Bestiary of Dreams is an extract from Tony Crisp's book Dream Dictionary, published by Dell in USA - and in the UK The New Dream Dictionary published by Optima. It is therefore copyright material. The dictionary covers all aspects of dreams and dreaming.
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Animals

Like any other animal, human beings have developed certain
physical and behavioural traits. Some of these traits, such as a new born
baby attempting to suckle the breast, are rooted in millions of years of
past experience and can be thought of as instinctive. We can observe such
traits in a dog as the behaviour of cocking the leg in male dogs. We can
see some of our own traits in such things as the human desire to
elect leaders. Many of these habits are psycho-biological or social. In
our dreams we represent these drives or habits in the form of various
animals. Our restrained sex drive or aggression may be shown in our dream
as a dog on a lead. The power of drives such as the urge to parenthood
via sex might be shown as a horse which we are trying to control. More
than anything else though, our dream animal represents our powerful
feeling reactions to situations - reactions developed through centuries
of human experience in frequently terrible situations. This aspect of
ourselves is rooted in the older portions of the brain.

Because dreams exhibit a powerfully precise way of using symbols, there
is a difference in meaning between the wild animals and the domesticated
animals we dream of. In general the domesticated animal such as a cat or
horse represent urges we have more conscious control over and are
therefore less threatening to our conscious desire to be in charge. The
wild animals in our dreams often pose a much greater threat to our ego,
but nevertheless offer rich rewards if we can develop a working
relationship with them. After all they are aspects of ourselves, so the
relationship can release more of our usable potential..

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Example: I am sitting in the hotel staff room eating lunch at a large
dining table. One by one I am joined by perhaps a dozen women. The
atmosphere is pleasant, easy and light hearted. I enjoy the feeling of
being the only male among a dozen attractive women. Then I notice a
strange thing. One by one all the girls around me turn into cats, but
carry on laughing and talking as if nothing is happening. I find this
interesting and not alarming. I am aware each girl turns into the sort
of cat that is right for her - a vivacious redhead becomes a purring
orange tabby; an aloof, slightly superior lady becomes a Siamese; the
only ex-girlfriend of mine present becomes a black witches familiar..

I remember turning to my left and asking: "Tell me Rebecca, how did you
do this?" The Rebecca cat giggles with a human voice and says: "He
doesn't have a clue, does he?" As I look at the Rebecca cat I realise
she still has her human eyes. This I realise is true of all the cats,
they have human eyes in feline faces. As I realise this one says:
"I think he's beginning to understand now" and laughs. Paul C. Teletext..

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This graphic dream so well illustrates how we each have our human
personality within our animal drives and urges..

The animal in our dreams has commonly been seen only as the sex drive. A
careful examination of animal dreams shows this to be untrue. The animal
represents all our biological needs and responses which include: Survival;
hunger; reproduction; parental urges; need for exercise and rest; social
drives; fear reactions; anger; urge to provide for young and mate;
home/nest building; territory protection, social hierarchy, etc.

If these aspects in an individual are damaged or traumatised, the person
might become a parent who has lost the natural bonding and care for
their child; an individual who has no sense of social status or
responsibility; criminally violent; someone with disturbed and misplaced
sexuality.

Dominating or attempting to kill out the animal in us can cause tension,
depression and illness. The escape into dry intellectualism is a cause
of internal conflict. Complete permissiveness is no answer either. Our
higher brain functions need expression also. So one of the challenges of
maturing is how to meet and relate to our 'animals', and perhaps bring
them into expression in a satisfying way. Such drives are fundamentally
a push toward LIFE. Our dreams are selective in what animal is used to
portray our situation. For instance a dog or horse are a creatures that
have been socialised for thousands of years, whereas a dinosaur has no
history of socialisation. These different animals can therefore be used
to represent the socialised or untrained elements of ourselves..

It must be remembered that where sex or sexuality is mentioned, I am not
simply referring to the sex act. I mean sexuality in its overall aspect,
which includes the urge toward parenthood, and the love and caring connected
with it. Brain damage or certain drugs or chemicals can diminish the 'human'
 levels of function and only the animal and lizard levels express. Below
are listed some common ways animals are used in our dreams..

animal situations Neglect, mutilation or killing our 'animal': A common
theme. In the example below, Lynda's feelings show how she senses what she
is doing to her inner nature, but she dismisses this by convincing herself
such feelings are not 'true'. We have a responsibility to care for our
animal drives, to see our sexual, nutritional and body needs are met..

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 Example: "I am given an animal to look after, usually somebody's pet while
they are away on holiday. I then completely forget the animal, go away and
when I return the animal is either dead or very dried up or has been got at
by another animal and is in the throws of dying. When I wake from the dream
I feel most dreadful and it is only when I am fully awake and realise it is
not true do I feel better." Lynda E.

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AFTER EACH HEADING FOLLOWED BY A COLON (:) THERE IS A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF
THE POOSIBLE MEANINGS. EACH POSSIBLE MEANING IS ENDED BY A SEMI-COLON (;).
SO EACH HEADING, SUCH AS 'BABY ANIMAL' HAS SEVERAL POSSIBLE MEANINGS,
EACH SEPERATED BY A SSEMI-COLON..

Eating the animal: Integrating our natural wisdom and energy.  Hiding from
or trapped by an animal: see the wolf entry. Animal with its young:
Parental feelings; one's basic childhood needs. Baby animal: Oneself when
young; baby feelings; desire for babies. See example in eating. Talking,
shining, holy or wise animals: Important intuitive information; a meeting
with the gathered wisdom we have unconsciously. This is one of the sources
of religious inspiration, and many older cultures represent their origin
of great learning or holiness as animals or animal headed beings. See: ape
below; birds; creatures; pets; reptiles and snakes; the unconscious..

