the whirlpool and other phenomena (8). Nevertheless, Waldemar Fenn suggests that some circular or elliptical labyrinths in prehistoric engravings—those at Peña de Mogor, for example—should be interpreted as
diagrams of heaven, that is, as images of the apparent motions of the astral bodies. This notion is not opposed to the previous one: it is independent of it and, up to
a point, complementary, because the terrestrial maze, as a structure or a pattern,
is capable of reproducing the celestial, and because both allude to the same basic
idea—the loss of the spirit in the process of creation—that is, the ‘fall’ in the
neoplatonic sense—and the consequent need to seek out the way through the
‘Centre’, back to the spirit. There is an illustration in De Groene Leeuw, by
Goosse van Wreeswyk (Amsterdam, 1672), which depicts the sanctuary of the
alchemists’ lapis, encircled by the orbits of the planets, as walls, suggesting in this
way a cosmic labyrinth (32). The emblem of the labyrinth was widely used by mediaeval architects. To trace through the labyrinthic path of a mosaic patterned
on the ground was once considered a symbolic substitute for a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land (28). Some labyrinths shaped like a cross, known in Italy as ‘Solomon’s
knot’, and featured in Celtic, Germanic and Romanesque decoration, are a synthesis of the dual symbolism of the cross and the labyrinth; they are known, for this
reason, as the ‘emblem of divine inscrutability’. It is not difficult to make out, in
the centre of the pattern, the figure of the swastika, which adds to the basic
symbolism a suggestion of rotating, generating and unifying motion (4). For Diel,
the maze signifies the unconscious, and also error and remoteness from the fount
of life (15). Eliade notes that the essential mission of the maze was to defend the
‘Centre’—that it was, in fact, an initiation into sanctity, immortality and absolute
reality and, as such, equivalent to other ‘trials’ such as the fight with the dragon.
At the same time, the labyrinth may be interpreted as an apprenticeship for the
neophyte who would learn to distinguish the proper path leading to the Land of
the Dead (17).
To see or dream that you are in a labyrinth, indicates your desires to get to the center of some issue or problem. Alternatively, it suggests that you are feeling trapped in some situation. You feel lost and that there is no way out.
If you dream of a labyrinth, you will find yourself entangled in intricate and perplexing business conditions, and your wife will make the home environment intolerable; children and sweethearts will prove ill-tempered and unattractive.
If you are in a labyrinth of night or darkness, it foretells passing, but agonizing sickness and trouble.
A labyrinth of green vines and timbers, denotes unexpected happiness from what was seemingly a cause for loss and despair.
In a network, or labyrinth of railroads, assures you of long and tedious journeys. Interesting people will be met, but no financial success will aid you on these journeys.
Seeing a labyrinth in your dream means that you will be involved with my complicated situations where your domestic sphere will be quite intolerable. Dreaming that you are in a labyrinth of green vines and timber means an unexpected turn of happiness where despair and loss was anticipated. Dreaming that you are in a labyrinth of night or darkness indicates bitter trouble and sickness.
To see concrete in your dream, represents your solid and clear understanding of some situation. The dream may also mean that you are too unyielding and inflexible.
To see wet concrete in your dream, suggests that some issue or some aspect of your life still remains unresolved.
Seeing concrete in your dream, represents your solid and clear understanding of some situation. The dream may also mean that you are unyielding and inflexible. Seeing wet concrete in your dream, suggests that some issue or some aspect of your life still remains unresolved.
The deepest and most ancient meaning of the myth of the giant alludes
to the supposed existence of an immense, primordial being, by whose sacrifice
creation was brought forth. This cosmogonic myth was very common among
primitive and ancient peoples, and it shows how rites involving the sacrifice of
humans are an attempt to revive the initial sacrifice and to resuscitate the cosmic
forces or to reawaken, at least, their favourable proclivities (17). Now, the giant
is, in himself, neither good nor bad, but merely a quantitative amplification of the
ordinary; hence, as the case may be, there are some legendary giants who are
protectors and others who are aggressive. This sense of the giant as ‘that which
surpasses’ human stature (here symbolic of power and strength), is also indicative of the broad significance of the giant. He may be an image of the ‘Terrible
Father’, arising from childhood memories—children see their parents as giants—
or an image of the unconscious, the ‘dark side’ of the personality menacing the
Jungian Selbst (21), etc. It is interesting to note that in folklore the giant is tutelar
in character: he is usually the defender of the common people against the overlord, upholding their liberties and rights. Without generalizing, one implication of
the giant may be said to be the personification of collective Man—as implied in
the maxim ‘united we stand’—or of the life of a community (16). But the general
myth of the giant is far from being confined to this specialized meaning. In nearly
all symbolic traditions, he tends to appear as an outcropping of the marvellous
and the terrible, even though he always has a certain quality of the inferior or the
subordinate about him. The Bible refers to Goliath and to Og, king of Bashan at
the time of the exodus (46). Samson has certain characteristics of the giant. In the
West, Bodo, Rübezahl, Geryon, Gargantua and Hercules are the most significant
in gigantomachy; in Greek tradition, there are the Titans and the Cyclops. Christian tradition has often seen Satan as a giant (50). The tragic hero is intimately
linked with the giant, although, at times, in inverse relation as his adversary (60).
