Hi Claire,
I read your column every month and wanted to share this dream I had. Maybe you can shed some light on its meaning. I typically do not remember dreams. I sleep heavily (a bomb could go off and I wouldn’t hear it). Anyway, I was not in a deep sleep, and I think that’s why I remember the dream. I was out in front of a ranch-style house, tending my garden. It was a beautiful morning, and the neighbor was also out in front. The garden was set in front of the house; the front porch had steps and the driveway separated the garden. I heard the neighbor, and I looked up briefly. As I returned my attention to the plants (I was watering them), something caught my eye. It was a huge, fat, bright, neon-yellow snake! Just as I noticed it, it looked right at me with its beady, black eyes and slithered very quickly to the porch steps. Its head was shaped like a rattler, and when it looked at me, its head went up and turned towards me. It had what looked like gills that fanned out like those Japanese dragons. It zoomed to the steps and went up and into my house. I ran after it to tell everyone inside that there was a snake. I had a dog, there was a young child, and somewhere in the house was my husband. He did not come when I called out. No one did. I went from room to room (very carefully), looking for the snake and hoping the dog wouldn’t find it first. The laundry room led into a garage. I was afraid to go into the laundry room, so I went around and opened the garage door. I was so worried about the dog. The snake was hiding in a pile of laundry, looking for a way out. I opened the door, grabbed it by the tail, ran through the garage, and flung the snake as far away from me as possible. Oddly, I was not afraid of it. It was not as distinct and vivid in color as when I first saw it. It did not look at me. I remember thinking that it was odd that it didn’t try to bite me when I picked it up. Unfortunately, it landed in the neighbor’s yard, and he started yelling at me. I remember feeling bad, but then I woke up. I think about this dream a lot.
There are five symbols which appear to be significant in this dream: the snake (of course), the house, the garden, the dog, and the laundry room. The snake is a common and universal symbol which can have a variety of meanings associated with it—evil, aggression, the Southwest, male sexuality, creation, fear, and more, depending upon the situation in which it is found. For example, the snake from the Garden of Eden has become the classic symbol for evil, temptation, and death, while the iconic snake swallowing its own tail has become a classic symbol for eternity and the “circle of life”—that eternal cycle of creating and destroying, as well as eating and being eaten. Also prominent in this dream is the house symbol, which can have a variety of meanings: protection, sanctuary, tradition, and home—not only in the literal, structural sense, but also in the sense of feeling at home when in a certain place or with a certain person. A garden can be an extension of the home symbol, or can represent growth, life, fertility, paradise, and sanctuary—often symbolizing a place of calm and order where one can take refuge from the chaos and turmoil in the world. The dog—“man’s best friend”—is often symbolic of loyalty, faithfulness, courage, and protection and is usually a symbol for guardianship in dreams. The laundry room? Not really a classic dream symbol—however, due to its prominence in the dream, it most likely has some personal significance.
The fact that there is a rattlesnake which runs into her home/sanctuary while she is tending to her garden suggests that—in some way—she is either not at ease with some aspect of her home situation, or feels that there is some type of threat existing in the home. The fact that she cannot find the dog, and her husband does not respond, appears to suggest that she feels alone and unprotected.
When contacted, the dreamer stated that because she was currently living with relatives, she did not feel secure or at ease—worrying that if she were to ever make them angry, she and her daughter would no longer have a home. When asked about the significance of the laundry room, she stated that she is often concerned that she will upset her benefactors by making too much noise when doing laundry. Although she repeatedly emphasized that the relatives had been unfailingly kind and generous to her and her daughter, she still felt concerned that she might do something which could possibly anger them and jeopardize her living situation. When asked about what the color yellow could be a personal symbol for, she immediately responded with the term “friendship”. This association would appear to reinforce her perception of threat in her living situation—she considered these relatives to be her friends, but not having a home of her own and having to live in their space had created a lack of security about whether this situation could change. This dream was probably just a way for her subconscious mind to release some angst while prodding her to work towards a more secure living situation. It is more than likely that no matter how welcoming and generous these relatives continue to be, this dreamer will not be able to feel totally comfortable and at ease until she has a home to call her own.