When a spider emerges in your dream they contain both positive and negative elements depending on it’s behavior. On one hand you can see this is a powerful omen relating to potential luck, psychic abilities or one’s creative side.
On the flip side due to its ability to trap its victims in its web and devour them slowly points to negative or toxic people who pose a threat.
Due to the spiders highly complex nature the dreamer would need to examine if the spider belongs to them or aspects of their SHADOW; the dark side of your personality that connects with unconscious behaviours, emotions or attitudes that you are unaware of.
Throughout history spiders have been depicted in popular culture, mythology and in folklore for thousands of years; a symbol that often transforms as a feminine threat or sometimes related to your mother.
Article: How A Toxic Mother Appears In Your Dreams
Spider Bite Dreams
A spider that bites you is considered a negative omen, however once you are able to identify the source of the threat it become a positive.
Essentially these “so called” threats remain unconscious to the dreamer hence why it appeared in your dream. You will need to decipher if this attack belongs to someone you are in contact with, or your unconscious feminine traits that you possess that are causing a disturbance.
Since the spider associates itself with the “feminine” you can direct your attention towards feelings and emotions. This can apply to both male and female as the psyche is androgynous.
Your location and people around you will determine if this attack originates from the outside. Sometimes spider attacks are more straightforward warning you to be careful around a particular type of person. You may have provoked and emotional attack unwillingly.
The Unconscious Spider Dream
Alternatively the spider that bites you could mirror your unconscious emotions that has surfaced. These very own unconscious behaviors, feelings and moods stem from your relationship with the feminine (mother).
Like the spider she holds and traps her children psychologically and emotionally as you are tangled in the web. Often instilling them with feelings of guilt and fear stopping you from becoming independent just so she wouldn’t be alone.
Known as the devouring mother she “consumes” her children psychologically and emotionally, similar to the web spiders create to trap their prey. The spider that bites you encourages you to examine your own unconscious emotions that are causing problems in your life.
The man who becomes bitten might be possessed his the anima (feminine side of a man), as the venom paralyzes his fate. Stuck in the same repetitive patterns of fantasies and illusions he has been warned to examine your shadow.
Spider In Bed Dream
The symbol of beds are synonymous with relationships, erotic encounters and sexual urges and problems. How the spider presents itself determines your unconscious feelings towards this situation. A symbol to investigate your intimacy or maybe a to be cognizant of who you allow close to you.
Killing A Spider Dream Meaning
Dreaming of killing a spider can have a both positive and negative translation. Depending the context of the dream the meaning can either swing from having bad luck or implying that you have overcome some strong feminine temptation. You may no longer be in a web that was created on making you stuck emotionally or physically. You may explore if you are killing off your creative spirit.
Cobweb Dream Meaning
Spiders have the ability to make several types of webs, which they use for many purposes; to lure prey to eat, for movement, to anchor point and to wrap its victims. The web reflects aspects of your life possibly the feelings of estrangement, entanglement and alienation.
The web could translate to your own feelings of estrangement and alienation in life. Spider is associated with words and communication. Do you possess the same ability to lure people into your web?
In essence by weaving and navigating it gains a certain element of control – once the prey is stuck the spider has complete control. Webs can also be metaphoric to rumors, gossip and lies that can be easily be woven. What side are you on?
Walking through spiders webs brings your attention to ignored areas in you life that needs cleaning. Sorting yourself out by examining repressed and ignored aspects of your personality. This also might be connected to ignored creativity as they have an unique design sense.
Spiders Movements
In you dream the context changes if you notice it moving or reacting at lightning speed. The spider like a person can have a stinging bite when angered. Deceit is the negative side of spider personality. A web of rumors, gossip and lies can easily be woven. The person with spider energy may be ruthless and once incited to attack, the punishment is decisive and lethal. If you notice spiders hanging over you brings attention to the issues that are above you that you are now seeing.
