Dagger: Any weapon in a dream is a symbol of aggression and destructive impulses. A dagger is a small implement capable of making deep cuts. The dagger itself in a dream only implies that aggression may occur. The cut that a dagger may make could be symbolic of cutting remarks or the possibility of being stabbed in the back, both of which indicate betrayal of friendship or loyalty.

Dance: A dance is a gathering of people, and in the dream world those people should be considered as thoughts within your consciousness gathered around a common idea. The idea in this case is the expression of passion and sexuality through the symbolism of dancing. If there is a dance in your dreams, there is a compelling desire brewing in your consciousness to have more passion in your life.

Dance Class: You may want more passion and creative expression in your life and are willing to learn what you need to know more about in order to create some.

Dancing: You are searching for more grace and fluidity in the complicated relationships in your life. Dancing is also an elaborate mating ritual. It is a socially acceptable behavior that is designed to escalate toward intimacy and sex. Even dancing alone is a sensual experience that celebrates the ability to move in space. This results in a sensual experience of one’s body, signaling a readiness for sexual expression. In group dancing, such as ballet or modern dance troupes, the symbolic conversation expands to the idea of poetry in motion.

Dandruff: Negative thoughts are creating mild but noticeable fallout. There may be some doubts about self-worth and attractiveness at the core of the issues at hand.

Darkness: The absence of light in any way brings a dream into the realm of the shadow. If your dream is more dark than light, add this element to your interpretation. It may be time for you to explore areas you have previously avoided and to be willing to look at things that usually remain hidden or fill you with fear.

Date: A date is an opportunity to possibly find romance and love. It involves taking a risk and the need to show up authentically. In a dream, it represents the willingness or the lack of willingness to take such a risk, show up fully, and possibly find a new level of self-expression, passion, and eventual integration.

Daycare: In daycare, an individual finds temporary freedom from one set of responsibilities in order to attend to another realm of responsibility. If a daycare environment features in your dream, you may be juggling obligations and need some relief or balance in the area of whatever you have a duty to accomplish.

Dead End: You have come to the end of one course of action; it is time to choose again.

Deaf: The ability to hear is part of our navigation system. The ears keep us balanced and upright and orient us to the space around us. To lose this sense interrupts your ability to receive guidance from your environment. If deafness is featured in your dream, you may want to consider how well you are listening to whatever direction you are getting in your life at this time. (See Disability.)

Death: This is the ultimate symbol of change at a transformational level. All change involves the cycle of something dying to be reborn again. This applies to all of life, from the changing of the seasons to the coming and going of relationships and the process of birth and death itself. Death in a dream signifies that an enormous shift is occurring in your life. If you know the person from life, decide what character aspect of yourself he or she is representing. How that person operates in life is what is changing within your own psyche. The change is so great that it is being expressed by the ultimate of changes—death. If the person is a stranger, then use whatever information you can remember about him or her from the dream to explore what elements of your personality are undergoing a transformation. The quality that is being shifted could be about behaviors, habits, or character traits. The more violent and sudden the death, the more combustive and intense the process you are going through is likely to be. A death that has already occurred could signal that you are in a later phase of change rather than at the beginning. If it is you who dies, the transformation may be so complete that it involves your entire life or lifestyle—e.g., moving, changing jobs, a breakup, a new relationship, ending destructive behaviors, etc.

Deer: Grace and beauty are the medicine of this timid animal. Also, the need to be on guard and self-protective is part of what is being called into consciousness when a deer appears in a dream. The deer knows its way through the woods and has the ability to guide us through unknown and hidden territory. If the deer has antlers, this increases its power to navigate through primal instincts.

Defecation: While the elimination of waste might be the first thought that comes to mind when thinking of feces, at the heart of it, bowel movements are our first connection to us as creative beings. Consider the power and intensity associated with potty training and all the effort that goes into guiding a child toward controlling this bodily function. This period in a child’s life has a profound impact on how he or she operates in the world. Often the most effective method of this training involves helping a child make a creative connection to what comes out in the toilet. For the young mind, this is quite an impressive feat. From this perspective, defecation or feces in a dream are always going to connect first to personal creative power. Whatever that turns out to be, it is likely going to be about the state of your individual, creative affairs. Notice whether the experience in your dream is repulsive or not. Often in such a dream, there may not be an association to feces as dirty. If the experience is indeed repugnant, then you may be in some form of resistance to a deeper process that is going on that may require getting “down and dirty” with shadow material. Eating feces points to needing to integrate your own creativity into some aspect of your life. Playing with or handling feces (and how you felt about doing so) may indicate your level of comfort with a transition in your life that may be requiring you to go deeper into your “own shit” in order to find a new sense of self.

