Hi, I have a recurring dream theme of houses. Different houses at different times. Sometimes the houses are ones we have lived in the past and sometimes they are houses I have never known. Usually I dream I am going on a tour of the house - the most vivid dreams are where the house is unknown previously. The house is always large with many rooms often built in a seemingly chaotic order. It is usually an older house with an "unlived" in feel. One particular house had the furniture covered in white sheets. Last night I dreamed vividly of a Queen Anne style mansion that a man in a ranger type outfit was showing us around. I had the clear understanding that my husband and I were looking to live in the house but my husband was not present. The guide clearly worked as a public servant associated with the river authority - the river bounded the property. The house was in the middle of the city but surrounded by acres of pasture land. There were other empty houses on the property some more modern, some older. People were passing through the property but were not able to get into the house. This house was more ordered but I only got to the ground floor. We went through a brightly lit, garish kitchen with funny little "hutches" that people could sit at individually to eat. There was no communal kitchen table. Then I got called to see a room by a friend (not partner) of mine. It was a magnificent bathroom. The guide was there filling the bath with clear cool water. The bath was deep but very narrow - my first thought was I don't know if I could fit in it! Next scene was a bed room - two single beds - my friend was reclining on the left one and I was on the right. The guide was lounging at the door. My friend was telling the guide that we were both vets and that would make us more suitable to take on the property. I then woke up.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 47, Melbourne, Australia

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? No

Lesley,
I'll provide an interpretation either later today or in the morning.

But what a coincidence you should post a dream about houses just a few hours after my post on universal symbols {which a house would qualify to be}.
Human Culture, Genes, Dreams & Archetypes {Thinking Out Loud}

What makes a house a universal symbol is that in all dreams it would represent some aspect of the dreamer or dreamer's life. The house is the dreamer, the dreamer is the house in the dream. A mother's house in a dream would represent the relationship of the mother to the dreamer, the relationship being the house and mother relationship. The dream is always about the dreamer and other 'named' persons in a dream would be in relationship to the dreamer.

So perhaps from the above information you will begin to understand what your dream is trying to say. I'll give my take when I interpret the dream.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Lesley,
My sense the dream is about personal growth, a desire and need to expand your horizons. Let me break down the symbols this way and let you put the pieces together.

Queen Anne style mansion-potential for great personal growth

Ranger/Public Servant-Unconscious guide, masculine aspects that are needed to grow

City House surrounded by pastures-Expanding your horizons

Empty Houses-Those empty spaces in your life that are in need of fulfillment

People unable to get in house-You are having trouble getting where you want-personal growth

Ground Floor-You are stuck at level one {Queen Ann mansions have 3 levels}

Dim lite kitchen-nourishment for growth is very visible in your waking life

Friend/not partner-That other self that seeks personal growth

Magnificent Bathroom-A need/way to purge yourself of old self for personal growth

Guide/Cool Water-An unconscious desire

Deep/Narrow Bath-A narrow avenue to cleanse yourself of old self

Bed Room/Two Single Beds-You are having to travel this road to personal growth alone

Reclining Right/Left-A desire/need too get into a comfortable position in life, bring balance to your life

Vets-You are a veteran of many emotional 'wars'

Again the dream seems to be addressing a desire/need for personal growth-and your husband does not seem to be a part of that journey. Are there problems in your marriage? It does seem to be addressing those issues also. Putting the two together may suggest a need to start a new life without your husband because you feel he is stunting your growth. At mid-life we begin to re-access our life and seek meaning. The empty rooms would be those empty experiences in life that should have provided fulfillment. I do get the sense the dream is addressing these growth issues along with experiences involving your husband {who is not a part of that growth}.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Wow, I am REALLY impressed by the factors covered in your interpretation. I had no idea how revealing the dream was to what is going on in my life. I am actually feeling a bit emotionally naked now! This was the first time that I had been driven to seek an interpretation of my "houses" dreams but it is probably all part of the personal growth aspect that is going on in my life at the moment. And, indeed, after 20 odd years of waiting for my husband to come with me I have resigned myself to the fact that I will be going by myself! thank you Jerry. very, very thought provoking.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 47 Melbourne

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? yes

oops, forgot to say - I only read your musing on universal themes AFTER I posted my houses dream - so there you go. cheers.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 47 Melbourne

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? yes

Lesley,
I appreciate the response. Your dream does tend to illustrate the 'universal' theme houses almost always represent in dreams. Your 'house' seemed to point to having to travel the path alone, your husband being absent from that journey.

Note: Most often the only literal interpretation of an actual person would be someone very closely related or involved with the dreamer, like a husband, wife, son, daughter. Named persons who are only acquaintances, as well as unidentified people in a dream, most always symbolize some aspect of the dreamer's psyche, personality or emotional state of being.

The dream also does point to a 'cleansing' which in dreams often is an emotional and/or spiritual cleansing. The 'city surrounded by acres of pasture land' gave me the impression there was something directed to 'better' possibilities in your life. That along with the empty houses {the emptiness within, an emotional aspect that often surfaces in mid-life} pointed to the possibility of personal growth issues. The more modern, older house would be you today.

It does seem quite coincidental that you posted your dream just hours after I made a post on houses being a universal symbol {as opposed to being an archetypal one}. There may elements of synchronicity since I also have had discussions with others in recent days about archetypes and universal symbols.

Synchronicity: Carl Jung believed and espoused Synchronicity as the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner. To count as synchronicity, the events should be unlikely to occur together by chance.

The coincidence may not be just about my postings but would also in some way have a meaningful influence on your life as well. Perhaps that has to do with your desire for spiritual and personal growth. With that possibility I will direct you to my pages on Jung's 'Individuation Process', a self analysis, a self discovery, analyzing your own psyche and life. It is from this process I discovered my true path which led to the birth of my web site Myths-Dreams-Symbols and my interest in dreams {and development of my abilities to interpret dreams}.

I hope you keep us informed of the progress in your spiritual journey. It seems there may be a link between it and your casual/happenstance visit to the MDS Dream Forum.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes