Werewolf: The beast lives within all human beings, but when bit by the werewolf, the beast unleashes the shadow in relationship to the cycle of the moon. The moon represents all that is unconscious, and when it is full, we are able to see more of what is usually hidden. The werewolf is one of the most powerful symbols of the dark parts of human nature that must be faced when looking at the unknown.
Whale: To understand the symbolic meaning of this majestic animal, consider its habitat. The ocean represents our deep unconscious mind, and the whale is the animal that breathes air, but can dive to the depths and explore what is under the surface. In this way, the whale is a powerful representation of our ability to connect to emotions and currents that run very deep and are typically hidden from our conscious awareness. When a whale appears in your dreams, the medicine that is present is this ability to dive below the surface to gain great wisdom.
Whale Song: You are being called to dive deep and explore emotions and patterns that are hidden just below the surface of your consciousness. (See Whale.)
Wheel: The circle is the most pure and perfect shape in geometry. The functionality of the wheel is thought to have changed civilization more dramatically than any other invention. Through the wheel, travel and connectivity are increased exponentially. In this way, a wheel is the fundamental structure that allows powerful movement through life. The state of a wheel in a dream is a reflection of how well you are able to progress on the path of creating what you desire.
Wheelchair: The wheelchair eradicates a level of disability by providing movement where movement is challenged. In this way, it is a symbol of triumph over adversity. Additionally, a wheelchair may appear in a dream when you feel a need or desire to continue moving through your life while expending less effort.
Whirlpool: Any image involving water relates to an experience of your emotions. In the case of a whirlpool, the implication is that there is a circling back over some focused point again and again until the momentum created pulls you down to your ultimate demise. This is what happens when you perseverate over some challenge that is causing an emotional reaction as a persistent thought or feeling. The whirlpool in your dream is asking you to consider what you can’t let go of.
Whisper: You are receiving a message of heightened importance; pay close attention to what your dreams are telling you. Even if you cannot understand what is being whispered in your dream, trust that the information is being received at the deepest level, at the level of the whisper itself. A whisper in a dream may also imply that the message that is on its way to you is not yet ready to be heard and understood or ready for public dissemination. A process may be incomplete.
White: Purity and wholeness are represented by white, as this is the unification of all the colors of light that are visible to the human eye. For some, white is the color of highest spirituality. For others, it connects to the perfection that arises out of the absence of contamination, as in virginity and chastity. An object that appears white reflects the light outward, absorbing none of the individual colors of the spectrum. It is this concept of reflecting the light that shines onto you back out into the world that embodies the high consciousness associated with the color white. (See Colors.)
White Animals: There is a rich history in many aboriginal cultures that is still part of the collective consciousness around the purity of the color white in the realm of animal totems. Most commonly associated with the buffalo, the wolf, and large cats, the elevation of an animal’s power is what is being expressed when that animal appears as white. In the color spectrum, white is perceived when all the vibrations of light are combined, so the symbolic meaning of white relates to complete integration and wholeness. It is a holy color (pun intended). Any animal that appears in your dream as white is a very sacred visitation indeed.
White House: This building is itself a symbol for the United States, modern democracy, and the American Dream. To be dreaming of the White House may be a reflection of your desire to achieve higher levels of expression in your community. Also, such a dream image may appear when your association with the state of affairs in politics is either inspiring you or causing you to despair. As the home of the president, the White House represents the personal consciousness of the freedoms that are fundamental to the way of life in the United States. A dream that features this image is first and foremost an expression of the collective consciousness of the United States as a great world power. Additionally, the dreamer’s personal associations with government and politics must be added for a satisfying interpretation.
Wig: Anything that covers the head relates to your thoughts and intellect. A wig covers the head and is primarily a symbol that relates to wanting to hide your true thoughts and present something more to your liking to the world. There may also be elements of attractiveness and feeling deserving of attention that are highlighted if a wig appears in your dream.
Will: The implication with a will is that someone has died. In the world of symbolism and dreams, this means that there has recently been a change where you have allowed some aspect of your personality to be sacrificed so that change could take place, like letting go of an old habit, belief, or way of behaving. The will is then a symbol for the gift and benefit that such an aspect has left behind. There is always value to a challenging situation, and a will in a dream is pointing that out.
Wind: Things may be changing rapidly. Your thoughts may be increasing in their intensity. These two notions may or may not be related, as wind has several connotations in symbolism. Anything connected to the air or sky correlates with the intellect and the realm of thoughts. Wind is an increase in the movement of this area of consciousness and therefore will always relate to how you are thinking about your world. The phrase “the winds of change” will also feature strongly in any dream that has wind in it, as increased gustiness has the capacity to alter things quite dramatically.
Window: You may want to see more deeply into some situation in your life. If you are inside a space and looking out through a window, the dream may be expressing a desire to move into new territory and free yourself from current restrictions. You may be experiencing a new opening of perspective in some area of your life.
Wine: Wine is known as the fruit of the vine and is one of the world’s oldest fermented beverages. The alcohol in wine connects it symbolically with escapism and overindulgence. However, there is great reverence associated with wine, as it is often featured in rituals that celebrate spiritual perspectives. The context of your dream will inform you of which direction to take your interpretation. (See Vineyard.)
Wings: Flying implies an ability to defy gravity, which is one of the most powerful symbols in the human experience. Wings are the agents of flight, and in this way they are evidence of your own power to elevate your experience up from any depths. Consider what the wings in your dream are attached to. Once you have a satisfying interpretation of that symbol, add the element of rising to higher consciousness through the presence of wings.
