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NAILS

Metal nails or fingernails? Let’s take the metal type first.

Nails fix things into place. Firmly. There’s finality about something that’s nailed in, and this dream could be suggesting that you need to nail shut a particular situation in your life.

Fingernails, on the other hand, tell us an awful lot about the state of our health. And they still give us clues as to a person’s status. In times gone by, long nails were the mark of someone who didn’t have to do manual labor in order to make a living. Today, long and garishly painted nails tend to be enjoyed by those with no taste and lots of time to spare. What type of nails appeared in your dream? If the latter, maybe there are certain issues that you have been avoiding.

NAME

If you see your name written, or hear it called in your dream, then you’re very much in touch with your own self and your own identity. Such an encounter can also presage a lucid dream episode, so be alert. To dream that you forget the name of someone you know very well is related to anxiety in waking life. Breathe, walk tall, relax, and don’t sweat the small stuff.

NATIVE AMERICAN

Many spirit guides seem to come in the guise of a Native American Indian. The Native American in your dreams speaks of your spiritual side and the connection with the natural world in all its forms. Don’t ignore this side of yourself. Spookily, such dreams frequently seem to have backup in synchronicitous events in everyday waking life.

NAVEL

The navel represents the center, as well as the place of connection with the mother, via the umbilical cord. You are seeking to “ground” yourself and understand your connection with the world; this is precisely why we use the term “navel gazing” to describe someone involved in an intense quest to discover themselves. Don’t take life too seriously—you’re as likely to attain self-comprehension by having fun and involving yourself with the world as by removing yourself from it.

NAZI

Any sort of fascist pretender speaks of an alienating force that cannot and will not be reasoned with—and an evil force to boot. What person or situation in your waking life has such Nazi qualities, and what can you do to blow them apart?

NECK

Symbolically, the neck is a sort of bridge between the head (mind) and the body. So an emphasis on the neck in a dream signifies the need for a greater connection between the two. You might find this in meditation or a similar discipline.

NECKLACE

Jewelry aside, the necklace specifically represents erotic desires, which have as much to do with the mind as with the body. Sexual arousal happens in both. It’s no accident that the necklace was a favored gift for mistresses.

NECTAR

There’s sweetness in little things whose cost cannot be related to monetary value alone. Go out and find them.

NEEDLE

A needle is an instrument of union, used to join two halves together. But to “needle” someone means to nag them about something. It’s possible that both aspects of this dream bear relevance for you.

NEST

A “container” dream, the nest symbolizes comfort and coziness. But in reality, the nest is only really comfortable if you’re a bird. Is your current lifestyle entirely appropriate or do you maybe need to downsize? There’s no need to compromise on comfort, simply change your expectations instead. Get used to twigs.

NEWSPAPER

Newspapers do give us the news, but the paper in your dream might have a subliminal message of “news” that is specifically aimed at you. Pay close attention to any particular headlines, especially those that might appear to be in some kind of code. Dreams often communicate in roundabout ways.

NIGHTMARE

(See What Exactly is a Nightmare? opposite.)

NIGHTTIME

A dream that takes place in the hours of darkness speaks even more of subconscious messages than those that take place in the daytime. Not to say that these dreams are more valid—it’s just that they are liable to be more poignant and noticeable. They are full of symbols, ideas, and concepts that want to attract your attention. For example, to dream of white horses at night enhances the meaning of the horses (See Horse).

NORTHERN LIGHTS

If you actually witness the shifting and changing iridescent, nocturnal, rainbow formations of the Northern Lights in your dream, then you could be about to gain full lucidity, especially if you’ve never actually experienced them in real life. Either that, or astral travel. Prepare for liftoff!

NOOSE

Implies restrictions, situations that are holding you back, and frustrations that make you feel you are being strangled. If the noose is actually around your neck, then you need to act swiftly, since it’s in your power alone to change the situation. If you are the hangman, then you need to radically alter your behavior toward the people around you.

NOSE

Things could be more obvious, easier, and simpler than you think if they are right under your nose, figuratively speaking. Otherwise, perhaps you’re detecting something or sniffing something out, or you have detected an unusual smell. It could be that the nose in a dream represents you interfering in someone else’s business, or they’re messing around in yours.