Have you ever had a dream that stuck with you all day?
I dream ALOT. Pretty much every night. Some of the dreams are fairly normal but ALOT of them are a little on the crazy side. Last night was no different.
In this dream, somehow I ended up on this safari tour, you know the type where you are able to take some sort of bus and go and see all of the animals. Our bus pulled up to this green house like place and we were surrounded in a jungle like place. Huge green trees and plants everywhere. We were directed to go inside this glass greenhouse. It seemed strange but as part of the tour I did what they said. We all funneled in and awaited to see whatever animals would be next.
No sooner had they closed the door to the glass greenhouse, they released all of the “wild cats”. It seemed like a mixture of things like bobcats, cougars, panthers – you know the type. I was scared, noticed that these cats started breaking through the glass and coming into the greenhouse and they were literally attacking people like we were their main course meal! I managed to climb into the wooden rafters (is there actually wooden beams in a glass greenhouse?! haha) and I waited. Laying horizontally, with my back towards the ground I waited. Scared, holding my breath and just waiting for this nightmare to end. Realizing that other people below me were crying and screaming as they were being killed.
The room became quiet, and I waited. Next thing I know, a giant black panther leaps up, and grabs me by the left side of my neck/shoulder area and drags me from the rafters. This is when I wake up. My heart racing and me feeling like this had actually just happened to me, and realizing at the same time I had just died in my dream. (or knowing that I would be dead shortly, scared me enough that I woke up?) It was hard to go back to sleep, shaking off the obvious nightmare and now adding to my list of things I am afraid off… panthers that can literally jump up and grab you from the rafters and bring you to your death.
I am a true believer that a lot of dreams are messages from our Spirit Guides. They can be answers to problems we have been facing in our waking life, other times it’s direction that they think we want to go. I have had warnings come through dreams that have better prepared myself for what was to come.
I often turn to dream dictionaries if I feel there is meaning behind the dream. What could they be telling me, what insight from this dream (or nightmare in my case!) can I take that would benefit me in my waking dream.
Today, I turned to dreammoods.com to further interpret this dream. According to this website a panther means this:
To see a panther in your dream signifies lurking danger and enemies working to do you harm. It represents darkness, death, and rebirth. On a more positive note, panthers signify power, beauty and/or grace. Consider the feel of your dream to determine which meaning applies.
Add in the interpretation of the Jungle:
To dream that you are in a jungle signifies aspects of yourself and your personality that may be inhibited. You may be experiencing some chaos and unpredictable circumstances in your waking life. Consider the phrase “it’s a jungle out there!”
When I did get out of bed this morning, this nightmare/dream was still heavy on my mind. In fact, my left shoulder/neck area has been “kinked” this entire day making it harder to turn my head. Same spot the “panther” bit me in the dream!
What do you think this means?
For me, there is more to what this can symbolize knowing what was happening before bed. 6 weeks ago, we started seeing a cat (has to be under 1 years old) around our house. He was skinny, super affectionate and wanting to be around us. I started feeding him as I kept trying to locate where he might live. Tried talking to neighbors, posting on Facebook, Facebook groups as well as a neighbor website (nextdoor) all in the attempt to locate his home. I took him to a local vet, who was able to determine he had no tattoo, no microchip so he wasn’t registered in their system despite the fact that he had been neutered. This was heartbreaking. I brought him back home, continued to keep an eye on him, feeding him twice a day but unable to bring him into my home. (My husband isn’t keen on adding an additional cat to our home). I tried putting a collar on this stray cat in the hopes that if he did have a home they would call me. A week later, no call.
Last night, I posted in a mom’s group. Torn on what to do. Do I find him a home myself, or do I take him to a local animal shelter. My post in the group had a few people thinking they were his (ended up not living anywhere near us, and their cat had a tattoo) and others volunteering to take him. A woman who belongs to a cat trapper group messaged me, saying that a lot of people will often say that a cat is theirs when it’s not, and suggest that they take the cat to one of the shelters they work with. This location would ensure he is healthy, do a bit more to try and find his previous home if possible (they have more access to other sources) and if no hits, will find him his forever home.
So last night, I ran from feeling relieved that this kitty will find a home, a place that someone will love him, cuddle with him and where he can feel safe. Not living in a hedge. The other side of me, felt guilty taking him from the neighborhood and people/cats he has come accustomed too, and putting him a strange place where he is going to be “alone” for 4 days. Worried that he won’t be adopted out and spend the rest of his life stuck in a shelter… Feeling worried/guilty big time.
So how does this relate to my dream last night? This stray kitty is pure black… My dream represented a black panther, which I think actually represents the turmoil/chaos I have been feeling yesterday about the choice I had to make. Whether to give him to someone, unknown if they would actually treat him well or find out they weren’t nice and he wasn’t happy.. or take him to the shelter and worry that he won’t find a home and be there, unhappy “forever”.
It was a tough decision. We decided that going to the animal shelter would be better for him. This way anyone who adopts him is properly vetted, ensuring that they can provide a safe and loving home for him. The fact that he is under 1 years old is definately in his favor. Add in the fact that he is super sweet/affectionate, they feel he will be adopted quickly.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you interpret your dreams?