Spiders Everywhere Dream
A very common dream when you noticed spiders everywhere. If you notice them in your house it brings your attention to your mind/psyche under attack. You have noticed a threat that is out of control. Negative thoughts or situations you cannot control – a threat has spread.
Spider Attack Dream
Depending where the attack is taking place helps to determine what area to investigate further. Recognizing the color of the spider, location, type and where the attack happened helps break down the dream easier.
Spider Size & Agility
The lesson of the spider is upholding balance – between past and future, male and female, spiritual and physical. The bigger the spider the bigger the threat or issue. Many people dream of a big black spider that might be connecting the dreamer to the shadow – the dark side of your personality.
Cleaning Spider Web
These dreams may reflect on clearing out old memories or situation that are no longer useful in your life. These dreams reflects internal cleaning that donate to a positive symbol.
Spiders Crawling Dream
During sleep paralysis we often dream of spiders crawling on us as we are unable to move. If you dream of a spider crawling on you brings you attention to your fears. How did you react when you felt it?
Spider Chasing Me Dream
Often times being chased in our dreams brings our attention to what we are running away from. Spiders can manifest as fears or connected to the negative emotional associations with the mother/feminine. The possessiveness of her entrapment is an unconscious fear that has made you not face this threat. The location and people around you provide you with clues where the threat might be originating.
Baby Spiders/Eggs
These represent new growth, possibly hinting towards your creative side – the self. Eggs are often a very positive symbol of the self; spider eggs encourage you to explore your talents and creative side.
The Positive Representation
- Creativity: Noticing a spider in your dream spinning magnificently creating a web might be pointing at your hidden creative side. Your dream might be hinting at repressed creativity, or you will be using your creative gift in life.
- Patience: After the 1 hour it takes for a spider to make its web, it patiently waits for bait to come. Seeing a spider on a web might translate to your patience and hard work will pay off in the future. A spider lives in the moment, standing motionless as accepts life to come to it as opposed to finding. Spiders could be a metaphor for the practice of Buddhism.
- Craftiness: Spiders could also symbolize your ability to be artistic and street smart. Watching a spider making it web could be related to how you move in your walking life and the people around you.
- The Self: The Self in Jungian psychology is one of the Jungian archetypes, signifying the unification of consciousness and unconsciousness in a person, and representing the psyche as a whole. The spider would be a symbol of wholeness due to its circular shape.
- Vision: Spiders are known to have up to eight eyes to help hunt and evade predators. If you noticed the spiders eyes it might suggest your foresight and ability to navigate in life.
The Negative Representation
- Manipulation: Spiders are predators, above all else, so hunting and killing is where they really shine. They have the ability to create a web unknown that its deliberately waiting for you. These dreams could be a warning for the people around you plotting for you to fall in a trap.
- Captivity: Once you fall into the web of the spiders trap there is no getting out. This could be a metaphor for falling victim in somebody’s trap.
- The Shadow: According to Carl Jung’s analytic psychology, the shadow archetype represents “the dark side” of your personality. Stored in the unconscious lives your repressed ideas, idiosyncrasies, instincts and weaknesses. The spider might be a representation of the lethal, cunning and poisonous aspects of yourself that you are unaware of.
- Poisonous: When the spider pierces its prey with its fang, it squeezes out the venom, injecting the animal with enough neuro-toxin to paralyze or kill. Depending the dream you could be the spider or very well be it prey by someone.
- Unseen Threat: This could be an enemy that want to poison you, as it remains hidden in the corners.
- Fears: Many movies show spiders in a negative so it could symbolize one’s fear in a dream. When she appears, it is time to confront one’s phobias. Suppressing them without confronting them means the spider will become recurring.
- Chasing/Jumping: These dreams suggest you might be avoiding (shadow) something that wants you to be aware of.
Types Of Spiders
Tarantula Attack Meaning: Tarantulas are nighttime hunters (shadow) who will pounce on their prey. Fortunately they do not produce toxin that is strong enough to hurt a man but it can do some damage.
