Table: Since the primary cultural association with a table is eating meals, the symbolic nature of this object is about groups and connections, with a potential emphasis on the family. As such, a table in your dreams may be pointing to the quality of this construct within your own life. If there is a gathering around a table in a dream, look to those gathered for clues as to the qualities and skills you need to feed and therefore nurture at this time. The shape of the table has some significance as well. A round table harkens back to the mythology of King Arthur, where this shape was the first representation of democracy within leadership. A table that is broken or otherwise impaired signals an inability to gather inner strength.
Tadpoles: The frog is amphibious and can dwell in both the realms of the conscious and the unconscious, as represented by land and water. This intermediary state of tadpole signifies the natural order of things to begin in the inner realms before venturing out into the air. There is a connection to the tadpole and the notion of ideas that must swim around in the nurturing ponds of your mind before they are ready to spring forth into action.
Tail: Tails in the animal kingdom have a number of functions, from expressiveness to movement and balance. Since our most consistent relationship with this body part is through domesticated pets, it is the tail’s ability to express anxiety and joy that is most likely the meaning of a tail in a dream. If you have a tail in a dream, it relates to both a return to primitive instincts as well as the transparency that comes when you can’t hide your true feelings.
Taking a Test: You are having anxiety around being held accountable in some aspect of your life. Quizzes, tests, and exams are part of the structure of education that most people in the West first experience in childhood. This is imprinted in the brain as a permanent memory, associating the sensation of performance anxiety with images of being tested in school. In dreams, these become a metaphor for the ways in which we are tested by challenges in life. We only pass such tests if we have gained a sufficient level of knowledge from past lessons learned. When you dream of taking a test, your unconscious is letting you know that there is underlying anxiety around how prepared you feel to face your life. Examine your life for areas where you feel you are being held accountable, even if the only person holding you accountable is yourself. This is often a recurring dream for people who experience high levels of performance anxiety, a fear of failure, or frequent feelings of judgment from others. It can also indicate a hidden need to be acknowledged by those in authority in your life and to feel validated for your accomplishments. In this way, a test dream can be a compensation for feeling undervalued. (See Exams, Pop Quiz, Quiz.)
Talent Show: Two themes are involved in a talent show. The first is a public display of gifts and abilities. The second is the competition for the top spot. Such a dream may indicate a sense of a strong desire to have your gifts and talents recognized in the world. A secondary meaning may connect with feeling a sense of competition for such recognition—that there is only room for a limited amount of appreciation.
Tampon: A tampon is used to stop the flow of blood that connects with menstruation and reflects a desire for certain natural experiences to be tidier and cleaner than they naturally are. What flow in your life are you trying to stop from moving naturally because of some sense of shame or inhibition? There is an interesting use here of something phallic to alter something vaginal; look for where you are switching out a masculine approach when a feminine one would be more authentic.
Tape: There are many different kinds of tape, but the premise is the same: repairing some sort of damage to a flat surface by bonding to that surface, creating adhesion that keeps what had been torn apart in one piece. Tape is easy to use and ubiquitous, and herein lies the symbolic meaning: something needs a minor repair and there is a simple solution. Look to something in your life that can be easily mended.
Tapestry: A tapestry is a large, magnificent image created by the knitting together of thousands of different colored threads and yarns. This is a metaphor for life itself, a beautiful creation that can only be constructed one thread at a time. Look to the tapestry of your dreams to reflect how you are feeling about the overall arc of your life so far.
Tar: Tar is an organic petroleum substance that is very sticky. When it is put to good use, it can help make roads more durable and waterproof a roof. However, in its natural state tar has been known to lead to the demise of any animal unfortunate enough to get stuck in it. In this way, its dark and smelly quality represents elements of life that can be frightening, coarse, or unfortunate when ignored, but can turn into productive aspects when used properly. What challenge in your life are you not recognizing as an opportunity?
