Are All Snake Dreams about Sex?
OpenClipart – Vectors, Pixabay Public Domain
If you’ve ever had a dream with a snake in it, you may wonder, “Are all snake dreams about sex?” According to Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, “Yes.” However, many dream interpreters believe there are many more meanings for snake dreams than that they’re about sex. Therefore, if you’ve had a snake dream, read on for some possible interpretations that may surprise you.
Snakes Often Represent Trouble in Dreams
Often, wild animals in our dreams point to our baser, animal natures. Not surprisingly, many snake dreams include fear. Knowing this, I’ve only included relatively pleasant images of these slithering creatures in this article. However, when you dream about a snake, the snake or snakes in your dream often look and act frightening. Poisonous snakes in your dreams may particularly represent problems in your life.
OpenClipart – Vectors, Pixabay Public Domain
- Blocking your way, you may see piles of snakes or a pit of vipers, denoting nasty obstacles you’re struggling with in your waking life.
- A snake may bite you in your dream, which could denote harmful gossip circulating about you, or your own tendency to use biting words against others.This is especially so with a poisonous snake.
- A snake in the grass may represent hidden treachery in your life.
Interestingly, Gillian Holloway, author of The Complete Dream Book suggests that if you have this kind of snake dream that denotes trouble it will help if you:
“. . . proceed with caution, and realize you’ll have to do a lot to bolster your confidence right now. Make a list of all the things you’ve done right, and try to think positively instead of dwelling on the ‘what ifs?'”
Snake Dreams Can Also Denote Transformation
Snake Skin, hbieser, Pixabay public domain
Because a snake sheds its skin to grow, dreaming of a snake can also represent an opportunity for transformation. A snake undergoes a regular transformation when it sheds its skin to grow.
Since most people live in cities, they don’t have much direct experience with snakes. However, because I’ve lived in the country for a number of years, I’ve had quite a few experiences with snakes, especially when I raised chickens. Snakes like to eat eggs and young chicks. As a result, I have seen a snake shedding its skin. At that time, the animal becomes quite helpless. In addition, it can also display aggression. However, even if you haven’t personally experienced a snake shedding its skin, many people know that snakes shed their skin to grow. Therefore, a snake dream can also herald an upcoming chance for personal growth.
In the same way, when we go through transformations in our life, we may feel helpless and want to lash out at others. A snake dream heralding the opportunity for personal transformation may also present a difficulty that you need to overcome. For example, according to Gillian Holloway, a snake may bite you in a dream that points to transformation. However, you don’t die or suffer from the bite. Instead, you discover you feel better than you expected. Holloway says:
“In my opinion, these dreams state the potential for growth and transformation inherent within a current difficulty. But to harvest this promise, you must walk through your fears and be willing to let go of the old in order to gain the rewards of the future.”
Are All Snake Dreams about Sex?
SilviaP_Design, Pixabay Public Domain
If the snake in your dream slithers on your body, between your legs, attempts to penetrate body parts, likely, your dream has a sexual connotation. In addition, your snake dream may be about sex if the snake appears in your bedroom, or on your bed. Certainly, especially if you’re having sex with the snake, you’ve just had a dream about sex.
Next, you need to look to other aspects of your dream to see what aspect of sex you’re dreaming about. For example, if you enjoy your encounter with the snake, you might be feeling the need for some sexual experience. However, if other symbols in the dream include dirt and other unclean symbols, and you feel distressed in the dream, look to your waking life to see if you’re struggling with a temptation for sexual indiscretion.
Snake Dreams May Come around Ours or Another’s Death
In this article, I’ve referred to Gillian Holloway a number of times. During a teleseminar a number of years ago, I had the good fortune to interview her. Pure delight! She wowed me and my audience with her delightful personality and her astute understanding of dreams. With a PhD in psychology, she has researched the meaning of dreams for over 30 years. I often refer to her book, The Complete Dream Book when interpreting my own and other’s dreams.
Pixabay Public Domain Image
On her LifeTreks website, you can submit your own dreams for interpretation, thereby adding to her database of thousands of dreams. By doing so, you help with her research. I like that a lot of her knowledge of dream interpretation comes not only from her innate intuitive understanding and her education, but also from her in-depth research.
As a result of her research, she has found that snake dreams can also occur when a person approaches their own death or when a loved one may have passed or be nearing transition. She says:
” . . .you may be comforted to know that some deep awareness of the afterlife seems to arouse dreams of snakes at these times.”
Summary of Snake Symbolism in Dreams
In answer then, to the question, “Are all snake dreams about sex?” obviously the answer is, “No.” Your snake dream can have many interpretations, which depend on the type of snake(s) you encounter in your dream as well as the other symbols in the dream. Following please find a summary of the snake dream interpretations described above. They represent some (there are more) of the meanings of a snake dream, described above :
- Difficulties in your life
- An opportunity for personal transformation
- A snake dream can occur when processing thoughts of the afterlife, whether it’s because of your own situation or the recent or imminent passing of a loved one
- Processing your need or temptation for sex, especially if your dream snake is in your bedroom or insinuates itself about your body
However, I feel it’s appropriate to give Gillian Holloway the last word on snake dreams and sex:
I don’t believe that all snake contact need be interpreted as sexual in nature. If this does seem to fit your circumstances, then it’s likely the dream is highlighting a mixed situation. Becoming consciously aware of both the positives and negatives in your current situation will help you to deal with your options more effectively and confidently.
