I was maybe eleven when I had my first lucid dream.
Somehow, even though it was daytime, a vampire (with my mother's hair, strangely) infiltrated my school and started infecting the student body. The Vampirism spread quickly, until absolutely everyone in the building had turned. All the doors were locked, night was falling, and, being the last human among a host of fledgling vampires, I ran for my life. I ended up barricading myself in the Principal's office, huddled in a corner on the other side of his desk while the bloodsuckers pounded and scratched at the door. I was terrified, but all of a sudden, I remembered something, and realized that I was dreaming.
What I remembered was a dream that my grandfather had, where he needed desperately to get out of the house, but every time he tried to open a door or a window, a tiger would be waiting outside, ready to pounce. This dream reoccurred for a couple of months, until finally he said, "Dang-nabbit, it's MY dream, I can do what I want with it!" So the next time he had the dream, he opened the hall closet, pulled out a shot gun. Then he opened the front door, shot the tiger, and stepped over it to get wherever it was he needed to go.
I remembered that, and thought, "Dang it! If Grandpa can do, then why the heck can't I?!"
Then, all of a sudden, I noticed a bright red, shiny button on the underside of the Principal's desk. I crawled over, pressed it, and BOOM! Two panels slam open on the wall behind me and several shelves slide out and expand. It was a secret compartment, and every surface of it was covered with vampire-slaying devices. So I deck myself up like Van Helsing version of Buffy on Ultraviolet steroids, and open a can of whup-ass just as the vampires manage to knock down my barricade.
When all was said and done, I walked out of the school as the sun was rising, right after painting the whole school in two coats of vampire ash.
To dream that you are in school, signifies feelings of inadequacy and childhood insecurities that have never been resolved. It may relate to anxieties about your performance and abilities. If you are still in school and dream about school, then the dream may just be a reflection of your daily life and has no special significance.
Alternatively, a dream that takes place in school may be a metaphor for the lessons that you are learning from your waking life. You may be going through a "spiritual learning" experience.
To dream that you are looking for a school, suggests that you need to expand your knowledge and learning. To dream that you are at a new school, means that you are feeling out of place in some situation. Or perhaps there is a new lesson that you need to learn.
To dream that your childhood school is in ruins, suggests that you are dwelling on some unresolved childhood issue. Alternatively, the dream represents the passage of time. You need to look toward the future instead of reliving the past.
To dream of attending school, indicates distinction in literary work. If you think you are young and at school as in your youth, you will find that sorrow and reverses will make you sincerely long for the simple trusts and pleasures of days of yore.
To dream of teaching a school, foretells that you will strive for literary attainments, but the bare necessities of life must first be forthcoming.
To visit the schoolhouse of your childhood days, portends that discontent and discouraging incidents overshadows the present.
Dreaming that you are in school means feelings of inadequacy and childhood insecurities that have never been resolved. It may relate to anxieties about performance and abilities. You may also be going through a "spiritual learning" experience. If you are still in school and dream about school, then it will naturally serve as a backdrop to your dream world. Alternatively, a dream that takes place in school may be a metaphor for the lessons that you are learning from your waking life.
This dream may be interpreted on several different levels. If you are the student you may be feeling inadequate or lack self-confidence. Either way, going to school or attending class in a dream is your unconscious reminder that there is a need for new learning and that you may have not learned an important lesson. School may not always be a positive experience, but it is always necessary. Ask yourself what do you need to learn more about? If you were a teacher in your dream, you may be dealing with issues of authority. From a spiritual point of view, some believe that in the dream state an individual may travel to an inner plane or the spiritual realm, where they can attend classes that assist in spiritual growth and development.
A feminine symbol (32) which, notwithstanding, contains all the implications of the symbolic hole, since it is the door which gives access to the hole; its
significance is therefore the antithesis of the wall. There is the same relationship
between the temple-door and the altar as between the circumference and the
centre: even though in each case the two component elements are the farthest
apart, they are nonetheless, in a way, the closest since the one determines and
reflects the other. This is well illustrated in the architectural ornamentation of
cathedrals, where the façade is nearly always treated as if it were an altar-piece.