Spider Black Widow: This spider’s bite is much feared because its venom is reported to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake’s. If you are bitten by this spider in your dream it might suggests an enemy is wanting to attack you.
Daddy Long Legs: These dreams might be a metaphor about the masculine energy.
Spider Man: Dreaming of Spider Man might be hinting at your enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, durability, stamina, healing and agility, as well as an early warning system officially dubbed the “Spider-Sense”
Sleep Paralysis: Sleep paralysis is a temporary inability to move or speak that occurs when you’re waking up or falling asleep. While stuck in our bed you might have a sensation of a spider crawling on you and you are stuck.
Cultural Mythology Of Spiders
Ancient Egyptians: Worshiping spiders in ancient may also be connected to an Egyptian goddess named Nit or Neith who was portrayed as a goddess of weaving, battle and hunting. The weaving attribution is drawings and images of Neith often show her carrying a bow and arrows linking her to war and hunting. The weaving of what seems to be a spider web might be suggesting her part in the Creation.
Greek Mythology: The Greeks have three mythological short stories pertaining to a talented weaver named Arachne. Bragging about her work, she infuriated the God Athena, who appeared and contested her. Athena weaved four scenes in which the gods punished those humans that considered themselves equal to gods and committed hubris. She was then transformed into a spider.
The second story was related to Arachne challenging Minerva in a contest to weave. Her skill was above the rest, however she challenged the Gods that was highly restricted. She was persecuted for her ignorance and turned into.
The last myth was a weaving challenge between Arachne and Athena . The Judge Zeus made it clear that the loser wouldn’t be able to weave or touch a spindle again. Athena won and left Arachne heart broken. Out of pity Athena transformed her into a spider, so she could continue weaving without having to break her oath.
Celtic Mythology: The Celtics have a different spin on the spiders as a more beneficial symbol connecting Arianrhod the Celtic Goddess . She was the god of fertility, rebirth and the weaving of cosmic time and fate.
African Folklore: According to the West African stories, the spiders is considered a trickster personifying the creation deity Anansi. Associated with storytelling and wisdom, the spider causes mischief to get the upper hand in dealings with others. The retelling of these “spider tales” imparts moral lessons through the generations.
Native Americans: North American indigenous tribes have depicted spiders as creators, guides, and wisdom keepers. They see the spider archetype as the keeper of the past and its connection to the future. The Hopi Tribe from Arizona speak about the “spider Grandmother” can shape shift to an old lady or a spider. She dwells in an underground hole and appears when she is called upon by the Hopi. She has the ability to heal, provide knowledge and find medicinal cures.
Aztec: The Teotihuacan Spider Woman was a Aztec goddess of the underworld, darkness, the earth, water, war, and possibly even creation itself. She is often seen with shields decorated with spider webs, further suggesting her relationship with warfare. The Great Goddess is often shown in paradisaical settings, giving gifts.
Modern Times: Books like Charlotte’s Web is a popular children’s novel where the main theme is about death. Charlotte’s web acts as a barrier that separates two worlds. These worlds are that of life and death. In Shakespeare’s aware of the spiders positive qualities. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream one of the fairies is called Cobweb and Bottom comments on the fact that these webs can be used to bind wounds. “If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you.”
I had a dream about a small translucent clear reddish brownish spider in my eyelash. It was hidden for a bit but I knew I looked off to myself in the mirror. When I go to look back, it begin to crawl out of my lash and on to my forehead, by which I smashed it.
What is hidden (unconscious), attached to your eye; in dreams points to awareness and vision. Since you looked in the mirror the spider belongs to you. Your forehead is the center of wisdom and sight. The symbol is comprised of the feminine energy described in the article. This can be both negative and positive elements depending on your awareness of the spider in you.
I recently had a dream of my husband, he had like a stinger or some sort sticking out of his chin. I started scratching at the thing but it was under the skin until I dug out a big black spider with a stinger of some sort on its back. The spider was not moving at all. It looked dead, but there was blood everywhere. What on earth can this mean?
