I am outside on my back deck. Alicia comes around the corner and greets me with good news about a mutual friend. I hug her and then notice a lovely yellow garden spider in its web near us. I point it out to her and she is startled but we both comment that we love yellow garden spiders. Then I turn around and see like 15 more of them all around the deck. Just then a large golden eagle flies overhead very low and close, we stare up and a second later around 30 more follow behind. I say something about them being there because of the spiders. We are in awe. I wake feeling happy.
Every case of duplication concerns duality, balanced symmetry and
the active equipoise of opposite forces. Double images, the symmetrical duplication of forms or figures—such as the supporters in heraldry—symbolize precisely that. But any case of duplication based upon a horizontal axis, in which the
upper figure is the inverse of the lower, has a deeper meaning arising from the
symbolism of level. A dual being is often found in cabbalistic emblems, the upper
figure being known as Metatron and the lower Samael; it is said of them that they
are inseparable companions for life (57). It may well be that beneath this image
there lies a symbol of the essential ambivalence of all phenomena, or, rather, that
it refers to the great myth of the Gemini.
To see your own double in your dream, suggests that you are attempting to recapture the past and the good old times. Alternatively, the dream may indicate that you are needlessly working twice as hard or doing double duty.
To dream that you are out on the deck, represents your connection with your Self and with nature. You need to be more aware of your surroundings and appreciate the environment. Alternatively, the dream may be a metaphor that you are all "decked out" for some special occasion. You are showing off.
To dream of being on a ship and that a storm is raging, great disasters and unfortunate alliances will overtake you; but if the sea is calm and the light distinct, your way is clear to success. For lovers, this dream augurs happiness.
Dreaming that you are out on the deck, represents your connection with your Self and with nature. You need to be more aware of your surroundings and appreciate the environment.
The garden is the place where Nature is subdued, ordered, selected
and enclosed. Hence, it is a symbol of consciousness as opposed to the forest,
which is the unconscious, in the same way as the island is opposed to the ocean.
At the same time, it is a feminine attribute because of its character as a precinct
(32). A garden is often the scene of processes of ‘Conjunction’ or treasure-hunts—
connotations which are clearly in accord with the general symbolic function we
have outlined. A more subtle meaning, depending upon the shape and disposition,
or the levels and orientation, of the garden, is one which corresponds to the basic
symbolism of landscape (q.v.).
To see a vegetable or fruit garden in your dream, indicates that your hard work and diligence will pay off in the end. It is also symbolic of stability, potential, and inner growth. You need to cultivate a new skill or nurture your spiritual and personal growth.
To see a flower garden in your dream, represents tranquility, comfort, love and domestic bliss. You need to be more nurturing.
To see a sparse, weed-infested garden, suggests that you have neglected your spiritual needs. You are not on top of things.
To see a garden in your dreams, filled with evergreen and flowers, denotes great peace of mind and comfort.
To see vegetables, denotes misery or loss of fortune and calumny. To females, this dream foretells that they will be famous, or exceedingly happy in domestic circles.
To dream of walking with one's lover through a garden where flowering shrubs and plants abound, indicates unalloyed happiness and independent means.
Seeing a vegetable or fruit garden in your dream indicates that your hard work and diligence will pay off in the end. It is also symbolic of stability and inner growth. Seeing a flower garden in your dream, represents tranquility, comfort, love and domestic bliss. You need to be nurturing. Seeing sparse, weed-infested garden, suggests that you have neglected your spiritual needs. You are not on top of things.
It may be a symbol of lost innocence or youth. Folklore tells us that dreaming of beautiful gardens is symbolic of great happiness and love. If the garden is wild, it means that you may have difficulties but with some care and attention you are capable of overcoming them. In daily life the appearance of a back garden is usually a reflection on the people living in the house. A neat and well groomed garden, with grass and flowers, usually indicates that people living there are conscientious, caring, and have enough energy to maintain their property. The garden in your dream may be a reflection of how well you have been able to maintain your internal and external environment. The back garden points to things that are less obvious and, at times, may be unconscious. It may also represent childhood memories that hold positive and negative emotions and lead to self-awareness. If the garden in your dream was a measuring unit, think about what you are measuring and if any growth has taken place.
To dream that something or someone is low, signifies something that is beneath you. Perhaps, you are feeling superior and are above some situation. Alternatively, the dream signifies something that you may have overlooked.
To see flies in your dream, symbolize filth and dirtiness, either physical or emotional. It indicates feelings of guilt or a breakdown of a plan. Flies may also forewarn of a contagious sickness. Alternatively, the fly could represent an irritating and annoying person in your life. Perhaps someone does not know who to mind their business.
