You can tell that this dreamer was upset the day before because of all the cold and dark imagery.

THE DREAM This dream was very powerful and real to me. I was exploring a huge, old house. Opening doors, wandering hallways,etc. I remember going down a very narrow stairway into the basement. The basement room was filled with antique laundry machines etc. I also noticed that I would float, close to the ground from one object to another. I remember it being cold, dark and raining outside. At one point I looked out the window, and I saw a man hovered over, gardening in the rain. A beautiful dressed little girl was standing beside him. She looked up at me, and then ran away.

THE REALITY The dreamer is an artist. The day before the dream she had an uncomfortable interaction with someone who was upset because of work that was not done(misunderstanding). So the dreamer had to set about painting a picture for someone whom she was upset with. The customer was also equally upset with her.

THE INTERPRETATION Basements are usually fairly reliable symbols as they link to issues regarding negative feelings. So its easy to spot the issue involved as you just look at what your negative feelings are and the dream will usually be linked to that. That is the case with one exception. If the basement is huge then the dream maybe about someone else's negative feelings and the wish not to annoy them. In this case both cases were true. The dreamer was a little annoyed at being blamed for the mix up over a painting. The customer was offended too. The dream seems certainly about this issue. Its just a matter of exploring the symbolism.

Gardening is a symbol often linked to personal development. Its about new ideas and relationships that are helping you to grow as a person. But maybe the garden is a slightly unusual usage of the symbol in this case. Gardens are about our personal development and the things that are inspiring us. But the dreamer is an artist. ,That involves a constant need for new creativity and new energy. So maybe the gardening in the rain symbolises her own frustration at having to be creative for a client she is annoyed with and for which she is going to get little thanks in return. Art is a difficult process but having to be creative whilst in a bad mood is not easy.

Little girls are often symbolic of happy and contented emotions. In this dream she runs away symbolizing how such happiness and contentment has disappeared.

Symbolic Meanings
BASEMENT : "the dreamers bad feelings generated by the client"
COLD : "Unable to get things done - unable to build up any momentum for the painting"
GARDENING IN RAIN : "having to be creative whilst annoyed at the customer"
HALLWAYS : "something is in transition - the situation is halfway through and your feelings are likely to change"
LAUNDRY : "trying to clean up your image to the outside world"
MAN : "compulsion - having to meet a deadline for the painting"

DREAM MEANING The dream captures the following feeling within the dreamer - "One of my clients got angry because I did not deliver my painting on time. But it was a misunderstanding. Now I have to set about creating a work of art whilst I am totally unhappy"

See how the symbolic meanings represent complex insights the dreamer has about her work