Dream: Lots of animals!

[Cat*]

A recent dream:

I am walking on a wide beach, with the water noticeably lower than the sand and to my left. There is a flock of birds in the air, they look like pelicans. My sister(?) sits in the beak of one of them. I am surprised that none of the birds are on the beach, but there are yellowish balls. I may have felt slightly jealous because she gets to fly and I don't - or maybe I just feel left alone because at this point there's no other human/living thing on the beach except me. I see one of the birds land and roll itself into one of these balls (which seems odd because the ball is so much smaller than the bird). Someone tells me they are "googles". [After I woke up I wondered if this has anything to do with the Google Chrome adverts that I've seen over the last 1-2 weeks here.]

I keep walking and come to a place where the snow(?) is rather bloody. I also see yellow bones and know they're from a sacrificed sheep. [I have no idea of the size of sheep bones in real life.] There is a dug-out where most of the blood is, and I know this is where the sheep has been sacrificed. There also is a short, bloody trail where the sheep has been going after it has been wounded. I feel drawn towards the bones and start moving towards them, wanting to touch and possibly take them (they are neither scary nor yucky to me). But I sort of move/float/glide beyond them. Nobody else (there are a few people further to the water's edge) pays any attention to the blood and bones, although I'm not sure if they simply don't see them or if they just don't care.

A little further one, someone I know is sitting on the beach (sandy again). I walk towards them, and pass a small pond (which is only slightly larger than a big puddle) with a big stone in it. It is surrounded by green plants/reeds. As I pass it, I notice out of the corner of my eye that there is a turtle on the stone. In the dream, I'm thinking of Turtle as Earth. I walk past it and wave to the person I know to come to me and the pond. As we look at it again, the turtle is being pulled backwards into the water by a big crab. To the right of them, I see another big stone with a group of lively otters playing around it, gliding from it into the water. I try to take pictures (my field of perception actually narrows to what I'd see through the viewfinder of a camera). Suddenly I see the head of a polar bear rise out of the water among the otters. I try to take pictures while I slowly move backwards so the bear doesn't attack me (I have a feeling I am too close too it).

There were other bits of dreams, but this seemed to be the most important one.

---

I'm pretty stumped by all of this. Usually, I hardly ever dream of animals, so this dream is quite extraordinary. I can't shake the impression that the sudden appearance of all the animals is significant here...

The beach is an inbetween place, although I'm firmly on the land side in this dream. The water is just there but doesn't play much of a role.

I have no idea what to make of the pelicans/"googles."

The blood and bones thing is what I'd do in real life if I found such a place, too: go and take a look, very likely touch the bones, and possibly take one/some of them with me. I believe it may be relevant that I'm not there for the actual sacrifice but only arrive after the fact to deal with the "leftovers." Via the Ironwing Tarot, the issue of "psychopomping" (= guiding souls to the other side) has been on my mind lately. I would say that the beach scene is more about the physical remains than about the soul, though...

The turtle/crab/otters/polar bear also baffle me. Except for the crab, they are all animals I associate with parts of learning about shamanism. Turtle is the Earth, Otter is about learning about the interconnectedness of everything, and Bear is (to me) related to the North and Ancestor Spirits. Most of this is stuff I've been told, though, so it doesn't necessarily come from "within" me. Aside from that, I'd say Turtle is also water/earth (like the beach), slow, and ancient. Otters are playful and make smart use of tools. And Bear is solid, calm, but could also become dangerous if not respected properly.

---

I'd be grateful for any other takes on this. Please feel free to ignore my own interpretations in what you write.

 

[amethyst57]

except for the crab pulling the turtle into the water, the other creatures are peaceful...good omens:
pelican for prosperity with frugalness...
polar bear for your own circumstances or solitude...
otters, your ability to face changes or challenges...

crab pulling at the turtle, a rival in biz or love tugging at frustratated ambition due to hidden hostility...

sheep bones/sacrifice could symbolize you're not 'one of the herd' anymore...

the beach itself is your state of mind...yellow balls could denote wholeness, intuition, hopes...
blood on the snow could symbolize any work that had been rough but worth the sacrifice...

that 'someone you know' on the beach....
Cat*...it sounds to me like a biz problem...the rival and some temporary setbacks that will be overcome, thus the good omens...

