The Spiders

I was at my parents' house. My brother and I were just a tad younger than we are right now. We wanted to go outside and play with our dogs (dogs, mind you, that are no longer with us). We stepped out onto the back patio and just before stepping onto the grass, I noticed something that made me hesitate and instruct my brother to first grab a leash - we would not be letting the dogs run loose today.

On the ground were DOZENS of large spiders. They were probably palm size. Each spider was laying on a "bed" that appeared to be made of brown feathers. They were sleeping, and my biggest concern was to not disturb them. We began to tiptoe through the minefield of sleeping arachnids down to the dog pin. Just before reaching the gate, my foot barely grazes the corner of a feather bed and the spider laying there actually opens its eyes and stares up at me. Then, all hell breaks loose.

Every spider, as if telepathically connected to the first, awakens and there is a loud screeching sound in the air. It sounded like a hundred high-pitched sirens going off. We are instantly terrified, although we do not really have reason to be just yet. Our instinct is to run back to the safety of the house and we shoot like torpedos towards the back door, not paying attention to the other feather beds of spiders along the way. We quickly realize that each feather bed is step-activated - to land upon one mobilizes the spiders, and now they are all chasing after us.

Suddenly, we each have a bamboo rod in our hands as weapons, I guess. We begin to beat away the now FLYING spiders.....they are literally flying into my face, onto my legs, and I am hitting each of them away with as much strength as I can muster. I accidentally step back onto an empty feather bed and immediately realize the spiders retreat away from me. Interesting. I tell my brother to also step on a feather bed, and the same thing happens - it is as if we are granted temporary safety from the spiders while standing on their beds. We use this opportunity to collect ourselves and shout a game plan to each other, one that I can now not remember so well.

Tbe dream wraps up with the battle continuing. It seems as if the spiders are unable to be killed and our only hope of a break is to remain planted on the feather beds. For some reason, we are completely unable to make it the final 20 or so yards to the house. The spiders just continue to come at us faster and faster and faster....

I sat straight up in bed, panting, when this dream concluded last night. It took several minutes to be able to settle down to sleep again. It was 4am.

Let us see what a dream dictionary reveals:

Brother: Seeing your brother in your dream may symbolize some aspect of your relationship with him. My relationship with my brother screams innocence and we are always talking about our memories of childhood and a more simple time in life.
Dogs: Symbolizes intuition, loyalty, generosity, protection, and fidelity. It should be noted that, at my new job, everyone is very loving of animals - namely dogs. It's a common topic of discussion so far.
Younger: Nothing was available to interpret this element of my dream, but I can only imagine it may also have to do with innocence, a "simpler time," etc, especially since my brother was involved.
Spiders: Indicate that you are feeling like an outsider in some situation. May refer to a powerful force protecting you against your self-destructive behavior. If you kill a spider, it symbolizes misfortune and general bad luck. This is interesting because, as I said above, the spiders would not die. So maybe I am battling with myself in reality that I am NOT going to end up unlucky and that I should stop feeling like an outsider - these are issues that I do, in fact, struggle with at times and they are very prominent right now in that I have started a new job in very unfamiliar territory.
Siren: Signifies a situation or problem that is giving you much stress. The sirens may serve to get your attention and focus on the problem at hand. I continue to relate all of this back to my nervousness at starting a new job. I feel like this job is going to be wonderful for me, but I fear that I may fail. Obviously this is causing stress, and perhaps this symbol means that I need to face the fear that I have and try to work through it positively.
Feathers: May represent confusion, hastiness, and lost of dignity.

The fact that the emotion for most of the dream was fear and that I seemed to be waging some sort of war against these symbolic spiders gives me the overall conclusion that, in reality, I must be feeling very frightened of the changes in my life. I hope that as time goes on, I will be able to face these fears so that subconciously I am satisfied. I am truly pleased with where things are going and I know that with time I will become more confident.

The appropriateness of this dream is downright uncanny.