Tiger Tigress
Power, anger, sexual power, inner anxiety or terrifying urges. Fear of another person’s anger or forcefulness. Sometimes the power of a mother’s protectiveness. A woman’s anger or sexual craving.
Although similar in many ways to the lion, the tiger has a more feminine quality. It can therefore represent an angry woman; ones mother/a woman as a protector or destroyer; anger; spitefulness; the power and authority of ones animal strength; anxiety or fear, flight or fight. Often children have recurring dreams of being chased by a tiger (or lion), and this is about anger that they have been told is bad to express. So this is why they are running from it when they should have made it their friend. This is probably also why most people are still running or hiding from tigers in their dreams. Instead they should have been taught to direct their anger – a natural part of our defense system – effectively.
Do not to be afraid of the animals you meet in your dreams. They are only symbols of your own inner nature, your animal self. See Your Mammal Brain
The tiger represents your own power, the power that can protect your family and any children. Feel the power of that by imaging yourself as the tiger. Yes, actually imagine yourself in its body.
Also big cats, like domestic cats and dogs are very ‘mouthey’ – in other words they do everything with their mouth. They love with their mouth and love to hold you with their mouth. It is their way of giving a hug and wanting to be near. But of course tigers can bite for real too, but your dream tiger is a part of you. Even if it did bite you in your dream it is only like holographic image and can do you no harm. To be frightened of your dream tiger is to run away, avoid or deny your own wonderful natural strength and self protection. See Mouthey Animals
Example: Just last night I dreamt I was walking and a tiger came at me. I was scared, but I thought I would try to be strong and not show my fear. It did not work and the tiger ran at me. I climbed a tree and onto a roof of a tin shed. The tiger followed me up and I ran across a series of tin sheds. I finally realized I could not escape and I turned and faced the tiger. I screamed at the tiger and ran straight at it. The tiger got scared and turned and ran away, and then I woke up. These dreams have been on my mind, and I would love some insight into them. Thank you so much.
From that you can see that an image – in a dream – cannot hurt you, though it can cause you to feel fear. So chasing it was a way of changing your feeling, and that of course changes your dream. So, there is nothing in any dream that can hurt you, unless you run away from something. Running away is leaving yourself open to being a victim of whatever frightens you.
When we call someone a tiger we either mean they are fierce, capable of defending themselves, or very successful at what they do. But we also say a woman can protect her children or loved partner like a tiger. So it is also about strength and passion to protect and care. This aspect of the tiger depicts the primeval and passionate power of motherhood and the love and care of nature itself emanating from the unconscious. Tigers are individual creatures and are not, like lions, part of a group less it is a mother with her cubs.
Like any other animal, the tiger can also represent aspects of sexuality, depending upon how it is presented in the dream. As a symbol of sex it would most likely include elements of uncertainty – will I be attacked or overwhelmed – power and instinctive responses. It has to be remembered also that the tiger is a top of the food chain predator, and so can represent the predatory facets of human nature. See animal for an explanation of the role dream animals play in our life:
But it has to be remembered that every image in our dreams is an aspect of ourselves, and being an animal the tiger represents the wonderful strength we have as our heritage – if we claim it. Many people are frightened of their own strength and so run from their dream tiger, but as the following dream shows it can be your strength.
Example: An adult tiger was at my bed with one of my old high school buddy holding him on a leash. When I saw him I was furious what the fuck is such dangerous animal doing on my bed. Went to load my AK (the imaginary one, don’t actually own one), but when I pointed the gun at him he ignored me with calm and assertive look. I dropped the gun and in my admiration for him just felt his strong and firm energy. Since then I started to really think of Tigers as the ultimate alpha animal!!
Example: I was in a hallway behind a door, pulling it against me to shield myself against a tiger. The tiger was large with bloodstained paws. Some people stopped outside the door to look at the tiger. I told them to move along, as it had a very uncertain temper, and could easily attack. In fact it began to grow restless and growl. They went. I saw the deep colours of the tiger, and the blood. I was terrified that at any moment it would pull the door away from me. At that moment the tiger attacked me when I came from behind the door, and swallowed me. Now instead of feeling separate I was the tiger, and delighted in his movements and anger.
If you are born in the year of the Tiger in Chinese astrology, dreaming of a tiger might be a comment on your strength and weaknesses. It could be wise to consider your basic characteristics in the light of the dream. See Chinese Zodiac Tiger
The tiger can represent many things however, and below is another important aspect of a tiger.