 

[celticnoodle]

A recent dream:

I am walking on a wide beach, with the water noticeably lower than the sand and to my left.

the beach and the water are symbolic of you making a transition between the physical world and the spiritual world. to be walking on the beach also indicates changes coming your way.

There is a flock of birds in the air, they look like pelicans.

I was not sure about a flock of birds, so I looked it up at a dream site. it says that a flock of birds represent a lack of objectivity in your decision making and thinking process. a pelican is symbolic of the Passion of Jesus and also of charity.

My sister(?) sits in the beak of one of them. I am surprised that none of the birds are on the beach, but there are yellowish balls. I may have felt slightly jealous because she gets to fly and I don't - or maybe I just feel left alone because at this point there's no other human/living thing on the beach except me. I see one of the birds land and roll itself into one of these balls (which seems odd because the ball is so much smaller than the bird). Someone tells me they are "googles". [After I woke up I wondered if this has anything to do with the Google Chrome adverts that I've seen over the last 1-2 weeks here.]

this I am not 100% sure about, but I would imagine that perhaps your sister is in need of some help. some charity and this is why you see her sitting in the mouth of a pelican? or perhaps your sister has done soemthing for others that was a great work of charity on her part?

the ball you see can symbolize wholeness--so it seems to be connected more to the fact that your sister is the one giving charity. she is whole. she has obtained a wholeness--at least spiritually? the color of yellow is also symbolic of happiness and harmony. also of obtaining great wisdom. do you feel all this can relate to your sister? because of your jealousy, it indicates that you may be feeling some jealousy with your sisters accomplishments.

I keep walking and come to a place where the snow(?) is rather bloody. I also see yellow bones and know they're from a sacrificed sheep. [I have no idea of the size of sheep bones in real life.] There is a dug-out where most of the blood is, and I know this is where the sheep has been sacrificed. There also is a short, bloody trail where the sheep has been going after it has been wounded. I feel drawn towards the bones and start moving towards them, wanting to touch and possibly take them (they are neither scary nor yucky to me). But I sort of move/float/glide beyond them. Nobody else (there are a few people further to the water's edge) pays any attention to the blood and bones, although I'm not sure if they simply don't see them or if they just don't care.

the snow would represent your own feelings of loneliness and the inability to express yourself. the blood you see is representative of life. The sacrifice represents you being ready to give up something very basic in your life in order to attain spiritual awareness and enlightenment. the bones represent your family, thus your sister. it seems that this dream is all about how you relate with your sister and I wonder if it is also about you and your spiritual path compared to your sisters? the act of floating indicates your acceptance of a situation and you are letting go of some troubling problems and rising above it.

A little further one, someone I know is sitting on the beach (sandy again). I walk towards them, and pass a small pond (which is only slightly larger than a big puddle) with a big stone in it. It is surrounded by green plants/reeds.

a pond is representative of peace in yourself and how your life is right now. the big stone can relate to strength and unyielding attitude in some situation. the green plants/reeds are about your flexibility in your spiritual development. the color green is symbolic of growth and positive changes. it also is indicative of gaining recognition.

As I pass it, I notice out of the corner of my eye that there is a turtle on the stone. In the dream, I'm thinking of Turtle as Earth. I walk past it and wave to the person I know to come to me and the pond. As we look at it again, the turtle is being pulled backwards into the water by a big crab.

yes, the turtle is symbolic of the earth, but it can also symbolize sheltering yourself from things you are afraid to confront. it can also indicate needing time to proceed slowly in some situation or relationship in your life.

the crab speaks of you holding tightly onto something that helps you feel secure. it speaks of dependency on your part. so perhaps the two creatures together are telling you to be patient and proceed cautiously on your path.

