Pacifier: A pacifier is a substitute for the nipple used to calm a baby by tricking it into thinking it is receiving milk. As a symbol, it represents the impulse to sedate some irritated aspect of self. Consider who was using the pacifier in your dream and that will give you a clue as to what part of your psyche is screaming at you. If you are struggling to find a pacifier or if it is compromised in some way, you may be dreaming about stress that needs to be soothed. Part of the meaning in this symbol connects to the actual ineffectual nature of a pacifier; it offers the temporary illusion that there is something present that is actually not. In this way, a pacifier in a dream could signal that you are attempting to create something without the authentic power to back up your intentions. If you are the parent of a baby that is of pacifier age, this dream could be more literal.
Package: The real significance of a package is what is inside of it, which is often unknown. In this way, at the heart of this symbol is the excitement of possibilities and the mystery involved. If the package in your dream is meant for you, it represents the acquisition of something new and the expectation that what you are receiving could be beneficial to you. Check the sensation of the dream itself; if there is fear or anxious anticipation about what the package might contain, it could be revealing a level of pessimism and fear-based thinking.
Packing: Packing is about the preparation for something that is in the future and has yet to happen. This is a fairly common recurring dream image that many people report. If this is the case for you, then you may be expressing anxiety about attempting to control that which is ultimately uncontrollable by imagining that you can prepare for any outcome by having the right things with you. The same meaning applies if this is not a recurring dream experience for you, but is likely to be associated with a specific life experience that is causing you anxiety. You can only prepare so much and then you have to let go of the outcome.
Pageant: A pageant is a cultural experience where individuals put certain elements of themselves on display in the spirit of competition. You may dream of a pageant when you feel that your abilities are being scrutinized and objectified. Since a pageant is often associated with the more superficial aspects of a person’s value, such a dream may be a response to feeling that some life experience is not allowing you to show the entire picture of who you are.
Paint: You are dreaming of the desire to make changes to some aspect of your life by covering over the past and starting fresh. If the paint in your dream was more artistic in nature, the impulse being expressed may connect to your desire to be creative. Paint itself is the stuff with which this form of alteration is executed. Symbolically, it should be considered as the raw material of change of an expressive nature. The control you are able to exert over this elusive liquid medium will illuminate for you how effectively you may be utilizing your current creative resources. The more control you are able to access, the more effective your expressiveness is likely to be and the more effectively you will be able to manifest your desired intention.
Painting: The action of painting is a creative expression that refreshes and/or rejuvenates. Painting a surface accomplishes several things. First and foremost, it covers whatever is on the receiving surface. It makes a blank canvas come alive with expression. A new image can also cover over an older one. A building or a room can be reinvented with fresh color, or that which was old and dingy can become clean with a fresh coat of paint. Seen in this fashion, painting will always connect on a symbolic level with the emergence of something new and expressive as a replacement of something old or lacking vibrancy. Dreaming of painting a room in your home should be explored through the symbolic meaning of that room. The outside of your home connects to your persona, the part of yourself that you show to the world.
Palace: A palace is the home of royalty or a very high-ranking head of state. All homes in dreams are symbols of your sense of self, and to dream of a palace is to dream of your highest, most aspirational and prosperous sense of self that you can embody. Look to the context of the dream, the people who are present in it, and what is occurring in order to round out your interpretation of your current relationship with abundance.
Panda: The panda is a powerful symbol of abundance and prosperity. Pandas eat bamboo, long a symbol of luck and good fortune; they also eat it slowly and endlessly, connecting the panda to the concept of never-ending prosperity. Compassion and patience are also energies associated with this beautiful, beloved creature. If the panda should visit your dreams, you are being guided by a very powerful totem.
Pants: As an article of clothing, pants relate to both protection for the physical body and personal self-expression. Though this is less so in our modern world, pants are still archetypally a masculine symbol, so wearing pants in a dream connects to where the ability to be decisive, take action, and make things happen is focused. Who is “wearing the pants” has long been an expression to connote the person with the power, and this may be reflected in your dream. The state, style, color, and other elements of the pants must be added to your interpretation.