To dream that you are entering through a door, signifies new opportunities that are presented before you. You are entering into a new stage in your life and moving from one level of consciousness to another. In particular, a door that opens to the outside, signifies your need to be more accessible to others, whereas a door that opens into the inside, denotes your desire for inner exploration and self-discovery.
To see an opened door in your dream, symbolizes your receptiveness and willingness to accept new ideas/concepts. In particular, to see a light behind the door, suggests that you are moving toward greater enlightenment/spirituality.
To dream that the door is closed or locked, signifies opportunities that are denied and not available to you or that you have missed out on. Something or someone is blocking your progress. It also symbolizes the ending of a phase or project. In particular, if you are outside the locked door, then it suggests that you have anti-social tendencies. If you are inside the locked door, then it represents harsh lessons that need to be learned.
To dream that you are locking the door, suggests that you are closing yourself off from others. You are hesitant in letting others in and revealing your feelings. It is indicative of some fear and low self-worth. If someone slams the door in your face, then it indicates that you are feeling shut out or some activity or that you are being ignored.
To see revolving doors in your dream, suggests that you are literally moving in circles and going nowhere. You may feel that your opportunities and choices lead to a dead end.
To dream of entering a door, denotes slander, and enemies from whom you are trying in vain to escape. This is the same of any door, except the door of your childhood home. If it is this door you dream of entering, your days will be filled with plenty and congeniality.
To dream of entering a door at night through the rain, denotes, to women, unpardonable escapades; to a man, it is significant of a drawing on his resources by unwarranted vice, and also foretells assignations.
To see others go through a doorway, denotes unsuccessful attempts to get your affairs into a paying condition. It also means changes to farmers and the political world. To an author, it foretells that the reading public will reprove his way of stating facts by refusing to read his later works.
To dream that you attempt to close a door, and it falls from its hinges, injuring some one, denotes that malignant evil threatens your friend through your unintentionally wrong advice. If you see another attempt to lock a door, and it falls from its hinges, you will have knowledge of some friend's misfortune and be powerless to aid him.
Dreaming that you are entering through a door means new opportunities that will be presented before you. You are entering into a new stage in your life and moving from one level of consciousness to another. In particular, a door that opens to the outside means your need to be more accessible to others, whereas a door that opens into the inside indicates your desire for inner exploration and self-discovery. Seeing opened doors in your dream, symbolizes your receptiveness and willingness to accept new ideas/concepts. In particular, to see a light behind it suggests that you are moving toward greater enlightenment/spirituality. Dreaming that the doors are locked means opportunities that are denied and not available to you or that you have missed out on. In particular, if you are outside the locked door, then it suggests that you are having some anti-social tendencies. If you are inside the locked door, then it represents harsh lessons that need to be learned. Dreaming that you are locking doors, suggests that you are closing yourself off from others. You are hesitant in letting others in and revealing your feelings. It is indicative of some fear and low self-worth. Seeing revolving doors in your dream, suggests that you are literally moving in circles and going no where. You may feel that your opportunities and choices lead to a dead end.
Doors are passageways and in our dreams that is their symbolism. Going through a door may represent going from one state of consciousness to another, or from one inner plane to another. Locked or closed doors may represent an obstacle or opportunities that are not currently available to you. Many doors may represent your current choices.
To see the principal or dream that you are in the principal's office, indicates feelings of guilt. You are expressing some anxiety over your actions and the fear that you will be exposed. Alternatively, it represents inferiority or low self esteem.
To see or sit at your desk in your dream, suggests that you are evaluating and weighing your problems. It is indicative of self-exploration and discovery. If you are at someone else's desk, then it symbolizes a lack of confidence in your own abilities.
