Thread: Playing with lion cub; tiger laying in the backyard

Although in order to provide an accurate interpretation it would usually be best to have some additional general background information about you as well as a description of recent events just before the dream, it’s safe to say that when wild animals appear in a dream, it relates to energies that are still not totally mastered by the will.

Also, as the renowned psychiatrist C. G. Jung said about interpreting a dream image in general:

“The same applies to the lion. The correct interpretation depends on the context, i.e., the associations connected with the image, and on the actual condition of the dreamer’s mind.”

So the things you’ve read on the internet about what a lion means might not fit your actual situation very well.

Of course, the fact that it’s a lion cub and not a full-grown lion affects the interpretation.

For example, another post says that you’re a college student, so from the dream’s point of view, your experience regarding certain instincts that are symbolized by a lion might understandably be at an “early” and “growing” stage.

So maybe it would be useful to look at what a “lion” interacting with a person or “hero” has symbolized over the centuries in mythology etc.

That’s because the same ideas that appear in myths, folk tales, art and drama etc. etc. very often come up in dreams and therefore can help in understanding what a given image means in a dream.

There are of course endless myths about lions and heroes but to take the example of Hercules, he slays the supposedly invulnerable Nemean lion by choking it.

Psychologically speaking, this can represent a “heroic struggle” against a very overwhelming power drive.

Hercules skins the dead lion and wears its pelt, symbolizing that the energy behind a once uncontrollable power drive has now been “tamed” and can be used for moving ahead in a well-rounded, “civilized” and conscious way.

So in general, any compulsive attitudes and behavior of a person (not just the power drive) can usually be viewed as untamed, powerful lion-like instinctive energy which can surface, for example, in excessive pride, compulsive sex, arrogance and an overwhelming need to dominate others etc.

In this kind of situation, a person should probably also look at where, for instance, excessive “doing” gets in the way of reflecting on things, relations with others and in just “being” as opposed to always trying to prove one’s “worth” for example.

So although as Dr. Jung says, it would be better to have your own associations to the image of the lion cub (that is, all spontaneous memories, thoughts and feelings etc. that come to your mind), it’s possible that recently, you experienced a small taste of some kind of instinct which could potentially develop into an overwhelming problem (e.g. the cub scratched you, that is, the scratch could become “infected” and dangerous).

This is also shown by the fact that suddenly, after playing with the domestic-cat-like lion cub, you see a full grown tiger in the yard as well.

A tiger usually symbolizes dangerous, destructive and deeply negative emotions such as overwhelming rage and violence for example, so you’re right to run away from it.

But every symbol has two sides, so in myth and folk tales, there are stories where a child can walk safely among tigers, lions and snakes etc.

This means that in the end, the best way to eventually tame the very strong emotions which the tiger represents is not to run away, but to try and be childlike, spontaneous, creative and playful with them, just like a child is often not afraid of a very large dog etc.

Approaching these emotions in a sort of “innocent” and accepting way can make them less “angry” and “aggressive” in everyday life.

This way of dealing with them is the opposite of trying to totally control and have power over them which can often lead to various unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms.

As opposed to this, learning to tame them can give the person the ability to stand up for his or her interests strongly and assertively by being in touch with a vital instinctive side of themselves.

However, your dream is probably only at the stage of warning you early on about the dangers of taking for granted the signs that certain strong instincts have been stirred up for some reason.

For example, it might be hinting that you have to get in touch soon with a responsible and wiser side of yourself in order to prevent problems (e.g. you want to warn others and in addition, you show your parents the scratch would could become infected without proper treatment).

Anyway as mentioned, without knowing anything much about you, this interpretation might not fit your personal circumstances very well but I hope these ideas can be helpful in some way.

Please feel free to make any comments or to ask any questions that you may want to about this particular way of looking at your dream.

Wow I just read your reply. Looks like I've forgotten to check upon the thread. Now when I look back, this wiser part of myself you mentioned there, has really started to grow. I can feel myself much more mature.

Thank you so much for your time!

The village represents other people.
A part of you might be unfriendly, which relates to the lion being a social big cat, connecting with others. So you might want to be more friendly.
A village would probably mean warmth of knowing the people there, but also perhaps this area is a bit a primitive or undeveloped, like the cub.
Calming this out-of-control, perceived scary danger replaces fear with affection and activates it playfully, becoming harmless, by handling yourself right.
Then you will overcome any fear of hurt, maybe from others.

But at the side of this you probably saw your solitary or independent nature, as tigers are, which is inactive in the social area, and maybe that you want to deactivate more, as it equally can be a danger and out of control. And you ran from it can mean this is too dominant and you fear this, but also might mean wanting to get away from it.
This is what you wanted to warn yourself again regarding knowing others or belonging. Facebook is where people socialize, virtually, but not face to face.
It must be that solo side of you that hurts you or distances you, which you want to develop and mature, which was the point you were woken up.

The dreams that someone has are so much down to the experiences and character of that individual that interpreting them by someone who hardly knows them is pointless.
Freud and Jung were way of the mark with dream interpretation in my view - suppressed desires etc..
Dream interpretation is a bit like astrology, if you create a set of rules, people start living by them to fulfill the prophecy, or at least looking for the rules in their lives.
In a very general sense dreams can be interpreted as the subconscious going over past experiences, or practising possible future experiences, but unless you know the subject and their waking and dreaming lives, more accuracy is futile.