These symbols and meanings are taken from a variety of sources but primarily from my own dreams and the dreams of associates. You must take into account the probability that some of these might be my own personal symbols which have been substituted for the universal or cultural symbols. This is caused by having a life experience with something which becomes more powerful in your subconscious memory banks than the universal symbol being given it by the superconscious. I have tried my best to sort my symbols into universal and personal symbols and hope that I have made at least a good start on it. But you must test them on your own dreams to see if they make natural common sense in the context of the dream. My advice is to never accept an interpretation...even from yourself...until you are sure that you have arrived at the correct meaning.

Therefore you should use this symbol dictionary only as a guide to help get you started.

Universal Symbols
Animals as Dream Symbols

***On all of these be sure to check for colloquialisms
such as "cunning as a fox" or "fat as a pig".

Bull = Could relate to a "bunch of bull" or relate to the cattle symbol depending on how it is used.

Bear = Burden, unpredictable raw power, grouchiness, rugged, tough

Bee = Honey Bee--the worker ("Busy as a bee"). Bumblebee, Wasp, etc. could represent pests or irritating circumstances.

Dog = In my case, with no children of my own, it definitely represents my responsibilities or sense of responsibility. I have to provide for the dog. In my job they represent clients. How it responds to me in the dream relates to how I am handling the responsibility. Don't know about people with children. This would probably supersede the pet as a responsibility. Dog also represents man's best friend but can turn on him.

Cat = Am still working on this one. Most probably relates to independence because of their independent nature. Might relate to sex in some way also. Of course, if you're a cat owner and don't have children it could represent your responsibilities in the same way as the dog above.

Cattle = People as a society, the "herd" mentality.

Chicken = chicken, afraid

Cow = see "Cattle"

Deer = gentle, timidity, swiftness.

Dove = Peace, love (cooing love birds).

Eagle = Spiritual heights, master of the air, freedom. Mastery of 3 dimensional space.

Feathers = Symbols of attainment or mastery of superconscious truths.

Fish = Spiritual denizens (ourselves) in their primitive state i.e. before evolutionary spiritual development in the earth.

Fox = cunning, clever, master of the analytical mind.

Geese and Ducks = Migratory birds which imprint on, flock and follow the leader or peer group. Same as Cattle.

Goat = surefootedness.

Gorilla = primitive development, immature intelligence.

Insects = little annoyances in life, pests.

Lamb = the innocent sacrifice.

Lion = karma. The power of the past to affect you. Past lives or past life. It is the king of the beasts on the earth, as is karma, which is nothing more than your programming or memory.

Lizard = unfounded fear, not poisonous, but primitive emotion none the less.

Locusts = shedding of skin of old self in order to grow. Could also be snake shedding skin.

Monkey = Like a gorilla but more frivolous and not as dangerous.

Owl = wise, especially related to dreams or the unknown since they are night creatures.

Pig = gluttony. Has also represented a person's view of society, as gluttons for money or sensation.

Polar Bear = Burden caused by isolation (north). Financial debt.

Puppies = New responsibilities.

Rabbit = fertility, extremely fast multiplication.

Raven or Blackbird = Symbol of the hidden secrets of the superconscious coming to you in dreams. It is the "soul" or "dead" in many cultures. Elijah, the prophet, was fed "bread and meat" by ravens in the wilderness. Beatles' song "Blackbird singing in the dead of night". Moody Blues include it in their work also.

Sheep = see "Lamb" but they are also flocking animals which could indicate groups or masses of humanity. Cultural or peer groups. Associations.

Snake = Can represent fears. Can also relate to awakening of kundalini since it can cause great fear and it has been portrayed by every culture as the snake. Also called the devil associated with the knowledge of good and evil which is what kundalini creates when it rises...it displays the spiritual pattern of perfection to an imperfect mind (good and evil). A "2 dimensional creature" ... which moves like sine waves resembling our models of the duality principle of electrical flow...as in the medical symbol, the caduceus. As a reptile, it is the first creature to emerge from the "sea" of emotion-based existence to the "land" of physicality. Here it is associated with the first chakra...where lies the coiled creative power of life.

Shark (also Crocodile & Alligator) = great big primitive fear with teeth.

Spider = Busy as a spider, entrapment.

Spider Web = feeling trapped or laying out a net. Could also be "web of deceit" or intrigue.

Swan = The most graceful and beautiful of birds. The epitome of. Swan song.

Tiger = a powerful creature. The stripes indicate mistrust or opposites. It could turn on you. Can also indicate a powerfully tortured soul because of the stripes. Black for the bad times, gold for the good. Relates to the third chakra.

Whale = the spiritual Self. The superconscious mind. Master of the ocean (universal spirit). The master of emotions. The whale is an evolved denizen of the deep...not a fish but a mammal. So I think it represents an evolved emotional body. Or the "intelligence" level of the emotional body.

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