To dream that your desk is cluttered, indicates that you need to prioritize and reorganize aspects of your life. If the desk is cleaned out, then it suggests that you need to find more productive ways to spend your time. Pick up a new hobby.
To be using a desk in a dream, denotes unforeseen ill luck will rise before you. To see money on your desk, brings you unexpected extrication from private difficulties.
Seeing or sitting at your desk in your dream, suggests that you are evaluating and weighing your problems. It is indicative of self-exploration and discovery.
To see a vampire in your dream, symbolizes seduction and sensuality, as well as fear and death. The vampire represents contrasting images of civilized nobility and aggression/ferocity. It may depict someone in your waking life whose charm may ultimately prove harmful. Deep down inside, you know that this person is bad for you, yet you are still drawn to him or her. Vampires also sometimes relate to decisions about sex and losing your virginity. Alternatively, to see a vampire suggests that you are feeling physically or emotionally drained. The vampire may also be symbolic of someone who is addicted to drugs or someone in an obsessive relationship.
To dream that you are a vampire, signifies that you are sucking in the life energy of others for your own selfish benefit.
Seeing a vampire in your dream, symbolizes seduction and sensuality, as well as fear and death. The vampire represents contrasting images of civilized nobility and aggression/ferocity. It may depict someone in your waking life whose charm may ultimately prove harmful. Deep down inside you know that this person is bad for you, yet you are still drawn to it. Alternatively, to see a vampire suggests that you are feeling physically or emotionally drained. The vampire may also be symbolic for someone who is addicted to drugs or someone in an obsessive relationship. Dreaming that you are a vampire means that you are sucking in the life energy of others for your own selfish benefit.
Vampires, for most people, represent powerful and evil creatures. Dreaming about vampires suggests that the dreamer may be feeling overwhelmed in some areas of his or her life and is struggling with negative thoughts, feelings, and actions. You may be currently concerned about ethical or moral issues and are experiencing anxiety as a result. The vampire represents personal attributes or negative habits that drain energy and resources or cause emotional exhaustion. If a vampire is attacking you, you may perceive yourself as a powerless victim. Interpreting this dream's message may help you to identify the source of your negative feelings and helplessness.
Mythical creature who rises up out of it's grave at night to feed on the blood of others. Mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence (generally in the form of blood) of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person. Although vampiric entities have been recorded in many cultures and in spite of speculation by literary historian Brian Frost that the "belief in vampires and bloodsucking demons is as old as man himself", and may go back to "prehistoric times", the term vampire was not popularized until the early 18th century, after an influx of vampire superstition into Western Europe from areas where vampire legends were frequent, such as the Balkans and Eastern Europe, although local variants were also known by different names, such as vrykolakas in Greece and strigoi in Romania. This increased level of vampire superstition in Europe led to mass hysteria and in some cases resulted in corpses actually being staked and people being accused of vampirism.
While even folkloric vampires of the Balkans and Eastern Europe had a wide range of appearance ranging from nearly human to bloated rotting corpses, it was the success of John Polidori's1819 novella The Vampyre that established the archetype of charismatic and sophisticated vampire; it is arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century, inspiring such works as Varney the Vampire and eventually Dracula.
However, it is Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula that is remembered as the quintessential vampire novel and which provided the basis of modern vampire fiction. Dracula drew on earlier mythologies of werewolves and similar legendary demons and "was to voice the anxieties of an age", and the "fears of late Victorian patriarchy". The success of this book spawned a distinctive vampire genre, still popular in the 21st century, with books, films, video games, and television shows. The vampire is such a dominant figure in the horror genre that literary historian Susan Sellers places the current vampire myth in the "comparative safety of nightmare fantasy".
The Oxford English Dictionary dates the first appearance of the word vampire in English from 1734, in a travelogue titled Travels of Three English Gentlemen published in the Harleian Miscellany in 1745. Vampires had already been discussed in German literature. After Austria gained control of northern Serbia and Oltenia with the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, officials noted the local practice of exhuming bodies and "killing vampires". These reports, prepared between 1725 and 1732, received widespread publicity.
