My nana died quite a while ago, but recently my mom gave me some books of hers that my uncle had. I wasn’t too surprised to find out that my Nana was also interested in dreams and horoscopes like I am. I am a lot like her in so many other ways, after all. One of the books, titled Dreams: Hidden Meaning And Secrets made me smile. I have always been big on dream interpretation, and I assume that she is the reason why – even though I didn’t know it until now.
The book only contains interpretations of symbols in dreams. There is no introduction. There are no pictures. There is nothing but interpretations. The first printing of the book looks like 1940.
What Are The Numbers Behind The Dream Interpretations?
One thing I don’t get about this book is the numbers behind the interpretations. What do they mean? I thought maybe they represented page numbers, but I see no correlation between the numbers and the page numbers when it comes to the interpretations. If anyone knows what they mean, please share in the comments below.
The Meanings Of Dreams Aren’t Universal
The other day on a forum on Reddit, a guy said that he dreamt of boiling water and when he looked it up, it wasn’t good.
I don’t believe that dreaming about something like ‘cabbage’ means the same thing for everyone and, furthermore, that one single interpretation lasts an eternity.
For instance, cabbage in this dream interpretation book says that it’s good luck to dream of cooking one, but eating a green cabbage means that there is a violation going on in your marriage contract. If you cut it up into shreds, then you are in danger of want. I’m not really even sure what that last thing means.
I believe that when interpreting a dream, it’s important to take into account everything going on in it.
Who is there? What do they mean to you?
What is the setting and what does it mean to you?
What are the symbols? How do you feel about them?
For instance, if you dream of eating cabbage with your Nana and you feel good in the dream, and you have very fond memories of eating cabbage with her, then your dream could just be reliving some fond memories from the past. If you feel upset as you eat, it could mean you miss your Nana or someone like her in your life. If you are eating cabbage with your Nana in a place you work and you are miserable, it could mean that you want to work in a place where you feel good.
There is no one dream interpretation for eating cabbage. It’s all very relative to your feelings towards cabbage and the interactions and settings going on around you in the dream.
The Book’s Symbol Interpretations As Opposed To My Interpretations
I think it’s very important to know what symbols mean to you if you want to interpret your dreams.
For example, when I dream about being at an old job, I know that I’m feeling insecure in my work. Or when I dream about full toilets, I know that it symbolizes I’m feeling lucky. I know my symbols so well that I can interpret any dream I have without a lot of effort.
It’s simply a matter of taking the symbol and understand what it means to you on the deepest level.
Here are some symbol interpretations from the Hidden Means And Secrets book, followed by my own personal interpretations.
Ketchup In A Dream
In this dream interpretation book, ketchup means that you’ll be kept guess by a handsome and intriguing person of the opposite sex.
For me, ketchup represents something I don’t use very often but like to use. This is because I often forget to put ketchup on stuff even though I like it. When I do remember, I love it and think to myself ‘I should use ketchup more!’ Therefore, if I’m dreaming about eating ketchup while visiting a friend, it may be a sign that visiting that friend is something I should do more.
Seeing A Strip Tease In A Dream
In the dream interpretation book, a striptease means you need to watch your conduct because it is a sign that disgrace through an indiscretion could happen that can and should be avoided. (What about a striptease from a man? 🙄 This book is so old that it has all kinds of stereotypes in it.)
For me, a striptease would be a sexual thing. If I’m watching a striptease happening by anyone, it’s likely because I want to engage in some sort of fun sexual act. Of course, it depends on the context. If I’m dreaming about a striptease and I’m in a Sopranos-type setting, it’s likely just because I’ve been watching too much Sopranos… which I do a lot. But, if it happens out of nowhere, especially when I’m doing something mundane, it’s a good sign that I’m feeling bored with my sex life and/or want to spice things up a bit.
Dreaming About A Sunrise Or Sunset
In the dream interpretation book, dreaming about a sunrise means that you are likely going to have success in the work you are doing. If it’s red, it’s a sign that there will be a struggle that you will emerge from triumphant. A sunset with gorgeous colors means that new opportunities are arising with someone.
For me, a sunrise means opportunity. It means the dawn of something new is coming.
A sunset with gorgeous colors represents relaxation and ‘the good life to me. It’s one of the things I love doing most, and it makes me feel alive when I do it.
Again, context is important when I interpret my dreams.
For example, if I’m at sunrise with someone I work with, then that would represent business opportunities to me. Or, if someone keeps getting in the way of me seeing the sunrise, then that would represent someone or something getting in the way of my opportunities.
And, if I’m watching a sunset with someone I don’t like, it’s a sign to end the struggle with them and move on because they are getting in the way of my relaxation and happiness. If I’m watching the sunrise with my husband, it’s a sign that I’m feeling good in our relationship.
Need To Interpret Your Dreams?
If you want me to give you an interpretation of a symbol from the book, ask in the comments below. Remember that this book was written a long time ago, so there is some outdated information and a lot of stereotypes, but it’s kind of fun to look up the interpretations in the book.
BUT, remember that in the end, dream symbols are very personal to you. To interpret your dreams better:
- Ask yourself what something in your dream represents to you.
- Ask yourself how that symbol played with the people, feelings, and settings in your dream.
Once you start to play with the symbols and context of the dream, you will find yourself interpreting your dreams much easier.