To the right of them, I see another big stone with a group of lively otters playing around it, gliding from it into the water. I try to take pictures (my field of perception actually narrows to what I'd see through the viewfinder of a camera). Suddenly I see the head of a polar bear rise out of the water among the otters. I try to take pictures while I slowly move backwards so the bear doesn't attack me (I have a feeling I am too close too it).

otters are symbolic of good fortune and happiness. so seeing a stone which would indicate your strength--your inner strength, I believe this with the otters indicate that you are happy and enjoying yourself and feel fortunate for your good life. which also seems to be somewhat in conflict with what the first few symbols were expressing. so perhaps you are somewhat also conflicted? the polar bear is known to symbolize purity of spirit and because you see him rising out of the water, it seems to me that it represents a transformation for you. polar bear is also symbolic of communicating with spirits through dreams. the polar bear is a totem for shamans and mystics.

There were other bits of dreams, but this seemed to be the most important one.

---

I'm pretty stumped by all of this. Usually, I hardly ever dream of animals, so this dream is quite extraordinary. I can't shake the impression that the sudden appearance of all the animals is significant here...

The beach is an inbetween place, although I'm firmly on the land side in this dream. The water is just there but doesn't play much of a role.

I have no idea what to make of the pelicans/"googles."

The blood and bones thing is what I'd do in real life if I found such a place, too: go and take a look, very likely touch the bones, and possibly take one/some of them with me. I believe it may be relevant that I'm not there for the actual sacrifice but only arrive after the fact to deal with the "leftovers." Via the Ironwing Tarot, the issue of "psychopomping" (= guiding souls to the other side) has been on my mind lately. I would say that the beach scene is more about the physical remains than about the soul, though...

The turtle/crab/otters/polar bear also baffle me. Except for the crab, they are all animals I associate with parts of learning about shamanism. Turtle is the Earth, Otter is about learning about the interconnectedness of everything, and Bear is (to me) related to the North and Ancestor Spirits. Most of this is stuff I've been told, though, so it doesn't necessarily come from "within" me. Aside from that, I'd say Turtle is also water/earth (like the beach), slow, and ancient. Otters are playful and make smart use of tools. And Bear is solid, calm, but could also become dangerous if not respected properly.

---

I'd be grateful for any other takes on this. Please feel free to ignore my own interpretations in what you write.

so, it seems you have an idea of what all these animals represent for you. it seems that you are about to experience a transformation in to a shamanic world perhaps? a change that will enable you to communicate with other worlds at least. a time of rebirth for you--and one that will bring you great fortune too, it seems. not really sure how or where your family--esp. the sister fits in, but perhaps it is telling you of a transformation that will not include your sister and other family members, and this is distressing to you? I'm not really sure how to fit that in here.

these are my initial thoughts at any rate.

I'm sure the dream may mean even more then this, but this is a thought for you to ponder perhaps?

 

[Cat*]

Thank you for your replies, rockersgurl and celticnoodle!

May I ask you both where/how you got the meanings for the dream symbols you mentioned? Are you drawing on a specific system of meanings? Are you going by your spontaneous impressions from what I wrote? Something else? (I'm asking because I'm very new and also not very good at dream interpretation myself and therefore interested in learning how others approach such a task.)

except for the crab pulling the turtle into the water, the other creatures are peaceful...good omens:
pelican for prosperity with frugalness...
polar bear for your own circumstances or solitude...
otters, your ability to face changes or challenges...

I'm not sure how to apply that list of meanings to the altogether context of the dream. Could you please help me here?

crab pulling at the turtle, a rival in biz or love tugging at frustratated ambition due to hidden hostility...

There are no rivals in love. At work there isn't really a rival either, but there are occasional power struggles and not-so-hidden hostility.

sheep bones/sacrifice could symbolize you're not 'one of the herd' anymore...

