Gagging: You are stifling the impulse to rid or purge yourself of an idea, habit, or thought pattern. There may be a great deal of toxicity in your environment that you are not quite ready to deal with, and the gagging reflex is indicating that your level of tolerance is nearly at its apex. Vomiting is a symbol for the process of ridding yourself of something that does not serve you. Gagging is the simultaneous presence of this impulse along with the sense that it is not quite time. Gagging in a dream is a warning that something is about to be revealed and what that is may not be pleasant or healthy.
Galaxy: A galaxy is a bit like a unit of measurement that helps describe the known universe. It is easy for a modern human being to consider that our solar system is part of a larger complex known as a galaxy and that there are billions of these enormous systems that populate our universe. To be dreaming of a galaxy is to be contemplating life on this humongous scale. This could be a literal consideration of existential reality or a symbol for the bigger picture of your unfolding life.
Game Night: A social gathering to enjoy the spirit of competition in a fun atmosphere is at the heart of game night. As a symbol, it represents the need to express the fundamental drive to compete and win but to do so in a way that is harmless and playful. Game night in a dream may be pointing to a buildup of stressors and drives that need release in a constructive manner.
Game Show: A media-driven shared experience of skill and luck is what a game show is all about. A viewer lives vicariously through the experience of the player and his or her chance to win. If you are watching a game show in your dream, then the emphasis of your interpretation should be on the vicarious element of this symbol. If you are playing on a game show, you may be expressing a desire to take a chance for potential gain.
Gang: At the heart of it, a gang is an intimate social structure that provides its members with a sense of community and support. Because of the nefarious behavior often associated with a gang, this symbol is more reflective of the shadow and disowned qualities. The presence of a gang in a dream indicates a need for support around ideas that may feel scary to consider. Such a dream may show up when you are feeling cut off or disenfranchised.
Garage: This is a symbol for a temporary stopping point in your journey with the anticipation of movement in life. The primary purpose of a garage is to keep one’s car safe and protected when not in use. The car is symbolic of how we maneuver through our lives. When a garage is prominent in a dream, some element of how you are moving forward (or not) is being expressed. The essence of a garage connects to being prepared to move out into the world. If the garage is a private one that is part of a home, then you must use the symbolic sensibility and apply it to your private life. A public garage indicates that the dream is reflecting issues that center around your social experience. Since there are many cars being stored in such a setting, it reflects a significant number of choices available to you. Being unable to locate your car in a garage is indicative of being temporarily stuck in some area of your life. Ask yourself where you would like to be heading and what you have to do to prepare yourself for the journey.
Garbage: Garbage is the waste product of our daily lives, that which we consider no longer of value. If we do not dispose of it in a timely manner, it builds up to a repulsive level and begins to decompose. Garbage then is a symbol of those things that no longer serve you and must be removed or recycled. A buildup of garbage in a dream may indicate a buildup of things in your life that must be discarded and released.
Garden: You are dreaming of abundance, prosperity, and your ability to create structure and the boundaries of self-care and nurturance. A garden is a planned, deliberate construct that creates growth in a confined area. Whether the growth is for beauty or consumption, it represents the feminine principles of creativity and nurturing. The structure and boundaries of the garden are the expression of the masculine principle in action. In this way, gardens are a microcosm of the act of creation itself. The act of gardening is often reported to produce significant levels of serenity, relaxation, and pleasure for the enthusiast. In a dream, a garden may represent a need or desire to produce an atmosphere of peace, abundance, or nurturance in your life. The type of garden, the state it is in, and what you are doing in relation to it reflect what area is being expressed and your current ability to be effective in it.
Gargoyle: A gargoyle is a representation of a demon or otherwise horrifying image that was placed on the edifices of buildings, pointed outward in an effort to ward off evil. Even though gargoyles have a horrific appearance, they are ultimately guardians of protection. Are you overprotecting yourself because of fear? What aren’t you willing to face in your life right now?
Gas Chamber: An instrument of institutionalized murder, the gas chamber has both of these elements as part of its symbolic makeup. The murder portion suggests a need or desire to change some element of our consciousness, so much so as to need a death to represent the level of change that is being considered. The institutional nature of the gas chamber suggests that the impetus for this level of sacrifice or change may have more to do with what is good for the community than something personal. There may be some intense expression of guilt associated with this image showing up in a dream.
