North, south, east, west, NNW, SSE, etc. can represent:
A specific direction on your life path
A place, person, or event that is north of you in the dream
A place, person, or event that is north of you in real life
Something you associate with the North
Spatial direction, such as north representing up and south representing down
Also pay attention to your feeling about the direction, or about what is supposed to be in that direction (a threat, a pleasant experience worth working toward, etc.).