Tarot: The Tarot is a powerful community of archetypes that can be examined for their own individual meanings. If you are familiar with this divining tool, look to the specific images that arise in a dream as guidance coming from your inner wisdom. If you are not familiar with it, a visit from the Tarot may be your soul asking you to look to more esoteric means of spiritual expression.
Tattoo: The desire to ink your skin runs the gamut from a powerful need for self-expression or a tribal sense of symbolic presentation all the way to drunken regret. As such, in a dream you must consider your personal relationship with body ink before you arrive at a satisfying interpretation. Understand that on a universal level, there is a very rich tradition of adorning the skin this way in the development of human history across the ages.
Taxes: The inevitability of paying taxes evokes a great emotional response from most people. At the heart of this act are the principles of accountability and responsibility. If tax issues are part of your dream, this symbol may be reflecting a reaction to elements of your life that are asking you to be accountable in some way. To whom much is given, much is required. Additionally, the word “taxing” can indicate something that is burdensome or onerous.
Taxi: You may need to improvise in order to get your ideas into action. A taxi takes us from one place to a desired destination, and this is symbolic of a change or transformation that is brief or small in nature. The fact that you can get a taxi with ease by waving your hand or making a phone call speaks to the improvisational nature of how to get that change to manifest.
Tea: There is a great deal of ritual associated with tea, and despite the caffeine that some teas contain, the act of drinking tea is often associated with relaxation, civility, and calm. To be making tea in a dream is an indication of a desire to incorporate more of these gentle qualities into your life.
Teacher: A teacher in a dream is part archetype and part character aspect. The teacher is the one with the knowledge, and to dream of one is to be tapping into the part of you that knows. If the teacher is someone known to you, add the element of that person’s personal qualities to your interpretation. The less you know of the teacher in a dream, the more you may be experiencing wisdom at an archetypal level. No matter how the teacher appears, consider that there may be something for you to learn. Learning occurs by accumulating small amounts of data that build upon each other. Teachers know what piece of information needs to be added next in order for learning to take place. A figure of authority, the teacher is the one person at school who knows what the lesson plan is. Teachers have both the questions and the answers. Not only do they control what happens in the classroom, but they also know why things are ordered in a particular way. Each of our teachers presents us with the specific information needed to master a particular level of our functioning. Any teacher in a dream represents the part of you that understands this concept of step-by-step mastery and provides the mental environment in which learning occurs, or is blocked. There is great patience built into this process, even though many of your teachers in life may have lacked this quality. When a teacher appears in your dream, examine the person as a character aspect of yourself. The teacher’s behavior toward you in the dream and your resulting feelings will offer insight as to how well your inner guidance system is operating and to what degree you are showing yourself patience with the pace of your growth. A kindly teacher will result in a very different interpretation from one who is abusive or frightening.
Teeth: Teeth connect to abundance and prosperity. When interpreting this symbol, please understand that money is only one form of abundance and prosperity. Teeth attract love by revealing themselves in a smile. They can protect you by exposing themselves through a frown as an aggressive snarl. They also assist in the body’s ability to take in sustenance. It is in this way that teeth symbolize prosperity by virtue of being the arbiter of love, protection, and nurturance.
Teeth Falling Out: You are feeling insecure about some area of your life. Teeth serve three primary functions. They allow us to process our food so we can nurture ourselves. They express joy when revealed in a smile, and they can indicate aggression when exposed in a snarl. All of these things—nurturance, joy, and protection—connect directly to security and well-being. If individuals cannot nurture themselves, attract loving connections, and protect themselves from danger, the basic constructs of a secure life are not likely to be available to them. Without these three important parts of life, fear will prevail. Therefore, when this dream image appears, issues of personal security are at the forefront of your unconscious expression. There are various levels of intensity associated with this symbol. It can fluctuate from a slightly loose tooth to having all your teeth crumble out of your mouth in a bloody mess. The scale of intensity of the dream will indicate the amount of fear being expressed. Whether it is a general fear of being out of control, looking bad, aging, or some other issue of unmet needs, the appearance of this dream indicates underlying insecurity in some area of your waking life. The teeth are used for chewing, and this association can indicate a need to “chew on something for a while,” as in mulling over a choice or course of action. “Sinking your teeth into something” refers to taking on life wholeheartedly. Losing your teeth in a dream could indicate an inability or unwillingness to do so. Losing our teeth as children is such a powerful rite of passage. On some level, losing your teeth in a dream will connect to the process of growing up, even in adulthood.
