October 18, 2019
25 Animals and their Dream Interpretations
As a human being capable of thinking and reacting, dreaming is something that comes naturally from us. By being an essential part of our human existence, dreams provide to us a sense of spirituality and mysticism, as images flash in our heads during sleep.
Essentially, these images are said to bear specific meanings and symbols. If you do a quick google search of the things you saw in your dream last night, you’ll get a good number of interpretations and perspectives on how to understand them.
Particularly, one of the major areas in dreams is animals. Easily ranking as top 5 of the most commonly dreamt elements, it is crucial for us to gain a good perspective on what these animals mean in our dreams.
Generally, animals are seen as spirit guardians. Given that each animal bearing a special kind of protection as we traverse the spiritual realm, ancient shamans have interpreted them as guides for us to ensure we’ll safely get to our destination.
But more importantly, these animals represent certain symbols that we may subconsciously lack about ourselves. Like an urge that we seek, these animals can represent our longings for change or improvement in particular areas of our life. Given its general meaning, it is up to you to interpret how much can fit in your current goals and desires in life.
With that, here are the top 25 animals and their possible meanings!
Animals In Dreams And Their Meaning
1. Antelope – as of the most graceful animals, this usually represents both grace and beauty. By dreaming of such, you are often signaled on how your spirit guardian can breeze over to your dreams, as it provides a good symbol of grace and finesse. This suggests that perhaps it is something you’re longing for, whether spiritually or emotionally.
2. Bear – this animal is often recognized for its territorial nature. As it asserts its dominance over a specific area, bears are known to kill whoever enters their field, especially when they have their cubs around. With that, bears often represent a motherly/fatherly presence, signaling you of that loving, tender, yet strict care that your parents or guardian gives/lack in giving to you.
3. Beaver – known for their resourcefulness, beavers often represent one’s desire to become more industrious. More likely than not, you are in a tight spot right now as you dream of how the beaver is able to maneuver freely. With that, this animal represents an inner yearning in you to wiggle your way out of your problems.
4. Bull – often known for their destructiveness, bulls are interpreted as such. Meaning, when you dream of this animal, concepts of rage and chaos possibly fills your mind. However, on a more positive side, bulls represent one’s self mastery. Determined to hit the target, dreaming of a bull can signal a spiritual awakening towards maturity.
5. Cat – often viewed as the domestic counterpart of the feline animals, cats represent the cunning yet polarized personality of a person. Often understood from a female perspective, cats are viewed as one’s ability to be two-sided, showing the capriciousness of an individual. With that, dreaming of such may represent you (especially if you are a woman) or someone in your life (if you are a man).
6. Chameleon – as masters of blending in, this animal is known to have the ability to change colors depending on the surroundings. With that, dreaming of this animal shows one’s ability to adapt to their surroundings, or the yearning of such. By dreaming of the chameleon, perhaps it is right for you to ask which of the two interpretations suits you the most.
7. Cow – representing the mother archetype, cows are viewed for their nutritional value through their milk. Providing resources not only for their young but for us as well, this eternal female symbol is seen for its caring approach. As such, dreaming of this suggests your yearning for a home, or desire to be the home itself.
8. Dog – representing man’s best friend, dogs are known to be trustworthy companions. With utmost loyalty to their owners (unlike cats, sorry..), dogs are seen as symbols of friendship that lasts a lifetime. With that, dreaming of dogs represent your yearning or cherishing for such kind of relationship, one that’s willing to through thick and thin.
9. Elephant – dreaming of an elephant usually represents qualities of patience and timeless wisdom. As elephants are known to be gigantic yet gentle creatures, it symbolizes a strength that knows how to respect the weak, something that only the truly wise can understand. With that, this symbol represents an inner desire for maturity, allowing you to make better choices in life.
10. Fox – although they appear to be kind, these creatures are perceived as cunning and ruthless. As Dora famously said, “Swiper no swiping!” Thus, if ever you’ve encountered this mischievous animal in your dream, it is time for you to re-evaluate your current relationships since your intuition is most likely telling you that someone’s been stabbing you behind your back.
11. Frog – known for their transformative abilities, this animal symbolizes an impending transformation in your life. Like frogs that are amphibians, such transformation will allow you to navigate properly on both land and water, symbolizing both emotions and the material world. Thus, if you’re in for it, don’t back down on the opportunities before you. This animal might be a drop-dead clue for you to go for it!
12. Goat – often mystified as a symbol of Satan, goats aren’t actually that bad. While they indeed can represent our dark desires (and reconciliation with it), this animal can also represent male prowess and strength. Thus, when you dream of this animal, it is best to hold back and think what its possible interpretation is, instead of simply jumping towards the conclusion that it is something sinister.