Example: While in a basement a person approached me holding quite a large animal. As they handed it to me I saw it was a tiger cub, large and very well built, with a thick neck. I was surprised, but even more surprised and disturbed when a huge tigress came through a doorway above us at ground level and came down the stairs to us. I thought she was going to attack us, but she took the baby cub and placed it down. She then came with something in her mouth, probably money, and placed it near me. She gave off a powerful feeling of not wanting the cub, and with the money handing it over to me or us for our care. There was an atmosphere of irritability about her. Peter G.
In this example the tiger has an obvious connection with the mother. The dreamer had often been threatened by his mother that she was going to give him away, or put him in a home. So the dream probably dealt with his need to confront these feelings of abandonment which, like the tiger, were threatening. Interestingly, almost exactly five years later, in the same month, Peter dreamt the following.
I am in a house. There is a feeling I am sharing it with a number of people, as if there is a connection with a friend Mike. Suddenly I notice there is a tiger cub running around the room. It is a large room and empty except for myself and the cub. I realise this must mean there is a mother tiger about and worry that it will be angry or aggressive because of its cub. I go to walk through a doorway, but the mother tiger walks through. I stand still, not daring to move. But she brushes against me in a friendly way and strolls over to look at her cub. Peter G.
Interestingly the dreamer sees himself as a young tiger in his dreams.
Example: There is alarm that a wild tiger is about. I am concerned to find a place out of sight, behind a desk, in case the tiger sees me. It comes in, and, although there are many other people, it comes directly to me. As it comes towards me, I see it is small, and young, and un-coordinated in its random, flailing movements (rather like Tigger in Winnie-the-Pooh). Its body is like a pipe-cleaner twisted into a tiger shape. As it comes to me, I see it is full of energy but also shaking uncontrollably with fear, drenched in sweat. It is furiously wagging its tail, which may have a white bow tied to it (or is it the shape of the tail? – the latter I think), as if it is desperate to please. So from within my fear I say to it “Good tiger, there’s a good tiger,” to calm it down. I think, or say: “This tiger is terrified, because it is quite out of its element, in a classroom with humans.” I look up and see there is no one else in the room – just me and the tiger. JH.
JH says of his dream: “This seems to me to be a very revelatory dream. Clearly I am the tiger, and so I am frightened of my own fear in trying to hide from it. But the clarity of the dream is in the basic fear of existence the tiger exhibits.” Here the tiger is clearly about the fight and flight instinct in us all, and the struggle JH has in dealing with this in his life as a teacher.
Idioms: Fight like a tiger; paper tiger.
Useful questions:
Am I dealing with anxiety or anger in this dream?
What relationship do I have with the tiger, and what does this say about the way I deal with the ‘tiger’ aspects of my life such as fear, anger, aggression and dominant strength?
Does my dream tiger show any signs of motherhood in this dream, and if so how does that reflect on my mother or motherhood?
Comments
I had a dream of me and my boyfriend walking around and suddenly we end up in an amusement park. After a while i turn around and dont find my bf anywhere. Then i hear ppl making noise like leave him, let go, save him. I run towards the swimming pool where there are say 8 to 10 tigers in the pool and my bf is on the floor, the tigers are pulling him inside the water. I see tears in his eyes. I go to save him and the tiger roars at me and i m scared. But i cant see my bf like that, i m yelling and pleading ppl to help me. At last I save him we escape. He is shivering and i am scared too.
P.S recently we have been talking about marriage and because we are of two different religions we do have a lot of clashes. Somedays i do wanna tell him off and have it my way.
Please help me.