Thank you again
He might have been stung in the past by a women. Who could this be? Maybe the spider is you. The spider is not moving becomes a clue in who or what this may be.
The spider in my dream was a black widow and the focus was on her. It seemed as though she was making an entrance and she gracefully did so. It creeped into the room as though letting me know that she was there. I wasn’t threatened but naturally I was scared of what she was going to do. She just wanted me to know that she was there. I could clearly see the hourglass shape on her back and her dark body almost looked purple. She allowed me to admire her.
My 5 year old son just came to me at 3am upset after waking from a dream. We moved from his life long home about 7 months ago. In his dream he was back in his old room in the old house all alone. He believed I had left him there. And a giant spider almost his size with human eyes was trying to attack him and “eat his brain”… Any insight on this?
Hello Kendy. I don’t think the dream means anything. Usually around that age kids start to experience “night terrors”, but this would depend if he was moving around in his sleep. Another possibility might be related to the move and maybe an unconscous fear of being left back, which is a common theme at that age. My advice would be just for you to comfort him and talk to him about it how it was only a dream and you will never leave him.
Dear Dreamer I had a dream last night where my ex husband accidentally got thrown into a web and as he went into it he turned into a spiders egg. The web already had several poisonous spiders and a spider egg in it. I ran to try find insect spray to kill the spiders and save him but I was taking too long. In the same dream I also dreamt that the door kept opening and water kept coming in like a small flood… not sure if this has any meaning to the water or not but I’m doing a… Read more »
Hello Denise. I have a question that relates to this part “ex husband accidentally got thrown into a web“. If he accidentally got trapped what does that tell you? If the spider is feminine could it be a new relationship or perhaps something unconscious within you? If it unconscious within you, than it would be connected to your shadow (see shadow in search bar). Alternatively, this might even connect to your own inner masculine; Carl Jung spoke about the animus (see animus in search bar) that represents the masculine within the feminine psyche. The is why the egg is very… Read more »
I had a dream where I was feeding a white mouse, or a hamster? Suddenly it escaped from the cage and ran into a room where I saw an ex girlfriend. It escaped under a bed and in looking for it a spider appeared. I tried to catch it and when it touched my hand, it began tingling.
There was also another part of my dream where I saw a load of spiders on thick cobwebs, waiting for prey.
Interesting. There is a big difference between the mouse and the hamster. If it escaped from a cage you will need to reflect on unconscious aspects related to your relationship/intimacy; a symbol that connects with the bed. See bed dreams in search bar. What hand did you catch it with?
I would need to know more on the next part. It definitely contains unconscious feminine origins.
I had a dream that I was visiting a friend at her childhood home, she mentioned hearing something moving then next thing I know I was laying on the floor and a big black spider was running towards me, it was so thick that I could hear it running. It crawled onto my right hand and I was paralyzed with fear. Even tho I stayed very still it sunk its teeth in deep, it bit me two times(I felt the pain) before I was finally able to grab it with my other hand tear is off( it was very hard… Read more »
Usually when we go back into our childhood homes, or in your case your friends it might be bringing you back to the past (see childhood homes in search bar). Now it might have some unconscious origins related to it. Whenever anything sinks its teeth deep it shows that this issue is not going away or contain a very powerful negative energy. This issue may have hit you twice; something that is hard to remove within the mind. I think you may have done something recently that killed of this part of the past.
I had a dream that a huge spider was just hanging in front of my face while I was lying in bed. I actually woke up from the fear, and ran across the room. My SO turned the light on and of course there was nothing there, but I still struggled to fall back to sleep because my heart was pounding so hard.
I don’t think it is a dream but related to a common experience that is called Hypnagogic hallucinations. Basically these are imagined sensations that seem very real, similar to sleep paralysis (see sleep paralysis in the search bar). They occur as a person is falling asleep, and are also referred to as sleep hallucinations. The term hypnopompic describes the period when a person wakes up. Hypnagogic defines the period when a person falls asleep
Had a dream that I woke up with 3 spider bites on my arm…one of which really, really hurt…then I woke up.
