CHAPTER SEVEN

WE TELL THE MEANING OF YOUR DREAMS

THE oldest dreams on record are those of sacred history, and it is clear from the Bible that dreams are often made use of as a means of revealing things to men, of conveying warnings to them and of lifting the veil that hides from them the future. We must lay ourselves open to receive impressions and have our minds less harassed and obscured than they usually are by the worries of the world if we are to appreciate dreams at their true value and see what a wealth of meaning they sometimes contain.

There are a few points to be kept in mind by all who wish to have a correct understanding of this important subject –

Morning dreams are more reliable than those of any other time, and of morning dreams those of the morning twilight are most valued.

A Friday’s dream is the most important dream of the week –

“Friday night’s dream

On a Saturday told

Is sure to come true

Be it never so old.”

A dream – even a Friday’s dream – is only to be absolutely relied upon if repeated three times. It must also be pointed out that there are some dreams as false as can be, put into people’s heads by humorous or ill-disposed spirits. Fun and malice are by no means confined to our little corner of the universe.

In the following pages we have given the meaning of a considerable number of dreams. Once the fundamental principles are grasped, interpretation is easy. Giving all dreams was out of the question, for the land of dreams is as extensive a territory as our waking world.

ABSENCE

To dream of grieving over the absence of any one is a sure sign that the person dreamt of will soon return. To dream, however, of rejoicing at any one’s absence denotes that you will shortly receive intelligence you would rather be without.

ACCOUNTS

If a young woman dreams of an account, or of a bundle of accounts, or of a number of account books, it indicates that she will shortly begin preparations for entering on matrimonial life. When a man dreams of account books it means acquaintance in business with the fickleness of fortune.

ACTOR

To dream of an actor means, in the case of a young woman, that a great deal of the admiration at present paid to her, and which she thinks genuine, is only make-believe.

ACTRESS

To dream of seeing an actress on the stage signifies that you will shortly get into many difficulties, partly through your own indiscretion, and partly from causes over which you have no control. Meeting her in private life in a dream indicates that you are about to discover how “hand in hand with sorrow love is wont to go.”

ANTS

To dream of watching ants at work indicates for a young man that he will for a time try to find pleasure in an idle and single life, but that he will at last discover that the truest happiness lies in hard work for the sake of wife and children. The same dream occurring to a young woman foretells that she will soon leave her present ornamental existence to find occupation in rocking the cradle, superintending the meals, and arranging the furniture of the home of somebody.

APRIL FOOL

When a young woman dreams of being made an April Fool, it means that, after having arrived at considerable culture, she will marry one who is a Philistine, and so be exposed to unintelligent criticism and interference. A man dreaming of being made an April Fool may anticipate falling a victim to the false pretences of one in whom he is at present confiding, and may reasonably infer that his only safeguard is a little healthy suspicion.

BALL

Dreams of being at balls and dances and such like festivities are of good omen for lovers –

“Who dream of being at a ball

No cause have they for fear,

For soon they will united be

To those they hold most dear.”

BEES

To dream of bees means general good fortune –

“Happy the man who dreaming sees

The little humble busy bees

Fly humming round their hive.”

BICYCLE

To dream of riding on a bicycle means that for some years you will have constant change, always seeking for rest and comfort, but only finding turmoil and disquiet.

BONFIRE

To dream of assisting in making a bonfire indicates that you are on the eve of changing your mind about many things, when you will burn much that you used to worship, and worship much that you used to burn.

BONNET

For a young woman to dream about wearing a new bonnet is a sign that she is about to land in a difficulty through love of finery, desire for admiration and envy of the fine feathers of some of her friends. A young man dreaming of a girl s bonnet, either in a shop window or on her head, may infer that he will enter the matrimonial state before many months have passed.

BOOKSELLER

To dream of meeting a young lady in a bookseller’s shop signifies, in the case of a young man, that though he is fond of books he will marry a wife who will care so little for them that when in after life he buys a new book he will carry it home in his hat and creep into the house by the window.

CAGE

To dream of seeing a bird in a cage is a sure sign that you will make a happy marriage and live in harmony so absolute with the object of your choice that you will be independent of the world outside.

CAT

To dream of cats, either in the singular or plural, means that you are about to suffer from the treachery of one in whom you have long trusted. The cats in this case must appear to be alive and active.

