In-house (Dream) Counsel: Tiger-Maze

Issue 5

Tricia Ong and Tilly Houghton​

The In-House Dream Counsel series is about our dreams and what they represent. In the midst of the stress and long hours of law school, we invite you to take a break, have a laugh and maybe even start reflecting on what your dreams tell you about yourself. If you’ve had a dream that you want deciphered, please send it to [email protected]. Otherwise, you can just enjoy our dream machine’s strange dreams and Freud’s in-depth analysis of them.

You're welcome tiger (credit: wikicommons)

Tiger Maze

• In a small maze
  
• Supporting my brother on crutches as we walk
  
• Tiger on leash
  
• Staff TAKE OFF LEASH
  
• Tiger approaches us
  
• Staff: ‘tiger only attacks if you walk fast or make noise’
  
• Walk away slowly and quietly
  
• MORE TIGERSSSSS ASIUDFHAKDS
  
• Slowly and quietly turn a corner
  
• ANOTHER TIGER AJSDFIWAHF
  
• ALL THE TIGERS ARE FOLLOWING US?!?!? ☹
  
• Turn around another corner
  
• Pretend not to be scared
  
• THEY’RE STILL FOLLOWING US
  
• WE’RE GONNA DIEEE
  
• Reach an E shaped intersection
  
• Straight ahead is the exit
  
• But there are tigers in each of the 3 intersections
  
• Walk veerrrryyyy slowly, ‘please don’t eat us, pretty please with a cherry on the top’
  
• Alive, we made it out alive YAY
  
• The end 😊
  

Interpretation:
How small is the maze? You are feeling constrained and confused – trapped in a confining space with no clear direction, and one that is only big enough for you, your brother, and the tigers. But, the staff member makes me think that there’s an element of structured fun here. Is law school structured fun? Do clerkships feel like the hunger games? Jury’s out.
Brother on crutches: You’d think this means that you’re having to take on new roles in life, and you’d be right, but also – what does your brother represent to you? Is he the person who sets the bar for how you behave and what the family wants from you? Or is it the other way around? Your brother being on crutches is indicative of new expectations being set for you.
Tiger on leash: Very nice. Tigers, like leopards, but unlike lions, are solitary cats. They also gave rise to the expressions “a tiger never changes its stripes” and “a tiger doesn’t lose sleep over the opinion of sheep”. We could take this in a few directions:

1. The tiger represents the negative patterns of behaviour that you engage in throughout your life and have finally managed to get under control (and subsequently, which are now causing you some stripe—I mean strife)
   
2. The tiger represents the fact that you’ve gotten to third year and you just don’t give a shit anymore. There’s only one way outta the maze and it’s past all of your fears: move calmly and slowly, and you’ll get out in one piece.
   

Walking slowly and quietly + being terrified: External/Internal discord. You’re doing what you think you should be doing, but somehow, it doesn’t sit properly with you (you’re also being chased by fucking tigers is the logical answer because they’re a tangible threat to staying alive but dreams have a way of telling you what you’re consciously not getting).
Intersection: Hmm. High road, middle road, low road. Each has its benefits and its ramifications. The middle exit is straight ahead which makes me think you’re attempting to compromise and – surprise – it actually works!

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