Table: Since the primary cultural association with a table is eating meals, the symbolic nature of this object is about groups and connections, with a potential emphasis on the family. As such, a table in your dreams may be pointing to the quality of this construct within your own life. If there is a gathering around a table in a dream, look to those gathered for clues as to the qualities and skills you need to feed and therefore nurture at this time. The shape of the table has some significance as well. A round table harkens back to the mythology of King Arthur, where this shape was the first representation of democracy within leadership. A table that is broken or otherwise impaired signals an inability to gather inner strength.
Tadpoles: The frog is amphibious and can dwell in both the realms of the conscious and the unconscious, as represented by land and water. This intermediary state of tadpole signifies the natural order of things to begin in the inner realms before venturing out into the air. There is a connection to the tadpole and the notion of ideas that must swim around in the nurturing ponds of your mind before they are ready to spring forth into action.
Tail: Tails in the animal kingdom have a number of functions, from expressiveness to movement and balance. Since our most consistent relationship with this body part is through domesticated pets, it is the tail’s ability to express anxiety and joy that is most likely the meaning of a tail in a dream. If you have a tail in a dream, it relates to both a return to primitive instincts as well as the transparency that comes when you can’t hide your true feelings.
Taking a Test: You are having anxiety around being held accountable in some aspect of your life. Quizzes, tests, and exams are part of the structure of education that most people in the West first experience in childhood. This is imprinted in the brain as a permanent memory, associating the sensation of performance anxiety with images of being tested in school. In dreams, these become a metaphor for the ways in which we are tested by challenges in life. We only pass such tests if we have gained a sufficient level of knowledge from past lessons learned. When you dream of taking a test, your unconscious is letting you know that there is underlying anxiety around how prepared you feel to face your life. Examine your life for areas where you feel you are being held accountable, even if the only person holding you accountable is yourself. This is often a recurring dream for people who experience high levels of performance anxiety, a fear of failure, or frequent feelings of judgment from others. It can also indicate a hidden need to be acknowledged by those in authority in your life and to feel validated for your accomplishments. In this way, a test dream can be a compensation for feeling undervalued. (See Exams, Pop Quiz, Quiz.)
Talent Show: Two themes are involved in a talent show. The first is a public display of gifts and abilities. The second is the competition for the top spot. Such a dream may indicate a sense of a strong desire to have your gifts and talents recognized in the world. A secondary meaning may connect with feeling a sense of competition for such recognition—that there is only room for a limited amount of appreciation.
Tampon: A tampon is used to stop the flow of blood that connects with menstruation and reflects a desire for certain natural experiences to be tidier and cleaner than they naturally are. What flow in your life are you trying to stop from moving naturally because of some sense of shame or inhibition? There is an interesting use here of something phallic to alter something vaginal; look for where you are switching out a masculine approach when a feminine one would be more authentic.
Tape: There are many different kinds of tape, but the premise is the same: repairing some sort of damage to a flat surface by bonding to that surface, creating adhesion that keeps what had been torn apart in one piece. Tape is easy to use and ubiquitous, and herein lies the symbolic meaning: something needs a minor repair and there is a simple solution. Look to something in your life that can be easily mended.
Tapestry: A tapestry is a large, magnificent image created by the knitting together of thousands of different colored threads and yarns. This is a metaphor for life itself, a beautiful creation that can only be constructed one thread at a time. Look to the tapestry of your dreams to reflect how you are feeling about the overall arc of your life so far.
Tar: Tar is an organic petroleum substance that is very sticky. When it is put to good use, it can help make roads more durable and waterproof a roof. However, in its natural state tar has been known to lead to the demise of any animal unfortunate enough to get stuck in it. In this way, its dark and smelly quality represents elements of life that can be frightening, coarse, or unfortunate when ignored, but can turn into productive aspects when used properly. What challenge in your life are you not recognizing as an opportunity?
Tarot: The Tarot is a powerful community of archetypes that can be examined for their own individual meanings. If you are familiar with this divining tool, look to the specific images that arise in a dream as guidance coming from your inner wisdom. If you are not familiar with it, a visit from the Tarot may be your soul asking you to look to more esoteric means of spiritual expression.
Tattoo: The desire to ink your skin runs the gamut from a powerful need for self-expression or a tribal sense of symbolic presentation all the way to drunken regret. As such, in a dream you must consider your personal relationship with body ink before you arrive at a satisfying interpretation. Understand that on a universal level, there is a very rich tradition of adorning the skin this way in the development of human history across the ages.
