What does it mean to dream about an axe?

by Lucy Moore | 13 June 2022

To dream about cutting wood with an axe, suggests something is breaking up or is being torn apart in your waking hours.

Image courtesy of Unsplash

This may be a result of you or someone else’s actions, but you are feeling the aftermath of this separation all the same.

What do you need to cut out of your life to improve its quality? A person, a habit, a hobby or a job? Something should be removed or you need to walk away from someone or something in order for your circumstances to change for the better.

Axes are often used as the weapon of choice in horror and action movies so to see one in your dream could indicate a perceived threat in your life. Consider who was holding it for additional meaning- this could be the very person you need to be wary of.

Are you someone who sees a threat in very minor situations? Perhaps the dream is telling you to stop over analysing every little event and interaction for the potential threat and try to enjoy life a bit more.

If you were chopping off a part of your body with an axe, this pertains to feelings of loss somewhere in your world. Have you recently been made redundant, has your partner left you or has some chapter of your life now closed ready for the next one? You may be feeling a great void right now, but this will grow smaller as time goes on.

Along the same vein, if you were chopping someone else to pieces, perhaps you want them to feel the loss that you are going through at present. You are looking for some empathy because you aren’t getting it from those you need it from the most.

To cut back foliage in a dream could be your subconscious telling you to get back to nature and spend more time outdoors- especially if you have been cooped up for a while now. Or do you feel overwhelmed by nature- it’s possible something outside is causing you some grief and you feel powerless to stop it.

When we see someone wielding an axe to chop wood in a movie or book, it’s generally to help them calm down following an annoyance or feelings of displeasure. With this in mind, what are you angry about in your life? Perhaps you need to find a safe way to channel this anger so you don’t hurt those around you with your words. Don’t ignore your anger or you will live to regret it.

Try to remember how deeply you were cutting into the wood, the closer you got to the centre of the log, the further you need to delve into your psyche to find the answers to your problems. Perhaps you have only just skimmed the surface and need to pull back more layers before things become clear.

An axe is one of mankind’s earliest tools, so to see one in your dreamscape could mean that something from your past is still very relevant today. It has served you well for all these years and will continue to do so. On the flipside, it could be telling you to diversify- while this has worked well for you, there are other things that will support you just as much if you are willing to break away from your comfort zone.