Ian Wallace Interpretation:
Dream: You are relaxing when you become aware of a huge spider about to drop on you. Even though you aren’t frightened of spiders in waking life, you can see it really clearly above your head and it is truly terrifying. You may also find yourself entangled in an endless sticky web and the more you struggle, the more enmeshed you become. The spider may also have poison dripping from its fangs and you are scared that you will be bitten. Depending on the situation, you may also find yourself being threatened by a giant octopus or sea serpents.
Meaning: Dreaming of being threatened by a spider suggests that you are anxious about being emotionally entangled in a particular situation in waking life. Becoming emotionally enmeshed is a threat to your happiness and wellbeing because you are concerned that somehow you will end up trapped in a complex situation and be unable to move. This emotional complexity often involves a family situation or perhaps a romantic one. Even though you are committed to the relationship, you are anxious it will start to devour all your time and energy and become a sticky situation from which there isn’t any escape. Although the trap may be very strong, much of it will be subtle, slowly building up over time and woven together from many different threads. Being afraid of being bitten by a venomous spider indicates that you don’t want to be drawn into a poisonous war of words with someone you have a relationship with, as you are scared it will be a painful experience and leave you unable to take any further action to resolve the situation. Dreams of being attacked by sea creatures are more common in romantic relationships. Grasping octopus tentacles and entwining sea serpents symbolize strong feelings rising from your emotional depths, which threaten to overwhelm you. This suggests you are unconsciously concerned about becoming more involved in a relationship because you fear powerful feelings of jealousy will rise to the surface and potentially transform you into a green-eyed monster.
Action: This dream is encouraging you to disentangle yourself from a situation where you feel emotionally trapped. It might feel as if it is difficult to extricate yourself from this position because there are a number of connections that seem to be holding you back. Although you have the power to break free, you are worried that your actions will let a number of people down. The best way to disengage yourself is to view your situation in a more detached manner and to really say how you feel. The more honestly you can express your feelings, the more freedom everyone will gain.
Background: Although most spiders are small inoffensive creatures, many of us have an irrational fear of them. Humans have always imbued spiders with special qualities, from the Greek myths of Athena and Arachne to the present day adventures of Spider-Man. Many of these stories involve tales of guilt and betrayal within families and we still use phrases like ‘being drawn into a web of deceit’ or ‘being spun a line’. In the same way that a spider spins its web, involvement in these emotional entanglements usually builds up over a period of time, with no obvious attacks or aggression.