The English term was derived (possibly via French vampyre) from the German Vampir, in turn derived in the early 18th century from the Serbian вампир/vampir. when Arnold Paole, a purported vampire in Serbia was described during the time Serbia was incorporated into the Austrian Empire.
The Serbian form has parallels in virtually all Slavic languages: Bulgarian вампир (vampir), Croatian upir /upirina, Czech and Slovak upír, Polish wąpierz, and (perhaps East Slavic-influenced) upiór, Finnish vampyyri, Ukrainian упир (upyr), Russian упырь (upyr'), Belarusian упыр (upyr), from Old East Slavic упирь (upir'). (Note that many of these languages have also borrowed forms such as "vampir/wampir" subsequently from the West; these are distinct from the original local words for the creature.) The exact etymology is unclear. Among the proposed proto-Slavic forms are *ǫpyrь and *ǫpirь. Another, less widespread theory, is that the Slavic languages have borrowed the word from a Turkic term for "witch" (e.g., Tatar ubyr).
The first recorded use of the Old Russian form Упирь (Upir') is commonly believed to be in a document dated 6555 (1047 AD).[23] It is a colophon in a manuscript of the Book of Psalms written by a priest who transcribed the book from Glagolitic into Cyrillic for the Novgorodian Prince Volodymyr Yaroslavovych. The priest writes that his name is "Upir' Likhyi " (Оупирь Лихыи), which means something like "Wicked Vampire" or "Foul Vampire". This apparently strange name has been cited as an example both of surviving paganism and of the use of nicknames as personal names.
Another early use of the Old Russian word is in the anti-pagan treatise "Word of Saint Grigoriy", dated variously to the 11th–13th centuries, where pagan worship of upyri is reported.
Many elaborate rituals were used to identify a vampire. One method of finding a vampire's grave involved leading a virgin boy through a graveyard or church grounds on a virgin stallion—the horse would supposedly balk at the grave in question. Generally a black horse was required, though in Albania it should be white. Holes appearing in the earth over a grave were taken as a sign of vampirism.
Corpses thought to be vampires were generally described as having a healthier appearance than expected, plump and showing little or no signs of decomposition. In some cases, when suspected graves were opened, villagers even described the corpse as having fresh blood from a victim all over its face. Evidence that a vampire was active in a given locality included death of cattle, sheep, relatives or neighbours. Folkloric vampires could also make their presence felt by engaging in minor poltergeist-like activity, such as hurling stones on roofs or moving household objects, and pressing on people in their sleep.
An image from Max Ernst's Une Semaine de BontéApotropaics, items able to ward off revenants, are common in vampire folklore. Garlic is a common example, a branch of wild rose and hawthorn plant are said to harm vampires, and in Europe, sprinkling mustard seeds on the roof of a house was said to keep them away. Other apotropaics include sacred items, for example a crucifix, rosary, or holy water. Vampires are said to be unable to walk on consecrated ground, such as those of churches or temples, or cross running water. Although not traditionally regarded as an apotropaic, mirrors have been used to ward off vampires when placed facing outwards on a door (in some cultures, vampires do not have a reflection and sometimes do not cast a shadow, perhaps as a manifestation of the vampire's lack of a soul). This attribute, although not universal (the Greek vrykolakas/tympanios was capable of both reflection and shadow), was used by Bram Stoker in Dracula and has remained popular with subsequent authors and filmmakers. Some traditions also hold that a vampire cannot enter a house unless invited by the owner, although after the first invitation they can come and go as they please. Though folkloric vampires were believed to be more active at night, they were not generally considered vulnerable to sunlight.