Taxes: The inevitability of paying taxes evokes a great emotional response from most people. At the heart of this act are the principles of accountability and responsibility. If tax issues are part of your dream, this symbol may be reflecting a reaction to elements of your life that are asking you to be accountable in some way. To whom much is given, much is required. Additionally, the word “taxing” can indicate something that is burdensome or onerous.
Taxi: You may need to improvise in order to get your ideas into action. A taxi takes us from one place to a desired destination, and this is symbolic of a change or transformation that is brief or small in nature. The fact that you can get a taxi with ease by waving your hand or making a phone call speaks to the improvisational nature of how to get that change to manifest.
Tea: There is a great deal of ritual associated with tea, and despite the caffeine that some teas contain, the act of drinking tea is often associated with relaxation, civility, and calm. To be making tea in a dream is an indication of a desire to incorporate more of these gentle qualities into your life.
Teacher: A teacher in a dream is part archetype and part character aspect. The teacher is the one with the knowledge, and to dream of one is to be tapping into the part of you that knows. If the teacher is someone known to you, add the element of that person’s personal qualities to your interpretation. The less you know of the teacher in a dream, the more you may be experiencing wisdom at an archetypal level. No matter how the teacher appears, consider that there may be something for you to learn. Learning occurs by accumulating small amounts of data that build upon each other. Teachers know what piece of information needs to be added next in order for learning to take place. A figure of authority, the teacher is the one person at school who knows what the lesson plan is. Teachers have both the questions and the answers. Not only do they control what happens in the classroom, but they also know why things are ordered in a particular way. Each of our teachers presents us with the specific information needed to master a particular level of our functioning. Any teacher in a dream represents the part of you that understands this concept of step-by-step mastery and provides the mental environment in which learning occurs, or is blocked. There is great patience built into this process, even though many of your teachers in life may have lacked this quality. When a teacher appears in your dream, examine the person as a character aspect of yourself. The teacher’s behavior toward you in the dream and your resulting feelings will offer insight as to how well your inner guidance system is operating and to what degree you are showing yourself patience with the pace of your growth. A kindly teacher will result in a very different interpretation from one who is abusive or frightening.
Teeth: Teeth connect to abundance and prosperity. When interpreting this symbol, please understand that money is only one form of abundance and prosperity. Teeth attract love by revealing themselves in a smile. They can protect you by exposing themselves through a frown as an aggressive snarl. They also assist in the body’s ability to take in sustenance. It is in this way that teeth symbolize prosperity by virtue of being the arbiter of love, protection, and nurturance.
Teeth Falling Out: You are feeling insecure about some area of your life. Teeth serve three primary functions. They allow us to process our food so we can nurture ourselves. They express joy when revealed in a smile, and they can indicate aggression when exposed in a snarl. All of these things—nurturance, joy, and protection—connect directly to security and well-being. If individuals cannot nurture themselves, attract loving connections, and protect themselves from danger, the basic constructs of a secure life are not likely to be available to them. Without these three important parts of life, fear will prevail. Therefore, when this dream image appears, issues of personal security are at the forefront of your unconscious expression. There are various levels of intensity associated with this symbol. It can fluctuate from a slightly loose tooth to having all your teeth crumble out of your mouth in a bloody mess. The scale of intensity of the dream will indicate the amount of fear being expressed. Whether it is a general fear of being out of control, looking bad, aging, or some other issue of unmet needs, the appearance of this dream indicates underlying insecurity in some area of your waking life. The teeth are used for chewing, and this association can indicate a need to “chew on something for a while,” as in mulling over a choice or course of action. “Sinking your teeth into something” refers to taking on life wholeheartedly. Losing your teeth in a dream could indicate an inability or unwillingness to do so. Losing our teeth as children is such a powerful rite of passage. On some level, losing your teeth in a dream will connect to the process of growing up, even in adulthood.
Telephone: Staying connected with others is at the heart of this symbol, which is rapidly becoming an obsolete item as more and more people abandon their telephones for the portable benefit of the cell phone as their only means of connection. No matter what form the phone takes, the meaning of communication and instant gratification applies. If every person in a dream is a reflection of the dreamer, the phone is the power of the connectedness of thought. (See Cell Phone.)
