Within the general symbolism of landscape, forests occupy a notable
place, and are often found in myths, legends and folktales. Forest-symbolism is
complex, but it is connected at all levels with the symbolism of the female principle or of the Great Mother. The forest is the place where vegetable life thrives
and luxuriates, free from any control or cultivation. And since its foliage obscures
the light of the sun, it is therefore regarded as opposed to the sun’s power and as
a symbol of the earth. In Druid mythology, the forest was given to the sun in
marriage (49). Since the female principle is identified with the unconscious in
Man, it follows that the forest is also a symbol of the unconscious. It is for this
reason that Jung maintains that the sylvan terrors that figure so prominently in
children’s tales symbolize the perilous aspects of the unconscious, that is, its
tendency to devour or obscure the reason (31). Zimmer stresses that, in contrast
with the city, the house and cultivated land, which are all safe areas, the forest
harbours all kinds of dangers and demons, enemies and diseases (60). This is why forests were among the first places in nature to be dedicated to the cult of the
gods, and why propitiatory offerings were suspended from trees (the tree being,
in this case, the equivalent of a sacrificial stake) (8).

To dream that you are in or walking through the forest, signifies a transitional phase. Follow your instincts. Alternatively, it indicates that you want to escape to a simpler way of life. You are feeling weighed down by the demands of your life.

To dream that you are lost in a forest, indicates that you are searching through your unconscious for a better understanding of yourself.

To dream of a forest fire, indicates that transformation and regeneration is only possible through some hardships. Alternatively, it suggests that your anger is out of control; it is affecting those around you.

To dream that you find yourself in a dense forest, denotes loss in trade, unhappy home influences and quarrels among families. If you are cold and feel hungry, you will be forced to make a long journey to settle some unpleasant affair.

To see a forest of stately trees in foliage, denotes prosperity and pleasures. To literary people, this dream foretells fame and much appreciation from the public. A young lady relates the following dream and its fulfilment: ``I was in a strange forest of what appeared to be cocoanut trees, with red and yellow berries growing on them. The ground was covered with blasted leaves, and I could hear them crackle under my feet as I wandered about lost. The next afternoon I received a telegram announcing the death of a dear cousin.''

Dreaming that you are in or walking through the forest means a transitional phase. You may be following your instincts. Dreaming that you are lost in a forest means that you are searching through your unconscious for a better understanding of yourself.

A dream in which the dreamer is conscious of the fact that they are dreaming. Often associated with feelings of aliveness and freedom, and with the ability to control dream events.