Dear Lauri,

I had a dream that I was in a bad car accident. Then I was at home, and someone handed me a green snake. I held it until it hissed at me as if it were telling me to put it down, so I put it on the ground by the door in what appeared to be my bathroom. It then turned and seem poised to strike, and I woke up.

— Jen, Virginia Beach, VA

Lauri: The bathroom setting and putting the snake down both point to the same thing: You are trying to cleanse yourself and let go of some issue that you might now view as a bad accident. It also seems as if you fear this situation might come back to bite you if you don’t handle it correctly.

Jen replies: I’ve been wanting to ask my husband about some behavior that I might be misinterpreting. I have been nervous about it for a few days, and I know the best time to ask is after we have had a chance to relax. If I’m wrong, it could come back to bite me. I am struggling to decide whether to let it go or to talk about it, so you’re pretty spot on!