The ladder is ascent made of discrete steps — each rung a stage, each stage requiring the last. Jacob's ladder joined earth and heaven with angels moving both directions. Dream-ladders concern climbing: ambition, spiritual ascent, and what happens when a rung breaks.
Positive Resonance
Step-by-step ascent, connection of levels, progress with structure
Shadow Aspect
The broken rung, climbing a ladder leaned on the wrong wall, the fall from height
Nuances
Missing rung: a gap in the path up
Ladder to clouds: aspiration beyond sight
Falling from ladder: ambition's sudden reversal
Holding the ladder for another: enabling someone's ascent