The Albatross

In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Samuel Taylor Coleridge penned:

Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.

The albatross in the poem had been killed by the Ancient Mariner, and the crew then dreamt strange dreams that convinced them the lack of rain plaguing the ship was caused by the albatross seeking revenge for its death.

Nowadays, an albatross symbolizes a burden or woe. If a character dreams of an albatross, the dream could correlate with current or impending misery.

A Warning!

Have you ever read a book that began with an intriguing or exciting scene; and then, several paragraphs or pages later, you discovered everything was a dream?

How did you feel about the misdirection?

Whenever you include a dream, make sure readers know it’s a dream.

Perhaps try something like the following.

Jarine is obviously dreaming, and readers will want to know what happened. Italics help to isolate fantasy from reality. Some writers also use present tense in dreams.

How to Use the Symbols

What follows in this post and the next is a list of twenty-six dream symbols out of thousands you could weave into a story. To keep the posts simple and short, I chose one or two symbols for each letter of the alphabet.

A character who understands dream symbols will probably react differently from one who doesn’t. An uninformed character, in the process of investigating dream symbols online, might get caught by the boss. Story prompt? Or the character might consult a psychic, a palm reader, a tarot reader, or an oneirocritic (a person who interprets dreams).

Here’s how to pronounce oneirocritic.

Story prompt: A computerized oneirocritic provides dream interpretations for a population of agoraphobic citizens in an overcrowded world.

A Is for Adder

Adders suggest cunning. Cunning people rely on deceit or evasion to accomplish their aims.

Story prompt: The character of focus experiences several disturbing adder dreams involving a potential [job candidate, mate, travel companion]. The dreams trigger a mental state that causes the character to [block the person on social media, break off the relationship with the person, courier an adder to the person, hire a detective to investigate the person].

B Is for Bridge

Bridges symbolize transition. Perhaps an important decision or a move to another location lies on the horizon.

Story prompt: A character with a fear of heights dreams of a bridge that breaks every time someone tries to cross it. The character [cancels a hike whose route crosses two suspension bridges, makes an appointment with a hypnotist or psychiatrist to address the fear of heights, moves back in with parents, quits a well-paying job in preference for another that doesn’t involve decision-making].

C Is for Clam

A closed clam could indicate an introvert or secretive character who might be aloof or who borders on alexithymia.

Story prompt: A character facing an impending [business merger, marriage, television interview] has a recurring dream about a giant closed clam that resists being opened. It’s impossible in the dream to determine who is trying to open the clam — the character, or someone else?

D Is for Dice

Dice could point to a risk taker, someone who is unpredictable and prone to tempting fate.

Story prompt: Crypto currency or gold? Los Angeles or New York? Murder or mercy? High roll = the second option for each decision. The dream dice are cast and [come up as two threes, fall into a bottomless hole, spin in the air and never land]. After waking, the character [_____].

E Is for Eggs

It should be no surprise to learn that eggs symbolize fertility, life, and new beginnings.

Story prompt: A couple trying to get pregnant both have a recurring dream about fried eggs. They discover that [nobody in their social circle can get pregnant, the husband’s sperm count is low because of a childhood disease, they were both the result of in vitro fertilization].

F Is for Flying

Flying represents freedom, a desire to escape from the burden of daily chores or worries.

Story prompt: [A college student cramming for exams, A kidnap victim, A stranded space traveler] dreams of flying toward [a seller of cheat sheets, FBI agents who have breached the building, aliens who have just landed on the planet]. The character mulls over the dream and [_____].

G Is for Gnat

Gnats are annoying, and in a dream they could portend difficulties with friends or associates.

Story prompt: A gardener is beset by gnats in nightly dreams. The gnats morph into [an ex-spouse, an obnoxious neighbor, bill collectors, giant ants]. After weeks of enduring the dreams, the gardener [poisons the ex with insecticide, pours bleach over the neighbor’s garden, cancels phone service, torches the garden].

H Is for Harbor

A harbor signifies shelter, balance, and stability. It might appear in the dreams of a person who is trying to escape a stormy or chaotic situation.

Story prompt: [Arguments with an agent or editor, Impossible deadlines, Writer’s block] by day and dreams of a harbor by night fill a writer with indecision. The writer eventually [fires the agent/editor, hires a ghostwriter, travels abroad] and life seems to become stable again.

I Is for Icicles

Icicles could represent problems hanging over someone’s head. They imply danger and the need for caution.

Story prompt: [A bank manager, A nanny, A tightrope walker, A trash collector] dreams of icicles — even though it’s summer, and the temperatures are unseasonably warm. The character receives an email warning of [a security breach, an outbreak of _____, blackmail, the person’s driver’s license suspension].

J Is for Jury

A character who dreams of a jury might be sensitive to the scrutiny of others, especially when fearing judgment over prior bad acts.

Story prompt: [An antiquities librarian who has spilled something on a valuable book, A hairstylist who applied red dye instead of black to a client’s hair, A snitch who squealed on a crime cartel, A teenager whose report card is filled with Ds and Fs] dreams of a jury trial in which all members point a finger at the character and yell, “Guilty.” The character [_____].

K Is for Knots

Dreaming of successful knot-tying might foreshadow the solving of a difficult problem. The appearance of knots that can’t be untied could signify that the problem won’t disappear.

Story prompt: [A ballet dancer, A famous Olympic runner, A quadriplegic] dreams of untying a giant knot on a basket of [flowers, gold medals, dreams]. The day following the dream, the character [is promoted to soloist, wins gold in the 5000-meter event, is able to wiggle the fingers of one hand].

L Is for Labyrinth

A labyrinth usually points to a challenge, and solving the challenge could lead to success or financial gain.

Story Prompt: [A bingo caller, A detective, A lawyer, A sanitation engineer] dreams of an endless labyrinth. Every time the character reaches what looks like the end, the labyrinth regenerates. After several restless nights, the character [buys a new bingo blower, asks for a different partner, hires a detective to follow _____, arranges a comprehensive review of the city’s sewage system].

M Is for Moon

A full moon usually connotes success. It can also point to beauty and purity, or an upcoming event — whether good or bad.

Story prompt: [A pregnant woman, A prince, A radiological technician, A villain] dreams of a full moon. The character wakes, gazes outside, and is surprised to see [her estranged fiancé carrying a huge bouquet of flowers, a unicorn led by a woman dressed in white, the hospital CEO, an army of knights in gleaming armor].

Are You Ready for More?

Part 2 covers the second half of the alphabet and links to online dream-symbol resources.