Theresa Cheung - The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams - The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams

Swords

Swordsfeature in legend, religion and mythology and are often wielded to subdue evil forces, representing the triumph of good over evil. Swords can also denote kingship, as exemplified by ‘Excalibur’, the sword of King Arthur, suggesting justice or the highest source of authority. Being double-edged, swords can evoke feelings of guilt or remorse, but they also suggest spiritual strength and, like axes, the ability to cut away what is non-essential. The sword when sheathedmay be a symbol of the self within the body. The lanceshares the symbolism of the sword, but its phallic shape often points to sexual issues.

Idioms: put one’s knife in; on a knife edge; under the knife (surgery); cut it out; cut the atmosphere with a knife; doubleedged sword; cross swords; sword hanging by a thread (threats hanging over you); Sword of Damocles.

Bow and arrow

The bow and arrowcan be a symbol of tension, especially sexual tension, as in Cupid’s bow. If the arrow is fired to the skies, this can express a wish to devote yourself to a higher purpose. Arrows also suggest being pierced by some intense emotion, or being hurt by someone. Were you the target or were you taking aim? Did the arrow hit or fall short? Was it a poisoned arrow? Arrows are also used symbolically to point the way, so an arrow in your dream can direct you to the right choice, perhaps relating to a decision you need to make in waking life.

Bullet/Ammunition

Bullets or ammunitioncan suggest verbal attacks in the context of dream conflicts. If the ammunition belongs to someone else, this represents things that you feel other people can use against you, such as lies, anger and so on. If you have the ammunition, it can represent assets you have that can build your confidence, things you could say or do to wound others if you had to. If you run out or don’t have any ammunition, you may be feeling hopeless about a situation and unable to defend your position.

Explosive

Bullets, cannonballs, bombs and minesall explode on detonation or impact. If you fired any of these, your dreaming mind is warning you that you are in danger of exploding with frustration or anger. Are you currently on a short emotional fuse and in danger of detonating with burning anger? What was your target in the dream? This may help you understand what triggered your anger. On the other hand, could an explosive situation be building up around you? Again, if your firepower ran out, this could indicate lack of ammunition in a conflict in your waking life; perhaps there just isn’t enough reason for you to be involved.

Gun

Guns, pistols or rifles in a man’s dreamtypically suggest male sexuality and defenses used against emotions. The unconscious may have selected this weapon to denote his sexual performance and if he fires blanks concerns about failing virility may be indicated. But because a person can feel impotent in other areas of life a misfiring gun may also suggest general feelings of powerlessness. If a gun appears in a woman’s dream, it may indicate her desire to be more assertive sexually. If you are shooting the gunin the dream, you may be behaving in quite an aggressive way in waking life. Are you defending yourself in the dream or shooting for pleasure? If you are shot by a gun, you may be feeling wounded or the target of criticism or hurtful comments in waking life. If you shoot the gun in your dream, this suggests anxiety about expressing emotions or hidden hostility. Bayonetsare thrusting weapons used in conjunction with guns, and in dreams they suggest extreme danger and a desire for total control, either aimed at someone else or directed against you.

Idioms: shot in the arm; shot in the dark; shot to pieces; long shot.

Nuclear bomb

If the cloud from a nuclear bombappears in your dream this is a terrible symbol of utter destruction. However, its shape will be significant; if it appears in mushroom form, it can also be a symbol of regeneration and renewal after the destruction. See also DISASTERS.

battle you are waging with yourself, such as the battle to give up smoking, the struggle to keep to a diet and so on.

If you dream of war, rather than simply a battle, different interpretations are appropriate. War has a more global effect that one-to-one combat or fighting, and this would suggest that you need to be more conscious of the effect your actions have on others. The outcome of war should be the establishment of order, and dreams of wars coming to an endcan have a positive interpretation, suggesting that this natural process is taking place on an inner level.

Idioms: in the wars; on the war path; war of nerves; declare war; battle stations; battle your way through; battle scarred.

If, in your dream, you were part of a regiment, this may suggest that you feel safe in numbers, as a part of a crowd or group of people. If you feel sorrow or guilt or resentment, this may reflect your attitude to the group of people you associate yourself with in waking life. Taking part in guerrilla actionssuggests secret plans in waking life, whilst a preoccupation with a helmet and protective clothingmay mirror a desire to ‘take cover’ in waking life. A dream in which an invasiontakes place may be symbolic of an invasion of your space in waking life, either real or psychological. If a tankappears in your battle, this is an aggressive phallic symbol. It can also suggest an attack on convention and an indiscriminate flattening of all those who stand in your way. The torpedoalso symbolizes male sexuality but, unlike the tank, it delivers destruction by stealth. High-tech missiles, cannon, field guns and other forms of artilleryalso present variations on the phallic symbol. On the other hand, they may also symbolize obstacles or ‘hot shots’ you feel are against you as you pursue your goals. This may be particularly the case if you are a woman in a stereotypically male profession.

If an air raidtakes place in your dream, this indicates emotional attack from people or feelings you have about the events around you. A bombsuggests an explosive situation or sudden events that have produced anxiety. It can also suggest your own anxiety. If an underground minefigures in your dream, this can suggest bringing to consciousness potential and innate wisdom. A dream explosion with billowing cloudsgraphically mirrors the damaging consequences of exploding with pent-up fury or tension in waking life.

Idioms: I feel blitzed; come as a bombshell; put a bomb under someone; earn a bomb.

Weaponsin dreams appear for numerous reasons. They are associated with aggression and hostility towards someone, perhaps you. They can be a warning that you need to take defensive action against something or someone that poses a real threat to you. They may also represent a secret desire within you to hurt someone. If you dream of using a weapon against someone, do you harbor hidden anger and aggression that you have not expressed in waking life? If you do not know the person you are attacking, your weapon and victim may be symbolic representations of aspects of yourself you do not like or find hard to deal with. You may have inner conflicts that need to be resolved, or ‘killed off’. If so, what does your unknown victimlook like, and how does he, she or it react to the threat? All this may provide you with important clues. If you have a weapon used against youin a dream this may suggest that you have done something to upset people around you or it may be that you feel you have become the victim of circumstances. If you are shotin the dream, this may be referring to internalized aggression, past hurt or a fear of being hurt.