killing my scarab

[spoonbender]

hey everybody,
I have a question about a dream (this is the right forum for this, right?)
every now and then, I dream I have an animal I have to take care of... I always have a great bond with the animal and love it very much--but then I always kill it (accidentally)!
this night I dreamt I had a giant scarab. I was hugging it and playing with it and stuff, and then my mom said to give it a bath--and then I accidentally drowned it... then I got a second scarab and the same thing repeats itself! I was totally panicking by then, so I tried desperately to save it by giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (wow, learned a new English word today!)... that was really hard, considering I didn't find a mouth! I then placed it outside so that it could dry, but when I came back, a bird had killed it...
I also once dreamed I had a mouse, loved it very much, and then I dropped it and it broke into two... I’m not sure, but I think I also once dreamed I stepped on a hamster... I always feel so guilty at the end of the dream and I always have to cry...
what could this mean? anyone have any thoughts?

thanks,
Spoonbender

 

[Nevada]

Spoonbender,

The first thing that comes to mind is that you're worried about some responsibility, about whether you're handling or will handle it properly. Or you could be feeling overburdened by responsibility. Are you in a demanding study program, or do you have another person you're responsible to? It could be that in one of these areas you don't feel that you can measure up to the task. This doesn't mean that you can't, just that you're feeling a little overwhelmed and worried about how you'll do.

Just my first impression. Anything here ring a bell?

Bright Blessings,
Nevada

 

[zorya]

it's probably significant that it is only small things you are 'killing'. i'm with rhiannon, that this is probably about responsibilities.

i found it interesting that you killed a scarab, as scarabs represent eternal life. they are a symbol of the sun god, so like the sun that 'dies' each night and is 'reborn' each morning, the scarab represents renewal.

 

[Nevada]

Oh, I also wonder about the fact that you said they were pets. Do you have a "pet project" that you're concerned about?

 

[HudsonGray]

Dreams are very basic things. You have something, you need to do something, all goes well till it goes very bad at the end. Heavy guilt, panic, stress!

I agree with the others. Pet projects, or small amounts of responsibility going wrong that should have gone right, could be anything but you'll be the best judge as to what the 'pets' are. In your favor you do try to fix things. You give it your all, so you are trying.

Take a step back, look at what you're supposed to do in your real life & see if you're feeling overwhelmed by it or if someone isn't supporting you in your endeavors (if they constantly say 'you can't really do that' then it goes into your subconscious & could come out like this).

 

[spoonbender]

thanks everyone for your input, it does ring a bell, although I won't go into details here...

thanks again,
Spoonbender

 

[isthmus nekoi]

I agree w/what others have written... But if the scarab (and the other animals mentioned) is a very significant symbol for you, then all these dreams would indicate to me that the scarab/animal is an element of your unconscious that must be slowly assimilated into consciousness w/great care. Every time it dies, it is b/c it has been drawn back into unconsciousness. Drowning, falling, (and mother heh heh) etc are all indicative of the unconscious dragging poor scarab back into itself. Don't give up, sometimes the uncon does not give up itself easily!