Dream Symbols

L
last updated: 2/2/06

LABEL Something that applies to you; a stigma; passing judgment; adhering to a point of view; identifying an issue / What is written or contained on the label offers further clues
LABYRINTH Confusion; a complex or intricate situation / (see MAZE)
LACE Romanticism; sexuality; intimacy; patience / Something that is complicated or intertwined; delicate situations or feelings
LADDER Ascending or descending feelings about reaching your goals; awareness that a series of steps or certain risks are necessary to reach a goal / Your social standing / If climbing up: Slow but steady progress; open to new challenges / If climbing down: Insecurity or declining feelings; retreating into fear
LAKE A reflection of your inner emotional state (calm, serene, stagnant, agitated, murky, drained, etc.); conditional love / (see WATER)
LAMP An inner realization; ‘shedding light’ on a specific subject or area of concern; seeking guidance
LANDSCAPE The moods, attitudes, and feelings that make up your inner life; reorganizing or familiarizing yourself with your environment / If gloomy: Pessimism; self doubt / If sunny: Hopeful; optimistic / If scenes of past residence: A stance you developed from that period of life / If blurry: An inexpressible mood, too complex or vague to focus on
LANGUAGES If unfamiliar: Something that is being communicated to you from within, but is still unclear / If familiar: Your dominant opinions or assumptions about the language or nation provide clues (e.g. Germans are talented engineers or remind you of war, etc.) / May suggest that you need to clean up your language or become more aware of your body language
LAST Falling behind; pursuing something that will not last, or no longer serves you / Reaching closure; allowing something to expire / Durability; something of lasting importance or value
LATE Being inadequately prepared for something; anxiety about a forthcoming event or project; allowing something to deteriorate too far before attempting to correct it / Delaying a decision; getting a slow start on something
LAUGHTER Release of tension; a reaction to something you do not want to accept, making a difficult situation or realization bearable / Feeling ridiculed or judged; embarrassing yourself or others; taking things too lightly; wanting to be more spontaneous
LAUNDRY Cleaning up your act; changing your attitude / Publicly airing personal problems or mistakes; having the dirt on someone; not acting above board
LAWN Part of yourself that needs frequent attention lest it becomes unruly or out of hand; feeling exposed or drawing too much attention / (see GRASS, YARD, GREEN)
LEAD Something that’s weighing you down / Insincere encouragement; feeling manipulated; seeking guidance; following others / Feeling motivated; taking charge; setting an example
LEAF A new beginning; freshness, vigor / Browsing or casually exploring (leafing through something); following someone’s example / If dying: Detachment; lack of vitality / Wordplay on ‘leave’
LEAK Loss of emotional energy; something that is not stable or particularly reliable / Breaking confidence / (see WATER)
LEATHER Basic responses; instinctive drives; toughness / If wearing leather: Expressing yourself in a fundamental way
LEAVING Letting go; detaching yourself from a situation or person; taking a break / Exclusion
LEFT SIDE The less dominant or expressed side of yourself; passive or hidden parts of your nature / Your unconscious side - the internal world of feelings, memories, creativity, and values / Inward flowing; female energy / The future; having ‘left’ a situation; feeling ‘left out’ / (see RIGHT SIDE)
LEGS Your foundation; what motivates you; your source of confidence; your standing in life / Feeling supported; taking action; seeking balance; giving something your best shot / Feeling worn out; being prepared to sacrifice a lot for something you want badly; feeling nervous or unsteady; fear of moving forward; feeling stuck, etc.
LEMON Bitterness; a sour mood; feeling 'squeezed' / Getting or giving something that is fraught with problems, defective / Something refreshing
LENS Your point of view; the manner in which you view life / Focusing on an issue; looking at something from a different angle / Filtering emotions or information / (see CAMERA, GLASS)
LEOPARD Strength; power; speed; agility; prowess; rivalry; libido
LETTER Message to self; thoughts or intuitions concerning the person the letter is from or addressed to; wanting contact; vibes you you give out or receive from others / Perfectionism; attention to detail / (see WRITING)
LIBRARY Your inner knowledge; wisdom and skills you have gathered / Mental growth; using your intellect; needing to collect your thoughts / Silencing yourself / (see BOOK)
LIE Not being honest with yourself; deceiving others / Not rising to a challenge; surrendering control; giving up / The need for rest
LIGHT Awareness; your ability to see, understand and have insight / Hope; coming to a realization; taking something into account; lightness of heart; releasing yourself from dark feelings; a need to lighten up or soften your stance; making light of something / If very bright: Intuition; enlightenment; intent / If a spotlight: Focusing attention on a specific issue
LIMP Lack of enthusiasm or energy; a reluctance to move forward / Feeling insecure; anxiety regarding sexual performance
LINE Personal boundaries; a dividing force; trying to straighten something out; making a connection / Moving in a fixed direction, choosing the path of least resistance, or going along with the majority; following a line of thought / Being glib or insincere, usually to impress others; something happening down the line, being next in line, putting yourself on the line, acting out of line, learning your lines, reading between the lines, firing line, hotline, etc.
LION Your pride; strength; independence / Aggressive tendencies; feeling threatened / (see CAT)
LIPS Communication; imparting awareness either through a kiss or through speech / Sexuality; sensuality / Feeling annoyed or stifling your feelings (biting your lip); being courageous or composed (stiff upper lip); talking back to someone (giving lip); anticipating something pleasurable (smacking your lips); taking action rather than just paying ‘lip service’; being on edge or on the edge of a breakthrough / (see KISS)
LIQUID Emotions that flow within you; your ability to adapt; situations or events that flow smoothly / In a bottle: Suppressed feelings; being influenced by another person’s emotions; stagnancy
LIVING ROOM Focusing on a central issue or something important within yourself / Everyday life, daily interactions; having the space to be yourself
LIZARD Instinctive drives; being able to adapt easily to changing circumstances / Skittishness; viewing yourself or others as cold or fake / If a chameleon: Desire to fade into the background; needing to change your tone
LOBBY Anticipation; waiting for something; ready to reveal something to others / Trying to influence an outcome
LOCK Wanting to keep something hidden or protected; an inability to express urges or feelings; feeling trapped or unable to progress; stubbornness; sexual tension; being denied access
LONG Something being extended or drawn out; something that happened a long time ago, or is a long way off / Yearning, sadness / Taking a risk that is not likely to succeed (long shot)
LOST Confusion; lack of motivation or ability to make clear decisions; losing focus or direction; placing too much importance on something; feeling hopeless / If losing something: A lost opportunity; losing sight of important things or whatever is depicted; something that is unrecoverable
LOUNGE Relaxing, letting go / Lack of motivation; wasting time / The state of your social life
LOVE A direct expression of that feeling, or a compensation for not receiving it. Consider the way love is symbolically being expressed in the dream
LOVER Your idealized inner self; vanity / Your sexual desires or needs; desire for intimacy or pleasure; familiarity / If your actual lover: Present feelings or fears about the relationship / (see INFIDELITY, SEX)
LUGGAGE The habits, attitudes and emotions you carry with you in life; what you possess / Preparing to leave the past / (see BAG)