APE - Impulsive unreasoned urges such as self centred grabbing of food or
sexual expression without concern for the other person; instinctive or
intuitive wisdom about relationships, social interactions and life; folly
or foolishness or feeling an idiot..

Can represent a world of experience human beings have lost and feel sorrow
at its absence. In developing self consciousness, with its labyrinth of
ideas and decisions, humans lost a sense of oneness with life around them.
Animals have enormous remembered wisdom; remembered through instincts and
complex social codes. Without it humans can feel alone in the world, a
meaningless existence in the midst of uncaring circumstance. They are
confronted by choices which, because they have lost an awareness of their
instinctive wisdom, they often feel inadequately equipped to deal with.
This wisdom is still accessible to humans who know how to listen to the
unconscious, and thus discover the enormous wealth of information they
have about such things as social behaviour and body language.  The ape can
depict this wisdom, especially if it is white haired. Or it might show the
personal folly of trying to let instincts dominate us now we have self
awareness. Idioms: He is just aping..

ASS OR DONKEY - The basic life processes in the body, which uphold or carry
us through the years; the plodding long suffering body. If the ass or
donkey  is being ridden by or pulling someone else: You may be feeling you
are doing all the hard work in a relationship, or working like a beast of
burden..

BEAR -We are all heir to emotions that at times lead us to respond
aggressively, greedily, possesively, or in a way that does not take into
account another persons wishes. The bear may depict any of these,
especially aspects of our instincts which we feel are to be kept under
control and are not to be let loose socially.

Power of our feeling reactions and traits; possessiveness or a smothering
relationship, as or by a parent or lover; the 'animal' side of our
relationship with our parents. May be a play on the word 'bare', such as
bare facts or overbearing. Three bears as with father bear, mother bear
etc.: Family situation or parental relationship. If hint of money in the
dream: might refer to 'bear market'..

BULL - The symbol of the bull often refers to the instinctive responses in
us that are powerful enough to drag us along, cause us anxiety if we are
in conflict wth them, or carry us further in our endeavours if we can work
with them. Such instinctive urges may be in connection with sexual
attraction and desire, feelings about people invading our territory, and
protectiveness for family..

With Taureans may depict their innate characteristics and how they are
dealing with them.

Sex drive, or the aspect of it that has generally been under control, but
may be occasionally wild if provoked; the basic drives toward parenthood,
and caring and providing via sex; a n aggressive, 'bullish' trait in
oneself or someone else; personal traits to do with being very basic, and
perhaps sexual drives in ones relationships; being moved by impulses such
as sex or aggression, without being aware of this. The aggressive bull:
Often shows the frustration arising from these basic drives being taunted
or thwarted. For instance a person may wish for a family, yet be frustrated
by a form of sexuality in their partner which does not care for the
instinctive drive for children. The killed bull: Is a killing of these
drives. If sacrificed: May show self-giving. The ridden bull: Shows a
harmony between self awareness and its decision making, and the basic
'animal' drives. Idioms: Like a bull at a gate; bull in a china shop; red
rag to a bull; score a bull's eye; take the bull by the horns..

CAT - Because a cat is often an easy source of physical contact and
affection it depicts the need to be cared for and warm affection, even
sexual love accompanied with intense warm feelings; for some women cats
are a substitute baby, it is therefore used in many dreams to represent a
woman's urge or need to care for someone, or directly her need to reproduce;
refined female sexuality or ruttiness unless the cat is markedly a tom;
can be our intuition, warning us through its sensitivity to moods or unseen
dangers; cattiness - showing one's 'claws', jealousy, anger or
vindictiveness in a relationship; independence; in some dreams definitely
represents the fear of bad news or general fears. If you have bred cats it
may well represent your own, perhaps unconscios, desires to have a baby..

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Example: "I went to the fridge to get out some mince meat to feed the cat.
It came in. As it fed I had a strong urge to touch it, such strong feelings
of love were pouring out of me. The animal looked up at my face as I wanted
to kiss it. The lips had pink lipstick on. I kissed it, it's paw came up
around my arm, I could see the black claws.  We were rolling around on the
floor, it felt very sexual." Monica.

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Example: My husband died over a year ago, and I live alone, no pets. Yet I
dreamt I opened my front door and there was a cat waiting to be let in. It
was my cat, and I knew I hadn't fed it for ages or looked after it. I felt
awful that I had neglected it for so long. The strange thing was that the
next day as I walked around the supermarket, I kept wanting to go to the
cat-food section to buy food. - Winnie P. - Exeter

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In losing her husband Winnie has lost her source of given and received
affection..

Idioms: Copy cat; bell the cat; cat and mouse; cat's whiskers; cat out of
the bag; cat and dog life; cat on hot bricks; something the cat brought in;
a cat's paw; cat among the pigeons; while the cat's away.

COW - Similar to the bull, but representing the female side of one's nature,
especially the easy self-giving of oneself and one's body to others, or a
baby; one's mother or the mother role; a woman; being taken advantage of.
Cow being milked: Giving of oneself; taking support or nourishment from
someone else; taking, or being taken, advantage of. Idioms: Sacred cow;
milch cow; till the cows come home; silly old cow; being milked - meaning
being taken advantage of; to be cowed - meaning beaten or conquered..
 

Tony Crisp 100337,2126