This metaphorical language

Dream language is different from the language we use when we communicate in the outer world. When we speak or write, we usually explain things in a logical, linear, factual way.. unless you are a poet and naturally think in metaphors. Metaphor is a thing that is symbolic of something else (from the Greek "to transfer"). As in fairy tales, fables, and myths, the things that happen in dreams are symbolic representations of underlying truths about us. They are rarely meant to be taken literally. Here's an example... a line from a Zen koan: "Hide yourself in the middle of the flames."

We see this picture and, ...we don't smirk and say, 'who'd be dumb enough to hide in a fire?' We will understand that in some way we're being challenged to live passionately, perhaps to risk being 'burned'. The metaphorical images in your dreams, and the metaphor of the whole dream, are very personal and imbued with feelings and experiences from your life. So, don't think you can go to a dream dictionary and find the truth in the symbolism in your dreams.

I'll leave you with a quote by Jill Mellick, Jungian-oriented psychologist and artist, which is rich in symbolism...

"In the ocean of the unconscious, dreams are swells that rise and pause and break on the shores or personal consciousness, only to suck back, leaving precious flotsam and jetsam on the beach of waking awareness. We cannot influence the tides or currents, but we can ride the crest of the wave into shore and gather the treasures to us as we walk at dawn."