Television: The collective consciousness and the concept of manufactured truth are represented by a television in a dream. Television represents this collective thought in action. Through programming, especially the news, there is an almost hypnotic experience in the Western world that makes the general population accept what is seen in TV as the truth about life, whether or not that is actually so. The line between what is truth and what is fiction is continually blurred, and this has increased with the advent of so-called reality television. The proximity between yourself and the television in your dream should be considered to represent your current relationship to the impact that television and its content is having on your life. Some people never watch TV, while others are addicted. Where you fit on this continuum will affect how you view this symbol in a dream. First examine the landscape of the dream for an accurate, contextual theme of what messages the dream might be offering you. Then filter this through the perspective that television always presents manufactured truth. Ask yourself how you might be being manipulated by what other people think as opposed to your own authentic notions about life. It may be time to turn the television off and start living life in real time.
Temple: You are dreaming of connecting to your spiritual nature in a more conventional way. Churches, temples, and mosques are the center of spiritual life for any community. Just like a house in a dream, any building can be interpreted as representing one’s current sense of self. In this way, any place of worship ultimately points to your relationship with spirituality and religion. Because this element of life can be particularly controversial, it is very important that you make a clear distinction between the universal meaning of a temple as connecting to matters of spirituality and whatever personal feelings you harbor about organized religion. If a temple is not your typical house of worship, your dream may be asking you to consider the similarities and not the differences between different sets of religious dogma. (See Church, Mosque.)
Termite: The primary element of the termite’s existence that illumines its symbolic meaning is its destructive powers. Hidden from view, termites can completely destroy the structural integrity of a building and are a homeowner’s worst nightmare. If you see a few termites, there may be hundreds unseen eroding the foundation of something you hold dear. When termites appear in a dream, be prepared to look beneath the surface for evidence that some structure in your life may be being eaten away.
Terrorist: Terrorists create an enormous amount of death and destruction based on the fundamental belief that they are doing the right thing, usually out of a profound sense of spiritual faith. If you are feeling disenfranchised, such strong urges can erupt into a violent reaction. If a terrorist is featured in a dream, be on the lookout for misdirected passions.
Test: See Exams, Pop Quiz, Quiz, Taking a Test.
Testicles: The testicles are the source of power in the masculine principle. Testicles featured in a dream relate to connecting with male fertility and the capacity to disseminate great amounts of creative energy. There may or may not be a sexual element involved.
Texting: Texting relates to the notion of instantaneous communication and the desire to get your thoughts connected to another person with a sense of immediacy. Texting has become such a standard part of modern society that it may have very little symbolic meaning beyond this desire to make an instant connection.
Theater: A place devoted to the presentation of created stories, a theater in a dream is a place where people gather to share a common experience. Any building in a dream is symbolic of an idea or a belief system that you have. This particular one is about themes that occur in the collective and have to do with social conformity or community agreement. If your dream takes place in a theater, you may be exploring ways in which your community or social experience is playing out the story of your life.
Therapist: A therapist is a symbol for a character aspect that relates to the part of you that is wise and helpful. It is common to dream of your therapist when you are actively in therapy. This indicates that an internalization of the therapeutic process is occurring. If the therapist is not someone known to you, then you are activating the part of you that can guide you with wisdom and clarity.
Three: When two are gathered, eventually their energy will create a new element, and a third is born. Three is the number of creativity and is a powerful energy. There are many examples of the concept of three: mother, father, and child is perhaps the most universal. The Holy Trinity in Catholicism is another instance. The artist, the paint, and the finished work is just one case that can be applied to any creative endeavor. In music, a triad is the simplest and perhaps most pleasing harmony. In the world of geometry, it is only when you have three points to work with that you can create an actual shape. The shadow challenge of three is a lack of grounding and separation from reality. This is because three relates so strongly to the drive to create that feeling unable to do so would be the fear-based side of this energy.
Throat: The throat is the seat of all communication, and anything that occurs in this area of the body in a dream relates to issues you are having around your voice, such as owning it and communicating from an authentic and strong perspective. Many dreams that involve the throat include challenges and compromise, from violent attacks to permutations of the body. Whatever is happening in the dream with your throat, consider it a description of how you are using your voice in your current life circumstances and relationships.
Thunder: You are seeing evidence of dramatic moments of enlightenment. Thunder is the auditory evidence of the presence of lightning. If lightning is to be understood as a sudden burst of enlightenment and awareness that appears in an instant and changes things forever, thunder is the booming announcement that comes along with the moment. There is an old method of determining one’s distance from lightning strikes by counting the number of seconds between the lightning strike and the clap of thunder that follows. If thunder and lightning are both present in the dream, it raises the stakes of the dream. It can also point to the distinction between a moment of awareness and the secondary impact of the change it initiates.
