Here’s Hoping Spider Vanishes

Dear Nancy: I am a happily married woman and a full-time college student. I will graduate this month. My husband is unemployed and I have been extremely concerned about our financial situation. This dream left me feeling confused and apprehensive. - Cheryl

I see a huge black widow spider in my home. It is three times the normal size. I keep trying to kill it by stepping on it and spraying it with poison but nothing works. I am concerned that she will lay eggs and multiply. I follow her around the house trying to prevent this but she finally gets into the clothes dryer sitting next to our bed and lays her eggs. My husband is present but doesn’t help me.

Dear Cheryl: In your dreams you are frantically trying to kill a huge spider. When we talked on the phone, I asked, “What are you trying to eliminate in your life?” and you cried, “Bills!” This dream is a direct reflection of your concern and anxiety over this matter.

Although it doesn’t give you any specific suggestions to help solve this problem, your dream does show the amount of emotion this issue brings up for you. The fact that the spiders is oversized hints at this.

Are your concerns blown up out of proportion?

The spider crawls into the dryer next to your bed. Is the anxiety you are feeling affecting your relationship with your husband? In your dream, your husband doesn’t help you but perhaps there are ways that he can help relieve the stress you are feeling.

Sometimes dreams address daily concerns. Hopefully, your situation will improve soon.

Tips for readers: A dream is a mystery, a gift from our soul. It may not be an answer but it often evokes more questions. The dream questions us by giving us a picture that we can use to understand the dynamics in our lives.

For instance, we can look at every person, animal, object and event in the dream as if it is a part of ourselves.

A child in a dream often represents the part of us that is childlike or vulnerable; an old man or woman may represent the part that is wise or outdated.

A house or building is you, too. Is it clean and cared for or messy and neglected?

Animals in dreams often symbolize aspects of our character. A dog might represent friendship and loyalty; a fox could imply slyness and deviousness. It is important to note if the animal is healthy and happy or wounded and weak.

Any vehicle in a dream is referring to how we carry ourselves in life. Is the vehicle a new sports car or an old beat-up truck? Being out of gas or broken down may signal that it is time to repair a situation or revitalize yourself.

All of the symbols given to you in a dream are messages from yourself. As you work with them, these messages will help you gain self-knowledge and guidance for your outer world.

MEMO: Nancy Bloom is a Chewelah resident who has studied dreams for 15 years. Dreams may be sent to her, c/o The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615, or fax, (509) 459-5098. Please send a short summary of the circumstances in your life and include your name, address and phone number. Nancy will call you if she chooses one of your dreams for use in this column.