Paparazzi: Paparazzi take pictures of celebrities with no regard for their personal thoughts and desires about the choice to be photographed, often capturing people in less than ideal situations. In this way, they represent the lack of privacy as well as the notion of modern-day scrutiny. If paparazzi inhabit your dreams, you may be feeling exposed in some way by some circumstance in your life that is robbing you of your privacy and revealing things to the world that you would prefer to keep behind the scenes.
Paper: This is a symbol for the potential for communication, creative expression, the making of plans, or committing an idea to something permanent by putting it on paper. Writing on paper connects to a need to gain clarity with your thoughts. Reading something written on paper is about attempting to absorb some new idea as an intrinsic part of your knowledge base. Folding a piece of paper might reveal a wish to keep something hidden from others or possibly to break something down into more manageable pieces of information. Doing something atypical with paper, such as origami or cutouts, could connect to being creative in a rebellious fashion. Blank paper might point to the requirement of definitive communication that you are not clear about or unwilling to commit to yet. Reams and reams of paper could align with an overwhelming sense of thoughts or feelings that need to be documented in some way. In the business world there is a phrase that something must “look good on paper,” referring to the strategic planning that precedes taking action. This highlights the impermanence that exists prior to the permanence that a hard copy of a “paper trail” implies.
Parachute: A parachute is a structure that uses air resistance to slow down the pace at which an object falls to the earth. Falling is a symbol of control, or more accurately the lack of it. A parachute then is the element of safety added so that you can surrender more thoroughly to something of which you have no control.
Parade: A parade is often a symbol for the more celebratory moments of your life moving inextricably forward. You can watch the parade, a symbol of being passive and inactive, as it passes you by. Or you can join the parade and move with the flow of life. Whichever relationship your dream is reflecting, you can think of the parade as the activities that will bring you acclaim and public recognition.
Paralyzed: Many dreams feature a form of paralysis. Part of this is physiological, because the brain paralyzes the body during REM sleep; this is because there is so much brain activity during this type of sleep that you would otherwise move about as if you were wide awake. When this paralysis isn’t strong enough, it can result in sleep disturbances such as talking and somnambulism. There is an order to how this process is supposed to work, where the paralysis lifts before consciousness returns. When this doesn’t occur properly, you feel awake while your body is still paralyzed. Because you are still in a dream state, you often dream that you are in the very room in which you are sleeping but you can’t move and there is often a terrifying sense of a presence in the room. This is what is known as night terrors, which are more common in children and are the origins of the boogeyman and the monster under the bed. There is a heightened sensitivity to energy during this state that may allow an individual to perceive things that are usually hidden from consciousness. Add the terror of being paralyzed to this sense of something in the room and there is often an assumption that whatever is in the room means you great harm. This is not necessarily true, and it is possible to use the mind to alter this experience into something that is very light and beautiful. However, it usually starts with terror. In this way, a dream of paralysis may be connected to this phenomenon and should be thought of as something different from an interpretable dream reflecting unconscious material. If your dream features being paralyzed as a part of a more complex typical dream, then it symbolizes something in your life that is holding you back and keeping you from taking definitive action.
Parents: You are connecting to your inner sense of authority; who you are as a result of the parents you had. The voices of our parents become deeply imbedded in us as parts of our personality. This correlates with whatever information they repeatedly presented to us during our formative years. If their messages were ones of criticism and limitation, they live on within us as those inhibiting parts of our inner monologue. If our parents were supportive and loving, the same would apply. Chances are that they gave us a combination of messages, some positive and others negative. Depending on where you are in your life, you may be more aligned with the challenges your parents presented than the gifts they gave. It is usually most effective to deal with feelings of anger and resentment before authentically moving into forgiveness. The quality of the interaction in the dream will clue you in to where you are in that process. While dreaming of your parents may inform your actual relationship with them, it is important to consider what the dream is saying about how you parent yourself.
