Dreams Inebriated

If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I am not an animal lover. I admire them from afar and respect them but do not look to me to have them for pets. What is odd is that I've wanted a dog for some time now, more like an emotional support dog. For as long as I can remember, the majority of my dreams have had animals in them. They tend to rotate from exotic cats to rats; some have been nightmares. My goal is to find out what they mean so you can find me Googling 2:30 in the morning in a cold sweat.

The reasons for these dreams are profound in my subconscious; if it bothers me long enough, I will explain it to my therapist for some guidance. As someone who loves to journal, I have never written about my dreams until now. I Google the meaning, and I am right back to bed. I never have the same dream twice, at least not back-to-back. I tend to repeat certain ones six months from the original. Hopefully, my dreams can provide meaning and clarity in your life.

Let's Break Them Down:

Rat

I found this one odd because I'm not too fond of rats. I'm not a fan of small, disease-infested animals with long tails. I may have a phobia, but I haven't taken the necessary steps to know that to be true. I start with this dream first because I had this nightmare this morning.

Dream

I'm "team rat" I was cheering this rat on because it was having a foot race against an overweight and smelly pest control worker. I was this rat's number one fan and ultimate fan, if you will. I was cheering on this rat with cheers like: "Go rat," "Don't get caught," "What are you doing? Run faster." After a while, I noticed the rat running closer to me at a reasonable 30 MPH. My cheers turned into "Stop" and "Don't come near me." Before I could get the last verbal warning, this rat leaped up and was on the verge of landing on my face. The perfect image of this terrifying event was when Scar was fighting Simba towards the end of The Lion King. As this rat got closer to my face, I jumped and woke up breathing hard, dry mouth with my room being fuzzy because I couldn't focus on my surroundings. My dreams can be vivid, so it all felt so real.

Meaning

To see a rat in your dream signifies feelings of doubts, greed, guilt, unworthiness, and envy. Or you have done something that you are not proud of; alternatively, a rat denotes repulsion, decay, dirtiness, and even death. The dream may also be a pun on someone who is a rat. Are you feeling betrayed? You are keeping something to yourself that is eating you up inside.

How This Applies to Me?

I don't have a clue. From my waking knowledge, I can't think of any doubts I may have, greed, of being greedy, of course. I love Mexican food as of late; I've done pretty well with my California burrito addiction. Feelings of unworthiness were me three years ago. I enjoy my company, and I want the woman I'm becoming. Secrets? I don't have many secrets, but I'm very good at keeping other secrets. If you tell me something in confidence and you tell me not to tell, then I'm your person. Who am I to tell someone else's secrets? Do other's secrets eat me up inside? Hell no. I've learned to compartmentalize most things. I must because I'm an empath. I don't take my gift lightly, and I have to separate to show up for myself. I'm associating myself with rotten people, or maybe some aspects of my character are awful. I'm comfortable with being accountable. Sometimes dreams reveal more about you than anyone else. Who knows? The truth will eventually reveal itself. The worst thing I can do is worry about it prepare myself mentally when it finally shows up.

Tiger

There was a time in my life when I adored tigers. I could relate to them. They were outsiders and roamed the jungles alone. I admire their self-efficiency, and who wouldn't want to be at the top of the food chain? In this dream, I was once again attacked. What is with animals jumping on me? I do not understand. But anyway, somehow, I was in a jungle: tall trees, humidity, waterfalls, rocks, flowers, and plants. The backdrop was a waterfall, and this random tiger was jumping from rock to rock. These were the slippery rocks that you may find under any waterfall. Some are underwater others only reveal themselves on the water's surface. This cat saw that the enormous rocks protruding from under the water led to me, and every jump they landed on was one leap closer to me.