Nothing to worry about. We feel the pain because we are still in the dream state; called a hypnagogic hallucinations are imagined sensations that seem very real.
I had a dream i was bit on my left index finger right at the tip. I have arachnophobia however when i noticed the spider, I wasn’t panicking as i usually would. This stood out to me because in dreams and reality i do not react well. I was outside hanging out with someone i can’t recall. i remember the brown sidewalk under me and surrounded by greenery. the spider was about as big as the tip of my index finger, yellow and black but more so yellow and had hair or whatever you would call it. then it kinda… Read more »
If you have an irrational fear and you didn’t panic it might suggest you are changing. the greenery might suggest growth and development and if it disappeared it sounds very metaphoric ot the situation.
I had a dream I was working on a farm with several other ppl. We went upstairs into the barn loft which was like a large room with a twin bed and a bathroom with a tub, then a large living area with a large old wood paneled TV console on one wall. Everyone was resting on the floor in the living area in front of the TV. I was laying on the floor among them relaxing, when I slowly became aware of a spiderweb bubbling in front of me which seemed to stretch across the bathroom entry and the… Read more »
The farm might bring you towards your own protected, refined or domesticated instincts, urges and behaviours. As you go upstairs you are entering a part of your mind/psyche – twin bed connects to sexual, urges, relationships or unconsciousness. Two bed might suggest that something is seperated (I think).
The spiderweb traps you in what is this so called issue. Perhaps this dream is telling you that you are getting rid of some of these unconscous fears that exist within you.
can you clarify this dream for me? i had this dream of a small black spider with a red abdomen, im sleeping in the same bed by my sister since in real life we share one. i wake up to the spider crawling or resting on my neck/chest my first reaction is to grab it by the abdomen and throw it off of me, the dream then ended. the same thing that happened in the last dream happened in this one as well except suddenly our bed was bigger, and there was another bed on the other side of our… Read more »
Houses in dreams often connect the person to the psyche/mind or inner architecture. But why the bed? Beds are symbolic in the sense it attaches itself to intimacy, love, unconsciousness (see bed dreams for more details in the search bar). Now it could have something to do with your sister that might be hidden. But what exactly? The red (anger/passion) and abdomen/stomach (gut feelings/intuition/feminine energy). Eggs are also symbolic of completion (CIRCLE) or what is commonly known as a rebirth once this might be addressed in your life. The cat could also emerge as an emotional state – examining your… Read more »
Hello there, could you clarify this dream for me. I just had a dream about going to my house and on the front steps there were multiple of orange average sized spiders. Some had egg sacs. My instinct was to kill so I killed some by stepping on them and got distracted that there was something in the woods which made some spiders crawl on my and bite me. The pain felt so real that I woke up in fear that a spider actually bite me. Thank you in advance!
Houses in dreams often connect the person to the psyche/mind or inner architecture. I think since you are in the front of the house it will bring you to your vision, perception or field of awareness. Now the woods (see forest dreams) connects you to your unconscious mind (not understood within the dreamer) that might connect you to your instincts. The spider is of feminine energy (see yin energy search bar) and so is your instincts (gut feeling). This might be related to some sort of distortion (not trusting) related to a particular situation or goes against you once its… Read more »
Hi, maybe you can help me clarify: I saw a small spider with slime, it prepared itself and then swooshed pretty fast in one straight line, but while it was doing that, it grew in one second enormously big, it moved around a while and shrunk again. That happened a few times, until my mother appeared and didn’t see the spider coming her way, so I yelled and warned her (I wasn‘t super scared though) but the spider got big, tried to climb up my moms legs and shrunk again… I’ve read everything here but it’s so detailed that I’m… Read more »
The dream either is reflecting unconscious aspects of yourself, or someone (feminine energy) that metaphorically relates to how your dream unfolds. You may also explore aspects of your mother as well. I think the slime is symbolic but I am not sure what it could be. The definition is an unpleasantly thick and slippery liquid substance; a symbol that could guide you towards unconscious urges, behaviors. Now you have something that was small, moves quite then expands enormously big. So it goes from small to big, and then back to being small again. Now this is something you may have… Read more »
Thank you!!!