Frazer describes the numerous cases in which giant figures in wood or wickerwork were set fire to during midsummer festivals, comparable with the Valencian
fallas (or bonfires). The ancients would fill these figures with animals and even
live men, who were burnt with the effigy. They were considered as representatives of the spirit of vegetation, or of the god sacrificed to the world—which
brings us back once again to our cosmogonic interpretation. The giant may be a
symbol of ‘everlasting rebellion’, of the forces of dissatisfaction which grow
within Man and determine his history and his destiny; it may, that is to say, be a
symbol of the Universal Man (Adam Kadmon, 21). Now, according to Jungian 119 GOG AND MAGOG
psychology, the giant’s essence—or his appearance, rather—seems to correspond to the father-symbol, representing the spirit that withstands the instincts,
or as the guardian of the treasure (that is, the mother—the unconscious), in which
case it is identical with the dragon-symbol. Reviewing all this, Jung quotes the
example of Humbaba, the guardian of the garden of Ishtar in the Gilgamesh epic
(31).
To see a giant in your dream, indicates a great struggle between you and your opponents. You are trying to overcome an overwhelming obstacle. Alternatively, a giant symbolizes an issue, a person or a feeling that is dominating you. You are having an inferiority complex.
To dream that you turn into a giant, indicates feelings of inferiority.
To dream of a giant appearing suddenly before you, denotes that there will be a great struggle between you and your opponents. If the giant succeeds in stopping your journey, you will be overcome by your enemy. If he runs from you, prosperity and good health will be yours.
Great difficulty to be encountered. But meet it with boldness. Then it will vanish.
This indicates that you will have an enemy of the most dreadful character.
Seeing a giant in your dream means of a great struggle between you and your opponents. This may prove to be a major and overwhelming obstacle for you to overcome. Alternatively, a giant may be symbolic of an issue or feeling that is dominating you. Dreaming that you turn into a giant indicates feelings of inferiority.
A symbol of individuality—of private thoughts. The windows symbolize the possibility of understanding and of passing through to the external and
the beyond, and are also an illustration of any idea of communication. Hence, a
closed room lacking windows may be symbolic of virginity, according to Frazer,
and also of other kinds of non-communication. Many rites involving the
enclosureimage are performed to mark the reaching of puberty, all over the world.
The legend about Danae, shut up by her father in a bronze tower, pertains to this
particular symbolism. There is a Siberian legend concerning a ‘dark house of iron’
which is also relevant to it (21). We might also mention the ‘vase with a lid’, one
of the eight emblems of good luck in Chinese Buddhism, and a symbol of wholeness, of the idea with no ‘exit’, or, in other words, of supreme intelligence triumphant over birth and death (signified respectively by the doors and windows of
the room) (5). This explains why the hermetically sealed room may possibly be
a variant form of the ‘vase with a lid’.
To dream that you are in a room, represents a particular aspect of yourself or a specific relationship. Dreams about various rooms often relate to hidden areas of the conscious mind and different aspects of your personality. If the room is welcoming or comfortable, then it signifies opulence and satisfaction in life. If you see a dark or confined room, then it denotes that you feel trapped or repressed in a situation.
To dream that you find or discover a new room, suggests that you are developing new strengths and taking on new roles. You may be growing emotionally. Consider what you find in the discovered room as it may indicate repressed memories, fears, or rejected emotions. Alternatively, such rooms are symbolic of neglected skills or rejected potential.
To dream that you are in an empty white room, indicates a fresh start. It is like a blank canvas where you want to start life anew. Alternatively, the dream means that you are trying to isolate yourself. You do not want any outside influences.
To dream of a yellow room, suggests that you need to use your mind. You are feeling stimulated mentally.
Dreaming that you are in a room, represents a particular aspect of yourself or a particular relationship. Dreams about various rooms often relate to hidden areas of the conscious mind and different aspects of your personality. Dreaming that you find or discover new rooms, suggests that you are developing new strengths and taking on new roles. You may be growing emotionally. Seeing an appealing or comfortable room in your dream means opulence and satisfaction in life. Seeing a dark, eerie or confining room indicates that that you feel trapped or repressed in a situation.
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 see the side of something in your dream, suggests that you are not approaching the problem directly.
To dream that your sides hurt, suggest that what may seem like a lighthearted situation can turn out to be harmful.
To see a ceiling in your dream, represents a mental or spiritual perspective. It may also symbolize the limit you have set for yourself. If you see vaulted ceiling in your dream, then it signifies your askew perspective or view.
Seeing a ceiling in your dream, represents a mental or spiritual perspective.