Defining symbols can be a very personal matter.  We all have our backgrounds, education, culture, and all factors of our being to use in what a particular thing would mean to a particular person.

Taking our symbol of the oyster with a pearl.....Out of a little grain of sand that falls into the oyster a pearl is formed.  There are many false representations of pearls (from throwing pearls before swine to pearls being a symbol of sadness or pearls of wisdom) you can see many interpretations.  And of course the hidden aspect, it is formed in the darkness of the inner oyster.

When it is defining our emotions from a dream it is where we stand in our life at that present moment.  What is real and functioning to us at the time.  Out of the darkness and inner being a pearl has been formed.  What are you going to do with the treasure that is you?

As a psychic symbol I would say its meaning would be very spiritual in finding the pearl out of the darkness of its formation.

Hi Cory,

I can't add much to all the great info already given, but I think it's a great deal in your perception, based on your personal and cultural background. I dreamed of a tattoo of double fish on my back a little while back... Some people hate tattoos, some like em and some do them (as a job), fish are a symbol of wealth and luck, but what if you see fish on a daily basis, because you work with them... so many interpretations... also ALWAYS consider the context. Your dreams usually refer to about the last 3 days of subjective life experience, fears etc, premonition dreams can sometimes tell things a long time in advance and may not be as subjective, divination is a request to the spiritual world to give guidance, and it might be a good question where this guidance is coming from, people have channeled spirits and spirit guides and not understood symbolism they were presented with until the guide clarified it from their own perspective. And then, you may do a reading for someone else and see symbols that mean absolutely nothing to you, but to the other person it may mean a great big deal! Regardless, I prefer to use my intuition and usually am quite successful in that.