We start this series underground. We are in a large space, beneath the earth’s surface. It is bright and warm. The light is coming from many directions, in a soft way. Like the walls have crystal glows to them. We are standing in the middle of this space, on a soft sandy floor. There is an illuminated hallway to one side, and a dark hall to another side. We can feel small wings flying all around us, and bit by bit the light is obscured and there’s the feel of a million eyelashes brushing our skin.
The cave is a place of beginnings, it’s a place of refuge, it’s a hidden place where only those who know the way in can find it. It’s the deepest part of the earth-temple, and it’s also the underworld. It’s the dis, the Latin for being “apart, asunder, in a different direction, between”, and as Steven Farmer has spoken of, the “below”, where we need to go through to get to the above.
Alice in Wonderland fell down into the earth, through an earthen tunnel, into a magical land.
Volcanoes come from inner earth spaces of heat and emerge as the inverse, a mountain.
Diamonds and other minerals form deep in the earth, and while some are pressurised, others grow in the spaces and caves which are left open, like opals, crystals, and selenite.
Caves can be hot, cold, wet, dry, have light and air, or be airless and lightless. How do you experience caves in dreams?
What are your personal associations with caves?
I grew up going through many caves on family holidays, “show caves” with beautiful lights, often rainbow lights, stalactites and stalagmites, and deep water that was so clear it looked shallow. They often had a narrow path with no safety rail and would say, if you fell in the water you’d freeze in a minute. My feelings towards caves are positive.
So in dreams, caves would mean something different to me than for someone who might have unpleasant experiences or fears around caves.
If you dream of caves, you could consider:
- Where in your life are you going beneath the surface?
- What might you be sheltering from?
- Where are you experiencing a dark descent, or feeling like you’re underground still feeling your way out?
- What treasures are you developing while under the ground?
There’s always more to say about any symbol. Have you had other experiences of caves in dreams? I would love to know, comments are welcome.