The Lion in Your Dream: The Symbolic Language of Dreams and Astrology
Imagine dreaming of a lion walking through your home. When you wake up, you still remember its gaze and how it made you feel. Throughout the day, you wonder how this image might connect with your life.
If you are interested in astrology, the lion may remind you of Leo. Exploring what this image means to you also involves looking at your own feelings and experiences.
In his article Dreams and Astrology, K. Forrer connects dreams and astrology through symbols and associations. Here, we explore his ideas as a symbolic approach to reflecting on our dreams.
Symbols gain meaning through our own stories
Forrer describes the importance of associations in dream interpretation:
“The logic of dream interpretation is rooted in associations.”
A house may remind you of childhood and times when you felt safe. For someone else, it might bring up responsibilities or a way of life they want to change. The same image can touch different memories in different people.
When exploring a symbol, a useful starting point is: “What does this remind me of?”
Notice what the lion is doing
Forrer gives the example of someone dreaming of a pet lion wreaking havoc in their home. He connects the lion with the dreamer's own character and behaviour. This is one of the symbolic interpretations he proposes. (Forrer, 2020, p. 2)
Returning to our imaginary dream, a calm lion and a lion knocking over furniture may bring up different feelings. Approaching it, running away from it, or trying to protect it gives us further details to consider.
This image might prompt us to reflect on how we use our strength, express ourselves, and relate to the people around us.
Remember the whole story of the dream
Forrer emphasises the importance of considering symbols within the events surrounding them. He uses the example of a knife carrying different meanings in the hands of a surgeon, a cook, and an attacker. (Forrer, 2020, pp. 1-2)
Writing “I saw a lion” in your dream journal leaves out many details. Where was the lion? Who was with you? How did the dream end? Recording these details can make it easier to return to the dream later.
Approaching ourselves through symbols
Forrer offers the following view on the role of dreams and astrology in personal reflection:
“Dreams share with astrology this same ability to spell out the truth about us without offence.”
His idea invites us to consider how symbols can create room for reflection. Writing down a dream and reading it again a few days later may help us notice personal connections we missed at first.
A small exercise for your dream journal
When you record your next dream, try using these five headings:
- Image: What stood out most clearly?
- Events: What happened in the dream?
- Feeling: How did I feel during the dream and after waking?
- Association: What memory, person, or situation does this image remind me of?
- Astrological connection: What theme does this image suggest within the astrological symbolism I use?
Recording the astrological connection as a personal interpretation leaves room to consider other explanations over time. Following the lion in your dream can become a way of looking more closely at your own experience.