Gas Mask: The gas mask is an instrument of protection against airborne poisons. Anything that relates to air connects to the world of intellect and thinking. Poisonous gas is a symbol for thoughts, ideas, and consciousness that are floating around the atmosphere and can harm you. The gas mask is therefore a symbol for the protection needed to keep such ideas from harming you. Is the environment in which you find yourself in your life right now toxic?
Gas Station: The car is a symbol for how we move about on the path of our life, and a gas station is where we fuel up for the journey we are on. Whatever is happening in a gas station in your dream can be interpreted as reflecting how easily or how challenging it is for you to get to where you desire to go. You may need to recharge yourself before you can go any further in your life.
Gasoline: Gasoline is a highly flammable material that is cultivated primarily for fueling many of the vehicles we use to move about in life. The essence of its symbolic meaning connects to its combustibility and not necessarily its productive use. In an engine, gas is symbolic of the power that creates movement and power that can be harnessed. Outside of an engine, it represents the potential for such power that comes with dangerous consequences if it is not used with respect. Are you using your potential well, or are you in danger of experiencing an unexpected explosion by misusing your potential?
Gate: A gate is an opening in what is otherwise a boundaried enclosure. The symbolic meaning behind a fence or a wall is the separation that is constructed to keep different ideas or areas of consciousness apart. The gate, therefore, represents the choice to move into new territory. If a gate is locked and is blocking your way, you are at a crossroads. If you are on the inside of a gate, consider that choices you have made to be open may be leaving you feeling too exposed. A broken gate indicates the loss of the ability to protect yourself with appropriate boundaries.
Gay Sex: Any sexual act in a dream connects symbolically to the process of integration and the joining together of different aspects of the personality. In the case of gay sex, what is being highlighted is elements of the masculine principle such as taking action and aggression. It is not unusual for heterosexual men and women to have dreams about gay sex, and such dreams are not necessarily related to sexuality or the waking-life expression of it. However, if the dreamer identifies as a gay man, then such dreams should be explored more literally.
Gazelle: The gazelle is known for its swiftness and ability to burst into quick, graceful movement. Its medicine relates to this ability to take immediate and powerful action and yet remain in a state of grace. When the gazelle appears in your dream, you are being called to take swift action but remain in a state of peace.
Gemstone: See Stones.
Genie: The mythology of the genie states that if you grant it freedom, it will give you the fulfillment of wishes. There are always consequences to such easy solutions to life’s difficulties. Additionally, most genie tales involve the genie itself as a character who brings chaos and destruction in the end. Dreaming of a genie may be expressing a desire to have a quick and instantaneous change in your circumstances without being willing to put in the effort to create something organically. Letting the genie out of the bottle may be asking for trouble.
Ghost: You are dreaming of the memory or imprint of a former idea, concept, or person. A ghost is defined as a remnant of a person’s energy that remains connected to the physical world after he or she has died. Some metaphysicians theorize that a spirit can be stuck here due to unfinished business or an untimely death. There are scientists who explore the possibility of ghosts as bumps in the electromagnetic field of energy that can sometimes be perceived by people who are living. No matter what camp you fall into, a ghost is symbolic of something from your past that continues to have a presence in your consciousness long after the event or person that inspired it has passed. This can include memories, habitual patterns, and even obsessions. If the ghost is someone you know who is not actually dead, use the character aspect technique to discover what qualities are traits that you have let go of but that may still arise in your behavior or thought patterns from time to time. Someone who has actually passed away can be considered in the same fashion, but might represent the impact he or she had on you in life, whether positive or negative. This image in a dream could point to a need to face the ghosts of your past in the form of old choices and behaviors that still haunt you with regret.
Giant: A giant is a particularly large version of a human being. Such a creature symbolically represents an inflated or expanded version of any number of concepts. Consider what the giant or giants are doing in the dream to determine how to interpret the dream. If the dream is frightening, you may be experiencing more fear than a situation truly merits in your waking life. If the giant in your dream is more benevolent, you may be asking for a certain aspect of your personality to get bigger in order to face a particular situation.