CHAIN

To dream of a chain with long links of which you see both the beginning and the end foretells that you will carry on a long correspondence with a certain person, beginning formally and working up to My Dearest So-and-so, but that it will come at last to a cold Sir and Madame, and that will be the end of it.

CLOUD

To dream of a cloud coming for a short while over the sun denotes, should the dreamer be a young man, that the friends of a lady to whom he is attached will place barriers in the way of his intercourse with her, and for a time these will seem insurmountable, but that the tide of fortune will at last begin to flow in his favour, and that he will be received with the heartiest of welcomes by those who formerly would have nothing to say to him. A similar dream in the case of a young woman has much the same signification, but with the sexes reversed.

COOKING CLASS

For a young man to dream that the girl he is paying attention to has begun to attend a cooking class is a sign that should he marry her there is a great probability that she would neglect him and allow his dinner to burn, spending her time in reading novels instead of preparing it properly.

DAGGER

To dream of seeing a dagger, either in the hand of yourself or of any other person, portends that you are about to have a serious argument with an intimate acquaintance, which will end in your becoming enemies for life.

DEAD

To dream of seeing the dead, whether relations or friends, means long life to the living, combined with good health and easy circumstances.

DUNGEON

A dream of being the inmate of a dungeon denotes that in undertaking your present employment you have forged fetters for yourself from which it will take much strength of will to break loose.

DUST

For a girl to dream of being in a dusty house signifies that she will soon be called to keep in order the home of one to whom she has given her heart. A young man, however, dreaming of dusty surroundings is thereby warned that he is in danger of contracting a life-long alliance with a girl who looks too much in the glass ever to be a good housekeeper.

EAR

Dreaming of having a pain in one of your ears is a sure sign that you are about to be made the subject of a false charge, your innocence of which it will be exceedingly difficult to prove.

EYESIGHT

Dreaming of failing eyesight means that you are in danger of wasting your best years and your choicest thoughts on one who is quite unworthy of you.

FIREWORKS

To dream of taking part in an exhibition of fireworks denotes that before long you will be in great danger of losing your temper under the provocations of an acquaintance, and that you will be tempted to commit a personal assault by way of easing and relieving your mind.

FOX

To dream of a fox is for a young woman a dream of warning, intimating that she must not trust to many promises that are now being made to her, because they are insincere.

GAS

To dream of an escape of gas means for a young man that he is on the eve of telling a girl that whilst he is in the world no ill can befall her, but that he will have quarrelled with her and be out of that long promise in a week. For a girl to dream of an escape of gas signifies that her too light-hearted behaviour will in the end so excite the fears of her present sensible lover that he will leave her for ever.

FLYING

To dream of flying means that you are destined to succeed in high things, and that every obstacle will with you be found to give way before courage and perseverance.

GOLD

To dream of gold signifies that you will be surrounded at last by great magnificence, which you will be unable to enjoy because of disappointment and sickness of heart.

GOOSE

A young man dreaming that he listens to a goose cackling is thereby informed that he is about to write a letter to a young lady, which he will think the cleverest letter he ever wrote in his life, and that the result will fully justify his good opinion of it. A young woman dreaming of a goose may expect to make a fortunate, though not a brilliant, marriage.

GOOSEBERRY

To dream of a gooseberry is, to the lover, of evil import. It means that a friend whom he has introduced to the young woman with whom he is in love will endeavour to supplant him in her good graces, and, what is more, will succeed.

GROPING

To dream that you are groping your way in the dark means that you and the one you have chosen for your life’s partner are not at all made for each other, and that after marriage you are certain to have continual friction.

GUITAR

To dream of playing on the guitar, or of hearing it played, is for a young man a sign that his thoughts will or many a day be monopolised by, to him, the dearest and sweetest and best, and that his wooing will be followed by a happy and every way prosperous marriage. A young woman dreaming of guitar playing may also infer from it successful wedlock.

HOTEL

To dream of living in a hotel signifies that you will shortly be compelled by an accident to reside for a time in a hotel in a strange town, and that you will end in marrying the best girl in all that neighbourhood. This is in the case of a man’s dreaming. A girl dreaming of hotel life may conclude that she will marry a husband who will be of a roving disposition.

