Miller wrote: “To see ink spilled over one's clothing, many small and spiteful meannesses will be wrought you through envy.” Compare 4 historical dream books.
Compare the historical accounts
These are the authors’ historical interpretations. Their forecasts and period judgments are preserved as source material, not as predictions or established meanings for your dream.
Gustavus Hindman Miller
Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted; Or, What’s in a Dream · Gutenberg #926; bibliography identifies the 1901 original and subsequent reprints
Ink · Heading 1048; source lines 12135–12152 · Text transcription
Original source (English)
To see ink spilled over one's clothing, many small and spiteful meannesses will be wrought you through envy.
If a young woman sees ink, she will be slandered by a rival.
To dream that you have ink on your fingers, you will be jealous and seek to injure some one unless you exercise your better nature. If it is red ink, you will be involved in a serious trouble.
To dream that you make ink, you will engage in a low and debasing business, and you will fall into disreputable associations.
To see bottles of ink in your dreams, indicates enemies and unsuccessful interests.
Felix Fontaine
The Golden Wheel Dream-book and Fortune-teller · 1862
Ink · Heading 373; source line 2686 · Text transcription
Original source (English)
To dream that you see splashes of ink on white paper, or on anything, is a sign of scandal: after such a dream, you may be sure that somebody will be talking pretty hard about you: the larger the splashes the bigger will be the stories that are told.
A. H. Noe
The Witches' Dream Book; and Fortune Teller · New York, Henry J. Wehman, 1885
Ink · Dream section, heading 265; source lines 1106–1110 · Text transcription
Original source (English)
If you dream of black ink, you will become involved in some disgraceful scheme. If you dream of red ink, good news awaits you.
Astra Cielo
Fortunes and Dreams · New York, George Sully, 1917
Ink · Dream section, heading 224; source lines 4392–4395 · Text transcription
Original source (English)
To upset an ink bottle is a sign of someone attempting to injure you.
Take a question into your day.
These journal questions are DreamFolia’s invitation to reflect on your experience.
Save it before it slips away. No account needed.
Attributed historical writing. Historical claims are not established predictions or universal psychological meanings. Updated 2026-10-12. Read our approach and sources.