Dream Interpretation - Water
by Donna Thomson
As a teenager I was interested in the meaning of my dreams and to this day one of the most meaningful dream symbols for me personally, is water. Water relates to the more fluid aspects of the 'self' - spirituality, life and emotions. It can indicate emotional issues or your progress through life and therefore be some of your most memorable dreams - either positively or negatively depending on the context.
All dream interpretation is a personal thing and it is best to explore possible meanings and see what feels right to you and your particular life situations. The way the dream makes you feel and the many other factors within the dream will create the personal meaning for you. In this article I will make mention of some of these possibilities and offer a range of questions to help you interpret your own dreams involving water.
Determining the theme of your dream
- How did you feel in the dream?
- What feelings did you have when you woke from the dream?
- Do you feel an obvious message from your dream?
- What does your dream make you think of in your life, particularly your spiritual progress, happiness and emotional issues?
- Were you trying to avoid something in the water?
- Were you threatened by or fighting something such as a creature or large waves?
- Did you feel curious and adventurous in the water?
- Did the water make you feel calm and happy?
- Were you in control in the water or feeling out of control?
- Did you feel 'out of your depth'?
Already you should be starting to get a feel for the meaning of your dream based on the above questions. Basically you need to ask yourself what the colours, concepts and characters each mean to you and you'll know why they appeared in your dream. Now you can further explore different types of water situations and their possible meanings below.
Water Symbolism
- Afloat/Boat - can indicate how you are travelling along your life journey.
- Calm waters - suggests that you are currently at peace with yourself and your life. You are in a good place and should celebrate this.
- Deep waters - especially the ocean, usually indicates deeper spiritual or life issues, perhaps even your grandest desires.
- Diving into water - can indicate diving into life, perhaps indicating that you are already doing this or need to do this.
- Drowning - may indicate that you are feeling overwhelmed or that your life is out of control.
- Flowing water - indicates some sort of progress - moving forward. Fast flowing waters could indicate you travelling along a course and the particulars will indicate how you are dealing with that course. For instance, do you feel in control and safe even if you are flowing along a fast river? Or, are you struggling to keep your head above water or feel like you are in danger?
- Murky water - could mean that something is unclear to you or you are having trouble finding your way.
- Storms/rain - could indicate feeling like you are in an emotional storm. A storm may also indicate the washing away of one aspect of your life or emotions before moving into new areas. How does the storm make you feel - scared or refreshed?
- Waterfalls/Rapids - again this is dependent on your position in relation to this body of water. Are you standing underneath a waterfall feeling energised? This may indicate an abundance of creativity and a sense of empowerment. Are you falling over a waterfall and therefore feeling out of control of something in your life, emotionally or spiritually?
Water Creatures
What you deal with in the water also helps to determine the meaning of your dreams. Are you being confronted by sharks or other dangerous creatures that may represent obstacles in relation to your emotions or life progress? Sharks usually refer to a threat, so how you are dealing with those sharks will bring the message of how you are dealing with the issue/s at hand. Are you encountering helpful creatures such as dolphins or fish? Fish traditionally represent abundance and creativity, especially in eastern cultures. A dolphin is very intuitive and may even represent a guide bringing you a message. A crocodile/alligator may indicate aggression or assertiveness, or if they are protecting their eggs they can represent motherly instincts. So take into consideration what the animal/character means to you, the context in which they appeared in your dream and the feelings you associated with them to help interpret the significance for you.
Remember that the meanings may differ to you personally so go with what feels right to you. If anything, these are suggestions/prompts to help you consider particular aspects of your dreams and your own feelings and experiences will help you to interpret their meanings further. By paying attention to your dreams and perhaps keeping a dream journal, over time you will become more familiar with regular themes/symbols relating to you and your life.