Methods of destroying suspected vampires varied, with staking the most commonly cited method, particularly in southern Slavic cultures. Ash was the preferred wood in Russia and the Baltic states, or hawthorn in Serbia, with a record of oak in Silesia. Potential vampires were most often staked through the heart, though the mouth was targeted in Russia and northern Germany and the stomach in north-eastern Serbia. Piercing the skin of the chest was a way of "deflating" the bloated vampire; this is similar to the act of burying sharp objects, such as sickles, in with the corpse, so that they may penetrate the skin if the body bloats sufficiently while transforming into a revenant. Decapitation was the preferred method in German and western Slavic areas, with the head buried between the feet, behind the buttocks or away from the body. This act was seen as a way of hastening the departure of the soul, which in some cultures, was said to linger in the corpse. The vampire's head, body, or clothes could also be spiked and pinned to the earth to prevent rising. Gypsies drove steel or iron needles into a corpse's heart and placed bits of steel in the mouth, over the eyes, ears and between the fingers at the time of burial. They also placed hawthorn in the corpse's sock or drove a hawthorn stake through the legs. In a 16th-century burial near Venice, a brick forced into the mouth of a female corpse has been interpreted as a vampire-slaying ritual by the archaeologists who discovered it in 2006. Further measures included pouring boiling water over the grave or complete incineration of the body. In the Balkans a vampire could also be killed by being shot or drowned, by repeating the funeral service, by sprinkling holy water on the body, or by exorcism. In Romania garlic could be placed in the mouth, and as recently as the 19th century, the precaution of shooting a bullet through the coffin was taken. For resistant cases, the body was dismembered and the pieces burned, mixed with water, and administered to family members as a cure. In Saxon regions of Germany, a lemon was placed in the mouth of suspected vampires
Two interpretations of the tiger have been offered which are easily
reconciled: ‘It is associated with Dionysos, and is a symbol of wrath and cruelty’
(8); ‘In China, it is symbolic of darkness and of the new moon’ (17). For darkness
is always identical with the darkness of the soul, and corresponds to that state
which the Hindus term tamas and which falls within the general symbolism of level, and also denotes the unbridled expression of the base powers of the instincts. Now, in China the tiger seems to play a rôle comparable with that of the
lion in African and Western cultures: both animals—like the dragon—take on two
different characters—as the wild beast and as the tamed animal. This is what lies
behind the tiger as an allegorical expression of strength and valour in the service of
righteousness. Five mythic tigers together constitute a symbol which is invested
with the same meaning as the tetramorphs in Christian tradition, in so far as they
are the defenders of the spatial order against the forces of chaos. The Red Tiger
reigns in the south, his season being summer and his Element fire; the Black Tiger
reigns in the north—winter is his season, and his Element water; the Blue Tiger
reigns in the East, in the spring and amidst vegetation; the White Tiger predominates in the west, in autumn and among the metals; and, finally, the Yellow Tiger
(solar in colour) inhabits the earth and reigns supreme over all the other tigers.
This Yellow Tiger is located in the ‘Centre’, as the Emperor was situated in the
heart of China and as China lies at the centre of the world (13). This quaternary
division plus the centre as the fifth Element is, as Jung has shown, of archetypal
significance in the symbolism of situation. When the tiger appears in association
with other animals, his symbolic significance varies according to the relative
status of the animals within the hierarchy: for instance, the tiger struggling with a
reptile stands for the superior principle, but the converse applies if it is locked in
combat with a lion or a winged being.
To dream of a tiger advancing towards you, you will be tormented and persecuted by enemies. If it attacks you, failure will bury you in gloom. If you succeed in warding it off, or killing it, you will be extremely successful in all your undertakings.
To see one running away from you, is a sign that you will overcome opposition, and rise to high positions.
To see them in cages, foretells that you will foil your adversaries.
To see rugs of tiger skins, denotes that you are in the way to enjoy luxurious ease and pleasure.
To see a tiger in your dream, represents power and your ability to exert it in various situations. The dream may also indicate that you need to take more of a leadership role. Alternatively, the tiger represents female sexuality, aggression, and seduction.
To dream that you are attacked by a tiger, symbolizes repressed feelings or emotions that you are frighten you of.