Telephone: Staying connected with others is at the heart of this symbol, which is rapidly becoming an obsolete item as more and more people abandon their telephones for the portable benefit of the cell phone as their only means of connection. No matter what form the phone takes, the meaning of communication and instant gratification applies. If every person in a dream is a reflection of the dreamer, the phone is the power of the connectedness of thought. (See Cell Phone.)
Television: The collective consciousness and the concept of manufactured truth are represented by a television in a dream. Television represents this collective thought in action. Through programming, especially the news, there is an almost hypnotic experience in the Western world that makes the general population accept what is seen in TV as the truth about life, whether or not that is actually so. The line between what is truth and what is fiction is continually blurred, and this has increased with the advent of so-called reality television. The proximity between yourself and the television in your dream should be considered to represent your current relationship to the impact that television and its content is having on your life. Some people never watch TV, while others are addicted. Where you fit on this continuum will affect how you view this symbol in a dream. First examine the landscape of the dream for an accurate, contextual theme of what messages the dream might be offering you. Then filter this through the perspective that television always presents manufactured truth. Ask yourself how you might be being manipulated by what other people think as opposed to your own authentic notions about life. It may be time to turn the television off and start living life in real time.
Temple: You are dreaming of connecting to your spiritual nature in a more conventional way. Churches, temples, and mosques are the center of spiritual life for any community. Just like a house in a dream, any building can be interpreted as representing one’s current sense of self. In this way, any place of worship ultimately points to your relationship with spirituality and religion. Because this element of life can be particularly controversial, it is very important that you make a clear distinction between the universal meaning of a temple as connecting to matters of spirituality and whatever personal feelings you harbor about organized religion. If a temple is not your typical house of worship, your dream may be asking you to consider the similarities and not the differences between different sets of religious dogma. (See Church, Mosque.)
Termite: The primary element of the termite’s existence that illumines its symbolic meaning is its destructive powers. Hidden from view, termites can completely destroy the structural integrity of a building and are a homeowner’s worst nightmare. If you see a few termites, there may be hundreds unseen eroding the foundation of something you hold dear. When termites appear in a dream, be prepared to look beneath the surface for evidence that some structure in your life may be being eaten away.
Terrorist: Terrorists create an enormous amount of death and destruction based on the fundamental belief that they are doing the right thing, usually out of a profound sense of spiritual faith. If you are feeling disenfranchised, such strong urges can erupt into a violent reaction. If a terrorist is featured in a dream, be on the lookout for misdirected passions.
Test: See Exams, Pop Quiz, Quiz, Taking a Test.
Testicles: The testicles are the source of power in the masculine principle. Testicles featured in a dream relate to connecting with male fertility and the capacity to disseminate great amounts of creative energy. There may or may not be a sexual element involved.
Texting: Texting relates to the notion of instantaneous communication and the desire to get your thoughts connected to another person with a sense of immediacy. Texting has become such a standard part of modern society that it may have very little symbolic meaning beyond this desire to make an instant connection.
Theater: A place devoted to the presentation of created stories, a theater in a dream is a place where people gather to share a common experience. Any building in a dream is symbolic of an idea or a belief system that you have. This particular one is about themes that occur in the collective and have to do with social conformity or community agreement. If your dream takes place in a theater, you may be exploring ways in which your community or social experience is playing out the story of your life.
Therapist: A therapist is a symbol for a character aspect that relates to the part of you that is wise and helpful. It is common to dream of your therapist when you are actively in therapy. This indicates that an internalization of the therapeutic process is occurring. If the therapist is not someone known to you, then you are activating the part of you that can guide you with wisdom and clarity.
