According to old dream-books, the dreaming of yew indicates the death of an aged person, who will leave considerable wealth behind him; while the violet is said to devote advancement in life.  Similarly, too, the vine foretells prosperity, “for which,” says a dream interpreter, “we have the example of Astyages, king of the Medes, who dreamed that his daughter brought forth a vine, which was a prognostic of the grandeur, riches, and felicity of the great Cyrus, who was born of her after this dream.”

Plucking ears of corn signifies the existence of secret enemies, and Mr. Folkard quotes an old authority which tells us that the juniper is potent in dreams.  Thus, “it is unlucky to dream of the tree itself, especially if the person be sick; but to dream of gathering the berries, if it be in winter, denotes prosperity.  To dream of the actual berries signifies that the dreamer will shortly arrive at great honours and become an important person.  To the married it foretells the birth of a male child.”

Again, eating almonds signifies a journey, its success or otherwise being denoted by their tasting sweet or the contrary.  Dreaming of grass is an auspicious omen, provided it be green and fresh; but if it be withered and decayed, it is a sign of the approach of misfortune and sickness, followed perhaps by death.  Woe betide, too, the person who dreams that he is cutting grass.

Certain plants produce dreams on particular occasions.  The mugwort and plantain have long been associated with Midsummer; and, according to Thomas Hill in his “Natural and Artificial Conclusions,” a rare coal is to be found under these plants but one hour in the day, and one day in the year.  When Aubrey happened to be walking behind Montague House at twelve o’clock on Midsummer day, he relates how he saw about twenty-two young women, most of them well dressed, and apparently all very busy weeding.  On making inquiries, he was informed that they were looking for a coal under the root of a plantain, to put beneath their heads that night, when they would not fail to dream of their future husbands.  But, unfortunately for this credulity, as an old author long ago pointed out, the coal is nothing but an old dead root, and that it may be found almost any day and hour when sought for.  By lovers the holly has long been supposed to have mystic virtues as a dream-plant when used on the eve of any of the following festivals: 

 Christmas,
 New Year’s Day,
 Midsummer, and
 All Hallowe’en.

According to the mode of procedure practised in the northern counties, the anxious maiden, before retiring to rest, places three pails full of water in her bedroom, and then pins to her night-dress three leaves of green holly opposite to her heart, after which she goes to sleep.  Believing in the efficacy of the charm, she persuades herself that she will be roused from her first slumber by three yells, as if from the throats of three bears, succeeded by as many hoarse laughs.  When these have died away, the form of her future husband will appear, who will show his attachment to her by changing the position of the water-pails, whereas if he have no particular affection he will disappear without even touching them.