Dreaming of spiders
Meaning and interpretation
What does dreaming of spiders mean?
Dreaming of spiders is often linked to a feeling of being trapped: in a situation, a relationship or a chain of events you didn't see being spun. Spiders are also patient builders, and some dreams are more about creation or control. Your reaction in the dream, disgust, fear or curiosity, is the best lead.
What it's often linked to
Caught in a web. A situation that slowly closed in: obligations, debt, a relationship that's hard to get out of.
An overbearing presence. Someone who controls or watches over you, sometimes an authority figure or a very present parent.
Patience and creation. Spinning a web means building one thread at a time. Some spider dreams come with a long-term project.
Depending on what happens in the dream
A giant spider
A problem taking up all the space in your head, often much bigger in the dream than in real life.
Being bitten by a spider
A small hurt that stays with you: criticism, a comment, a conflict that affected you more than expected.
A spider on you
Something clinging to you that you'd like to shake off: a worry, a person, a responsibility.
Killing a spider
A wish to deal with a problem quickly and for good, or relief at having done so.
A spider web
Without the spider, the web is mostly about connections: the ones that hold you up, or the ones that hold you back.
Questions to ask yourself when you wake up
A dream's meaning lives in your own context, not in a dictionary. These three questions get you there faster.
- 1
Where do you feel stuck right now, even a little?
- 2
Did the spider scare you, or disgust you?
- 3
Is there someone whose presence feels too strong lately?
A dream predicts nothing and diagnoses nothing. If a distressing dream keeps coming back and weighs on your days, talk to a health professional.