Three: When two are gathered, eventually their energy will create a new element, and a third is born. Three is the number of creativity and is a powerful energy. There are many examples of the concept of three: mother, father, and child is perhaps the most universal. The Holy Trinity in Catholicism is another instance. The artist, the paint, and the finished work is just one case that can be applied to any creative endeavor. In music, a triad is the simplest and perhaps most pleasing harmony. In the world of geometry, it is only when you have three points to work with that you can create an actual shape. The shadow challenge of three is a lack of grounding and separation from reality. This is because three relates so strongly to the drive to create that feeling unable to do so would be the fear-based side of this energy.
Throat: The throat is the seat of all communication, and anything that occurs in this area of the body in a dream relates to issues you are having around your voice, such as owning it and communicating from an authentic and strong perspective. Many dreams that involve the throat include challenges and compromise, from violent attacks to permutations of the body. Whatever is happening in the dream with your throat, consider it a description of how you are using your voice in your current life circumstances and relationships.
Thunder: You are seeing evidence of dramatic moments of enlightenment. Thunder is the auditory evidence of the presence of lightning. If lightning is to be understood as a sudden burst of enlightenment and awareness that appears in an instant and changes things forever, thunder is the booming announcement that comes along with the moment. There is an old method of determining one’s distance from lightning strikes by counting the number of seconds between the lightning strike and the clap of thunder that follows. If thunder and lightning are both present in the dream, it raises the stakes of the dream. It can also point to the distinction between a moment of awareness and the secondary impact of the change it initiates.
Tick: You are feeling pestered by nagging thoughts that are slowly draining your motivation and life force. A tick is an insect that grabs on to flesh and sucks blood for its own sustenance. Blood is symbolic of passion and life force, and to lose even a little bit can represent the small ways in which annoying thoughts of negativity can slowly deplete your sense of well-being. To be infested with ticks is to recognize that the tipping point has come and your negativity is beginning to overwhelm you.
Ticket: A ticket is a symbol for the power and right to enter. What the ticket is for adds an important distinction to how to interpret it as an image in a dream. At the heart of it, the ticket represents the possibility of some sort of an adventure. A theater or movie ticket connects to a desire to see your life a certain way. A ticket for any sort of transportation reflects the need to make a more drastic change. Losing a ticket symbolizes that you feel that the opportunity for something has potentially passed you by.
Tie: The tie is an adornment and in this way connects to personal self-expression. Because it is worn around the neck, it highlights issues of communication and speaking with a powerful ownership of your voice. A tie can represent a sense of restriction where responsibility is concerned.
Tiger: The tiger is the ultimate animal symbol for strength and sensuality and is also connected to vitality and health. When a tiger appears in a dream, you are being acquainted with a powerful totem to guide you through any difficulty. Tiger medicine is the perfect antidote to fear and aversion, for the courage, strength, and cunning associated with this animal are without parallel.
Tightrope: Originally part of a circus act, the tightrope is an extremely narrow path for a person to traverse as an act of thrill. If you are walking a tightrope in a dream, you may feel as if some circumstance in your life has you in a very precarious situation. Something may be asking you to move very, very slowly and constantly check in for a sense of balance.
Time Travel: The ability to move through time is a fascinating dream symbol, for in dreams time has no limitation whatsoever. In this way, if you are dreaming of time travel as a concept, it is the desire to shift time perspectives in your waking life that may be inspiring such a dream. To go back in time relates to altering an error or regrettable choice. To move forward implies a desire to escape present circumstances.
Tiptoe: A more delicate approach to something may be required. When you walk on the tips of your toes, you reduce the evidence of your presence by making less noise and impact. This is beneficial when you desire to make less of an impression. However, there is a consequence to this, as you relinquish power and a sense of being grounded. The context of the dream in which you are walking on tiptoe will give you more insight as to whether this act is beneficial or inhibiting. If a character in your dream is walking on tiptoe, then the aspect of yourself that the person represents is looking to remain less visible.