HUNGER

To have hunger enter into a dream is not a good omen, and means that you will be tempted to marry before you have enough for the housekeeping.

ICE

To dream of being on the ice signifies losses of various kinds, especially of money. For a man to dream of ice melting signifies that he will conceive an undying passion for a young woman, and that it will last not longer than fourteen days.

IVY

Dreaming of ivy means to either man or woman that the present engrossing object of affection will soon have to take a back seat, and that one will appear on the scene to whom vows will be paid that are to be really lasting.

JOURNEY

To dream of going on a journey – whether by rail, coach, carriage, cycle, steamboat, or sailing ship, does not make any difference – means that you are about to have a change in your circumstances.

JEWEL

To dream of looking at, but not possessing, a rare jewel means that you will shortly meet one whose worth you will at the moment fail to recognise, and whose friendship you will reject, and that that rejected friendship can never afterwards be yours.

KISSING

To dream of kissing may be pleasant enough while it lasts, but it indicates that in waking hours there will be strife, and that words will run more or less high in proportion to the warmth and enthusiasm recognised in the dream.

KNIFE

To dream of receiving the present of a knife is a bad omen, for it signifies that many ties in which you take pleasure are about to be cut, and that death and indifference and misunderstanding are about to make sad havoc in the circle of your friends.

LETTER

To dream of receiving and reading a letter means that you are at present in doubt as to what course of conduct to follow, and that the first words spoken by the first person you meet on the following morning will indicate what you should do.

LADDER

To ascend a ladder in a dream prognosticates your success in the world, but shows that it will not be rapid, for you will go up the ladder of fortune only step by step.

LIBRARY

To dream of being seated in a library means that you have abilities which, rightly cultivated, would enable you to attain to literary distinction.

LILY

For lovers to dream of the lily is good luck. It signifies that all will go well in their happy intercourse, and that their marriage will be crowned with a healthy and remarkably good-looking family.

LION

To dream of meeting a lion indicates that you are about to have some strange adventures, the recounting of which in after life will give great amusement both to yourself and your friends.

MADNESS

To dream of madness in any form is extremely fortunate, indicating that all your undertakings, however unpromising, and perhaps even foolish they may at times appear, will in the end bring success to yourself, and command admiration from your friends.

MALICE

It is well to dream of any one bearing malice towards you, it being a sign that that particular person entertains the most kindly feelings, and would do you a good turn if ever it lay in his or her power.

MAN

For a young woman to dream of talking confidentially to a young man is a happy sign in love affairs. It is all the more promising if he appears in the form of a handsome youth with soft eyes and a settled melancholy expression. For a man to dream of talking to a man foreshadows rivalry in business or in love-making, perhaps in both.

MIRROR

For a girl to dream of a mirror is a sign that she is in danger through studying her looking-glass of neglecting her intellect. It is ominous of future unhappiness, especially if dreamed on a Sunday.

MONEY

Dreams of money are in general unlucky, and point to approaching losses. To dream of finding money is to be dreaded, as to find in a dream is certainly to lose in reality.

MOON

To dream of the moon denotes general good luck. If it sets in a dream it indicates a tranquil, happy existence; if it rises you may expect at a friend’s house to meet one who will have a great influence over your destiny.

NECKLACE

To dream of wearing a costly necklace is for a woman an unfortunate sign, denoting that she will probably have more splendour than happiness in her wedded life.

NEWSPAPER

Reading a newspaper in a dream indicates that an expected note is sure to arrive, though its contents will hardly be to your liking.

NOSE

To dream of any one having a long nose means the coming of death, and the longer the nose the more speedy the end.

OAK

To dream of an oak means that you will have a long life, and remarkable health and strength as well.

OCEAN

Should you see the ocean in a dream, and its surface be calm, you may infer that your circumstances for the present will continue without change or disturbance, but should the sea be stormy it is proper to expect that your life will shortly become unsettled.

OIL

To dream of oil or of its use means that you will be shortly in danger of getting into trouble through a too free use of your tongue.

OWL

To dream of an owl is an unlucky incident. For the young it predicts that they are in danger of forming a matrimonial alliance with those who are heavy and stupid. For the middle-aged and old it denotes the approach of poverty.

PAINTING

To dream of painting – whether it be the walls of your house or a palace or anything else – is a good sign, meaning that what mistakes you have committed in the earlier part of your life will all be forgotten, and that you will come to occupy an honourable position in the world.

