Replacing a rheostat switch controlled ceiling fan with remote controlled fan. Took old fan off and found 14/2 wires plus ground. Fan was hooked up white to white black to black and red from fan to bare wire coming in from cable.Got everything installed and wired per fan instructions. No power. Disconnected existing dimmer switch and found white to white black to black and bare ground had a pigtail that was attached to the metal body of the switch. No other wires in switch box.Neither black or white wire is hot,only the ground. In attic traced wire from fan to a huge box of wires. Fan wires were connected to two other cables but none of the grounds in that box were hot,nor was there a hot going to fan cable.. Black from fan connected to a 14/3 black , not hot. White connected to another 14/3(white) cable, not hot. Shouldn't the fan ground be hot if it was hot in the switch box?and make all other grounds attached to it hot? Can't figure this out!

Forgot to add that I only got a reading on the neutral and ground nothing on the hot and ground.