Tires: The tires of any vehicle are what give it traction and allow it to move with relative ease. The state of the tires in a dream relates to your journey on the path through your life as well as how grounded that journey is. A flat tire indicates a temporary obstacle that halts your movement. Missing tires are the same, only the challenge is greater and the delay longer.
Toes: The toes are about balance and finesse with regard to your movement through life. They can also be a source of adornment and self-expression. Something happening to the toes in a dream may indicate that there are some obstacles impeding you. A stubbed toe is an error in judgment that gets your immediate attention.
Toilet: See Bathroom.
Tomb: A tomb is a building that houses the dead. A building in a dream represents some construct of your thought process or your consciousness. A tomb, therefore, is elements of your consciousness that are no longer active and considered dead and buried. A tomb in a dream may relate to the past.
Tombstone: A tombstone marks a place where someone is buried. In the world of dreams, the death of a person is usually a sign that some way of being in the world is no longer serving you and needs to be sacrificed in order for growth and expansion to occur. A tombstone indicates a need or desire to stay somewhat connected to that part of your psyche. For more layers of an interpretation, consider who the tombstone is representing; whoever the person is, it is the qualities that he or she possesses that have been released. The tombstone indicates that the process has already occurred.
Tongue: Anything involving the tongue relates to your ability to articulate in the world of communication. Conversely, the tongue could also relate to the sense of taste and the quality of life that taste brings to the experience of eating. The tongue is symbolic of our innate human desire to be understood and relates to issues around communication. This can reflect everything from being soft-spoken to possessing a sharp tongue. If communication is too passive, the speaker may be rendered ineffective. If it is too pointed or overly direct, wounding can occur, often in opposition to the communicator’s intention. A damaged tongue could indicate a need for you to examine how effective you are in this area. If your tongue is paralyzed, you may not be speaking powerfully enough to achieve your intentions in your waking life.
Tool Belt: If you dream of a tool belt, you may be faced with a time in your life when you need ready access to various problem-solving approaches. Tools connect with the masculine principle of doing things, and having such choices at hand is what a tool belt signifies.
Tools: Tools are for fixing and building, and as such, they relate to a masculine approach to problem-solving. If you dream of tools, there may be some obstacle or challenge in your life that requires a hands-on approach to be solved. Consider the type of tool. A hammer indicates that a strong and definitive step should be taken. A screwdriver may imply the need to work your way slowly into the meaning of a problem. More complex tools may relate to the need to approach a situation with a level of finesse and sophistication.
Toothbrush: The teeth are directly connected to the security that comes when you can nurture and protect yourself and attract love. The toothbrush is a symbol of the ongoing care needed to sustain these security-building abilities.
Toothpaste: Similar to a toothbrush, toothpaste is a tool that connects to caring for the teeth, the symbol of security and the ability to attract love and take in sustenance. Toothpaste is more in alignment with keeping the teeth attractive and healthy, and so in a dream it represents having this ability at hand. However, like many elements of self-care, you have to use it for it to do any good.
Top: You are stuck thinking the same thoughts repeatedly. A spinning top represents the way in which something repeating over and over again has the power to keep you stuck in one place.
Torch: Flames are always a symbol of great change and transformation. A torch is often used to light dark places, and as such, it is a symbol of being able to see just enough of what is usually hidden to make your way through a period of change. Also consider that “carrying a torch” is a common phrase for maintaining a pervasive connection to someone you no longer are connected to in a romantic fashion.
Tornado: There may be destructive forces brewing in your consciousness that are emerging out of opposing energies. These weather phenomena are incredibly destructive and completely unpredictable in their movement. The devastation that they leave in their wake is almost unfathomable, but there is also an element of creation present, as their symbolic meaning lies in their formation. A tornado is the result of two air masses of very different temperatures colliding with each other. Under the right conditions, these two systems meet up with each other and each tries to force the other to submit to their direction of movement. As a result of this conflict, the two form a third energetic system that combines the force of both, creating a tornado. Resistance is at the essence of the interpretation of this image, so when a tornado appears in a dream, look for areas in your life where you may be in resistance. In addition, the chaotic nature of a tornado’s path makes this a perfect expression of waking-life chaos. This dream may be indicating an unconscious reaction to the unpredictable nature of how things are unfolding around you, especially in areas where you are facing direct opposition to your desires.
