Hi there, I'm interested in learning to interpret my dreams, do you have any advice or resources to get started?
Yes, I definitely have some beginner advice.
Starting out, whenever you experience a dream that you feel may be "important" (though it doesn't have to be), write down as much as you can remember. Once you do that, go through and highlight anything that really stood at to you, or make a list. Consider things like: Where did the dream take place? What was the setting? What was the weather like? Was there anyone you know? Were there any animals? Any plants? Did you see anything from everyday life? Anything from your favorite media?
Once you've made your list, begin to consider these things as individual symbols rather than random visuals. Consider what each means to you personally; how much significance they hold for you. Using a red rose as an example, what would that mean to you personally? Love? Beauty? Romance? Sex? Once you think you've pinned it down and really weighed it out, take a moment to consider the context of which this symbol was presented. Continuing with the "red rose" example: Was it given to a lover? Was it found in the wild on a bush? Was it dropped in the street and abandoned in a puddle? Any one of these can drastically change the meaning behind the "rose's" appearance in the dream- if, for instance, you ended up deciding that a "red rose" is a symbol of love, a rose growing on a bush could symbolize a flourishing, natural kind of romance that comes easily to those involved; whereas, a rose abandoned in a puddle in a street could represent an abandoned love, or a romance taken for granted.
Here are some questions to ask yourself while reviewing the symbols:
What is your relationship with this person in the "real" world (if you have one)? What do they look like? How are they dressed? What kind of traits or personality do they have? How are they behaving? How did they make you feel in dream? Do they have a job title? What is the function of that job title or position?
What is the condition of the setting? What is the structure of the setting? How did it make you feel? Do you have a personal connection to this place? How is somewhere like this usually portrayed in media? What was the layout?
What was the condition of the object? Where did you see or find the object? What is the object usually used for in "real" life? How was it being used in the dream? What kind of person uses this object in "real" life? Who used it in the dream? Is this an object you see everyday? Is this an object you've seen in media?
What condition is the animal in? What does the animal look like? What does the animal usually represent in media (i.e, dogs can be used to symbolize 'loyalty")? How was the animal behaving? How does that behavior make you feel? Do you have a personal connection to the animal in "real" life?
Eventually, if you make this a habit, you should be able to decipher your own dreams and outline your own personal symbolism. There are definitely more steps if you'd like to really delve in the art, or if you'd like to be able to interpret the dreams of others'- but for now this is a good place to start.