Hmm... I'm not sure I've ever been one of the herd to begin with. But I may have been good at hiding that for a while, and now it's becoming more obvious again? I understand what you say about the symbol as such, but what about the dream situation and my feeling of being drawn to the bones?

the beach itself is your state of mind...yellow balls could denote wholeness, intuition, hopes...

The yellow was a rather dirty, brownish yellow, and the balls looked like hard, protective shells. I wouldn't associate what you describe with them. Maybe I should have given more detail in my first post...

blood on the snow could symbolize any work that had been rough but worth the sacrifice...

that 'someone you know' on the beach....
Cat*...it sounds to me like a biz problem...the rival and some temporary setbacks that will be overcome, thus the good omens...

I'm not sure if that rings true with me. The work problem is neither new nor particularly urgent. It's more of a "occasionally roll my eyes over someone, remember it will be over soon, shrug, and get back to the task at hand" situation. I can't imagine why I would dream about it.

Still, I'm grateful that you took the time to reply and give me your take! The bits about being pulled down and the good omens in general seem particularly useful for my further thinking...

 

[Cat*]

the beach and the water are symbolic of you making a transition between the physical world and the spiritual world. to be walking on the beach also indicates changes coming your way.

That makes sense in the context of my recent days.

I was not sure about a flock of birds, so I looked it up at a dream site. it says that a flock of birds represent a lack of objectivity in your decision making and thinking process. a pelican is symbolic of the Passion of Jesus and also of charity.

If we are talking about spiritual matters here, how would one make an objective decision about them? This is not a rhetoric question.

I can't relate to the Jesus reference (due to a lack of familiarity with Christian imagery) but charity sounds interesting - I've been thinking about volunteer work recently, trying to find out more about what I'd like to do and why.

this I am not 100% sure about, but I would imagine that perhaps your sister is in need of some help. some charity and this is why you see her sitting in the mouth of a pelican? or perhaps your sister has done soemthing for others that was a great work of charity on her part?

I wouldn't know since we're hardly in touch. If there's anything important, however, I'm sure my mother will mention it during our next weekly phone talk.
My sister is the type who always seems to need help, though. She often gets sick, and money is always tight in her family. She's been that way since I can remember, so it may actually make sense to have her come up in this context - what part of my wanting to help/service others is related to my experience of growing up with my sister?

the ball you see can symbolize wholeness--so it seems to be connected more to the fact that your sister is the one giving charity. she is whole. she has obtained a wholeness--at least spiritually? the color of yellow is also symbolic of happiness and harmony. also of obtaining great wisdom. do you feel all this can relate to your sister? because of your jealousy, it indicates that you may be feeling some jealousy with your sisters accomplishments.

As I said in my reply to rockersgurl, the yellow wasn't really a pretty yellow, so the happiness associations don't seem to fit.
I can't imagine that my sister has obtained spiritual wholeness, and if she has, she's not letting it show. If I'm jealous of anything (jealousy is actually a dirty yellow in my mind) related to my sister, it's how she used to get a lot of attention and cuddling as a kid (she was the "problem child," I was the "responsible, rational big sister"). No matter what problems I had, hers were always worse.
Yes, it may be a good idea to examine my feelings about other people's problems a bit more closely before I pick an organization to volunteer with...

the snow would represent your own feelings of loneliness and the inability to express yourself. the blood you see is representative of life. The sacrifice represents you being ready to give up something very basic in your life in order to attain spiritual awareness and enlightenment.

This doesn't feel like a perfect fit, but seems close enough. If I put this together with what rockersgurl said about "not being one of the herd anymore," it may point to giving up the idea that I'll ever seem "normal" to the majority of people in my vicinity. There are other factors besides my spirituality, but if I start doing volunteer work, I assume the issue will come up more often.

the bones represent your family, thus your sister. it seems that this dream is all about how you relate with your sister and I wonder if it is also about you and your spiritual path compared to your sisters? the act of floating indicates your acceptance of a situation and you are letting go of some troubling problems and rising above it.