My dream started when I entered what looked like and art exhibit/zoo. I went into the reptile section but a man around my age asked if i wanted to hold some animals. I noticed he had lizards and bugs in his hand, and I denied holding any. He secretly put a spider on my leg after i asked why it feels like something is crawling up my leg. Then I had a bad feeling in my leg and upon investigating my leg i was bleeding profusely. A woman in the zoo noticed and help me by applying pressure to my… Read more »
Interesting dream Tae. The dream seems very symbolic and requires you to do a lot of digging (introspection). Now any time we venture into a zoo we go towards our own primitive or untamed side that remains unconscious, or in your case metaphorically contained. This is why you might have encountered the man (masculine) in the reptile section – he wants you to hold (carry) some of these traits, behaviors, urges, instincts, emotions that are not fully integrated within you (psyche). He had lizards (cold blooded) and bugs (something that bugs you/grosses you out) – which might point towards the… Read more »
My dream was rather short but I was bitten on my thigh by a big black widow spider that has a red abdomen and black legs. It slowly walked up my thigh and bit me and I remember feeling a horrible pain and then the spider slowly walked off. Then I woke up
Scary dream April. Where was your location when the spider bite you? Thigh or legs connect to your stability or support that might be affected. The color red might be related to anger as the stomach could be connected to intuition. Remember the spider is a feminine symbol (energy) that is unconscious. Now if this issue belongs to you than it might connected to your own person shadow (see shadow dreams in search bar). It could also be related to a feminine threat that slowly moves and than attacks.
Last night I dreamt that I was escaping from an army-like compound. Everywhere I turned to go there would be a giant web blocking my path. I was able, with my hands, to knock down all the webs I encountered except one. It looked nor acted any different than the ones before but I hesitated to touch it. It was then that a black spider about the size of a basketball dropped out of nowhere and attached itself to my face. It did not bite or harm me it just stayed clinging to my face. I started to scream and… Read more »
You have to figure out what mirrors an army like compound. These can be people, work environments, emotional states that are orderly, ridged and strict. The giant web is something that has been built, most likely by the feminine (something to trap/contain/hold you) if you leave or get out of this situation. Spiders are very symbolic. Since it is right on your face this might be hinting at one of two things. 1. Would be the mask you wear, black being the unknown feminine threat that belongs to you, or unconscious aspects (see shadow self) connecting to behaviors. 2. The… Read more »
I had a dream last night about my cousins and I remember a tarantula chasing me. I jumped up on the furniture. Looks like I need to figure some things out.
Can you tell me more about the dream?
I was not asleep but it was about 2 or 3 am in the morning and I woke up to go pee. I often do this around this time (all my life- in my late 40’s now) and I have seen lots of “folks, things, symbols-whatever” all my life during these NOT asleep times. Normally I am deathly afraid of spiders (many encounters in others presences with spiders, in daytime life-MANY). This was the first “dream” – not a dream, I was not scared. First time seeing this vision as well. It was a female at my bedroom doorway (I… Read more »
I am thinking these visions/dreams might be related to a Hypnagogic hallucinations are imagined sensations that seem very real. Sometimes these visions connect with some sort of sleep paralysis event (see article).
I haven’t been able to find what it means if a spider bites someone else. The dream starts with me bringing washing inside the world is apparently ending the following day cause we’re on another planet. (I assume recently watching The 100 played a part in that.) I was so cold that I was wearing gloves and my hands were frozen and I was struggling to breathe. I went to put the washing inside. I notice a spider web in the doorway and my parents walk out. I tell them to be careful cause there’s a spider web. I went… Read more »