Adventures with Dream Interpretation

So. I woke up yesterday morning from a very bad and painful dream. I was walking in a park (I actually think it was Hyde Park in London), carrying on a conversation with a friend (don't remember who it was, but we were friends). My dream self saw some bugs flying around, and my dream friend and I commented on a news story we had heard recently, about a dangerous infestation of some form of bug that had a disease or something; neither one of us had payed much attention. I regretted this shortly thereafter, when one of the bugs flitting about landed on my left index finger and promptly attached itself. It was beetle, the outer shell was an iridescent blue, and it started to bite me. I didn't like it and tried to fling it off. It wouldn't be flung. Nothing worked to detach it - brushing, flicking; my friend tried to detach it and still it stayed. It was draining me of blood. Desperate, I found a rock and tried to beat it off - each stroke not hitting my hand, just the bug - but it made no impact on the beetle. It was sucking out my blood, and I grew weaker. And then I woke up.

Now, I will tell you, after the initial grabbing of my hand to check it for bites, I was relieved. And then I began to wonder - what could it mean? An obvious answer presented it to me (my administrators are draining me dry, and it's not a pleasant experience), but I consulted a dream dictionary online (www.dreammoods.com) and here are some of the meanings:

Park
To dream that you are at a park, represents a temporary escape from reality. It indicates renewal, meditation, and spirituality. It also suggests a readjustment period after a serious personal conflict or an ending of a passionate affair.
To dream that you are lost in a park, indicates your struggles with your career, relationship, or other problem. You may feel alienated by society.

So - I was trying to escape to Amyland, adjusting after a serious personal conflict, certainly true.

Beetle
To see a beetle in your dream, indicates that some destructive influences may be at work in your waking life. You may also feel that your values and beliefs are being compromised.

Huh. Destructive influences? Values and beliefs being compromised? But it was such a pretty blue beetle. Until it bit me!

Bites
This is a dream of very ill omen and it shows that you are in danger of suffering ill from the hands of someone who has wished you harm for a long time. It also a wish to undo something that you may have done that is past being repairable, as well as a warning of physical harm and monetary losses. If you dream of being bitten by a vampire this shows there is someone in your life that is draining you, or your resources, and you need to eliminate this person from your life.

Uh-oh. A dream of ill-omen? That's kind of scary. I wasn't bitten by a vampire, but a blood-sucking beetle might also mean that there is someone in my life draining me, dontcha think? Sadly, there doesn't seem to be much hope of eliminating this person from my life.

Blood
To dream of seeing blood stains you will have much trouble from an enemy if you start a business or other enterprise. If you are doing the bleeding try to stay out of confrontations with family and friends, the blood may not be literal but rather, signify a state of 'bleeding' emotions. If the blood is seen as a transfusion your troubles will not be long-lasting.

My emotions are definitely bleeding. Since the blood on my left index finger was not from a transfusion, do you think that means my troubles will be long lasting? Great!

Fingers
To see your fingers in your dream, symbolizes physical and mental dexterity. They indicate manipulation, action and non-verbal communication.
To dream that your fingers are injured or have been chopped off, denotes your anxieties about your ability to accomplish some demanding task or perform in some waking situation.
To dream of a finger pointing at you, signifies self-blame.

Well, just one finger was injured, so does that mean I'm worrying any less?

Hand
To dream of your hands, represents your relationship to those around you and how you connect with the world. Hands serve as a form of communication. A fist is symbolic of aggression and power. Generally, left hands symbolize feminine, receptive qualities, while right hands symbolize masculine, active attributes.
To dream that you hands are injured, denotes an attack on your ego.

I admit that part of my angst is not feeling appreciated - I like to have my ego stroked just as much as the next choir teacher. Anyway - food for thought.

On a completely different note, Happy Birthday, my Father.