Just dreamt I was walking with a little boy who had a tiger on a leash. The tiger just a tiny cub and was so tame he/she was playing with the friendly little grey tabby kitten that was apparently mine. There were other people I don’t know with me, apparently they were friends. There was an older girl child, a man who reminded me of an ex, but wasn’t quite him, and a woman who seemed like such a great friend to me in my dream, but I’m wracking my brain to figure out who she represents. Anyway, we were all together in this room and we had to go out, and we felt we had to keep the kitten and cub safe so we put them in a large cardboard box that was falling apart, trying to hold it together with scotch tape. There are holes and the kitties are both scratching and finding ways to get out so we give up. Then another little black kitten appears and some puppies. We finally, alyhough I am worried the maid is going to open the door and they will all be lost, decide it’s impossible. Just let them fend for themselves. I want to add I’ve always ereamt about tigers, sometimes just sitting on the front lawn, sometimes friendly in the room, sometimes I am running from it, but they never end badly, so I’ve always wondered if this was a “spirit guide”. I’ve seen them as cubs before, but not as a tiny kitten like cub.i just lost my Mum to a stroke Dec 4 2014. My Mum was not in this dream. She has been in most of them since. Quite often with other dead relatives. In this dream it was full of strangers. Am I holding back my inner tiger? Has my Mum’s death reduced me to a meulling kitten struggling to find away out? There was more to the dream…it started with a large party where I was cooking for a large group of strangers. Someone left my prawns out and I couldn’t use them. A very mixed international group of people. Even though one dream melded with the other I think the tiger part was the meanigful bit. Thanks, Susan
I dream that me, my husband, my son and my daughter in law were packing up boxes getting ready to move (they don’t live with us right now). We lived on a cul de sac..(which my husband and I do but it was different in my dream). I took a box out to the curb to throw away. A man who lived next door came out screaming to me to warn me of a tiger in the area and to run. I told him no no..it was ok..he kept insisting I should run. Suddenly this humungous tiger came walking down the road. I felt no fear at all..nor did my family. They all came out to stand close behind me. The tiger came right up to me and looked me in the eye (I am a 5′ 8″ woman)…I was petting him and he started purring and rubbing on me like
my kitties do..then I woke up. Could you please tell me your interpretation of this dream?
Wendy – Well you might be only 5’ 8” but you are a real woman – who not only can put a neighbour right, but have the ferocity of a tiger when it comes to looking after your family.
What you probably do not realise is that the tiger is a part of you. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/#mammalbrain
So not only do you deal with your instincts well but are an unusual woman – most people are scared or their own instinctive drives. Maybe caring for cats has helped. I have leaned so much from my cats.
Tony
My dream starts out me walking out side at my mom’s house and there is a lady with a large dog create stealing my mom’s cat with kitten’s. So i go up and pick one of the kittens up. It’s unique in color, green on its back. After I talk with her I start to hear a noise in the bushes down the bank only a few feet from where we were standing. The lady kept yelling at me and I looked down below to see one large tiger scratching her claws on a tree and ripping it apart. I try to tell the lady but she steps to close to the edge of the bank and falls in and I can hear the tiger attacking her. I grab my kitten tight and run for my mom’s door! There were 3 doors non would shut properly. So the last door I had to hold shut with my hands. It was a glass door. I see the tiger come in, then I see another, and a baby cub. The mother comes up to the door and effortlessly opens it. I sacrifice myself to her in hopes they will not see the other people behind me. I stroke her body and put my hand in her mouth and pull with my figure on her teeth. I remember being terrified but telling myself “if you act like prey, that’s how they will see you” the other two tigers stay away. The father looks aloof seems to not care or is purposely avoiding me. The mother shows me she is wounded and her baby stays back and plays. The mother tiger looked at me and visually transformed almost into a human face and spoke to me. She said she needed help. So i got the others in the back room to call for help. I stayed with her until help came. They all became more tiger like when help arrived. But didn’t harm anyone. She escaped from one of the handlers and jumped up looking at me through the window. Then let out a howl like a wolf and looked worried about me. I tried to howl back at her but I had no voice. She left and I felt really emotional. Then I woke up feeling like I had actually experienced this. It felt real. What would this mean?
My aunt dreamed of a baby tiger with apparently a beautiful coat that was kind of glowy. The baby tiger was surrounded by two other tigers who were the dad and mom. This was a few weeks before my mom realized she was pregnant. Why was I tiger in the dream? Does it mean something? My mom also dreamed of climbing a big ladder and getting a really big pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. I thought this could mean I was going to be born in the wall (Which I did). This also happened with my younger sister as well. Except she wasn’t a tiger, she was apparently a giant ball of cotton and my grandma handed it to my mom…Weird I know.
oops I meant fall not wall
Hannah – Wow, your mum is quite a great dreamer.
It sounds that your mum and dad and of course you, have a lot of traits in common. You are all strong minded and do not take any rubbish from anyone – but tigers also make great parents.
