If one or more snakes regularly walk around in your dreams, you are probably wondering about their meaning. Incarnation of sin or symbol of life according to cultures and regions of the world, here is how to interpret the presence of this strange reptile in your unconscious.
Terrifying to some and adorable to others, the snake is undeniably one of the most cleaving animals in the world. When it sneaks into the midst of our dreams, it can trigger real terrors in the most uncomfortable dreamers with its scales, its killing fangs and its strange way of moving on the ground or in the sky. water. After all, no one wants to be bitten by a reptile! However, in science of dreams, the snake is far from being interpreted as a bad sign. On the contrary, its scenario is more than fascinating.
If the great monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) see in the serpent the tempter who brings about the banishment of Adam and Eve from Paradise, this is not the case in all cultures. Often deified and revered, it is considered a deep evocation of sexual desire, the sign of the power of life as well as rebirth and infinity. And for good reason, in addition to being an obvious phallic symbol, which links it to sexuality, the snake moults: it gets rid of skin that is too old for new. What is more, he is able to form an infinite loop with his own body by biting his tail. This makes it possible to multiply the interpretations and meanings for the dreamer in search of knowledge.
The serpent, an ancient and multiple mythology
If the snake is also present in our dreams, it is because there are species of it all over the world and that it occupies a special place in many mythologies. But above all, they all give it an important place, on the side of good or that of evil. Present almost everywhere on the planet, this extremely intelligent, dangerous and difficult to kill animal is feared by all human societies. So some have decided to worship him while others have decided to hate him, and no one can agree on him.
In Hinduism for example, he is the guardian of the treasures of nature, which brings prosperity. While in Islam, we sometimes fear that he is a disguised djin. In the great religions of the Book, the serpent represents above all the Devil, the vice and the temptation of man and woman. This explains its main meaning in the science of dreams: sexual energy.
When we dream of a snake, what does that mean?
From the perspective of dream interpretation experts, putting a snake in your dreams symbolizes sexual energy. This can be that of the dreamer or that, felt, of an outside person. If one of them frequents your nights, then it means that you feel a strong urge that you refuse to admit. Are you attracted to a work colleague? Do you have secret love? A need for renewal in your married life? All of these scenarios are possible, and dreaming about a snake can be a sign that it is time to face it.
The other possibility is that your brain has discovered someone else’s sexual desire for you and is trying to tell you. Now it remains to be seen if you want to reveal it in the open, or if you are afraid that it will shatter your life. Be careful, a dream often indicates to you an unconscious feeling but it does not tell you what to do. This decision must be made after reflection, in your soul and conscience. A dreamed snake is a warning, not a sign that you have to succumb to impulses.
The image of the snake has a real impact
Yep, sometimes size matters. The science of dreams thus teaches us that, in a dream, the bigger or taller a snake, the more it symbolizes a powerful sexual urge. So, if you dreamed about a small and harmless snake, it is not about something insurmountable. Also pay attention to the color of the scales and the type of reptile: if you dreamed of a gigantic boa constrictor or a deadly black mamba, you are probably inhabited by a burning desire. Unless you inspire this feeling in someone else. Same story about the snake’s aggressiveness, the more aggressively it moves or goes towards you, the more it symbolizes a deep attraction.
Adolescence and the Interpretation of Snake Dreams
The snake’s sexual dimension naturally makes it a recurring dreamlike motif during adolescence. This period of life is that of the transition from desexualized childhood to adulthood and the discovery of sexuality. For most people, it is the moment of discovery of the body, of desires and of pleasure, but also of prohibitions. In many cultures, adolescence is also the age of limits and transgressions, of the desire to reveal oneself and of difficulty in asserting oneself, of the birth of attraction for the body of the other and for fear of showing his own. This can lead to a strange feeling in both the man and the woman in the making. The snake, with its discreet and silent crawl, therefore naturally slips into the heads of adolescent dreamers. If your children talk to you about such dreams at night, reassure them about this interpretation, all that is quite natural: they are not likely to be bitten.
Dreaming of a snake: the announcement of a change
In the same way that we abandon our childhood to become an adult, the snake leaves its old skin behind when it molts. This very particular characteristic therefore also gives it a symbol of rebirth, of change. To dream of a snake, especially if it is not aggressive, can therefore also signify a change that is coming. A new job? New responsibilities? The beginning or the end of a new romantic relationship? Moving ? Snake can signify many types of change as long as it is a forward movement, a change that propels you, that moves you forward. The serpent does not go back, it does not put its skin back on, it progresses in the direction of the future, knowingly.
A symbol of rebirth and infinity
If the serpent does not go back, it can also mean rebirth in the sense of infinity. This is particularly the case with Ouroboros, a mysterious drawing that can be found from ancient Egypt to European alchemy, from ancient Asia to Nordic mythology. Representing a serpent biting its tail, the Ouroboros represents the succession of cycles through almost all the ages of humanity. If we take another step forward in symbolism, this sign reflects the proximity between birth and death, the renewal of things and the eternal cycle of nature. To dream of a snake can therefore also testify to the unconscious arrival of a birth or a death. In the latter case, it is to be welcomed as a natural event rather than as a drama, as a stage rather than as an end.
Why is the snake the symbol of health?
Finally, and this is perhaps the most misunderstood part of this symbolism, a snake dream can signify healing, which is directly part of the mystique of rebirth. After all, recovering from a long and / or violent illness is a kind of return to life, from which we often come out stronger than before, with a real boost of energy. Which fits perfectly with the way the serpent leaves its tired old skin behind to rise from its ashes. If you (or a loved one) are going through a period of depression or a long illness, then a snake dream may signal the approach of a more or less long-term healing. If this surprises you, know that the famous reptile is very deeply linked to the medical question. First of all, because a lot of venoms are also medicines. It’s all a question of dosage. Then, because it is part of very old representations of healers, such as the Staff of Asclepius or the Caduceus, a sign of recognition of all the medical professions.
Dreaming of snakes: the exception of phobia
The snake is a deeply dangerous animal for humans. Quiet, almost invisible when moving and often poisonous, it has been considered a threat since the dawn of humanity. This panic fear is deeply rooted in human societies and has reached us, which is why many people suffer from the phobia of snakes – ophiophobia. If you are in this case, it is not surprising that you regularly dream of these animals. Especially if you have been in direct or indirect contact with one of them or if you have recently seen them in a movie or series.
Indeed, if you are phobic of scaly creatures, your brain automatically focuses on them and releases them in your dreams during the night. Worse, your subconscious can transform other fears or obstacles that you have faced during the day to give them the shape of snakes. It’s not that your gray matter hates you, it’s just that it tends to overlap similar things like fears or happiness, love and hate. It’s up to you to know how to separate things.