Park: A park is a modern-day invention designed to create the illusion of a natural landscape that modern life has all but eradicated. It represents the desire to keep portions of your consciousness clean, pristine, and natural. In the world of symbolism, this relates to being relaxed and free of stress, fear, doubt, and concern for material things. A dream that takes place in a park reminds you of the part of you that is more connected to nature and therefore love.
Parking Lot: Cars and their movement represent the way you progress through your life on a day-to-day basis. Therefore a parking lot symbolizes a temporary stopping of that process either due to a sense of feeling stuck or because of a conscious choice to attend to something before moving on. If a dream has a parking lot in it at any point, consider that as a thematic lens through which to view the entire dream; you are in some sort of holding pattern while an issue is being worked out before you can resume your journey in life.
Parrot: All birds are to be considered messengers of some sort, but the parrot has the distinction of being the one that repeats only what it hears. When this animal appears in a dream, you are being called out on a lack of originality and being called to find your own original voice.
Party: A party is a gathering of celebration. All people in a dream are parts of your own consciousness, and all the people who are at a party can be considered thoughts in your psyche that are coalescing into an idea that it is time to celebrate something or break loose and have some fun. Sometimes a party has the purpose of acknowledging some sort of milestone, and if this is the case in your dream, it is a reminder to consider your accomplishments.
Passport: A passport is first and foremost a form of identification, but it also affords the easy passage to foreign lands. As a symbol in a dream, it represents your ability to extend your consciousness into territory that is far from your comfort zone. Such a dream may also connect with a desire to expand your life’s horizons into something more exciting. To have lost your passport is to feel limited in your ability to accomplish more with your life or problem-solve in a highly creative manner.
Path: A path is a way of moving about some territory that has been traveled before by others such that the way is clear. It is a symbol of your own walk through life that is reflective of making choices that others have made before you. The more wild and remote the path, the more your dream is reflecting territory that is perhaps unique or atypical. A path or any movement along a path in a dream is also a symbol of your private journey through life.
Paycheck: For most people, a paycheck is a symbol of the security of the concept of ongoing prosperity and abundance. The check itself represents the sense that your needs will be met. Anything that is associated with a paycheck in a dream should be focused through this lens. If you cannot find a paycheck, you may feel that your security is threatened somehow. A paycheck that is damaged is also such a threat, but it reflects an incident that happened in the recent past. Finding a paycheck is to be discovering a new source of ongoing security.
Peacock: The male peacock is famous for his beautiful plumage, which has earned him a reputation for being proud. In this way, the symbolic meaning associated with this stunning bird connects with this sensation of being proud of your accomplishments. In a dream, this could be a call to step into such feelings about yourself or a warning that you are being too prideful. Allow the dream context and the feelings within the dream to illuminate which direction to go in.
Peacock Feather: The beautiful plumage of the male peacock contains some of the most startling colors in the natural kingdom and has long been associated with royalty and therefore great abundance. A peacock feather is considered a powerful totem of good fortune and prosperity.
Pearl: A pearl is the calcified product of the oyster that surrounds an irritant with a protective layer of material that humankind has considered precious for thousands of years. At the heart of this beautiful object as a symbol is the grain of sand that must be present in order for this beautiful object to be created. A pearl indicates that some difficult situation has caused a wonderful benefit to be generated.
Pebble: A pebble is the smallest demarcation of rock that we generally refer to. All rocks connect symbolically to the past; they are actually the memory of the earth itself. A pebble can be an irritant or a decoration, depending on the context. If you have a pebble in your shoe in your dream, you are carrying around some old idea or experience that wants to be let go of. If you are using pebbles in a garden or other natural decoration, you are celebrating your past experiences in a healthy and useful way.