Torture: At the heart of torture is the desire for information to be revealed; the moment the torturer is satisfied, there is freedom. Are you harboring secrets or a hidden agenda that has you suffering in some way? There may be some secret truth that you are holding back when torture appears in a dream.
Tour: A tour is a safe and contained way to explore a foreign landscape. If that foreign landscape is a symbol for some unknown territory in your own consciousness, then the meaning of a tour in a dream is the assistance desired when exploring deeper realms of parts of you that you have yet to meet. Consider the location of the tour in your dream and add any personal associations you have with it to your interpretation.
Tow Truck: A car is a symbol for how you are moving along your path in life. A tow truck implies that the car is not working for some reason, and the tow truck is your symbolic access to being able to make the proper repairs and be on your way. If you are feeling stuck in your life, the tow truck indicates that you will soon be moving again.
Tower: A tower offers a vantage point in the defending of a fortress, and in this way the symbolic meaning of a tower connects with consciousness that is higher. You may be seeking higher ground in terms of your aspirations. However, the tower is also synonymous with a prison, and as such, you can be locked in the tower if your thinking is too myopic. How has a particular idea about something in your life imprisoned you?
Toys: If you dream of toys, you may be expressing an impulse and a desire to return to the playfulness of childhood and a more innocent time in your development. You must decide if the toys in your dream indicate that this impulse is a supportive and creative move toward incorporating more childlike qualities into your daytime life in a productive way, or if you are expressing a desire to escape your adult responsibilities.
Tractor: The tractor is a staple in farming, increasing the level of productivity exponentially by dramatically increasing the workload potential in the field. Farming becomes a symbol for all creativity, and the tractor is the symbolic tool for increasing your efficacy in creating abundance. Part of what a tractor accomplishes is digging deeper into the earth, so a tractor in a dream may also symbolize the desire to become more grounded and dig deeper into your consciousness.
Traffic: Vehicles are so much a part of modern life that as a symbol in a dream they can represent the ways in which your outer or social experience in the world is constantly moving and results in a sense of chaos. In this way, a traffic jam is a symbol of when there is too much of this attempted movement and things get backed up. Are you attempting to do too much at once? Are there things you would like to accomplish, but other things, such as responsibilities or obligations, are getting in the way?
Traffic Light: A traffic light manages the flow of vehicles on the road. In the world of symbolism, traffic represents the myriad thoughts that are constantly rushing through your mind. The traffic light is a symbol of control and restraint and represents an attempt to minimize chaos in your life. If the light was red, you may need to stop and pause in some undertaking that is currently unfolding. A green light suggests that it’s time to take action. A yellow light is asking you to bring some caution to how you are moving about in your current circumstances. A broken traffic light indicates that your ability to control the movement of your thoughts is not working properly and may be causing some anxiety, stress, or depression.
Trail: A trail is symbolic of being on some sort of a journey. Since a trail is usually related to something that is found in a more natural setting, the journey that is being expressed in this dream is more closely related to something personal about your nature—an inner journey as opposed to your public life. The quality of the trail and the things that happen while you are on this trail will give you more insight into what this dream means.
Trailer: A trailer is a home and in this way is ultimately a symbol of your sense of self at the time of the dream. The function of a trailer is to allow such a home to be mobile and easily moved from one place to another. This movement is symbolic of change and transformation such that the essential self as represented by the trailer is unchanged. Such an image in a dream might indicate that outside circumstances are shifting in your life and there is a desire to maintain a connection to your essential self as you allow those changes to unfold.