I do not know much about tigers, but I know not to run from them. I did not want to be dinner, so in this dream, I stood my ground. I wanted to show this exotic cat that your teeth or size will not have Teisha LeShea running through the damn jungle. I am still trying to figure out how I got there in the first place. I started to get nervous. The sweat began to present itself on my upper lip, and my palms felt clammy; my breathing became short and shallow. I was not sure to fight or flee. I looked down and noticed that this tiger had two rocks between us; all they needed was power from its legs and momentum. The tiger crouched down in a squatting position. The power and distance of the leap will come from its legs. I see the tiger jump and the best thing I can do is cover my face with my arms. I did not work now; I have a two-hundred or more tiger on top of me and in true Teisha fashion. I wake up in a cold sweat.

Meaning

To dream of a tiger jumping at you indicates that you will have many difficulties.

How It Applies to Me?

Well, this was boring. This dream happened months ago, and the only thing I can correlate to the "difficulties" could mean that I had carpal tunnel surgery in August of 2021. Most people take things for granted I found challenging, like showering, eating, using the restroom, and dressing. I have a problem with asking for help. It can be difficult to fix my lips to say "help me," but both surgeries (carpal tunnel surgery in both hands) have made me realize that asking for help is ok. I have proved to myself that I can do it instead of struggling; I can ask someone else why I put through that type of agony? I have nothing to prove.

Snake

Again, I am not a fan of it; I wouldn't say I like the hissing and slithering. I can watch them on Animal Planet and get as close as examining them behind glass, but me owning one? Not. I'm not too fond of snakes in human form and animal form. I respect snakes but not enough to invite them to dinner and meet my family.

Dream

This dream had small children. I did not know the names of these children, but my only job was to protect them from this snake. The setting looked like an elementary school, with each room looking like a kindergarten classroom. You know the typical mat with letters and numbers, finger paint artwork, and a globe. I ran through the halls with the kids, but I did not go into any rooms to lock any doors. A giant anaconda chased us; the faster we ran, the quicker the snake slithered. Knowing my fear of snakes, the last thing I wanted to do was show those tiny humans that I was afraid. At that moment, I wanted to be their protector.

Since I was not their parent, I was obligated to have these children reunite with their parents. Long-distance running comes with complaints of "I'm tired" and "I want to stop" from five-year-olds; this is the wrong time to stop when being chased by a snake. I do not recall saying anything to the children, but somehow, I communicated that we'd rest soon. Before you know it, one of the kids falls in the hallway, which means I had to run back, pick her up, and continue running. Somehow, I found several safety hallways away from the snake. I decided to huddle up with the kids outside of a classroom. We have been sitting there for a while because the snake caught up with us and turned the corner. As the snake opened its mouth, I woke up.

Meaning

Usually, snakes in your dreams indicate change or fright. It means that you might be afraid or frightful of things in your actual life.

How This Applies to Me?

I talked to my therapist about this one because I was confused about the children part. I am an aunt to two beautiful girls, but giving birth and being called "mommy" doesn't happen currently. November of last year, I would have different dreams that would involve children, and I was also going through a transitional period in my life. I have gained a lot of clarity during that time, and there were many things I didn't understand. After explaining the dream to my therapist, the fear was not so much of the snake; it was the fact that I've come to terms with my inner child, and it was time to let her go and grow up. I was subconsciously over-protecting her, and I never gave her permission to grow.

On the one hand, I feel like these dreams are revealing a deep-down love for animals, but at the same time, these animals provide some symbolism. Suppose you all put your money together to buy me a grey French Bulldog for those who love and adore me. Although I wouldn't mind a giant fish tank with colorful animals, that is the only animal I want. But other than that, I can admire watching dog videos on Dodo or walking the San Diego Zoo; if I can be honest, I am not a fan of zoos. Are these businesses helping these animals or hurting them? It seems like a high-end prison, but that is for another conversation. I take dreams, signs, and seeing things in pairs very seriously. For instance, I would see the same type of butterfly flying in the same spot at the same time of day. I am an intuitive person, and I'm a person who can admire the beauty of nature.

I have always been interested in what goes on in the subconscious, so dreams have consistently revealed the "bigger picture to me." They give a good glimpse of what I have been holding to and what I need to work through.

References

Dream-of

Happy Serpent