Pen: Any writing implement relates to the act of self-expression. A pen is an almost outdated object that harkens back to a slower form of communication from an earlier time. It makes an indelible mark and so relates to the expression of thoughts that you cannot take back.
Pencil: This is a dream about communication that is changeable or impermanent. A pencil symbolically connects with communication issues. The fact that they are erasable adds an element of impermanence to the meaning and therefore a lack of commitment. By varying the pressure applied with a pencil, you can create different shades of gray, which implies a level of subtlety and textural meaning to the communication represented by this symbol in a dream. If you are using a pencil so that errors can be fixed, you may be dreaming about a desire to undo something not aligned with your original intention. Look to areas in your life where you are struggling to be clear and accurate. Also consider your integrity with regard to recent communication. With a pencil, you can erase a statement you wish you hadn’t made.
Penis: The penis is the ultimate symbol of the power of the masculine principle of doing and action. This can have sexual connotations as well as an expression of primal productivity. A woman dreaming of having a penis is connecting deeply to her inner masculine on an archetypal level. The same is true for a man, but without the archetypal meaning.
Pentagram: The pentagram is a widely misunderstood symbol; it has its roots in Christianity but is often used in the media in an inverted shape to refer to elements of the evil side of the occult. Its pure meaning connects to the five senses and the experience of the human body. In early Christianity it connects to the five wounds suffered by Christ. In the Tarot, the pentagram connects with money and prosperity. Any of these meanings might be expressed by a dream that features this geometrical image.
Performing on Stage: Life can often feel like a performance. In this way, dreaming of this image indicates that your unconscious is expressing a sense of your current life as being under public scrutiny. This is a common recurring dream, signifying the dreamer’s sense of feeling exposed or a fear of performing up to standards. The subtlety here is in whether you are on stage because of heightened vulnerability or because you are hiding your true feelings by “acting” your way through an experience. By considering the timing of the dream with regard to current situations in your life, you can discover your true sense of preparedness for what is being thrown at you at the time of the dream. By examining this thoroughly, you can assess whether this dream means you are feeling incompetent to face a challenge in life or if you are feeling prepared to perform at your peak capability. A highly stylized performance could indicate inauthenticity in some area. Conversely, it could connect to a powerful sense of creative originality. Forgetting your lines may represent your discomfort in some role or false persona you are putting on for the approval of others. Life is often like a performance. How you feel about this dream reveals how you feel about how well you are performing at this moment in time.
Phone: A phone is a symbol of the collective consciousness and the ability to connect to other people in the world instantly. The landline is fast becoming something of the past, and if your dream features such a phone, you may be examining ways in which your communication style is a little outdated.
Phosphorescence: This stunning effect comes from luminescent algae that can light up the ocean. This phenomenon in the animal kingdom is relegated to underwater dwellers and the firefly. The unconscious mind is considered a realm of darkness, and this improbable light represents the mysterious ability to shed light on that which normally cannot receive it. In a dream, it relates to a spiritual presence illuminating normally shadowed corners of the psyche.
Piano: Your creative potential is being expressed. The piano is a feminine image of creative expression. By itself, the piano represents your creative potential, because it must receive the attentions of someone to play it in order to achieve this potential. Since the music that emerges from it can vary from “Chopsticks” to Chopin, its symbolic meaning also connects to mastery. Anyone can cause a piano to sing by striking a key, but only a master can make it truly soar. The essence of music is the magic of joy, and a piano represents this potential lying dormant, waiting patiently to be unleashed. To see a piano and want to play it reveals a desire to tap into your inner creative expression. Actually playing one in your dream may indicate a period of blossoming joy.
Picnic: A symbol of relaxation and escape, a picnic combines the idyllic experience of nature with sustenance and self-care in the form of food. Often a romantic gesture, a picnic in a dream suggests a desire for any one or all of these elements to be added to your life.
