- Being in charge of permission or boundaries (as a valve is what allows or disallows fluid to pass through or not)
- Regulation of flow, such as of time or of a process
- Control of flow, including stopping, starting, or regulating how fast something is allowed to proceed
Consider also the context, role, and condition of the valve. For example, a steam exhaust valve might represent control over one's anger, while a broken valve might represent someone who is ineffectively managing a process.