circus

Dreaming Lens: Were you at a circus as an audience member? Were you performing? Were you backstage? What kind of circus was it? Was there a sideshow? What was your enjoyment level of the circus atmosphere? Did you run away with the circus or have the desire to do so?

Personal Focus: The circus has its origins in ancient Rome and the massive spectacles such as chariot races and gladiator fights. Since then, any large entertainment venue in the shape of a circle that contains a variety of acts of pageantry or feats of skill may be referred to as a circus. From its first days to modern times, one theme has remained the same: the size and scope must be massive and the performance must thrill its audience.

Any form of entertainment must be considered symbolically connected to escapism. With a circus, the additional texture of enormity must be added. This symbol contains a surreal element as well, as exemplified by the strangeness of clowns and the oddities of the sideshow.

Additionally, the circus has a reputation of catering to the fringes of society; a closed community that is secularized from the rest of the world. The mythology that surrounds the circus is that it is a place where freaks, outsiders, and loners can find a home. In this way, the meaning of escapism also includes a fantasy element in which someone can literally escape their mundane world by running away with the circus.

There is also a familial element to the circus in that many acts involve generations of family members participating in the exhibition of some skill. A child born into such a family is often expected to keep with tradition and join the troupe. You may need to ask yourself what generational peculiarities from your family of origin such a dream might be expressing.

If you were an audience member, then escapism should be the main theme of your interpretation. If you were performing in a circus, you may be expressing some inner pulls toward grandiose expressions of your sense of individuality and originality. If you were more connected to what was going on behind the scenes and the community of performers, look to where in your life you may be seeking agreement from like-minded people in a realm that is off the beaten path.

Depending on the size and scope of the circus in your dreams, there may be an unconscious expression of chaos represented by the simultaneous appearance of more than one set of stimuli. Ask yourself if your life is feeling like a three-ring circus. If this resonates, the dream may have some insight for you about how you are helping to create an atmosphere of disorder in some area.

If you dislike or are bored by the performance, your dream mirrors a sense of frustration in your daily life.

If you are performing in the circus it might be a sign that you need a more fulfilling job where you can show off your talents.

If an animal escapes or you feel unhappy about the animals being involved in the performance, this could indicate a change of direction in your life or a love interest outside marriage. The circus audience in your dream is also significant because it suggests how your efforts are being received in waking life. Finally, don’t forget that circus dreams may simply be an observation that your waking life resembles a chaotic circus and has become thoroughly disorganized.

If your unconscious portrayed you as a juggler in your dream, was it referring to the many commitments you have to juggle or manage in your waking life? Did you drop any of your dream balls or did you keep them in the air? If you were walking a tightrope or performing acrobatics in dreamland, this may suggest that you feel you are treading a fine line to maintain balance in a tricky situation in waking life.

If you were dressed as a clown, sporting a huge smile painted on your face, do you feel under pressure to present a cheerful front to others during your waking hours, when you actually feel the opposite? If someone you know was transformed into a clown, they may be the ones feeling under pressure to ‘perform’ in waking life. Also consider if your dream clown was a manifestation of the archetypal trickster / clown whose jokes have a serious meaning.

The mythology that surrounds the circus is that it is a place where freaks, outsiders, and loners can find a home. In this way, the meaning of escapism also includes a fantasy element in which someone can literally escape the mundane world by running away with the circus.

If you were an audience member in the dream, then escapism should be the main theme of your interpretation.

If you were performing in a circus, you may be expressing some inner pull toward grandiose expressions of your sense of individuality and originality.

If you were more connected to what was going on behind the scenes and the community of performers, look to where in your life you may be seeking agreement from like-minded people in a realm that is off the beaten path.