13. Horse – this animal traditionally represents strength and vitality. Like young stallions that are able to travel wherever they wish, dreaming of this animal represents the inner energy that you can utilize. Just be careful, though since each color and maturity of the horse can carry different meanings, depending on the interpretation you’d base upon.
14. Lion – as kings of the jungle, lions are on an entirely different league from horses. If you’ve been to a zoo and you’ve heard a lion roar, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Thus, dreaming of this animal represents a majestic kind of strength that allows us to conquer all. With that, this practically tells us to go for it and beat the great challenges before us.
15. Monkey – known to be very playful creatures, monkeys are usually associated with the mischievous and childish sides of our personality. When dreaming of this animal, it usually suggests your yearning to go out and play, or to fulfill a desire that requires you to go beyond your boundaries. Just be careful not to break your morals or the law with this one!
16. Ox – seen as stable and immovable creatures, this animal represents one’s desire or ability to be patient on themselves and others. Furthermore, seeing an ox in your dream also represents yours or someone’s willingness to sacrifice for others, signifying an ultimate act of selflessness. Like parents who will do it all for their children, the Ox represents a kind of love that’s stable and immovable.
17. Pig – this animal is often seen as a symbol of negative qualities such as gluttony and selfishness. Like livestock that is bred only for the purpose of being consumed, such negative connotation is attached to it. However, when you dream of this symbol, you can also interpret it as the lower end of your desires, signifying a need to push further and go beyond such.
18. Rabbit – known as highly sexual animals, rabbits in dreams are often interpreted as such. With that, dreaming of a rabbit is usually associated with fertility or an impending birth. However, its meaning can also be that of a trickster, so you should be prudent in interpreting this animal.
19. Rat – settling in the sewers, rats are often associated to the dark side. Not necessarily having demonic meaning, but instead, this animal refers to the repressed values of ourselves, much like our shadow archetypes in the Jungian archetypes. Thus, when you’ve dreamt of rats, then perhaps you should take a look at the things that you’ve been keeping to yourself.
20. Serpent – perhaps the most ominous of animals, serpents are viewed as both creative and destructive. Like the trickster in the tree of knowledge, this animal certainly had a lot of negative spotlight to it, including the way they’re presented in movies. But more importantly, this animal bears the qualities of both anima and animus, signifying the complex tension between the male and female archetypes.
21. Sheep – known for its instinct to join the flock, a sheep is seen as individually helpless. Not veering away from the group is definitely their strength, something that tells you how to you need to adapt with others. By doing so, you’ll certainly gain a newfound strength, something that you won’t find in being alone.
22. Tiger – known for their royal-like appearance, tigers are quite similar to lions. Representing our majestic side, this animal shows the allures and dangers of someone. Whether it is your friend our yourself, you have to assess the real predator in your life.
23. Unicorn – though technically a fictional animal, the symbol of the unicorn is definitely a renowned one. Seen as a resurgence of one’s innocence, the unicorn represents the mystical union between one’s ego and desires. Thus, when dreaming of this animal, it is often a good sign that the long-awaited chapter is finally unfolding.
24. Wolf – when dreaming of this animal, it often signifies your subtle feeling of being threatened. Whether it is in work or at home, dreaming of the wolf provides a level of uneasiness that is often unrecognized. As such, this feeling manifests itself through your dreams, like the wolf that keeps on showing up even when you are unaware of why. As such, this strongly suggests the need to re-examine the things in your life and the possible cause of this discomfort.
25. Zebra – similar to the horse, the zebra represents one’s vitality and power. But unlike the horse, the zebra goes a mile further, by showing a harmonious balance between its stripes. As the colors of white and black are aesthetically represented in its body, this suggests your yearning for both vitality and balance.
Final Word
With these top 25 animals in dreams, you’ll probably get a good idea of what each animal can mean and symbolize in your life. And while such information mentioned here can be useful in interpreting them, always remember not to limit your interpretation into such since the meaning of these animals can, of course, go beyond the texts in this article.
Furthermore, each animal can also bear its own meaning and can change when paired with others. For instance, when dreaming of both lion and wolf, these clashing forces can signify differences and must be evaluated accordingly. Similarly, their recurrence in your dreams suggests how strong their influence is, something that is crucial in the way you interpret them.
As such, it is crucial for you to do dream journal so that you can properly record the recurrences of these animals in the numerous fragments of your dreams. By doing so, you’ll arrive at a more accurate interpretation of these animals instead of simply referring to this or similar articles. By taking all these things into account, it will be more likely for you to arrive at the best interpretation possible.
The Individualogist Team is made up of archetype fanatics, individuation practitioners, and spirituality fans. Our humble group has banded together to deliver thought-provoking, life-changing, and growth-probing wisdom.