Defibrillator: When the electrical rhythm of the heart is in a chaotic overload, a defibrillator stops the heart with a jolt of electricity with the intention of supporting it to start up again on its own charge. In this way, this device essentially resurrects the life force of an individual suffering from a breakdown of this system. You may be feeling overwhelmed with so much stimulation that you are about to shut down, and this image in a dream indicates a desire to stop the current patterns and start again.

Delivery: A delivery indicates that something you have expressed a desire in receiving has finally arrived. In this way, a delivery in a dream is asking you to consider what you are expecting to come to you. The ultimate indication of convenience, having something delivered implies a level of abundance consciousness and your ability to feel deserving of having your wishes brought right to you.

Demon: The darker side of the spiritual realm, a demon is a being that feeds on fear and hatred. When a demon appears in a dream, you are being put on notice that your shadow side is out of control and things that are sparking fear are getting the better of you. A demon can also be an indication that you have been ignoring a destructive pattern for a very long time.

Demonic Possession: The idea of being possessed by something outside of your human self is connected to relinquishing responsibility for certain feelings that are deemed unacceptable. This is a fairly common dream image and represents a sudden outburst of any number of pent-up, dark emotions, such as guilt or rage. At the heart of this symbol, however, is the concept of not feeling responsible for the behavior in question or the intensity of the feelings being expressed. As the saying goes, “The devil made me do it.” Such a dream is asking you to look at where you are either blaming someone else for your own overwhelming feelings or are unwilling to take responsibility for your own reactivity.

Desert: There may be an obvious lack of passion and life force in your life right now. In a desert, you have to look deeper for the signs of life that are actually there, so a dream that takes place in a desert may be calling you to do just that. Do not take the surface appearance of things at face value. Look below the surface and you will find that there is more going on than meets the eye. A dream desert is also inviting you to irrigate and fill your life with more emotion and passion.

Deserted Place: You are dreaming of unmet needs and the consequences of past choices that have not served you. Human beings are social animals. We have lived in community with one another since our arrival on the planet. To find yourself in a place that is deserted and devoid of the presence of other human beings would leave you helpless in many ways. The severity of this vulnerability would depend greatly on where you were, what resources you had access to, as well as your own fortitude and courage. Even in the best of circumstances, your very survival would be at risk; hence, the primary symbolic meaning of this symbol is connected to risk and death. While loneliness might be thought of as the underlying emotional content of such an event, it is the absence of human resources that carries the interpretable weight of this symbol. Even if you found the absence of other people comforting, this meaning still applies. You may want to consider how relying on others for getting your needs met may be the root cause of the anxiety that sparked this dream.

Desk: When you are at a desk, it is a sure bet that you are doing work of some kind. In this way, a desk is a symbol of this consciousness. Work has different meaning for different people, so this symbol may be more or less literal for you if you are someone whose actual job involves sitting at a desk. A desk connects to left-brain sensibilities and a need for organization and structure in your life. What you were doing at the desk should be considered in your interpretation. If there was a person in the dream associated with the desk, add the meaning you assign to the individual as a character aspect of your personality connected to the need to get more organized and approach a problem from a more practical angle.

Dessert: You are looking to reward yourself or sweeten things up a bit. This is also a symbol that relates to overindulgence and attempts to control yourself. Dessert is often seen as something to be resisted, so your relationship to the dessert in your dream will offer you deeper shades of meaning.

Detective: As a person in your dream, a detective is a character aspect of your own personality. This is the part of you that is responsible for figuring things out as your life unfolds. If a detective appears in your dream, the implication is that whatever you are attempting to figure out still has mysteries associated with it that may yet be solved. Surrender to the process.

Detergent: An agent for cleaning, detergent in a dream implies a need to clean up a past mishap or hide the evidence of something that has already occurred that is causing you shame or discomfort.

Devil: Most people will fall into two categories regarding the Devil: the religious and the non-believers. There is a third category of people who don’t necessarily believe in the Devil, but were raised in an environment that embedded certain beliefs that they may have consciously rejected but that still have great power in the unconscious mind. The first and foremost quality of the Devil is temptation. The ultimate motivation for the temptation is for ownership of a person’s soul. In the world of psychology and dream work, the soul is akin to your spiritual nature and the totality of your experience as a human being. The presence of God and the Devil in our world offers each of us a choice: With whom will you align yourself and on what will you base your life choices? Your higher nature, through the choice of love, or your lower nature, through the choice of fear? The presence of the Devil in a dream indicates that a powerful degree of fear is being expressed. Bondage is another important element associated with the Devil. The contract he offers is permanent, with severe consequences. In symbolic terms, the Devil could illuminate areas in your life where you feel you have sold out. Look for situations in which you feel stuck for reasons of obligation, financial insecurity, or outmoded satisfaction. Often we make choices that initially provide us with something we desire, only to discover that we pay a price we hadn’t counted on. Real soul-searching may be called for when the Devil appears in a dream. What thoughts or old ways of being must be cast aside for your greater good? From a lighter perspective, what devil-may-care attitude might be inviting you to discover that which your inner critic won’t give you permission to explore? The phrase “the devil made me do it” can be either a misguided excuse for bad choices or a call toward letting go of judgment.

