Armour

The rigid emotional or intellectual barrier you might sometimes put around yourself as protection from being hurt, frightened or influenced by others.

It can depict muscular tension which blocks free flowing sexuality and feelings; our defence systems, such as frantically arguing for our beliefs, or killing out our feelings in a relationship; fear of getting hurt – but also ability to protect oneself from hurt or attack; barrier to stop other people ‘getting through to you’; hardness or rigidity of attitudes; defensive attitudes; self doubt; inner conflict.

If the armour is seen as defensive, it may point to deep anxieties in regard to what is suggested by the dream action – such as relationship, work, health.

Shining armour: Idealism; the strength of ones beliefs or resolve. In a woman’s dream, feelings of romance about finding a male who is strong enough to care and help her meet the difficulties of life.

Example: I was a soft crab, under a stone on the sea-shore. With infinite starvation, and struggling, and kicking, I had got rid of my armour, shield by shield, and joint by joint, and cowered naked and pitiable, in the dark, among dead shells and ooze. Suddenly the stone was turned up; and there was my cousin’s hated face laughing at me, and pointing me out to Lillian. She laughed too, as I looked up, sneaking, ashamed, and defenceless, and squared up at him with my soft useless claws. Charles Kingsley, from Alton Locke, 1850.

Kingsley’s description is a magnificent picture of the softness and vulnerability we use our ‘armour’ to defend against. But the next dream gives an entirely different use of armour. The dream shows how new life can arise out of the death of the old, and how failure can become victory when we find our golden armour arising from awareness of our core self beyond death.

While heavily pregnant 11 years ago I dreamt I and thousands of Japanese-like soldiers had been at war and lost. Our punishment was beheading. Not wanting to see my comrades killed I went to the front. I was dead, outside my body. Dressed in golden armour with a lion symbol. I told my comrades they outnumbered the enemy. They won and took my baby from my dead body. BMW.

Useful questions are:

What use is being made of the armour, and what do I gather from this about myself or my attitudes?

Am I using the armour as an intellectual or emotional barrier?

If I am wearing the armour how do I feel without it, and how does that reflect in my life?