Cave

The cave is a mother symbol with archaic qualities (unlike a building, it is not constructed by humans/consciousness). In dreams, it can represent the darkness of the unconscious, the womb, and transformation. It is a place where early humans found shelter and also a home for the bear. However, the cave has also always been a spiritual and sacred place, especially since people stopped living in them for practical reasons.

A deep cave may symbolize the winding passages of our inner self, where we are close to our "natural," possibly feminine, being. Taking refuge in a cave and entering its primordial timelessness can symbolize regression, the maternal womb, being unborn again, or simply escaping from life's challenges.

Entering and exploring a cave can symbolize the search for the meaning of life, a journey that leads into the darkness of the unconscious, perhaps encountering monsters, and possibly "the treasure that is hard to find." Entering the darkness of the cave and then returning to the outer world represents rebirth and was not an uncommon feature of initiation rituals.

The Underworld and History  

The cave, as a symbol, is synonymous with the underworld, and descending into the underworld is to travel back in history, to the archaic parts of ourselves.

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