Sunday, March 9, 2003		Dream Theme

Dreaming of crabs
Vinaya K. Manhas

CRABS are basically devious. They not only hide themselves in sand and then attack but also have a tendency to walk sideways. Thus in almost all cultures it is considered an unlucky omen to see crabs in dreams.

According to Indian thought, seeing crabs in dreams is an ill-omen. It indicates that luck will not favour you. If, after seeing such a dream, you plan to undertake a journey through water you are warned to be cautious. It is best to avoid such journeys, as these could be accident-prone.

According to western thought, dreaming of crabs indicates that you will have to face several complications in any affair that you try to sort out. Such an endeavour shall demand a lot of exertion on your part as well as sound judgment. Those involved in romantic liaisons shall have a long and difficult courtship. According to western astrology, crab symbolises the zodiac sign of Cancer.

As already mentioned crab is characterised by its deviousness, hence psychoanalytically speaking, it could personify a person you have met. It denotes the person’s unreliability. As the crab kills by smothering its prey with its clasps, dreams of crabs can also be interpreted in this light. You may be feeling smothered by a particular relative or situation. It can also represent a feeling of being eaten up by some worry.

A 29-year-old woman would often dream of seeing crabs crawling over sand. Although she would not see herself in the dream, she would get the impression of being trapped and threatened by them. The dream denotes her feeling of being smothered. The crabs, in all probability, represent her family members. The woman was unmarried, and the control and restrictions of her parents over her movements were the cause of the feeling of suffocation. The impression of threat comes as she, probably, also fears the wrath of someone in the family that she would incur if she were to make bold decisions.