Picture Frame: This image is connected to memories of the past and can indicate a desire to compartmentalize feelings. The frame around a picture completes it. We display imagery that reflects parts of who we are through pictures of loved ones and moments in time from our past. A picture is not the thing it represents, but a reflection of it, often imbued with our fantasies and projections. What we place around such captured moments has great significance to explain our feelings about them. This can represent how we have framed them in our minds to make sense of them. If a picture frame is a prominent image from a dream, you may be processing issues represented by the picture in the frame. The frame connects to some explanation, justification, or limitation in thinking about the person or circumstance being displayed.
Piercing: A piercing is a form of adornment through what appears to be painful means. The fact that the adornment itself is a reminder of the breaking of the flesh that it took to create it is a part of the message inherent in this particular brand of self-expression and appeals to young people and a fringe of subculture in society. If you are someone with piercings, such an image in a dream may simply be a reflection of your personal worldview. However, if such a look is outside of your milieu, there may be a call toward attending to something that relates to the area of your body that is being pierced. A tongue relates to your voice and things you would like to say. A navel is more connected to gut feelings and your instincts. Your ears indicate a need to pay more attention to the messages that are being presented to you.
Pig: Pigs themselves are actually quite smart and relatively clean animals. However, the media and literature have made the pig synonymous with gluttony and avarice. Your dream may be reflecting overindulgence in some area of your life.
Pills: The ability to alter your mind or mood in an instant is reflected in a dream that features pills or any kind of medication. A pharmaceutical medication is a compound that causes the brain to either create or inhibit the creation of certain chemicals that alter an experience in the body. If you are taking a pill in a dream, there may be some area in your life that you wish would transform or go away with relative ease. An overdose might indicate a more extreme search for an easy way out of a challenge or issues of indulgence. If you have health issues in your life, there may be a more literal relationship between the medication in a dream and the desire to get well. Not knowing what kind of pill you’re taking or what it might do to you is a possible indication of some ignorance or naiveté in the way you are approaching a situation that needs attention. The specific action of a medication also needs to be taken into account. For example, a pain medication might relate to a desire to escape something difficult. An antibiotic might indicate a reaction to dark, unwanted thoughts. An antidepressant might reveal an avoidance of unpleasant emotions. An antipsychotic medication could connect to feeling a loss of control of your emotions or chaotic thought patterns.
Pink: The color pink is created when red and white are mixed. Red is the color of the root chakra and the slowest vibration of the visible light spectrum. Its qualities are security, groundedness, and the desire to have all your needs met at a very fundamental level. White is representative of purity and spiritual ascension. When these qualities are combined, the resulting sensation is the embodiment of love. Pink is also associated with girls and all things feminine; this may be a consideration for interpreting a dream with this color as a prominent image.
Pipe: A pipe is a conduit for liquid beneath the surface and out of sight. As such, it is a symbol of the capacity to experience flow and easy movement of all kinds. Most pipes are associated with the movement of water and therefore connect symbolically to feelings and emotions. The state of a pipe in a dream may reflect your systems of emotional expression and fluidity. A pipe is also an implement for ingesting tobacco or marijuana and can be a symbol of the relaxation and comfort that smoking one can elicit.
Plastic Surgery: Any alteration to the way your body is shaped is akin to exerting some measure of control over the way you are seen in the world. When this alteration is reflected as surgical in nature, the resulting change is manipulated and inorganic. Plastic surgery is usually chosen in an effort to appear more attractive, desirable, or acceptable than one already feels. Ask yourself how authentic you are being in your interactions with others. This dream could point to something out of balance with how you feel and what you project.
Platypus: The platypus is an incongruous creature with the bill of a duck and a mammal’s body, and yet it is the only mammal that lays eggs. In this way, its medicine applies to being a total original. Platypuses are semi-aquatic animals and yet close their eyes underwater and use a complex system of electrical impulses generated by muscular contractions to maneuver. This connects them to the power of intuition and guidance; they are the animal totem of clairvoyants and psychic phenomena. When the platypus appears in a dream, you are being called to rely on your intuition and innate guidance system.
