You may have a dream in which the image of a god, such as the warrior lord Mars or a goddess such as Aphrodite, the goddess of love, appears. The characteristics of gods and goddesses that populate the world’s religions are in many ways similar; this is because they are archetypal figures that embody universal human emotions and characteristics, such as love, hate, anger, justice, jealousy or other potent energies. This should be borne in mind when you try to interpret your dream.
If you become a deity in your dream, the message is even more potent and perhaps you do feel god like in waking life or are aware that you are being given the opportunity to reach your fullest potential; bear in mind though that such a dream also warns against the dangers of egotism or overreaching yourself in some way.
If a woman dreams of mythical gods, it may help her to understand those aspects of her own personality that are generally considered to be more masculine.
If a man dreams of mythical gods, he is linking with his own sense of masculinity. The powerful need that exists within us all for approval and love can often be recognized in the mythical gods. For example, Adonis represents health and self-love, Apollo represents sunny optimism and Chiron healing.
Jehovah in the guise of a vengeful God alerts you to the negative side of power. Mars as the god of war suggests the drive to succeed and win, whilst Zeus is the father figure in both its positive and negative form.
If a woman dreams of mythical goddesses, this will connect her to the archetypal images of femininity and sisterhood with other women.
If a man dreams of mythical goddesses, this signifies all that a man fears about female power. There are goddess figures that are perceived as destructive such as Kali, Bast and Lilith but also beneficial ones such as Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategy or Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Artemis is the goddess of the moon and female intuition and independence. Demeter is the maternal archetype and Hera represents the woman whose goal in life is marriage. Hestia is a symbol of loneliness and patience, whilst Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, expresses the need of some women to please others and be needed by them; her behavior must turn from passive and submissive into an ability to take responsibility for own life.
You may dream of Hindu deities such as Brahma, who is the source of the cosmos, Vishnu its protector and Shiva, who is both the destroyer and protector of life. Together with the Devil, their appearance in a dream expresses confusion but also great creativity and liberation.
If other figures from ancient myth and legend feature in your dream, refer to the ARCHETYPES and SURREALISM AND FANTASY. You may also like to do your own research on dream images inspired by ancient myths, gods and goddesses to see if you can discover their role in your dream and how their universal archetypal energy relates to you.
[1]God(dess)
(1) A god or goddess figure may represent a source of meaning / wisdom / energy. Look for that source in yourself, where it is usually covered by layers of emotion.
(2) Male god figures may represent the animus in a woman’s dreams, and goddess figures may represent the anima in a man’s dreams. They may lead you deeper into your psyche. (For anima / animus, see Brother / Sister, section (4))
(3) Sometimes god / goddess may represent father / mother, functioning as a part of your own (unconscious) psyche. In such cases it is likely - though not invariable - that your feelings towards the parent are ambivalent, with fear or awe as well as affection. A stem Old Testament-type God may symbolize your super-ego, whose origins often lie in irrational prohibitions imposed on oneself in childhood as a reaction to real or imagined threats of punishment.
(4) God(dess) may represent your true self, your potential wholeness.
(5) The god figure in your dream may be - God! Don’t be surprised if your unconscious comes up with god images from a more ancient tradition than the ones you were brought up in: the unconscious seems to have a memory that reaches back to humankind’s remotest past, and even beyond.
At a certain level of your psyche you may go beyond everything that is merely individual and experience oneness with life itself: an experience that may cause you to live authentically - for inner wisdom / values - instead of merely role playing.
[2]A sense of the presence of God or Goddess in a dream is an augur of spiritual revelation and advancement, esoteric insights, and peace of mind.
The meaning of dreams of pagan gods depends on the association with that god.
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