Gifts: You are dreaming of unknown sources of joy. While gifts are often associated with events that merit them, the giving and receiving of a gift speaks more about the relationship between the two parties than the reason for the giving. If your dream includes another person involved in a gift exchange, examine that individual as a character aspect that is highly beneficial to you at this time. This is the case whether you are the giver or the receiver in your dream. Gift exchanges can be so charged with elation that many people are motivated to gift others in order to experience this elevated feeling. If the dream reflects this perspective, look for places in your life that might be in need of an injection of joy. If there was any mystery surrounding the gift in your dream, the unknown factor points to areas in your life that may be offering you gifts, the value of which is not yet known. Your unconscious mind will always know well in advance of your conscious mind when a seemingly challenging situation is really a gift. This symbol in a dream may be the first sign that something of value is on the horizon, even if it isn’t yet apparent.
Giraffe: The neck of the giraffe is one of nature’s quirkiest and most elegant expressions. By virtue of its height, the giraffe can graze where no other animal can. Herein lies its medicine: When the giraffe appears in a dream, you are being given access to higher places to find sustenance and nurturing. You are gaining a higher vantage point as well.
Girdle: A girdle is an undergarment designed to alter the silhouette of the body, creating a slimmer appearance through constriction. Girdles are uncomfortable to wear and represent valuing something superficial over something more authentic. Are you putting something out into the world that is not quite the truth? If so, the girdle in your dream may be pointing out the discomfort you are suffering in order to present the variation of truth you are perpetrating.
Glacier: A glacier is part of the landscape of the earth and thus connects with the conscious mind. Because it is made up primarily of water, there is an emotional sensibility connected with a glacier as a symbol. That water is frozen, which implies a lack of warmth and compassion. Glaciers actually move, but very slowly, and we use the expression “at a glacial pace” to connote this extreme sluggishness. In a dream, a glacier suggests that you may have turned off some of your emotional warmth and are slowing down all processes because of that. What is not moving forward in your life because you have turned a cold face toward it? Also remember that some changes in life happen very, very slowly.
Glass: See Cup.
Glasses: Glasses are a symbol for seeing the world in a different way, or improving the way you perceive some aspect of your life. If you have lost a pair of glasses, the dream indicates a need to find a better viewpoint. Broken glasses suggest that a way of seeing things that previously worked for you is no longer viable. If you wear glasses in your waking life, then the dream may be about connecting to your personal way of viewing things. If you don’t, the dream may be suggesting the need to correct your current viewpoint.
Gloves: Gloves both protect and hide your hands, so they connect with your talents, abilities, skills, and expressiveness. This can be deliberate or imposed, helpful or limiting. The type of gloves and how they appear in the dream will give you clues for an accurate interpretation. Because we gesture with our hands, a dream about gloves may connect to the part of communication that is beyond our words and part of our body language. Gloves represent the various masks we wear in our communication to present that which we want to while hiding our true skins underneath. Sexy, tight-fitting gloves connect to subtle elements of seduction. Work gloves might help you find areas in your life where you feel you have to work hard to conceal your true meaning. Lace gloves evoke delicate communication that is only thinly veiled or is hiding the authentic meaning. Boxing gloves point to a fight brewing from a challenge in your life. They might also be inhibiting your communication because of guardedness—hands inside of boxing gloves may be ready to fight, but they can’t be very gentle or expressive. Mittens may connect to a need or desire to be more comfortable, but at the loss of the same expressiveness or effectiveness. Long gloves up the arms connect to the extensiveness of the hidden issues or the seduction at hand. Rubber gloves may be about projecting underlying messages of more serious vulnerability to communication that is toxic.
Glue: Glue is a sticky substance that is a tool for joining that which is either broken or desired to be permanently connected. In a dream, it indicates that something is broken and has split apart that you would like to mend. It can also represent the desire to bring two elements of your life together. Conversely, something may be stuck to you that you wish were not so permanent.
Gold: Gold is the most precious element on the planet. The theory goes that it arrived here from space in the early formation of the solar system. As a symbol, gold represents the highest and most precious thing to strive for, both as a material possession and in more amorphous constructs. In the myths of the alchemist, great effort was put toward taking baser metals and turning them into gold. This is symbolic itself of the notion that lower consciousness, such as fear, doubt, and lack, can be transmuted into the gold of consciousness: love. What are you valuing above all else in your life? Is your search for the gold in some situation bringing out the best in you or the worst? Let the context of your dream answer these deeper questions when gold shows up as a symbol.