Playground: An environment of childlike playfulness, a playground symbolizes the expression of joy. If your dream takes place in a playground, you may be exploring a need to connect more with this part of your nature. If the playground comes from your own childhood, you may be examining specific patterns from your own life about your capacity to embody a lighthearted approach to certain circumstances.
Playing Cards: Dreams that contain cards are related to working with patterns and all the permutations that are possible when you understand the underlying structure of how life works. Cards are numbered and suited, and through working with these categories, an almost infinite number of possibilities exists. This is an analogy for how life itself works. In this way, playing cards are like a testing ground for becoming more skillful in playing the game of life.
Pointing: When someone points, he or she is indicating an object or direction that wants specific attention. It is ultimately a moment of clarity of where to go next. If a character in a dream is pointing at something, the interpretation will need to connect both to what the person is pointing at and who the person represents as part of your personality. Use the context of the dream to gain a deeper understanding of what you are being asked to pay specific attention to.
Poison: A poison is anything that is taken into your body that creates a dangerous or hazardous reaction, from creating illness to potentially death. As a symbol, poison relates to any thoughts, ideas, words, or actions that do the same. In a dream, this image is suggesting that something has recently entered your consciousness that is ultimately unsafe for you to keep inside of you. This may not necessarily come from outside of you, for it is just as easy to have poisonous ideas from within your own consciousness. Such a dream may be a call to find an antidote to any idea that is contrary to your best interests.
Poker: A game of chance and skill, poker has at the heart of it the concept of a bluff, hence the term “poker face,” where your true intentions are hidden. The game requires a great deal of patience and strategic waiting in order to accomplish something. If a poker game is featured in your dream, look for ways in which you are hiding what you really have to offer in an effort to gain something that you desire.
Police: The police are ultimately part of the warrior archetype that divides the world into two camps: right and wrong. They are the image that connects to your internal sense of authority as it relates to what is socially acceptable behavior. The presence of the police in any dream suggests that you are weighing a decision or an idea as to its harm or benefit. If the police are interacting with you directly, consider what the context of the dream has to offer about your current life choices.
Pond: Any body of water connects with your emotional experience. A pond is a natural setting, so it relates to your personal experience of your feeling nature. A pond is small and manageable, so it is reflecting a connection with your emotions from an idyllic and resourceful sensibility. Look to the state or condition of the pond in your dream for a glimpse into your emotional makeup at the time of such a dream.
Pool: See Swimming Pool.
Pop Quiz: You are being tested on a small amount of knowledge, experience, or wisdom in a very unexpected manner. (See Taking a Test, Exams.)
Porch: The house as a symbol is reflecting your sense of self at the time of a dream. The porch is outside of the house, but is still connected to it. In this way, it relates to the part of your consciousness that can maintain a sense of identity but share that identity with others in a social way. This interdependent sensibility is reflected by a dream that involves the porch of a house, so the state and condition of the porch is reflecting how you are maintaining your sense of self, but still interacting with the world.
Porn: Porn is an exaggerated sense of sexuality. It is not real, but often masquerades as such. In a dream, it represents an overvaluing of the lustful elements of your human sexuality and an avoidance of the intimate elements of this experience.
Posture: Your posture is the foundation for all your movement through life. It is an accurate reflection of your underlying mood and expressions of the unconscious. If your dream reflects particularly good posture and an erect spine, you are expressing a profound sense of well-being. This can also be a compensation for neglecting a holistic approach to how you move through life. Bad posture could be a clue that something outside of your conscious awareness is throwing you off entirely; time to check on the foundations of your lifestyle.
Power Lines: Power lines crisscross most of the civilized world, bringing the force of electricity to just about anywhere. In this way, they mimic the idea of the creative power of manifestation that is available to be tapped into at any given moment. They also connect with that instant connectivity through communication technology. If you have power lines present in your dream scenario, then part of what you are connecting to is this force of power that is always available for you to tap into. If the power lines are down, you may be experiencing a temporary disconnect from your source.
