Bears and Elephants - This is a Dream

I saw the bear, standing on its hind legs, from a distance, and then it dropped to all fours and scrambled over the green grass along the ridge of the farm. I chased after it with my camera. I ran on foot, stopping every now and then to take a picture.

It was a small black bear, a cub. I did not see its mother. I kept running after it. It was hard to breathe!

The bear stopped, and I did too. Suddenly from around the tree came two baby elephants - and they were white! They lifted up their trunks and blew at me.

I turned around and the bear was coming toward me! But just as it reached me, it turned into an elephant, too, and it reached out with its trunk, and kissed me!

That was a very vivid dream. Yes, it was in color. My dreams are always in color.

I woke up feeling my cheek for the elephant kiss, but nothing was there.

I have on my desk a very small paperback book called The Book of Dreams: a guide to the mystic meaning of your dreams. On the front it also says abridged from Zadkiel's Book of Dreams and Fortune Telling, and it marked with a price of 35 cents. It is a Dell Purse Book and its copyright is 1972. I rather think I have probably had it that long, which means I bought it when I was nine years old.

According to my little guide, "If you dream of seeing a bear, expect great vexations, and that some enemy will injure you. If you travel, you will meet with hardships, but the journey's end and intent will be safely accomplished."

But, if you dream of elephants, this "signifies luck, health, strength, and association with respectable society."

Grass also denotes prosperity.

So I would say that, according to this dream and the book's, whatever the vexation, I will overcome the problem.

Now, Zolar's Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Dreams gives a different interpretation.

According to this book, seeing a bear cub means "a friendly hint will be given" or that there will be "great competition in every pursuit." That I saw the cub standing for a time means "insecurities toward your mother."

Seeing an elephant means I "will enjoy much independence and influential connections" and since there was more than one, my "remarkable memory will lead your prosperity."

The bear was black, and a black animal means "transformation of unconscious drives." The elephants were white, and seeing white means I will "erase all previous problems and begin again."

And then there's The Dreamer's Dictionary, by Lady Stearn Robinson, et al, which tells me:

"To see wild animals in your dream is generally a good omen pertaining to business, but the interpretation depends on their attitude; if they were calm, your affairs will prosper, but if they attacked you you can expect some reverses."

The elephant means "an omen of great good luck."

Apparently I'm in for an interesting time of it, eh?