Dreaming Lens: Was there a priest or priests present in your dream? Were they known to you? Was the setting connected to a church or parochial school? Was this from your past? Was the scenario specifically religious? Was there an aura of authority involved in the dream? Were there any sexual overtones to the imagery of the dream?
Personal Focus: While the Catholic religion only represents about twenty-five percent of Americans that claim a religious affiliation, the proliferation of this image in the media makes it a universal symbol for spiritual devotion. Also because of the media, this symbol carries with it a great number of potential shades of meaning: from intense levels of respect, to humorous irreverence, or even intense antipathy. Your personal associations with priests will, therefore, play a prominent role in how you interpret a dream with priests in it.
On the serious end of the spectrum, the priest is the symbolic representation of Christ on Earth and signifies a level of dedication that is unparalleled in our modern culture. In this light, the Character Aspect of a priest in a dream connects to a deeply committed spiritual side of your nature that is willing to sacrifice much for the sake of your beliefs. Priests also connect directly to the power of ritual, as the Mass is the most stylized practices still in existence today that harkens back to forms of devotion that are all but lost in our modern world.
Because a priest is the authority within a church, they can represent an archetypal aspect of the self that is deeply committed to the role of spiritual leader, either for yourself or for your community. If the dream has a reverent quality to it, consider this meaning to be part of your interpretation.
There is no getting around the current perception that the institution of the priesthood is also embroiled in deep controversy over sexual improprieties. The enforced role of celibacy also plays an important role in interpreting this symbol. If a priest should play a prominent role in a dream, issues of sexuality and sexual expression/freedom may be present. If you know the priest, then use them as a specific Character Aspect. If not, a more generalized sense of sacrifice or denial of sexual impulses may be what is being expressed. [1]
If he is in the pulpit, it denotes sickness and trouble for the dreamer.
If a woman dreams that she is in love with a priest, it warns her of deceptions and an unscrupulous lover.
If the priest makes love to her, she will be reproached for her love of gaiety and practical joking.
To confess to a priest, denotes that you will be subjected to humiliation and sorrow. These dreams imply that you have done, or will do, something which will bring discomfort to yourself or relatives.
The priest or preacher is your spiritual adviser, and any dream of his professional presence is a warning against your own imperfections. Seen in social circles, unless they rise before you as spectres, the same rules will apply as to other friends.
The spiritual forces represented in this dream could be intrinsic, revealing your own spiritual qualities, strengths, and abilities, or they could represent the spiritual forces around you. [3]
Any dream depicting a priest has advantageous omens. It usually signifies the end of a dispute that has been concerning you for a while. [4]
If the priest in your dream is angry or disapproving, you feel like you are being over-protected or treated unfairly by authority figures.
If the priest is skinny, this represents your guilt over being mean to others.
If the priest was fat, this signifies your greed or laziness. Seeing a priest in your dream can also symbolize chastity and abstinence, a sign that you are embarrassed or ashamed about sexual issues or feelings. [5]
See also: Integration Dreams. [7]
A priest may represent traditional religion with its spiritual rules and regulations. Are you making moral judgments? Alternatively, the priest could represent your own spiritual wisdom. The shadow side of this archetype manifests in lapses of personal morality. [8]
A spiritual authority figure may symbolize the dreamer’s spiritual needs. In interpreting such a dream, one should note whether the figure was loving and caring, or dictatorial and condemning, as the character of an overbearing parent may be associated with a negative religious figure. [9]
If his back is turned to you, a priest may indicate the turning away from the world in favor of a spiritual purpose. [10]
2. A need to curb indulgence, excess.
3. A need for counsel, guidance over conduct, possibly business related.
4. A challenge or change in moral code; a test of principles. [11]
2. Believer;
3. Jesus Christ;
4. Holy man;
5. Religious spirit;
6. Being a priest of your household; Heb. 7:17, 26; 8:1; 9:11; 10:19-21; (4) Exod. 31:10. [12]
Depth Psychology: See Pastor, Preacher. [14]
aboard a ship, being: bad weather and shipwreck must be experienced to move you.
audience with a, having an: wil soon be in trouble for asking for more than your just deserts.
confessing sins to a: are harboring suspicions of those dealing in dangerous affairs.
family going to see a: quarrels within the family need counseling.
in the street, being: humiliation from unjust publicity.
of a: inheritance is near at hand, bringing loneliness and troubles.
receiving advice from: many are guarding your interest; not al are friends.
surplice, wearing a: one with evil intentions is watching you.
talking to a: wil have a position of importance and pride in your achievements.
woman dreaming of confessing to a: wil not marry one you love.
young girl, a: wil break your engagement for the wrong reason. [22]
A priest in a dream also could represent someone who follows conjecture, or someone who does not see his own faults.
If a regular person sees himself as a priest in a dream, it means benefits for others, rising in station and fame.
If a layman sees himself speaking like a preacher, a soothsayer, a fortuneteller, an astrologer or a priest in a dream, it means that he lies and engages in falsehood. [23]