As I said, I'm not sure my sister even has a spiritual path. We never talked about such things. Then again, that may just be what the dream is about: her being carried by a helpful pelican, far away from the messy, bloody, and (at times) lonely reality of spirituality I encounter. Quite a difference.
But I like the idea of rising above any problems that may be there.

a pond is representative of peace in yourself and how your life is right now. the big stone can relate to strength and unyielding attitude in some situation. the green plants/reeds are about your flexibility in your spiritual development. the color green is symbolic of growth and positive changes. it also is indicative of gaining recognition.

Not too sure about this, especially the bit about the unyielding attitude and the recognition. I agree about the pond as a sort of peaceful sanctuary, though. It had a very positive and calm feel to it.

yes, the turtle is symbolic of the earth, but it can also symbolize sheltering yourself from things you are afraid to confront. it can also indicate needing time to proceed slowly in some situation or relationship in your life.

the crab speaks of you holding tightly onto something that helps you feel secure. it speaks of dependency on your part. so perhaps the two creatures together are telling you to be patient and proceed cautiously on your path.

Incidentally, I just thought about being rather slow in the development of my spirituality. I also thought about standing in my own way, being pulled back by unhelpful habits, so to speak. Trying to hold on tight to what I know makes sense here (even if it doesn't really make sense that I do that). I'll take this as a confirmation that slow is fine, as long as I keep moving.

otters are symbolic of good fortune and happiness. so seeing a stone which would indicate your strength--your inner strength, I believe this with the otters indicate that you are happy and enjoying yourself and feel fortunate for your good life. which also seems to be somewhat in conflict with what the first few symbols were expressing. so perhaps you are somewhat also conflicted?

Maybe this is where I arrive after I pass the site of the sacrifice?
I can also relate to having contradictory feelings, though. Sometimes I believe I've come a long way already, and other times it seems as if I've barely moved at all. I guess it depends on if I look back or if I look forward.

the polar bear is known to symbolize purity of spirit and because you see him rising out of the water, it seems to me that it represents a transformation for you. polar bear is also symbolic of communicating with spirits through dreams. the polar bear is a totem for shamans and mystics.

Now that I'm reconsidering this, I'm also thinking of the polar bear in the Greenwood Judgment card. Which fits well with the idea of transformation. And yes, I've been feeling as if I'm in the process of yet another transformation. Shedding my old skin takes time, though.

I don't usually remember much of my dreams, so when I do I tend to think it's important. Which goes well with what you said about communicating with Spirits through dreams. Not that I've ever consciously done so, but maybe that's changing, too.

I hadn't heard of the polar bear being particularly related to shamans or mystics. I only know that Bear in general plays an important role in most shamanic worldviews (at least from areas where there are or have been bears). Either way, it fits with the topic of shamanism that has been on my mind a lot.

so, it seems you have an idea of what all these animals represent for you. it seems that you are about to experience a transformation in to a shamanic world perhaps? a change that will enable you to communicate with other worlds at least. a time of rebirth for you--and one that will bring you great fortune too, it seems.

I hope I'm not mistaken here but I do feel as if an important change is about to happen, and of course I hope it's a beneficial one. I'll pay extra attention to my next shamanic journeys.

not really sure how or where your family--esp. the sister fits in, but perhaps it is telling you of a transformation that will not include your sister and other family members, and this is distressing to you? I'm not really sure how to fit that in here.

Your ideas about my sister have inspired some useful questions about doing volunteer work that I'm going to explore further. But I'm not particularly close to my family anyway (especially not to my sister), so I can't see myself sharing much of my spiritual development with them (at least for now).

these are my initial thoughts at any rate.

I'm sure the dream may mean even more then this, but this is a thought for you to ponder perhaps?

Thank you for taking the time to write down your take! It has given me some useful ideas to ponder in more depth. At the very least, I'm not as clueless as I initially felt about this dream.