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Dream Dictionary

Satan

man wearing demon costume
Photo by Максим Власенко on Unsplash

In the book of Job, the hero laments his 'satan' which means 'any adversary.' The word Lucifer meant Bearer of Light and in ancient times, was the name of Venus, the star that rose as the Morning or Evening Star. Lucifer is used only once in the book of Isaiah when he describes “Lucifer who has fallen.” Isaiah was writing about an historical and prideful Babylonian king, Tiglath Pilesar III. He used the word Lucifer to compare this arrogant king to the planet Venus, when it boldly rose before the sun in the morning.

As the Morning Star, Lucifer or Venus was always viewed as an imposter of the sun. Because of mistranslations, we have a mythical symbol that gives us permission to remain victims. Yet, our dreams reveal how light always overcomes darkness and in the end, the hero is redeemed when the monsters (transformation barriers) are vanquished.

Meeting a devil or satan character is a common Archetype explored in dreaming. One can have unconscious associations with the devil because it can represent a type of power within that is unexpressed and appears frightening or disturbing. This power is usually associated with all the wonderful things that were viewed as making us different from others, and were therefore repressed. Resurrecting this part of our natural vitality and power is important in helping us to actualize our destiny.

The devil can wear the mask of the critical tapes of conscience that would prefer we do right and not rock the boat of conformity. Joseph Campbell called this area "thou shalt" in his wonderful work on how myths can guide us to actualize our purpose. Like dreaming, the hero undergoing initiation will first discover the clues that will reveal one's true identity. Like any good story, just when it seems the hero is home free, the monster appears to scare the hero back into a fearful world of seeking only acceptance.

In dreams, we are the hero who must slay the dragon or monsters as the powerful symbols of claiming our rightful power. Dreams are like the mythical tales of mortals who confront frightening giants and beasts to succeed - only by doing so are we worthy of our destiny. By confronting one's deepest fears, we discover the magical elixir that releases us from our shackles and misunderstandings. In fact, it is common when one is going through a type of transformation that includes honesty and self-examination that these type of Shadow dreams come forward. Confronting fear and transforming it into self-actualization is a necessary part of the hero's journey of individuation. See also Evil.