A cul-de-sac in spiritual terms suggests futility and sometimes lack of foresight. We are stuck in patterns of behaviour which give us no way out. We are being threatened by past mistakes. When we find ourselves trapped in a cul-de-sac it symbolizes wasted action, but perhaps also a state of inertia. Circumstance may be preventing a forward movement, and it may be necessary to retrace our steps in order to succeed.