Jar Dream Meaning

Dreaming about jars can have many different meanings. Today we will look at what it means to dream about a jar.

In many aspects of our lives, even if we’re not immediately conscious of it, we probably have some sort of jars around in our everyday life. You can find them in kitchen cabinets or perhaps even use them for decorative purposes.

In most cases, jars are made out of glass although sometimes they can be made of clay or porcelain. Being able to see through a jar can be a symbol for clarity and focus, as its transparent nature allows you to see through to what is inside. A primitive clay jar can be a symbol of needing to further develop and nurture your ideas.

Jars also serve as a container for holding things. It can mean that there is something we can preserve in them, such as food for future use; pickling things comes to mind.

It could also mean there could be an emptiness, such as an empty jar that has nothing in it. We’re going to cover a few things that an object like this could represent in a dream. And even though it could be a simple inanimate object, it is more likely to be something of use.

What it Means to Dream About Jars

There are many common themes we see present in dreams about jars. Understanding these themes can help you find meaning to your dream.

Preservation

At its most basic purpose, a jar is a container meant to hold something. We might think of the Mason jar that has a tight sealing lid. When we dream about this type of container it could be that we’re wanting to preserve something; most likely this will be something edible in the image, but if we dig a little deeper it’s a metaphor for preservation.

There are many recipes for preserving fruits and vegetables that will last years and years. They are sealed tightly almost like a time capsule and are able to be opened and enjoyed later on. In fact, in some cases the longer that it’s stored it could potentially age and improve its flavor.

Have you considered something in your life that you’d like to preserve the longevity of? Perhaps it’s something you have an overabundance of and don’t want to go to waste? You could seal it and put it on a shelf. Sometimes people with gardens have too much crop yield and will jar what they can. In this instance that overabundance could be gifted to friends and family around the holidays. It’s a useful way to consider excess and finding a home for it.

Ancient civilizations all over the world can be noted for their pottery. Native American tribes and African tribes were masters at creating clay pots. There is evidence of the kinds of grains they would harvest inside these vessels, storing them for long journeys and expanding their societies. In your dream, are you on a journey and have something of value that needs to be preserved over a great distance? Or things in your life you don’t want to be damaged?

Pride and Accomplishment

Jars are often used to display items as part of decor, and it can be a powerful symbol for a feeling of pride and accomplishment in your dream.

Is there something unique you want to put in a jar? Something you want to put on a shelf or a mantle? Putting things on display in your dream can be a symbol for how you feel about current events in your life. Perhaps you did something well at work and you want to be recognized for your accomplishments.

Curiosity and Attention

Just like the proverbial Pandora’s box, jars serve as containers for something to discover. We as humans are naturally curious and it is not uncommon for dreams of jars to surface when you are experiencing curiosity about something in your everyday life.

A great example of how jars can be symbols for curiosity are the curiosity shows you frequently see at carnivals and circuses. These shows are typically adorned with certain oddities and unique things on display; usually medical oddities or rarities. They are on display for the curious or wandering eye and to garner attention.

Ask yourself: Is there something I want to learn more about? Does something beg for my attention? Are there unusual events happening in my life?

Focus and Clarity

To put something in a jar most often represents finding focus and clarity. When we work on a project in our lives, we often need a container to work with. For example, if you are writing a book, your container would be your word document. If you were painting, your container would be the canvas.

Often times in our relationships and our careers it is easy to feel scattered and unfocused. Dreaming about a jar can be a call for action for you to better focus your efforts to some concentrated area of your life.

Common Dreams About Jars and Their Meanings

Dreaming of jars can signify filling an empty space. Fulfilling an emptiness with something of purpose. Finding a home for content and preserving its usefulness. Catching lightning in a jar follows the idea that we have something rare and precious and might not be found again unless we capture it.

Have you had a dream of an oddity or a curiosity preserved in a glass container? Perhaps a skull or bones, or some other object of medical interest? Maybe something macabre? There is something we could want to see that might be out of the ordinary. We want to explore and peek into the life of someone or something else, even in death.

Did you dream of the jar or container itself? Did you dream of something to put into the jar? Is there something in the jar already? Sometimes there could be something in the jar already? The proverbial “cookie jar”.

Restaurants and bars have tip jars, which could be significant source of income or wealth. Dreaming of an overflowing tip jar could mean abundance or a sense of pride and recognition. Dreaming of any empty tip jar can be a symbol for feeling ashamed or disappointed with your current financial outlook or career.

Dreaming of spilling the contents of a jar can mean that you are feeling unfocused and scattered, or that you are currently experiencing feelings of disappointment with where you are in life.

Things to Consider When Interpreting Your Dream

When interpreting a dream about jars, there are many things to consider. Here are some things to think about:

Where is the jar located?

Is the jar high on a shelf out of reach? You may be feeling like a current goal in your life is out of reach. Is the jar buried at the bottom of a kitchen cabinet? This could be a symbol for feelings of neglect or shame.

What is inside the jar?

If the contents of the jar remain a mystery, you may be dealing with current feelings of uncertainty about decisions and choices in your life. For dreams about preserved foods or eating out of a jar, see our posts on Food Dream Meaning and Eating in Dreams Meaning.

The contents of a jar can often give you more clues to what the dream is about. How do you feel about the item contained in the jar? This can help you better pinpoint and identify the relation of the dream to your daily waking life.

How did you feel in the dream?

Paying attention to your feelings during the dream is also important. Were you happy? Sad? Disappointed? Excited? Think about your current life and what emotions you are feeling in relation to the events happening.

Did you have a dream about a Jar or containers? Tell us about your dream and what it means for you in the comments section below!