So I dreamt that a group of sharks attacked my 10 year old son. They chewed off most of his right arm and parts of his other arm and both legs. I'm kind of concerned. Almost two months ago my 3 year old niece was killed by her father. I was wondering if this is in relation to the powerlessness I feel about that.

I'm sorry for the loss of your niece and the pain your family has been and is going through. Certainly, the emotional feeling of being powerless can be seen in a shark attack situation, I feel your dream has another message. In your dream, your son represents a 'younger' aspect of your actions or behaviors. Look at his personality as you know it. The way you see his personality is the very trait(s) that are being addressed in this dream. The shark, symbolizes a habit. Not necessarily one of the traditional bad habits like smoking, drinking, etc, the habit is basically something you do without thinking about it. The food you eat, the clothes you wear, the way you act or react toward people or things. These are examples of the kind of habit you are dealing with. As the idea of a shark attack indicates, you have a ferocious habit that not only 'eats at you'....it is bearing down hard. Arms and legs represent purpose. It's the main reason why you do certain things. For the shark to bite arms and legs off your son, this shows how you have a nasty habit that is damaging the purpose behind something you have been doing. Look over your life and see where you have been engaged in an activity. See what bad habits you have that have suddenly and without mercy, caused you to lose the motivation/purpose behind this activity. For example: suppose you start up or help out with a charity fundraiser. After being involved with the charity for awhile, you learn some about some questionable practices by some other charity workers. In a quick and decisive manner, you halt all charity work on your part. (This is just one example...) Be careful not to give up on all good things because of what has happened. Though extremely painful and impossible to fully understand, good still exists. I hope this helps in some way. Hang in there and God bless.

Here's another take on the meaning of your dream...

Sharks in dreams represent "aggressive people in waking life." "Aggression" can physical and/or emotional. As your son is 10, a "school of sharks" might be a fitting metaphor for bullies at school. However, given the waking life background that you described, the sharks could be related to the murder of his cousin by his uncle (how horrible!) A news story like that would be chum in the water for any shark. It could be kids at school talking about it, family members, the media, etc. Even the symbol of his missing arms and legs is particularly apt, given the dream dictionary's definition:

"Missing a body part in a dream reflects a feeling that that person is not all there, as in having “lost her head,” is not a complete person anymore, or is missing a part of him or herself. This often relates to a loss, due to the death of or separation from someone who was close in your waking life. Missing a leg in a dream relates more specifically to feelings of imbalance or lack of support in waking life."

Either way, your dream shows your concern. Dreams are not always just about internal struggles; they are often about external struggles or both. Your dream reflects your feeling that your son has been attacked, is wounded and remains vulnerable.

Feelings in dreams are never disguised. So, if you felt powerless in the dream, you are feeling powerless towards those "sharks" in waking life. You are obviously a good and caring, mom. Your knowledge of the waking life circumstances that generated your dream will help you positively identify the sharks. Knowing that, you can reclaim your power and protect your son from the sharks, so that he can not only recover and heal, but thrive. Don't hesitate to enlist the help of a professional, whether it be his teachers, counselors or a therapist. Whomever the "sharks" are (it's your symbol for them, not your son's), take good care to protect yourself against them, as well.

You can do it! Good luck!