Power Plant: A power plant takes some sort of raw material and converts in into usable power. It is a symbol for your own ability to do this, which is part of the human mastery. In a dream, this image is revealing your current relationship to power, energy, and resources. A power plant is used by the larger community, so one in your dream may be reflecting energy that relies on other people in your life. Such a dream is asking you to consider where you are getting your energy from.
Pregnancy: You are formulating a new idea, project, or direction in your life. A pregnancy represents the appearance of something new on the horizon. All ideas, changes in direction, and physical shifts must first be created in the vat of ideas within the mind. Everything that we create in life is first felt as the spark of a new thought. To dream of pregnancy is to be connecting powerfully to this part of the creative process. Consider that something in you or your life is about to change dramatically. Dreaming of pregnancy is not relegated to women alone—men will often dream of being pregnant. Many men report such dreams when their significant other is literally preparing to give birth, and in the dream world, this represents the dramatic change of life that is about to take place as fatherhood descends upon them. Shame or fear of being exposed as pregnant because it is unwanted connects to uncertainty of how the shift in you may be perceived by others in your life. The closer the pregnancy is to birth, the more imminent the change that is germinating. If the pregnancy is experienced by a character within your dream, then consider that it is an element of your personality as represented by that character aspect that is undergoing the change that is afoot. If the term of the pregnancy is clear in the dream, you might want to consider what was going on in your life at the time conception would have been likely. For example, if you were seven months pregnant in your dream, look back seven months in your life for some new element that could be making itself known at this time.
Present: See Gifts.
Press: The idea of what the press represents is changing in our world. What used to be a force for the objective presentation of unbiased facts is giving way to manipulative invasion of privacy and the dissemination of controlled information. Your age may factor into how you perceive the press as an image based on this slow cultural change. No matter where you stand on this, the press connects to your public rather than private life and the notion that anything you choose to do may have public consequences.
Priest: This is an archetypal character aspect that represents extreme devotion to spiritual principles. The proliferation of this image in the media makes it a universal symbol for spiritual devotion. Also because of the media, this symbol carries with it a great number of potential shades of meaning, from an intense level of respect to humorous irreverence or even intense antipathy. Your personal associations with priests will therefore play a prominent role in how you interpret a dream with a priest in it. On the serious end of the spectrum, the priest is the symbolic representation of Christ on Earth and signifies a level of dedication that is unparalleled in our modern culture. In this light, the character aspect of a priest in a dream connects to a deeply committed spiritual side of your nature that is willing to sacrifice much for the sake of your beliefs. There is no getting around the current perception that the institution of the priesthood is also embroiled in deep controversy over sexual improprieties. The enforced role of celibacy also plays an important role in interpreting this symbol. If a priest should play a prominent role in a dream, issues of sexuality and sexual expression/freedom may be present.
Prison: There are consequences for the choices you make, and some of those choices bind you in a particular way. When you break the law, you go to prison. And while you have to engage in criminal activity to find yourself in prison in real life, the idea of being imprisoned by something can easily apply to any number of circumstances where you feel bound to some person, place, or thing in a way that feels severely constricting. In fact, the phrase “like a jail sentence” is often used in casual conversation to refer to anything that obligates a person beyond his or her comfort level. There is a difference between jail and prison that may be significant, especially if the dream was clearly taking place in one or the other. While the two have very similar sensibilities, a jail is where people are taken when they are suspected of committing a crime or when the crime is of low severity. Prison is where convicted criminals of more serious crimes are sent to pay their debt to society. If this distinction is made clear in your dream, recognize that jail is a more temporary form of bondage. Prison indicates that a more serious matter is being expressed. At the core of the symbolic meaning of prison is what you did to get there. The inciting incident that ends in jail time is always a choice that may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but has consequences resulting in the removal of freedom and comfort in some area of your life. When this environment plays prominently in a dream, examine your life for where you may be feeling that a decision you made in the past is feeling like something you can’t escape in the present.