Was your grandmother alive at the time she handed the ball of cotton to your mum? In any case she was handing something of herself to your mum, and it was to be handled with care.
Tony
I had a dream last night that a tiger was let loose in a street which looked like a third world country. The tiger was released from it’s cage and I watched it run off about 30 yards and from no where my 2 year old daughter appeared and the tiger leaped for my daughter and grabbed her fiercely around her neck and dragged her to the floor with this I was already running and when I got there I grabbed the tigers jaws and pulled them off from around my daughter. I then remember the tiger running scared of me!! When I went to look round at my daughter she had magically disappeared. So I then carried on walking down the street with people staring at me. This dream was a one off and I never usually dream about this sort of thing the fact the dream felt so real and I haven’t got over it all morning says that there was some sort of meaning behind this…???
I need help understanding my crazy dream last night.
All I remember was being reunited with a man I knew and loved in high school. We told eachother our feelings, missed each other, loved eachother, and they were mutual. I was with my family traveling and he was tagging along. We stopped somewhere and we had all gone in to use the restroom. When I came out he was still inside so I planned on waiting for him to come out but my grandmother told me to give him some space and that it wasn’t lady like to smother the guy. Her and I walked up a grassy hill and sat down on blankets (we were camping out overnight) and then she walked off and I continued to wait. The next thing I know there were two white tigers behind a trailer, one laying beside the other. Then one of them noticed me and started getting up. The other tiger didn’t want it to go but it was almost like it needed to be with me so it freed itself and came to me. We laid down on the blanket together and I realized that the tiger was the man I was waiting for to come out of the rest stop. I wasn’t afraid in the least bit, and he was kind with kind eyes. He nuzzled me and I started petting his paw, giant soft and warm. Then I woke up. Any clue as to what this could mean?
I’ve dreamt about this man quite a bit in the last year and can’t seem to shake it. Does it have meaning? Or is my heart stuck in the past?
I dreamt that I was in some kind of a weird messy house.I was outside in this tall cementy thingy “muro” sorry I speak spanish and dont know how to say that in english and this Lion and Tiger appeared in the floor and I tried to get as high as possible as I could ane the Lion was trying to bite me every time my leg got out of the “muro” then I dont know how i got off the “muro” and started running towards the house offcourse the lions chased me.I crawled this high bookcase and stay there.The lions never did go away.
Jeslynn – Yes, I used Google translate so understood ‘muro’ as meaning wall in English.
But there was no real need for you to run away from the lions. Of course you were scared thinking they were real lions – which they are not because they are dream lions that are totally different creatures. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/questions-2/#Summing
So if you imagine yourself back in your dream, and realising that the lion is like an image on the cinema screen and just feel your fear, what it your fear about? See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-on-your-dream/#BeingPerson
If you can accept the lions and do not run away they might turn into a great strength and good friends. You know that all cats cannot help chasing things that run away.
Tony
Jeslyn – The muro/wall in dreams usually means a defense against something – in your case the lion/tiger. Please read http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/questions-2/#Summing
The lion in your dream expresses your fear of being attacked – probably by our own female strength. The lion didn’t go away because it is part of you and you cannot escape from yourself. So try using http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/secrets-power-dreaming/
Tony
I just woke up an hour ago from fis dream of mine.
In my dream i seemed lik v have housed a tiger. Though my parnts n siblings seemed a lil afraid nd uncertain. I felt like dat tiger is so familier n friendly wid me. As lik. In d dream frstly i ws him/her sittin very comfortly on my parnts bed..thhough i cldnt picture myslf wid him.bt i cld jst feel his presnc infrnt of me..n suddnly dat tiger got lockd by my parnts in d bathroom bcz dey got concernd or may b frightend.. n nobody cld dare open it. Cz evry was afraid dat it might attack in angr.kill smone or atleast hurt! Bt suddnly der was sm noise very silnt one. I came out of d room followin my dad. D bathroom door was unlockd n he sure aas hell got frightnd.. n den i felt lik sm1 switch on d AC in my room. I cld feel d cold wind on my foot as i ws standing just outside my room. Dat was d momnt whn i wsnt actuali xpecting d tiger. He/she seemd to hv switchd it on. N ws preparing itslf to sleep. N i ws lik.. stnding der wid mouth wide opn. I wsnt astonishd or scard .. i jst felt lik d tiger is stupid.. n i walkd in. Scared my his might at frst i jst passd him a gesture to get between d bedshits it ll b warmr fr him.. n den i ws lik asking him to do so. In words lik he ws eithr a human. Or just an extra talntd tigr who wld undrstnd human words.. n dts whn i woke up! 🙂
I was in a mansion with a several empty well decorated rooms. I walk into the Chinese themed room with jade and marble figures and vases and i walked upstairs. I know this tiger is following me but instead of being afraid i picked up a rock and murdered it. another tiger came to me with anger and sadness and i murdered it too…what does this mean?