To see a caged tiger in your dream, suggests that your repressed feelings are on the verge of surfacing.
To see rugs made of tiger skins, symbolize a life of luxury and ease.
Seeing a tiger in your dream, symbolizes repressed feelings or emotions that frighten you. Alternatively, the tiger represents female sexuality, aggression, and seduction. If the tiger is in a cage, then it suggests that those repressed feelings/emotions are on the verge of surfacing. Dreaming that you are attacked by a tiger means overwhelming gloom and disappointing failures. You may find yourself distressed and tormented by rivals. Dreaming that you ward off or kill a tiger means that you will be exceedingly successful in all your endeavors. It is an indication of your good health, vitality, and vigor. Seeing rugs made of tiger skins, symbolizes a life of luxury and ease.
This large and very beautiful cat can symbolise femininity, power, anger, unforgiving vengeance, great force, and cunning. Tigers cannot be ignored, and usually they get exactly what they go after. Consider all of these characteristics and try to see if they apply to your or anyone else's current mood or character.
Chinese Tiger Meanings and Symbolic Thoughts about the Tiger
In China, the tiger is considered the king of all beasts (not the lion) and represents powerful energy. Further, the tiger is associated with Tsai Shen Yeh, the Chinese God of Wealth, and this god is usually seen sitting on a tiger in Asian art.
Asian lore considers the tiger the protector of the dead, and will often be seen in graves as a mark of protection, assuring peace for those who have passed.
Chinese animal symbolism of the tiger deals with (but is not limited to):
Power
Energy
Royalty
Protection
Generosity
Illumination
Unpredictability
Tigers are considered a yang energy, and are also a solar animal which associates them with symbolisms of the sun, summer and fire.
In ancient Chinese myth there are five tigers that hold the balance of cosmic forces in place and prevent chaos from collapsing into the universe.
These five tigers are:
White Tiger: ruler of the Fall season and governor of the Metal elementals
Black Tiger: ruler of the Winter season and governor of the Water elementals
Blue Tiger: ruler of the Spring season and governor of the Earth elementals
Red Tiger: ruler of the Summer season and governor of the Fire elementals
Yellow Tiger: the supreme ruler of all these tigers and symbolic of the Sun
So the next time you wish to honor a loved one who has passed this physical realm considered the tiger as a symbol of reverence.
Or, if you are intending more wealth in your life, call upon tiger energy to help you facilitate this (hint: visualize the copper color of the tiger associated with the gleam of coins. Visual associations like these are very effective with attracting our desires.)
Lastly, as you align yourself with the seasons and cycles of Mother Nature, consider including the five Chinese tigers in your practices.
Chinese symbol meaning of Tiger is as diverse as the noble creature itself. Take the time to learn more about this amazing animal, it will be worth your investment!
The tiger represents passion and sensuality. The sense of touch is heightened with the tiger as a power animal. The tiger also brings forth silent, solitary, power.
Power, devotion, tactful, skillful, expect new adventures, examine what is happening to you in life. Are you expressing your passion appropriately? A new sense of new direction is opening up so expect new adventures on your journey with Tiger. You are awakening to a new passion and power within, self confidence, discernment along with increased healing abilities. Tiger can teach the gentle art of going with the flow with patience and diligence.
To dream that you are shot, represents a form of self-punishment that you may be unconsciously imposing on yourself. You may have done something that you are ashamed of or are not proud of. If you are shot and come back as a different person, then it indicates that you need to start fresh. You want to wipe the past away and literally become a new person.
To dream that you are shot, and are feeling the sensations of dying, denotes that you are to meet unexpected abuse from the ill feelings of friends, but if you escape death by waking, you will be fully reconciled with them later on.
To dream that a preacher shoots you, signifies that you will be annoyed by some friend advancing views condemnatory to those entertained by yourself.
Dreaming that you are shot, represents a form of self-punishment that you may be unconsciously imposing on yourself. You may have done something that you are ashamed of or are not proud of.