Prostitute: You may feel as if you are trading on that which is intimate or personal for material gain. They say “money can’t buy you love,” but it can indeed buy you sex, which can be a substitute for love and intimacy. The challenge with prostitution lies in the judgments we place on selling something as intensely personal as one’s body and the act of performing sex for money. This makes prostitution something intensely impersonal. If you dream of being a prostitute, you may be experiencing something in your waking life that is pointing toward a sense of selling out or taking the easier, softer way through some challenge. If you are hiring a prostitute, you may want to look at that part of you that is willing to sell yourself short. If there is prostitution around you in the dream, notice your sense of connection to the concept. If you are in judgment or fear, consider the idea that there is a lack of integrity in the way that you are handling some person or situation. A more open attitude toward prostitution might point to a need for a more careful appraisal of your self-judgment, whether it be too severe or whether you might benefit from utilizing more discretion with your choices. No matter what your belief system, on some level prostitution leaves a legacy of shame, which is really the essence of this symbol in the dream. Is the price you are paying for your freedom worth it?
Public Speaking: This is a dream about communication on a grand scale, the pressure to get your word out into the world in a bigger way. Speaking in public is challenging for most people. For some, that challenge is so intense that even the idea of it can bring on a terrorizing attack of anxiety. Since there is a literal connotation with this symbol to the act of speaking, a dream that involves this activity will naturally point to an area in your life where your communication is being put on the spot. A person speaking in public is usually a figure of authority on some level. In this way, a dream that includes this as an image is probably expressing some area of your life where you are in your authority or where your authority is being put to the test. This is especially so if you were the one doing the speaking. If you were in the audience and someone else was talking, use that person as a character aspect of yourself to figure out what part of your personality has something to say. It could be that your desire for power and authority in your life is speaking to you through your unconscious in your dream.
Pumpkin: A pumpkin is a seasonal fruit that reminds us the harvest is upon us. There is a strong association with the pumpkin and Halloween, and this may be reflected in your dream. The fairy tale of Cinderella connects the pumpkin with a carriage through the magic of wishing for your heart’s desire. Any of these ideas may be expressed by a dream that features a pumpkin.
Puppet: A puppet is usually the figure of a human being that is manipulated by the puppet master to do his or her bidding. In this way, a puppet symbolizes being forced or coerced into choices that may not be authentic or true to you. If you are the puppeteer in your dream, look to where you are using manipulation to get your needs met.
Puppy: A dog represents the masculine principle of unconditional love, loyalty, and unbridled affection. A puppy is this energy in its absolute most exuberant expression. It also represents a less mature approach to love and intimacy, where enthusiasm is greater than the potential authenticity of the love being expressed.
Purple: See Violet.
Purse: This image relates to having access to tools for daily living. The key to this symbol is in what is carried inside of it. Whether it’s a pocketbook, briefcase, or shoulder bag, the personal carrying case has become a fixture of necessity in our fast-paced world. Purses provide mobile access to important items that may be needed when you are out in the world, such as your wallet, driver’s license, credit cards, and all the things that represent your identity. Hence, there is a strong symbolic association with what might be referred to as tools for life on a day-to-day basis. A pocketbook, handbag, or purse is generally carried by women and often contains grooming products. This connects it symbolically to the feminine principle. The items found in a purse will likely be associated with self-care and nurturing. If you have lost your purse and are searching for it, you may be experiencing a momentary obstacle in your life.
Pyramids: A pyramid is a shape found in ancient civilizations that has a great deal of spiritual connotations in today’s world. Pyramids represent a connection to ancient principles of aspirational thoughts and ideas. Dreaming of the pyramids may be a call to consider the more esoteric forms of spiritual exploration.