Wisdom Teeth: These teeth are so named because they usually come in later in life when a person has gained more wisdom through age. They are often the cause of discomfort, from blockage to generating abscesses, and need to be removed. To dream of them is to be recognizing a shift in your development to a higher level of wisdom and the discomfort that comes from growth.
Witch: This is an archetypal character aspect that connects you to magic, the occult, and the mysteries of life. The witch is a creature of relatively modern invention with little, if any, presence in the older mythologies that have shaped Western culture. Today, the witch figures prominently in contemporary fairy tale folklore and is a staple character of Halloween. The witch no longer heals and ministers to people—now she casts evil spells and eats children. Since this is an archetype, how the witch appears in your dream is important to your understanding of your own personal development. The areas of life ruled by this archetype are mysticism, healing, and magic, primarily in the feminine principle, which relates to creativity, receptivity, nurturance, and caretaking. Examine your witch for character, skill, and motivation. Her character will inform you of the level of good versus evil within your psyche. The power of her skills will inform you of your personal access to the magic in the universe. Understanding what inspires her will get you in touch with your own movement toward integration and away from manipulation. Any number of haglike female characters could be considered the witch archetype. Some may in fact be evil, while others may be disenfranchised healers. Given the witch’s origins in mysticism and the history of misunderstandings over the centuries, it is important to consider this duality when interpreting this symbol. Though she may inspire fear and dread, the witch has powerful magic that, if understood and properly used, can be invaluable to the human experience.
Wizard: This very powerful archetype has taken on new meaning in the past few decades because of the presence of the wizard in film, television, and video games. The wizard is the arbiter of magic, which in human development relates to the ability to create drastic change in an instant. In Jungian psychology, this archetype is known as the magus, or magician, and he brings with him the capacity to alter your perspective of life in miraculous ways through the power of increased wisdom. In a dream, the wizard is a harbinger and bringer of great and important information, so pay attention. The wizard has a lot in common with the witch.
Wolf: One of the most powerful totems associated with the feminine principle, the wolf is a pack animal that is most active at night. This nocturnal behavior connects the wolf symbolically with the shadow and your ability to maneuver in the darker territories of your nature. The wolf’s strong association with the moon also cements the relationship between the wolf as a symbol and the moon’s connection to cycles, changeability, and all things that relate to the movement of the unconscious mind. When the wolf appears in a dream, you are being guided by very strong forces that know their way around the darker recesses of the psyche.
Womb: The womb is where all life is created and prepared for birth. This is a powerful symbol of gestation, whether what is about to be born is a life, an idea, a creative impulse, or anything that you desire to manifest. An empty womb indicates a sense of loss or lack around your power to create something new. If there is indeed something growing in the womb of your dream, patience will be required to allow the process that you are engaged in to run its course.
Wood: Wood is one of the mainstays of our existence and is even considered an element in some of the elemental systems in various cultures. It was not that long ago in human history that everything of strength and fortitude was created out of wood. While today wood is no longer the strongest material we work with, it symbolically represents a desire to create something of substance that simultaneously connects us to the earth in a grounded fashion. Anything made out of wood in a dream is asking you to connect more to nature and your earthly origins.
Work: You are dreaming of your daytime obligations and responsibilities. We are a society centered around jobs and work. Most people relate to their jobs as something that they have to do in order to make ends meet. In this way, your job and your workplace are symbolic representations of all of the responsibilities and obligations that life presents you with. Very often, dreams about your work are to be taken very literally. You spend a great deal of time there, and your dreams may be filled with images from your day. A dream taking place where you work may very well be a compensatory dream helping you cope with the stress and wake up the next day to face it all over again. However, such a dream could also be a convenient way for your unconscious to express feelings surrounding other responsibilities and obligations that need attention. Not all dreams taking place at work are stressful. If this is the case, use your feelings about your job, the environment at work, and your coworkers to help you identify what elements of your own personality are being expressed in your dream. Many people have a very different sense of self in the workplace than in other parts of life. Consider your relationship to your work carefully when examining a dream that took place there.
World Trade Center: A global symbol for the power of the United States of America, the World Trade Center entered the permanent collective consciousness as a symbol of indomitable spirit and the fundamental human capacity to withstand change at a terrible and dramatic level. No attack can actually touch you at the level of your soul, and the presence of the World Trade Center in a dream may be reminding you of the bigger picture of your very existence as a spiritual journey. This may be most needed when facing the collapse of things in your life that you hold dear.
Wound(s): This evidence of a past experience is revealing current levels of vulnerability. A wound is an indication that something dramatic and dangerous has already occurred. It not only is evidence of the event itself, but also symbolizes the residual damage that the wounding event may have left you vulnerable to. While wounds to the body are physical in nature, they can symbolically represent emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds as well. The most important thing to consider about a wound in a dream is the state that it has left you in. The greater the risk, the higher the stakes of the life situation that the dream is expressing. The presence of infection may be revealing that an old hurt left unattended is festering and causing you pain and discomfort. Anything that results in a loss of blood relates to passion and life force being leaked out or dissipated.
Wreath: The wreath itself is a symbol with origins in pagan cultures where branches of trees were fashioned into circles to symbolize the continuity of the seasons. If you dream of a wreath, you may be being inspired by the holiday season, but what is being expressed is the deeper connection to the original meaning of honoring the constant cycle of the dying off in winter so that spring will come again.