Trailer Park: A community of mobile homes, a trailer park may be a literal representation of your world if you actually live in one. If you think of each separate home as a thought or an idea, then the symbol of a trailer park is about many congruent ideas gathered together. But though there are many thoughts that are in agreement in this symbolic homestead, they also represent ideas about which you have some flexibility or willingness to easily change. What areas of your life seem permanent but ultimately are not?
Train: You are undergoing a pretty significant change or transformation. Any vehicle that moves you from one location to another signifies that big shifts are occurring. A train is much faster than a car but slower than a plane. In this way, being on a train in your dream means that there is a medium amount of transformation going on in your life. A train is a type of public transportation, so the changes that are taking place are more likely to relate to your public rather than your private life. The state of the train, such as its age and the shape it is in, will offer you more distinctions to add to your interpretation.
Train Station: A train is a vehicle of transportation and as such represents a change or transformation in your life. The station is the waiting spot that implies that such a change either has just been completed or is just about to begin.
Train Tracks: Train tracks symbolize a desire for change or the imminent sense of danger that upcoming change portends. If the train represents change itself, then the tracks connect to the possibility of shift and change that could be occurring but at present is not yet happening. Train tracks have a measure of danger connected to them because a train could come along at any moment, putting you in peril. In this way, a dream that takes place on train tracks could be pointing to the possibility that some dramatic change is on its way and, when it arrives, has the potential for causing fear or destruction. The tracks that carry a train indicate all the places a train might go. One interpretation relates to the potential for movement and travel. There is a very powerful association with train tracks as a dividing line between classes, as in the “other side of the tracks.” Which side of the tracks are you on in your dream?
Transsexual: The expression of gender in our culture is very complex and ultimately misunderstood by most people, making this image in a dream equally complex. If the transsexual experience is something you are familiar with, your dream may simply be an exploration of the different ways in which roles in the world are much more fluid than most people imagine. At the heart of this symbol is the switching between the masculine and feminine principles, between doing and being. The presence of a transsexual character in a dream may be asking you to consider the opposite point of view in some situation in your current life. When you imagine that taking action is best, perhaps being still is what is called for. When you have traditionally been slow to move, taking bold action may be a more powerful choice.
Trap Door: You may be harboring some secrets. A trap door indicates that there is a landscape below that is separated from the rest of your current consciousness. This can imply something that is being kept hidden. Your job is to determine what, if anything, is below you; do you know what it is, and how do you feel about the possibilities inherent in this structure? A trap door may suddenly swing open and capture someone, adding an element of risk and deceit to the mix.
Traveling: Travel is a common dream theme that relates to how you are moving through life. It is best to break this symbol down into very basic segments. The location you are leaving is likely tied in with your past and elements of your life that you are letting go of and moving away from. Your destination, if there is one, may offer clues to where you are heading or desire to be. An unknown destination can point to a need to move your life into new territory, even though you may not currently be aware of what that might look like. The emotional qualities of the traveling can provide a good snapshot of how your unconscious is responding to your current life path and the movement inherent on your journey. The mode of travel will reveal issues around the way your life is supporting the desires you have. The effectiveness of your vehicle and the control you are able to exert over your direction may be a reflection of how these themes are playing out in your waking life. The obstacles that present themselves are to be considered as a barometer for challenges you are facing that may be impeding your progress. Being stuck or unable to control where you are going might connect to some element of your life that is stagnant. The speed of travel is important to determine how fast an area of life is moving. A train might indicate things speeding out of control, whereas a cruise ship could feel impossibly slow. Very often, only a small part of a journey is what appears in a dream. In this case, the context and location will help identify what specific path of life needs to be examined by stopping and paying closer attention.
Treadmill: Though there is great benefit to be gained from using a treadmill during waking life as a way to exercise, as a symbol one must consider the futility of running but staying in the same place. If a treadmill is featured in a dream, you may be feeling that your actions are getting you nowhere.