I walked in to a room and there was a white tiger sitting in a chair and a girl was feeding it mashed banana. It smiled at me when I walked in, and then took out its false teeth when it had finished eating. I sat next to it on the couch and it layed down and put it’s head in my lap but then turned in to a person. Then I was patting their head like a cat.
Ren – A white tiger indicates that it is purified of all its aggressive nature. It smiling at you and taking out is teeth also shows it has not harm.
Turning into a human shows that you have met your own animal nature and transformed it into your own humanness. We all have the animal in us, and most people never meet it or accept it, but you have. The tiger is your own strength and power, and it is a pity you saw it taking out its teeth, because occasionally we need such fearsomeness when dealing with certain people. Please read http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/
Tony
I had a dream that seemed very real. I am at work and a young tiger walked into my office and laid down in front of my desk. I felt happy and afraid at the same time. I got up and I fed the tiger my lunch. Everyone in my office was afraid of the tiger and didn’t want me to feed it. I decided that I would keep the tiger in my office and went out to get chop meat so that I could make dinner for the tiger. I named him but I can’t remember the name. But it was named after a character from a tv show I liked as a child. The next day I wasn’t supposed to come into work but I did so I could feed the tiger. When I got to work the warehouse people were upset because the tiger was in there. I called him over and he walked next to me. I put my hand on his back as we walked. He turned and looked at me and I felt fear but then I put my hand on this back again. All the people from the warehouse watched us walk together. We wend back to my office and I fed him and when he was done he rubbed his head on me. I felt happy and content and the need to care for him. What does this mean?
Elena – Remember dear woman, that a female has enormous strength though not always of the body. Your tame tiger is representing this enormous strength that is within you – the natural instinctive tiger you have – see http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/#mammalbrain
You are still slightly afraid of your own strength, but you are beginning to sense it and feel happy and content with it. Others around you sense this wonderful strength you have and respond to it, and you do not have to show off.
Tony
I’ve been having recurring dreams of being in different rooms alone and smoking a cigarette in secret (I don’t smoke nor have I ever.) then my father will either come into the room or I will be able to see or hear him in a room beside me. But he doesn’t pay any attention to me, not saying a word and I stay silent as well just like I’ve been doing the whole time. I then begin to panic trying to get rid of the cigarette so he won’t know that I was smoking because I know that he would be extremely mad if he found out and I have a feeling he would probably hurt me. I either throw it out a window, flush it down the toilet, put it in the bottom on the trash can and put things on top of it, or I eat it. I can taste it being disgusting and flaky. And not until I start to panic about getting rid of the cigarette I notice a tiger in the room with me. It doesn’t make any noise and doesn’t pay any attention to me or my father and I don’t feel afraid of it I’m only confused about why it’s there.
I am confused by what all three of these things mean, my father, the cigarette and the tiger.
Thank you.
Reply
I had a dream about being in a house taking care of the following animals:
.tiger ,snake, turantula which was very wired when I went back to check on them they started to try to escape but they only one who seemed threathing inmy dream was the tiger it broke down tthe door and I tired to calm it down but as it got closer it wasangry and it bit me on the shoulder as I was ccalling for my dad I tired to continue to calm it down when it finally released my shoulder and left a tiger bite .
I had a dream in which I was in a house or apartment and when I looked outside, there were lions and a tiger or two roaming my neighborhood. It was as if the streets were empty because they were roaming. None of them ever roared or were aggressive, but I remember being afraid of them. I was afraid to go outside, and also afraid that they would come in the house. The dream was uneventful, but the emotions were pretty powerful. I’ve had dreams like this before, and since the lion or tiger seems to be a common thread in these dreams, I’m just wondering what it could be about.
I had a very similar dream Michelle. I’d love to hear what Tony has to say about it. 🙂