To dream that you kill or exterminate the flies, indicate that you will redeem yourself and regain your honor after your fall from grace.
To dream of flies, denotes sickness and contagious maladies. Also that enemies surround you. To a young woman this dream is significant of unhappiness. If she kills or exterminates flies, she will reinstate herself in the love of her intended by her ingenuity.
Seeing flies in your dream, symbolizes feelings of guilt or a breakdown of a plan. Flies may also forewarn of a contagious sickness or a surrounding of enemies. Dreaming that you kill or exterminate the flies means that you will regain your honor after you fell from grace and will be recapture the heart of your intended.
These insects are annoying and they take away from the enjoyment of any moment or situation. Consider the details of your dream and try to figure out if these flies represent anything in your daily life. They could symbolize people and things that get in your way or they could mean that you are currently experiencing annoyance and frustration. Consider whether you are successfully getting rid of the flies in your dream or if they are overwhelming. This may give you a clue as to how well you are coping with distraction and frustration.
A symbol of height, of the spirit as the sun, and of the spiritual
principle in general. In the Egyptian hieroglyphic system, the letter A is represented by the figure of an eagle, standing for the warmth of life, the Origin, the
day. The eagle is a bird living in the full light of the sun and it is therefore
considered to be luminous in its essence, and to share in the Elements of air and
fire. Its opposite is the owl, the bird of darkness and death. Since it is identified
with the sun and with the idea of male activity which fertilizes female nature, the
eagle also symbolizes the father (19). It is further characterized by its daring
flight, its speed, its close association with thunder and fire. It signifies, therefore,
the ‘rhythm’ of heroic nobility. From the Far East to Northern Europe, the eagle
is the bird associated with the gods of power and war. It is the equivalent in the air
of the lion on earth; hence it is sometimes depicted with a lion’s head (cf. the
excavations at Tello). According to Vedic tradition, it is also important as a messenger, being the bearer of the soma from Indra. In Sarmatian art, the eagle is the
emblem of the thunderbolt and of warlike endeavour. In all Oriental art it is often shown fighting; either as the bird Imdugud, who ties the terrestrial and the celestial deer together by their tails, or as Garuda attacking the serpent. In pre-Columbian
America, the eagle had a similar symbolism, signifying the struggle between the
spiritual and celestial principle and the lower world. This symbolism occurs also
in Romanesque art. In ancient Syria, in an identification rite, the eagle with human
arms symbolized sun-worship. It also conducted souls to immortality. Similarly,
in Christianity, the eagle plays the rôle of a messenger from heaven. Theodoret
compared the eagle to the spirit of prophecy; in general, it has also been identified
(or, more exactly, the eagle’s flight, because of its swiftness, rather than the bird
itself) with prayer rising to the Lord, and grace descending upon mortal man.
According to St. Jerome, the eagle is the emblem of the Ascension and of prayer
(50). Among the Greeks it acquired a particular meaning, more allegorical than
properly symbolic in nature, in connexion with the rape of Ganymede. More
generally speaking, it was believed to fly higher than any other bird, and hence was regarded as the most apt expression of divine majesty. The connexion between the eagle and the thunderbolt, already mentioned above, is confirmed in
Macedonian coinage and in the Roman signum. The ability to fly and fulminate,
to rise so as to dominate and destroy baser forces, is doubtless the essential
characteristic of all eagle-symbolism. As Jupiter’s bird it is the theriomorphic
storm, the ‘storm bird’ of remotest antiquity, deriving from Mesopotamia and
thence spreading throughout Asia Minor (35). On Roman coins it occurs as the
emblem of imperial power and of the legions. Its fundamental significance does
not vary in alchemy, it merely acquires a new set of terms applicable to the
alchemic mystique: it becomes the symbol of volatilization. An eagle devouring a
lion is the symbol of the volatilization of the fixed by the volatile (i.e. according
to alchemical equations: wings=spirit; flight=Imagination, or the victory of spiritualizing and sublimating activity over involutive, materializing tendencies). Like
other animals, when in the sign of the Gemini, the eagle undergoes total or partial
duplication. Thus arises the two-headed eagle (related to the Janus symbol)
which is usually depicted in two colours of great mystical significance: red and
white. In many emblems, symbols and allegories, the eagle is depicted carrying a
victim. This is always an allusion to the sacrifice of lower beings, forces, instincts
and to the victory of the higher powers (i.e. father principle, logos) (50). Dante
even calls the eagle the bird of God (4). Jung, ignoring the multiple significance of
its symbolism, defines it simply as ‘height’, with all the consequences that flow
from a specific location in space. On the other hand the constellation of the Eagle
is placed just above the man carrying the pitcher of Aquarius, who follows the
bird’s movement so closely that he seems to be drawn after it by unseen bonds.
