Many of us suffer from arachnophobia, a fear of spiders, but what does it mean if you dream about them? Is it a sign you should be fearful in real life? Or could there be other possible explanations? Actually, dreams about spiders have several different meanings. In fact, there are some you might be quite surprised about.

Dreams about Spiders and What They Represent

In the context of dream symbolism, spiders represent many different qualities and ideals. Due to their industrious nature, they are associated with creativity. They are frightening and devious. In addition, they are also patient and some people even relate them to good fortune.

Here Are Nine Meanings behind Spider Dreams:

1. Powerful Feminine Force

We all know about the deadly black widow spider that eats the male after mating. In fact, spiders are a symbol of strong feminine power. Spiders are associated with feminine traits of:

  • Patience
  • Receptivity
  • Creativity

The spider represents powerful female figures in your life. That female could be you or someone of your family members or friends.

It is how you react to the spider that is particularly interesting. For example, if the spider terrified you, that could be a sign that you are repressing your feminine side. Or that you feel threatened by a powerful female in your midst.

If the spider didn’t bother you, or you were not bothered by the spider, this indicates a positive increase in feminine energy around you.

2. Patience

Spiders weave webs and then lie in wait for their prey to stumble into them. Spiders take lots of time and care to create intricate webs to catch their prey. Therefore, a dream about spiders could suggest that you need to be more patient with a particular situation in your waking life.

3. Feeling trapped

Spider’s webs are designed and made to catch prey. As such, your dream about spiders could be your subconscious telling you that you feel trapped. Are there any situations in your life that you feel like you want to escape? Are family or work pressures getting to you? Talk to someone and share your fears.

4. Manipulation

However, a spider’s web may also suggest that the dreamer is being manipulated or lied to.

“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!” Walter Scott

Therefore, watching a spider spin its web can suggest two things. First, that you are being manipulated or that you’re the one doing the manipulating. You should take a careful look at your life. Second, is someone trying to fool you or trick you? Or, are you trying to get one over on someone in your life?

5. Fearful Anxieties

Of course, for most people, the thought of a big, fat hairy spider is enough to scare them. There really isn’t any other animal, insect, or creature that causes such a universal fear in us. So a spider that appears in a dream could be a sign of hidden anxieties. This is especially true if the spider was hanging over you, dangling in your way. This type of dream indicates someone you are trying to avoid but can’t get away from.

Furthermore, dreams about spiders can also be your subconscious asking you to dig deep and find the cause of your real fear in real life. If the spider was crawling on you, then the spider is definitely a negative force. The spider represents negative things in your life that you are trying to rid yourself of. These can be people, habits, or addictions.

6. Prosperity

I have to add another – however. This is because a dangling spider is also a symbol of good luck and fortune. The tiny little spiders we use to twirl around our heads three times are even called ‘money spiders’.

Consequently, a dream about spiders, in general, can be a good sign. In fact, if you look up spiders in dream dictionaries, you’ll quite often see that they are a good omen.

7. Creativity

The beautiful and intricate webs I talked about earlier are wonderful, natural creations. It takes great skill and endeavors to produce these marvels of nature. Therefore, a spider in your dream doesn’t have to be a negative or frightening sign. Actually, it could point to a period of intense creativity in your life.

To understand how this sign of creativity relates to your life, examine closely the structure of the web itself. For instance, is it strong with lots of detail? Is it big and impressive or a bit sad-looking? Will it stand up to the forces of nature? Or, is it wispy and fragile? Does it look weak and unable to support itself?

These details will give you clues about how you feel about your creative endeavor. And, more importantly, whether you need to make an extra effort if you want to fulfill your dreams.

8. Betrayal

There are certain scenarios within dreams about spiders that you should be wary of. For example, if the spider bit you, or it was poisonous and attacking you. These are signs of a major betrayal in your life. Also, spider bites also indicate a bad relationship that you need to act on quickly. Or it could be a sign there is a toxic person (usually female) in your life.

9. Progress

Spiders are hardworking. They toil for hours to make the webs to catch their food. As a result, if you saw a spider climbing in your dream, it is a sign you are moving in the right direction. Your dreams about spiders are showing you that you’re making good progress with your endeavors.

Final Thoughts

Spiders are scary in real life. But we can see that this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be scared if your dream featured spiders. Examine the context of your dream and you’ll find the true meaning.


  1. Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams (1900)

Copyright © 2012-2021 Learning Mind. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, contact us.

the power of misfits

This Post Has One Comment

  1. maria

    I have lOts of dreams with spiders
    they are always swinging above me
    and on the ceiling its so real so photo like they even appear, just to wake me up.
    i get to scared to sleep sometimes.
    then it stops for a couple of months.
    i get lots in my house too really big ones and lots of tiny ones, all year no matter the weather.
    then it stops for a few weeks.
    please dont send me pictures of them

Leave a Reply