Tree: Trees can represent your growth through life, with the roots connecting to where you come from and how you are grounded in your experience. The trunk is the part of the tree that most relates to your personal life and your physical body. The branches of the tree connect to the different choices you make during the course of your life—your relationships, your interactions with family, and the different modes of expression you choose. Trees also connect with your family of origin and your ancestry through the image of the family tree. Trees are deeply grounded in the earth but also reach into the sky, so in a dream landscape they connect to the balance between your instincts and your intellect.
Trial: At the heart of a trial is the principle of right and wrong, and the process of deciding what is true. You may dream about a trial when you are feeling guilty about something or when you are being accused of something you are innocent of. The word “trial” is synonymous with any very challenging situation, and such a dream image may appear when you are facing anything in life that feels onerous and difficult.
Truck: This is a practical symbol that relates to how you are moving through your life. As with any mode of transportation, a truck connects symbolically with the movement on one’s path through life. A vehicle that is not your usual mode of transportation points to an underlying shift in perspective of where your life is heading. A truck is a utility vehicle that is used when there is a need to move heavy cargo with ease. When one appears in a dream, the need being expressed connects to traveling into new territory that may require a considerable inventory of resources. The size, structure, and purpose of the truck in your dream will give you the most informative clues for your interpretation. In identifying the truck’s specific use, you will have a better sense of the shift that is underlying this symbol’s meaning. A moving van has implications that are far greater than a pickup truck might have, as one indicates the need for a complete reorganization of some aspect of your unconscious while the other implies only a minor alteration. A truck with towing capacity points to the need to carry something old and broken into the new landscape that is emerging. A more specialized vehicle, such as a cement truck or a construction vehicle, might lead you to consider what structural or foundational changes in your life may have sparked this image. The body type, age, and color of the vehicle can also be considered for shades of meaning. An older truck could mean that you’ve made this change before, whereas something new could be commenting on the newness of what you are going through.
Tsunami: The ocean is a symbol for the unconscious mind and the overwhelming emotions that can emerge from such a deep place. A tsunami results from an earthquake, which is a symbol for a great disruption that happens after a great buildup of pressure. A tsunami is a symbol for the unavoidable emotional upheaval that can result from unexpected changes in your current landscape. This is a common recurring dream image that relates to the ways in which the emotional cycles of life can be challenging and overwhelming.
Tumor: A tumor forms when cells divide faster than is considered normal. In this way, a tumor is a symbolic representation of the damage that can occur when things are allowed to get so chaotic as to be completely out of control. Over time, such chaos can lead to drastic consequences, and the damage may be done long before it is discovered. A tumor in a dream represents something that has been going on under the surface for a while but that is now demanding attention to be healed.
Tunnel: You are making a transition through lower levels of consciousness. A tunnel allows for movement underground and safe passage underneath a body of water or other above-ground landscape. Being inside of a tunnel connects to a transition into new territory in your life. The part of this transition represented by the tunnel itself is the most difficult part, often characterized by a sense of loss and lack of direction. Very often when you are inside a tunnel that is symbolic of a transition, you may not know where you are coming from and, even more frightening, where you are going to wind up. The thing most often looked for while in a tunnel is the light at the end, so there can be a sense of hope in uncertainty.
Turkey: Though a turkey is a bird and therefore merits some attention as an animal totem, in the United States it is almost entirely synonymous with the Thanksgiving holiday.
Turtle: “Slow and steady wins the race” is the credo of the turtle. Patience and fortitude are the hallmarks of the medicine associated with this animal totem. When a turtle appears in your dream, you are being gifted with the patience you may need for any endeavor. Since turtles are also symbolic of self-protection, due to the fact that they carry their homes on their backs and can retreat at any moment, their appearance in a dream may be reminding you that no matter what the circumstances are, you are always safe.
Two: When a second joins the one and two is formed, a partnership is created. The concept of relativity evolves out of the energy of two, as the one has something to which it experiences itself as relative to. The one can now know itself as self, because there is that which is “other.” All of the elements of two are embodied in this idea: partnership, duality, opposites, yin/yang, balance, and sharing, to name just a few. The shadow side of two is the potential for collapsing into one another and losing the sense of self.