PEACOCK

To dream of seeing a peacock means for a young woman that she is shortly to marry a man of good looks but with brains badly placed; and for a man it signifies that he is to marry a young woman with the same characteristics.

PEARLS

There is great good luck in dreaming of pearls. For a young woman it signifies that she is destined to marry one who will not only prove an affectionate husband, but will be able to supply her with all the pleasures and luxuries that riches can command. A man dreaming of pearls thereby learns the fact that he will marry for love, and that after his marriage great riches will come to him through his wife.

PIES

To dream of watching a woman making pies means that your experience in love is likely to prove disastrous, and that you may come in the end to have as many wounds in your heart as there will be wrinkles on your face. Dreaming of eating pies – whether they be meat pies or fruit pies, it is all one – signifies that you will shortly have an opportunity of laughing at something till your head aches.

POETRY

To dream of writing verses and having a young lady criticise them denotes that you are never likely to marry, even though you fall in love countless times and write poetry about all your objects of affection.

QUARREL

Taking part in a quarrel in a dream is not good luck, and foretells that you may expect soon to be an unwilling listener to a conversation in which you will hear no good of yourself.

QUEEN

To dream of seeing the Queen means for a man that he will shortly marry a woman who will so rule his house that without her permission he will not get so much as a lump of sugar.

RIBBON

For a young woman to dream of ribbons is a sign that she is about to have a new beau, who will pay her many embarrassing attentions, but after fluttering round her for a short time will leave her for one with the reputation of possessing considerable means.

RIVAL

To dream of the discovery of a rival is one of the best omens in love affairs. It means that you will shortly be united to the object of your affections, and that few anywhere in after life will be happier than you two.

RIVER

A dream by a man of sailing up or down a river denotes that he will shortly be wedded to one of an imperious disposition, and that in after life, according to her will, so must be everything.

ROPE

It is a bad sign to dream of a rope. You may infer from it that you are in danger of being bound in fetters, willingly no doubt at first, but from which you will ere long desire hopelessly to get free.

SALMON

A dream in which salmon play a prominent part, whether in being caught or eaten, denotes that you are likely to see much of the world before being at last fettered by the chains of wedlock.

SEWING

For a young woman to dream of sewing is a favourable omen, indicating that she will shortly be united to one of the most loving of husbands, whose home she will make happy and comfortable by her good sense and industry.

SHIPWRECK

To dream of a voyage in which you are shipwrecked means that you and a companion will shortly start on a journey with much mutual affection, but that you will return hating each other with intense animosity.

SHOOTING STAR

To dream of seeing a shooting star has for lovers this meaning, that their affection will be so ardent that kisses thick and innumerable will be given and taken on both sides.

SLIPPERS

For a bachelor to dream of a pair of slippers portends his speedy marriage; for a young woman it signifies that she has recently met him who in all probability will be her partner for life.

TELEGRAM

For a young woman to dream of receiving or sending a telegram means that she is about to form a friendship with a young man so close and intimate that all their friends and enemies will be in common. And this friendship will ripen at last into love, and be crowned by a happy marriage.

THEATRE

To dream of being in the theatre means that the realities of life will soon cease to interest you, that you will take refuge in Dreamland, and live on illusions till your last hour.

TUNNEL

To dream of going through a tunnel with a light at the end is a good dream for the depressed, for it signifies that if their lives are now dull and gloomy they will brighten up in the long run into peace and joy.

VISIT

To dream of receiving a visit means that you ought to cultivate the art of being friendly with all you meet, because a stranger will shortly be introduced to you who will have it in his power to make your fortune.

WOMAN

A dream in which an old woman figures largely is of happy import. It means safety, prosperity, and comfort. To dream of a young woman means much the same thing, but these good features will be combined with not a few worries and distractions.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

To dream of eating Yorkshire pudding means for a young man that, though at present much taken up with the idea of good living – substantial dinners and the like – he is shortly to meet one who will alter the current of his thoughts and convince him that it is love after all that makes the world go round.

YOUTH

For a girl to dream of seeing a handsome but unknown youth means that she is about to transfer her affections from one with whom she at present thinks she is in love and give them to another, and that her present love compared with her future passion will be as a farthing cracker is to a volcano.