Dew: Dew is the result of water in the atmosphere that has yet to be evaporated away by the rising sun; it is considered beautiful and a touch magical. The water that makes up dew is symbolic of emotional content that appears when the cloak of night makes it safe to be more expressive. The fact that it will evaporate when the light of day shines upon it indicates a symbolic sense of temporariness and privacy. Dew is the secret expressions of subtle tenderness and nostalgia that come along with your daily life.

Diamond: The diamond is formed when carbon molecules are acted on by time and pressure to create the most precious form we know. Symbolically, the carbon molecules are the building blocks of all life’s forms and therefore are related to everything there is. Time and pressure can be thought of as literal in this interpretation, for life is filled with both in great measure. Therefore, the diamond is the ultimate symbol of the gift and benefit that can be harvested from the challenges that life presents you with. As a precious gem, the diamond relates to that which we value above all other things because of the great challenge involved in its creation. (See Stones.)

Diaper: The purpose of the diaper ultimately points to the freedom it brings. By virtue of the diaper’s presence, the wearer is able to be unconcerned with when and where the release of toxins and waste occurs. Since there is often shame connected with the acts of defecation and urination, the diaper can be thought of as a container for your shame. Are you holding on to things that make you feel bad about yourself?

Diarrhea: At the heart of the interpretation of this image in a dream is the lack of control that diarrhea represents. Feces have several meanings, one of which is powerfully creative, as they are something that you actually make with your body. However, feces also connect to the shame that is inherent in our fundamental humanity. When diarrhea is present in a dream, something is out of control.

Dice: The roll of the dice relates to blind luck and the impact of random chance as it relates to a desired outcome. We live in a world that is half divine plan unfolding and half random chaos. The dice relate to the latter half of this paradoxical equation. A dream that features dice as an image may be asking you to surrender to uncontrollable outcomes.

Diet: To diet is to limit the intake of food toward the end of maintaining some control over the shape of your body. This consciousness can run the gamut from healthy, balanced self-care to deeply destructive restriction combined with compulsivity. Your personal relationship to food must be factored into your interpretation of such a dream. Wherever you land, a diet is about restraint and control of something that is fundamentally about sustenance and nurturance. What are you denying yourself in order to get what you want? Is this a good idea? These are the questions to ask if dieting is featured in a dream.

Digging: You are expressing a need or desire to get to the bottom of something. Anything that is under the surface of the ground relates to hidden consciousness—available to be known, but not until some exploration is undertaken. Such an image in a dream may indicate that there is something to be gained from looking below the surface.

Dildo: The penis is a symbol of masculine power, and the dildo is a manufactured penis. It is a substitute for this masculine power and can represent a desire to stimulate this power within in the absence of projecting it onto an outside source. In a dream, the power being expressed, while inherently sensual in nature, may not necessarily be about the sex drive. Look to where in your life you have a desire or need to increase your sense of power.

Dining Room: Every room is an expression of the consciousness of that room’s purpose. A dining room is a place where food is shared with others. There are two elements to this image that bear consideration. One is the act of taking in nurturance and sustenance; the other is the desire to share this act in community. Whatever is happening in the dining room of your dream is a reflection of these principles in your waking life.

Diploma: You receive a diploma at the end of a significant course of study. Therefore the symbolic meaning of the diploma itself is that the work and effort has happened in the past. The idea of being recognized for possessing a certain level of wisdom and knowledge is embodied by the presence of a diploma.

Disability: Anything that limits normal ranges of functionality, mental or physical, might fall under the broad category of disability. In a general way, the symbolic meaning of such a state relates to the limitations the disability creates. Since the capacity for excellence begins with perception, the interpretation of any disability begins with the notion that something is challenging because it appears to be so. If a particular disability in a dream is not one that is mirrored in waking life, then the dream is expressing a perceived diminishment of capacity and the call to overcome its sense of limitation. Use the specific disability for distinctions in your interpretation.