Goldfish: Fish are symbols of ideas that float around just below the surface of our consciousness. In the case of a goldfish, this is the simplest form of an idea that is kept in full view. What interesting idea do you want to keep considering so much that you keep it nearby? Perhaps you are reminding yourself of the colorful notions that float around inside your imagination.
Golf: Golf is a game representing abundance of both money and time. Leisure, relaxation, and moving at a very slow pace are associated with this activity. In a dream, you are being called to slow down and enjoy life with a greater sense of leisure. If you play golf in your waking life, such a dream might be calling forth the feelings that playing golf provides for you.
Google: Google is symbolic of the ability to tap into knowledge and information instantly; the almost instantaneous connection between the desire to know something and the successful outcome of any search. This may be literal, as in connecting to the capacity to do this on the Internet, or it could be symbolically connected to the wish to search for anything longed for and have an instantaneous and successful outcome.
Gorilla: You may be engaged in a struggle for leadership or domination. Animals represent the instinctual part of our nature. Gorillas are pack animals that live in communities led by a dominant alpha male, which is usually the biggest and strongest of the clan. The media has perpetuated an image of the chest-beating ape that reinforces this collective view of masculine and aggressive behavior. Initially, any interpretation of a gorilla in a dream is likely to be viewed from this perspective, representing instincts of competition, aggression, and the need for domination. The fearsome outburst associated with an angry gorilla is, in reality, a posturing meant to establish leadership or a reaction to being disturbed. Consider that an appearance of a gorilla in a dream may point to rage that is more a facade than genuine anger. This can reflect a moment when your reaction is greater than the situation merits. A gorilla in a cage might indicate feelings connected to feeling imprisoned, such as underlying aggression that is keeping you stuck in issues of anger management. A gorilla on the loose might point to the unsettling consequences of expressing previously locked-up emotions. Facing a gorilla in a dream might indicate some readiness to confront your aggressive impulses or receive the expressions of anger from someone in your life.
Graduation: A graduation ceremony is a symbol in and of itself; it indicates that some great accomplishment has been achieved and is ready to be celebrated. This symbol may come up in a dream when you have actually created something of significance. It can also emerge as the motivation to stay the course with some difficult project by reminding you of the sense of accomplishment to come.
Grain: Grain is a fundamental and basic food source and was, in fact, the substance that allowed civilization to flourish. As such, it has an archetypal connection to the sustenance of life, abundance, and prosperity.
Grandparents: Intergenerational family dynamics are being expressed by a dream that involves one or more of your grandparents. Consider them both as individual expressions of an aspect of your personality, and examine the family dynamic they may represent. (See Family Members.)
Grapes: Grapes are a great symbol of wealth and prosperity not only because they are a fruit that requires an enormous amount of cultivation to produce, but because from them is made wine, one of the oldest riches of Earth’s bounty. Dreaming of grapes is connected to your feelings about abundance in your life at the time of the dream, so use the context of the dream to illuminate this. If you are growing grapes, you are connecting to the willingness to do what it takes to build prosperity. If you are eating grapes, you desire to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Grass: Grass is something that those in the Western world, especially in the United States, grow in a controlled manner to represent a connection to the earth in the form of a yard. In this way, grass is a symbol of staying connected to nature. Grass in a dream can mean you are connecting to your ability to be grounded and safe no matter where you are. The phrase “the grass is always greener” is a powerful notion indicating that grass in a dream may be pointing to things you desire but do not have, or things that others possess that you covet.
Grave: This symbolizes a consideration of the past; a sense of identity that no longer serves you that has been put to rest. The presence of a grave implies that the death has already occurred. The person in the grave, if you know him or her, will give you clues to the consideration of what aspects of self are under consideration. Perhaps you are mourning something or someone from your past. A secondary symbolic meaning has evolved that has emerged through the media. A graveyard is also home to all of the dark elements associated with death: ghouls, goblins, vampires, and other creatures of the night. This setting in a dream may symbolize the fear of death and be an indication that you are in the realm of shadow material.
Gray: Gray is a color that is almost an absence of expressiveness. When gray is present in a dream, you are expressing a lack of passion and joy. Gray is also an indication of aging and an indication that some measure of joy is something of the past.
