Reference books in a spiritual sense can symbolize knowledge or the Akashic records. A personal reference suggests a record of how we live our lives. To be asking for or receiving a reference is to be seeking some kind of validating process. We need to know we are ?fit for purpose?. When we are giving someone else a reference in dreams, we are giving approval to some of our own ideas and beliefs. If giving references is a normal part of our everyday behaviour, to do so in dreams may suggest we need to question some of our own beliefs. To be reluctant to give a reference suggests a lack of trust. You might also like to consult the entry for Work.