Dreaming Lens: Whose hands were featured in your dream? Were they your own, or the hands of another? If someone else’s hands appeared in your dream, do you know to whom they belonged? How were the hands being used in the dream? Were they normal in appearance or were they exaggerated or disfigured in some way? Were they functional?
Personal Focus: Hands have an enormous capacity for creativity and expression that are the exclusive territory of human beings. On a personal level, one’s hands divulge an extraordinary amount of information. The condition and appearance of a person’s hands directly reflect what they do with them on a regular basis. A person who does manual labor will have rough and careworn hands. Hands that are soft and smooth indicate a lifestyle that is free from such work.
Some ethnic groups are known to talk with their hands, while others are known for certain levels of reserve and containment. Whatever your personal style is with regard to your hands should be juxtaposed to the Dreaming Lens when interpreting this symbol, especially if body language plays a part in the dream.
Consider whether the presence or prominence of the hands in the dream is empowering or disturbing. Holding on to or hiding one’s hands can be an indication of a need to exert a measure of control over personal expression. Overuse of the hands while talking could point to excessive amounts of embellishments in communication that may put a distance between you and others. A disembodied hand can represent actions without conscience. A hand poised in the air could land in a slap or a caress, so there is an element of anticipation of the possible outcome in such an image.
Notice the presence or lack of adornments; a well-adorned hand signifies wealth, whereas a plain hand could mean anything from lack to simplicity. Each of us has a relationship to our hands that is intimate and familiar, as in the expression I know that like the back of my hand. The act of making something with your hands could indicate a call do so more often in life. The notion of “getting your hands dirty” can apply to having a richer experience as a result of throwing yourself fully into something.