Dream houses are a perfect example of the way dreams speak the language of the symbol rather than the language of the literal. Unless you are involved in some form of home construction what is weighing heavily on your mind, that house that you dream about isn't really a house.
It's you!
Houses are the places in which we live, the place we call home. If we think of our bodies as "soul" or "spirit" homes then it becomes easier to see how the house is symbolic of us.
Let's take a look at houses and some of the ways they appear in our dreams.
Start interpreting the dream by deciding if the house in your dream is one in which you currently live or have lived in at some point or if the house is not one you know.
If the house is someplace you called home at some point in your life, think about what was occurring in your life when you lived there. I have a client who was unhappily married for many years. She is divorced now, yet anytime she finds herself in a bad state emotionally, she begins dreaming that she is living in the house where she lived before she was divorced. Analyzing the dream in this way can also help you discover whether the dream points to current issues or issues that are coming up from the past.
If the house seems to be a generic house, or isn't one that you know, then the dream is probably serving as a symbol of your body, mind or spirit, rather than a symbol of some interpersonal issue.
Houses that are in need of repair may indicate feelings of exhaustion or may indicate health issues which need addressing. They most certainly point to a need to pay more attention to the physical body.
Houses that are falling apart may indicate emotional stress. Similarly, dilapidated houses may indicate old, outdated modes of being. In both cases, the dream is asking us to look at how we are relating to the world and to update our mode of being in it.
A new house may indicate moving on, of shifting ways of being. As a symbol, a new house may indicate radical transformation. The new way of being may be stressful. In waking life, moving is listed as one of the top five stressors. However, despite the stress of change, this symbol is overwhelmingly positive. As in waking life, moving is exciting, natural, and an opportunity for a fresh start.
Another common dream is that of finding a new room in our current house. This dream may take different forms. Sometimes the room is an unused room, others it may be a splendid room with many furnishings, or it may take the form of a room that leads to other unknown rooms.
Dreams of the unknown room are dreams of aspects of ourselves which are coming up from the unconscious. They can be dreams of new creativity, especially if the room is furnished. If the room is unused, this can point to an aspect of yourself which you've not recognized or aren't utilizing.
And now that we've had a look at houses in general, next week we'll look at the symbolism of various different rooms in houses.
As always, sleep well and dream out loud!
*~Aisling Ireland~* is an ordained Interfaith Minister, available for weddings and commitment ceremonies and a Spiritual Counselor providing dream interpretation and Tarot readings. To make an appointment check out her website at: Sang-Realta Spiritual Counseling
