Large red spider, shrinking home, and tiny lockers...

Last night I had a dream that seemed strange when I first woke up, but I shrugged it off. But it kept nagging at me throughout the day so I'm hoping someone can help interpret what I can still remember.

I recall talking to a woman (I'm pretty sure it was my mother) and then seeing a large red spider in front of me. My first reaction was to stay still and in hopes of it running away, but it stayed perfectly still. Then I wanted to back away from it slowly, but my mother was casually reassuring me that it wouldn't hurt me. She seemed apathetic, which irritated me. The spider did not physically hurt me, but I was really freaked out at its unusual size and color. There was no web nearby.

Another part of the dream involved walking into a strange, single woman's home while she was at work. The house looked extremely large on the outside, but got gradually smaller as I entered through the front door. The bedroom was nice, but seemed like she never really slept there much. The living room was in between the bedroom and the messy kitchen. That was pretty much the house. But I knew it was a bad decision to just hang out in someone else's home without their permission, so I left quickly.

The last part I remember was driving around a familiar street late at night. There was a park that really isn't on that street (in reality) that had an outdoor gym with lots of tiny lockers. My boyfriend made me extremely angry because he did something to the locker and/or lock and I had to get a different one. Then he showed me a contraption that could hold his cat in my hoodie while it drank water upside down...

A few things:
My mother and I used to be extremely close when I was younger, but now I find her quite irritating to be honest... I love her, but want to get further away from her because she is a source of stress and nagging for me.

I just started a new (temporary) job where there's LOT of women. We're all trying to compete for the permanent slots right now. I'm really excited though and I'm hoping I make the cut.

My boyfriend and I have been together for 3 years. We get along well, but for the past year I've felt like we're just friends. Any sense of romance is non-existent. He's jealous and suspicious of whatever happens at work because I talk to two of the few males there.

Phew, sorry for such a long post! Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)

This is intriguing. I used to have a somewhat similar recurring nightmare like this when I was young. I was perhaps between the ages of 5 and 7... Only, rather then spiders, the object of terror in mine were red snakes. Oddly enough, I would also be, at some point, riding in the car with my mother, who would eventually turn into a snake herself. Then I would run to my house, which would be much smaller than it could be, and find myself trapped on the roof of it, surrounded by a sea of red snakes, as the whole town, or maybe the whole world seemed to have become them. Honestly, I never weened an explanation from it. I would chalk it down to being a child.

As for you... It seems like perhaps you're confused about your relationship with your mother. Maybe deep down, you feel guilty about putting that distance between you. When you get older, and your mother ages on, you tend to realize exactly how much you value your relationship with your mother, despite how irritating she can be. Maybe you get that, somewhere in the back of your mind. The spider could be many things. Repressed fears, anxiety, dread.... you name it.

As for the woman and her house... It's possible that this could be a manifestation of your anxiety over getting the job, or maybe some secret dread of what your life could become if you get the permanent position. Though, more likely than not, it's a tempestuous medley of all of the emotions you have over it. Each room, including its state, (messy, rarely slept in, ect), could even represent a particular emotional response you have over it.

If there's no romance in your relationship, maybe your subconscious is yearning for more than this... increasingly platonic boyfriend, who, despite becoming jealous of other men, doesn't offer you what you need from him. You should try talking to him, in a positive setting, non-confrontational, since that may just make him nervous. Maybe over an activity you both enjoy, just gently breech the subject. Take care not to sound upset, hurt, or frustrated, as he may jump to an unfavorable conclusion and assume the more aggressive stance, assuming that you're angry with him. Keep your tone upbeat, make it obvious that you enjoy the time you're spending with him, and, if he doesn't want to get into it at that moment, don't be afraid to be passive, and let him talk when he's ready. Guy's just do NOT like to be pressured into talking. Why? Not sure. But if you push, he will either run, or push right back. Good luck.