Sunday, September 7, 2003		Dream Theme

COW is considered to be an important animal in India, not only from the religious point of view but even otherwise. It is associated with the mother archetype, of the one who gives birth and nourishes with her milk.

As per Indian thought, seeing a cow chasing you warns you to be careful of enemies who are plotting your downfall. Should you manage to escape and save yourself from the cow then it means that you can be sure of victory over your enemies. If the cow hit you then it means that you shall have to face losses. Seeing yourself milking a cow it denotes detachment from worldly things. Such a dream indicates that you are seeking spiritual awakening. If you dream of yourself eating beef, it indicates that your life will be satisfactory. Although you will not be very rich yet you will never lack anything. Dreaming of carcasses of cows is not a good omen. It predicts troubled times because of your own mistakes and selfish attitude.

As per western thought, to dream of milking a cow or of cows waiting to be milked, is a very good omen. It promises a fulfilment of desires and lots of happiness. To see the cattle grazing in green pastures denotes prosperity and happiness. To see them as lean, thin and ill, predicts lots of toil with no gain. To see cattle stampeding warns you to be more commanding and assertive if you want to have your way and succeed in your endeavours. Seeing young calves means that you will win a lot of affection from others because of you loving nature. Long horned, dark and vicious cows denote enemies.

Psychoanalytically speaking, the cow depicts the feminine aspect of our personalities. As pointed out earlier, it is also a representation of the mother archetype.

A 33-year-old woman would often dream of seeing a cow at her doorstep. She would go inside to get a chapatti or bread to feed the cow. The cow would take the food from her hand but the next moment would charge at her. She would quickly close the door but still she would see its horns piercing through the door. She would cry out for help but no sound would come out of her mouth. She would see her family sitting nearby, laughing and talking, totally unaware of her predicament. This dream denotes that the dreamer is aware that some person poses a threat to her peace and happiness. This person is someone she trusted once upon a time but does not trust any longer. She knows that person wants to harm her but is unable to express her fears to her family, as can be seen by the silent cry on her part. She is aware of the impending danger but her family is probably still on good terms with the person. Her inability to cry out could also denote her lack of conviction regarding her doubts about that person. She may not have been able to find any proof to substantiate her suspicions. It is important that she share her doubts and worries with a reliable family member.