Dishes: These implements for eating meals bring a touch of civilization to the process of taking in sustenance. Food is symbolic of the different ways you nurture yourself, and dishes are ultimately containers of that nurturance. Look to the condition and usage of the dishes in your dream to reveal your current relationship to self-care.

Ditch: A ditch is a culvert in the earth that has been deliberately created by human intervention. With the ground being a symbol for consciousness, anything that is just below the surface of the ground is that which is just below the surface of our awareness. Most ditches are built to hide in or divert the movement of something. In this way, a ditch is the result of doing a little self-investigation in order to provide for something to be able to move without detection or other implemented strategy. What is just below the surface of your thinking in your life right now?

Diving: When a diver plummets into water, he or she intends to symbolically rush below the surface into both the world of emotions and the unconscious mind, as water represents both of these domains. The dive then becomes the ritualized expression of not only the intention to do so but also the skilled creative expression of the act itself. In this way, a dive is symbolic of the practiced and majestic way that someone has prepared to courageously explore the hidden depths of his or her own nature.

Divorce: A marriage is the symbolic integration of different character aspects. It can also symbolize the primary integration that is the purpose of all consciousness expansion. A divorce is the end of a level of evolution that is no longer viable. In order to grow, you must release elements of the past. A divorce in a dream is symbolic of the end of one phase of your development and the beginning of another.

Doctor: Every person in a dream is part of your psyche, and a doctor is an aspect of the self that can diagnose and heal. You may be looking for answers to some underlying problem or challenge, and the doctor in your dreams may help heal what ails you.

Dog: You are connecting to principles around unconditional love as expressed by the masculine principle. Dogs represent unbridled joy, constant affection, and enthusiastic loyalty. A dog in your dream connects to your own capacity to remain constant in love and affection. Remember to consider what the dog in your dream is doing and add that to this idea of unconditional love and you will understand what this dream means. The presence of a dog means a need to call this quality into your life, and this image being present in the dream indicates that the quality is readily available. Anything that inhibits this, such as a dog being injured, sick, lost, or challenged in any way, is pointing out your own inhibitions around being loving for love’s sake. A dog in your dream connects to loyalty and love, which can indicate that issues of commitment and intimacy are being triggered by some event or circumstance. A positive dream experience could be pointing to places in your life that are sparking enthusiasm or requiring you to become more enthusiastic and joyful. Frightening images involving dogs may be inviting you to investigate unconscious fears around love and connection. A rabid dog represents inner fears of danger that may befall you if you get too close to an intimate situation. An actual dog bite represents the misuse of kindness or consideration. An obedient dog may point to a sense of control in areas of friendship and trust. Different types of dogs can embody a variety of qualities, from the dog that rescues a person in danger to the harrowing attacker. Dogs range in shape, from something tiny enough to put in your pocket to large breeds that resemble small bears. The size and attributes of the dog in your dream will inform you of the scope of the unconscious notions being expressed.

Doll: A doll is a representation of a child for an actual child to have an experience of his or her own maternal instincts, and this might be expressed by a doll appearing in a dream. Conversely, a doll could indicate an infantilization of impulses that relate to maternal feelings.

Dollar: A dollar is the primary denomination of currency that we use in the United States. Any dream that involves money is connecting to the principles of abundance, power, and freedom. In a dream, money often represents your inner resources. Such a dream is asking you to consider your current relationship to these principles. (See Money.)

Dolphin: This is one of the most beloved of all animals and holds a very high place in many belief systems of the New Age. The dolphin’s intelligence and beautiful song have been held in high esteem by so many cultures; there is hardly one that doesn’t feature this beautiful animal in mythology of some sort. The primary qualities associated with this animal as a totem are grace, beauty, compassion, and playfulness. Dolphins live in pods and are known to exhibit highly complex social relationships, so they also connect to the care and uplifting of the community. There are two main themes to consider when a dolphin shows up in a dream. One is a reminder to be playful in all your dealings in life, as life is supposed to be filled with joy. The other is a reminder to always remember the breath, for as you choose to breathe, that is how you are choosing to live. The more dolphins there are in your dream, the more intense their message is for you. Dolphins are intelligent mammals, so they relate to the human experience in this way. They inhabit the vastness of the ocean, so they simultaneously connect to the collective unconscious. When a dolphin appears in a dream, you can consider yourself visited by a very powerful aspect of the collective conscious.

Donkey: The donkey is an indefatigable worker domesticated to be of selfless service to humans through its strength and fortitude. As such, its medicine as a totem animal connects to this dedication and determination to achieve any goal. When the donkey appears in your dreams, you are being connected to your willingness and discipline to face the hard work that your life demands.