Tick: You are feeling pestered by nagging thoughts that are slowly draining your motivation and life force. A tick is an insect that grabs on to flesh and sucks blood for its own sustenance. Blood is symbolic of passion and life force, and to lose even a little bit can represent the small ways in which annoying thoughts of negativity can slowly deplete your sense of well-being. To be infested with ticks is to recognize that the tipping point has come and your negativity is beginning to overwhelm you.
Ticket: A ticket is a symbol for the power and right to enter. What the ticket is for adds an important distinction to how to interpret it as an image in a dream. At the heart of it, the ticket represents the possibility of some sort of an adventure. A theater or movie ticket connects to a desire to see your life a certain way. A ticket for any sort of transportation reflects the need to make a more drastic change. Losing a ticket symbolizes that you feel that the opportunity for something has potentially passed you by.
Tie: The tie is an adornment and in this way connects to personal self-expression. Because it is worn around the neck, it highlights issues of communication and speaking with a powerful ownership of your voice. A tie can represent a sense of restriction where responsibility is concerned.
Tiger: The tiger is the ultimate animal symbol for strength and sensuality and is also connected to vitality and health. When a tiger appears in a dream, you are being acquainted with a powerful totem to guide you through any difficulty. Tiger medicine is the perfect antidote to fear and aversion, for the courage, strength, and cunning associated with this animal are without parallel.
Tightrope: Originally part of a circus act, the tightrope is an extremely narrow path for a person to traverse as an act of thrill. If you are walking a tightrope in a dream, you may feel as if some circumstance in your life has you in a very precarious situation. Something may be asking you to move very, very slowly and constantly check in for a sense of balance.
Time Travel: The ability to move through time is a fascinating dream symbol, for in dreams time has no limitation whatsoever. In this way, if you are dreaming of time travel as a concept, it is the desire to shift time perspectives in your waking life that may be inspiring such a dream. To go back in time relates to altering an error or regrettable choice. To move forward implies a desire to escape present circumstances.
Tiptoe: A more delicate approach to something may be required. When you walk on the tips of your toes, you reduce the evidence of your presence by making less noise and impact. This is beneficial when you desire to make less of an impression. However, there is a consequence to this, as you relinquish power and a sense of being grounded. The context of the dream in which you are walking on tiptoe will give you more insight as to whether this act is beneficial or inhibiting. If a character in your dream is walking on tiptoe, then the aspect of yourself that the person represents is looking to remain less visible.
Tires: The tires of any vehicle are what give it traction and allow it to move with relative ease. The state of the tires in a dream relates to your journey on the path through your life as well as how grounded that journey is. A flat tire indicates a temporary obstacle that halts your movement. Missing tires are the same, only the challenge is greater and the delay longer.
Toes: The toes are about balance and finesse with regard to your movement through life. They can also be a source of adornment and self-expression. Something happening to the toes in a dream may indicate that there are some obstacles impeding you. A stubbed toe is an error in judgment that gets your immediate attention.
Toilet: See Bathroom.
Tomb: A tomb is a building that houses the dead. A building in a dream represents some construct of your thought process or your consciousness. A tomb, therefore, is elements of your consciousness that are no longer active and considered dead and buried. A tomb in a dream may relate to the past.
Tombstone: A tombstone marks a place where someone is buried. In the world of dreams, the death of a person is usually a sign that some way of being in the world is no longer serving you and needs to be sacrificed in order for growth and expansion to occur. A tombstone indicates a need or desire to stay somewhat connected to that part of your psyche. For more layers of an interpretation, consider who the tombstone is representing; whoever the person is, it is the qualities that he or she possesses that have been released. The tombstone indicates that the process has already occurred.
Tongue: Anything involving the tongue relates to your ability to articulate in the world of communication. Conversely, the tongue could also relate to the sense of taste and the quality of life that taste brings to the experience of eating. The tongue is symbolic of our innate human desire to be understood and relates to issues around communication. This can reflect everything from being soft-spoken to possessing a sharp tongue. If communication is too passive, the speaker may be rendered ineffective. If it is too pointed or overly direct, wounding can occur, often in opposition to the communicator’s intention. A damaged tongue could indicate a need for you to examine how effective you are in this area. If your tongue is paralyzed, you may not be speaking powerfully enough to achieve your intentions in your waking life.