Green: Green means go. Green is the color of the heart center, which can be confusing due to the representation of the heart as red, made especially prominent in Western culture with Valentine’s Day. However, green is the central color of the spectrum, and the heart is considered the center of both our physical and emotional bodies. This connects the color green to love, healing, and all matters of the heart. It may be easier to understand the meaning of this color if you consider the earth and Mother Nature’s love affair with the color green. Keeping with traffic-signal analogies, if you go when the light is green, that is like following your heart’s desire to move forward. When the heart is soured by hurt, green can turn into the menace of envy.
Groceries: Groceries are the specific items you bring into your home from the market. As a symbol, they represent the never-ending supply of abundance and prosperity that is the birthright of all human beings. Your relationship to the groceries that appear in your dream will inform you of your relationship to the principle that all needs get met. Are you living in lack or flow? If you are shopping in your dream, you are actively seeking to increase the amount of nurturance and sustenance your life has to offer. If you are bringing the groceries home, then you are even closer to receiving life’s abundance. However, if there is something amiss about the groceries in your dream, consider that your dream is reflecting a distrust of your world to provide you with all that you need.
Gryphon: This legendary mythological creature has the head of an eagle on the body of a lion. The lion is the king of the beasts and the eagle is the king of the birds, so with this combination the gryphon rules over the entire animal kingdom. There is a ferocity combined with great dignity to this archetypal guardian of great treasure. This is a very powerful totem, and when it appears in your dream, you are communing with strength, leadership, and dominion.
Guard: The guard is an archetype whose job it is to protect. Guards can show up in a number of different settings, from the government to a prison, but their essence is the same. They keep danger and violence at bay. As a character aspect in a dream, any guard is the part of your own psyche that is there because of a sense of the danger that may befall you from the outside world. Conversely, a prison guard may indicate that there may be feelings of violence inside of you that must be contained.
Guitar: Any musical instrument connects to creativity and passion and the need to express both. Guitar players are elevated pretty highly in our culture, so the guitar enjoys more power as a symbol than most instruments. Its curvy shape is very evocative of the female form, so the playing of a guitar in a dream has strong sexual connotations.
Gum: Because gum is associated with the mouth, any dream that involves gum is going to connect to issues around effective communication. Gum is an obstacle to articulate and powerful speech, so gum in your dream may point to issues you are having about expressing yourself with strength. Having an endless amount of gum in your mouth is a fairly common recurring dream for some people and relates to being taken seriously and feeling the conviction of your words.
Gums: Gums are directly related to the teeth, and the health of the gums is a reflection of other things that may be going on in the body. Teeth relate symbolically to security, and in this way the gums connect to how well you are nurturing your ability to take care of yourself. Sore or bleeding gums in a dream put you on notice to increase your level of self-care. Issues of communication may be indicated as well.
Gun: This is symbolic of the desire to exert power over others. Whoever has the gun is in charge. Connected to the masculine principle, the gun represents male-oriented power in an extreme form. The masculine principle is related to action and the ability to make things happen. A gun of any type connects to this universal energy, but with an intensity that indicates a lack of balance or containment. While the presence of a gun may imply a sense of control in a chaotic situation, its deadly and unpredictable nature implies a breakdown of stability and the potential for lethal danger. The type of firearm is important to consider, as this indicates the amount of power being yielded. A handgun relates directly to personal power and should be interpreted as what is available to you as an individual. Something with more firepower, such as an automatic weapon, relates to the ability to express strength on a more social level. The proximity of the gun in a dream indicates where the power currently resides. Holding the gun puts the dreamer in a position of ownership, but the level of confidence (or lack thereof) should be noted. Having a gun aimed at you indicates that some character aspect of your personality is demanding to be heard and dealt with. If this is the case, your interpretation needs to include working with whoever yielded the gun in your dream. Brandishing a weapon could indicate a need to be seen as powerful in some area of your life. A hidden or concealed gun indicates elusive power that is felt though not flaunted.
Gym: A gym is a location where the focus is on fitness, health, and the increasing of strength. As a symbol, it represents the part of your consciousness that is focused on getting stronger and more grounded in the masculine principle. The context of the dream may help you interpret what areas of your life you are attempting to work on and increase in strength.