For the last couple of years, I keep dreaming that I am moving back in to the first home that my husband and I ever owned. Despite the fact that we have “moved on up” in the quality of the home we now own, I am always super excited in my dreams to be moving back in to this old fixer-upper.

*Yes, that is the actual house I dream about ->

It’s actually pretty common in dreams to find yourself residing in a home you haven’t stepped foot in for decades. I get asked about it all the time.

The best way I’ve found to figure out these “old house” dreams is to first realize that it’s not really about the house but rather who YOU were when you lived in that house.  Remember, EVERYTHING in your dreams is symbolic of some part of you and some part of your life. So that former house in your dream is really some part of you that needs your attention and focus right now. What happens in the dream and even the rooms that are focused on in the dream are insightful clues.

Let’s use my dream as an example. In my dream we are moving back into the house. I am excited about it. And in most of these dreams I am unpacking and setting up the room in the house I used for art in real life. When I open the closet, I discover that the previous owners were in the process of expanding it into a playroom/man cave. It’s not yet finished but I am excited to find it and more than willing to finish it.

In real life, when I lived in that house, I spent a good deal of time painting, designing T shirts and greeting cards. When we eventually moved from that house, I stopped creating art because I was focusing on building my career as a professional Dream Analyst. So that house and that room in that house represent me the artist.

Just under two years ago, when the dreams began, I had started painting again (after 18 years of doing nothing with my art). Essentially, I was “moving back in” to the groove of being an artist. I am excited in my dreams because, in real life, I wake up excited every day knowing I am going to paint! The playroom/man cave that I discover in the closet that is under construction is my Pin Up portrait business. I started it in February of this year and it has been growing ever since. And I think the man cave aspect of the room is that many of my pin up portraits are given as gifts to husbands and boyfriends that hang them in their man caves.  Ha ha!

The message of these dreams is: “This old part of you is back. Continue to build it and play with it. Continue to enjoy it. Don’t stop it like you did before.”

Just in case you are interested, you can see my custom Pin Up portraits here.

I just love my dreams. They never fail to guide me. Your dreams are doing the same for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you find the message in your former house dreams:

How would you describe yourself and your life when you lived in that house?

Is there anything in your current life that seems or feels similar to back then?
– If so, do you need to nurture that or move on from it?

How are you feeling in the dream?
– What in your current life causes you to feel the same way?

Is there any particular room that your dream seems to have more focus on?
– If so, what was that room typically used for? For example, a bathroom is used to cleanse and to relieve yourself. What from back then do you need to cleanse and relieve yourself of? A kitchen is used to prepare, to eat and to feed others. Is there anything from back then you are hungry for now?

In a nutshell, dreaming of your former home will typically mean there is something from back then you either need to bring into your current life or that you need to leave in the past. The questions above should help you figure out what it is. Life is all about growing and improving as we move forward in time. Our dreams advise us on what to leave behind and what to take with us along the way.

DreamOnItWant to be able to figure out your dreams for yourself? My latest book Dream on It will help you understand the symbolism in your dreams and find the hidden messages!

“Love this book! It’s very informative.”  – Dianne Guiberson (Amazon reviewer)