"Place" in a dream is easily overlooked, but very important. This topic came up in a recent dream interpretation with a client. (Thank you JS for inspiring this post!) She has had several dreams lately that took place in the setting of a mall. I have actually experienced "mall" dreams recently, too. How about you?
If your dream takes place at a mall, it could be that you are shopping around for something, trying to find what you need or want. Just like you would do at a real mall- you are "shopping" for something. Wanting to find what will meet your needs or desires. If you are in a particular store in the mall, that would give us clues too. Clothing stores= time of transition, you are changing. Food court= trying to nourish yourself, what brings you nourishment. Toy store= the need to lighten up and have some fun. Shoe store= do you have a firm foundation, where are you headed in life? Shoes can also symbolize your soul (a play on the word "sole"). Battery store= are you needing to recharge your own battery? Are you feeling run-down or low on energy or depressed?
In a restaurant? What is it that you are needing to nourish yourself with? This could be literal nourishment, certain foods/drinks you need to add or avoid in your diet, or this could be symbolic nourishment, what is it that you need in order to feed your soul?
In a house? Is it your current house or a house from your childhood? These are all clues. What room are you in? Kitchens, like restaurants, can symbolize nourishment, comfort, communication. Many times the focus of your own kitchen or the kitchen from your childhood will bring the clues needed to unlock what the kitchen in your dream is trying to tell you. Bathrooms are a huge focus of many people's dreams. Sometimes they are just cues to wake you up- you literally need to go to the bathroom. But many times the bathroom in your dream symbolizes your need to release something that you have been holding onto. A need to let go of issues in your life that you have held on to that no longer serve you. Issues that perhaps are blocking you from moving forward.
At the doctor's office in your dream? Something in your life needs attention and healing! Again, this could be literal or symbolic. I dreamed of being in the doctor's office earlier this year- several times. This dealt with a real physical issue. These dreams motivated me to go and get the help that I needed!
And our final "place" for the day, my number one dream location: SCHOOL. Being a retired teacher, this is not surprising. This is also probably the number one location for many of you as well! Most of us spent many years of our lives in school and experienced many pleasant and unpleasant things while there. In some of my dreams I am the teacher, in some of them I am a student. School dreams symbolize something that we need to learn or something that we need to teach others, depending on whether we are seen as the student or the teacher. And pay attention to the course that you are taking in the dream or your books. These can provide huge clues as to the message of the dream.
Pay attention to "place" in your dreams. Where you are in your dream is just as important as what you are doing and can lend a deeper understanding to the meaning and message of your dream.
Ellen :)