From this it has been inferred that Aquarius is to be identified with Ganymede,
and also with ‘the fact that even the gods themselves need the water of the
Uranian forces of life’ (40).
Seeing an eagle in your dream, symbolizes nobility, pride, fierceness, freedom, superiority, courage, and powerful intellectual ability. Eagles also indicate self-renewal. You will struggle fiercely and courageously to realize your highest ambitions and greatest desires. Seeing an eagle chained down in your dream, represents a desperate situation where you are feeling restricted and confined. You are unable to express yourself and be who you really want to be. Consider also what the eagle is chained down to for additional clues as to what might be holding you back. Seeing a nest of young eagles in your dream means your advancement up to the top of the social ladder. Dreaming that you killed an eagle means your ruthlessness. You will let nothing stand in your way of ambitions and obtaining your goals, even if it means hurting those around you. If someone else kills an eagle, then it indicates that your fame, fortune and power will be ruthlessly taken from you. Dreaming that you eat the flesh of an eagle, shows that your strong and powerful character will lead you to great wealth and influence.
Birds are generally associated with freedom and abandon. In old dream interpretation books, birds are considered lucky omens. Doves and eagles are generally spiritual symbols. Your dream depends on its details, but if the birds in your dream were flying free, it may be symbolic of spiritual, psychological, or physical freedom. It can also represent high expectations. An eagle is a powerful bird and the unconscious message may be prosperity, success, and liberation from tedium. The eagle is also a bird of prey and some negative connotations can be made. If the eagle is on the attack or the dream is frightening, reflect on your own aggressive and predatory thoughts and tendencies.
Symbolic Eagle Meaning
I've been seeing eagles and moles in my meditations lately. When creatures persist in my awareness, I know it's time to write a page on them. Plus, I've gotten several requests from readers of this site wanting to know more about symbolic eagle meaning, so here are a few thoughts.
I've had the luxury of observing Golden Eagles in the wild. Like our nature-inclined forebears, the sheer size of these creatures is mind-numbing.
Size does matter to the Native mind. It is the mammoth size of the eagle that, in part, wins its title as the King of the Birds in myth and lore. In spite of its enormous size, the eagle still takes flight, seemingly effortlessly. This is the first of many symbolic cues from the eagle about perception (not judging a book by its cover) and, not allowing the illusion of limitation to ground us in our flight.
What else matters when considering symbolic eagle meaning? Here are a few attributes and keywords associated with Eagle Medicine:
Opportunity
Protection
Guardianship
Masculinity
Dominance
Control
Freedom
Community
Command
Action
Authority
Skill
Focus
Determination
Vision
Power
Liberation
Inspiration
Ruler
Judgment
Native wisdom also honors the eagle for their opportunistic ways. It's not that they're skilled hunters (they are), but the go about gaining their needs in ways that are most efficient. This is a lesson for conserving resources. Work smarter, not harder.
Some Native American (plains tribes) refers to the eagle as an earthly incarnation of the great Thunderbird spirit. Legend further states that lightning bolts shoot from the eyes of the bald eagle, and with the beating of its expansive wings, rain is conjured from the skies. That's easy to envision.
Coming from the mindset that all energy is interconnected, an average wingspan of 5-7 feet (in golden's and bald's) could understandably cause some massive energetic ripples in the cosmos. Even prompt rain. I love how eagles as rain bringers segways into the cleansing theme of water.
And, we see from the Native mind that eagle feathers are tribal tools resonating patterns of healing within ritual. Do a little research into Native wisdom, and you will find the eagle is invoked for revitalization, creation and healing purposes. I like to think this deals with the eagle's connection with water.
In this vein of thought, we can contemplate the healing messages the eagle may offer us in our daily life. When the eagle soars into our psychic vision, it may be a sign of getting prepared for symbolic cleansing rains. What needs cleaning in our lives?
Of course, as rulers of the sky, eagle meaning is connected with the air element, which symbolizes communication and thought. All bird totems speak to us about higher thinking, dreams, and mental liberation. As king of the birds, the eagle's message of mental acuity is super-dominant.
Visually, everything about the eagle's appearance is sharp. Streamlined, sleek, chiseled. This prompts our deeper minds to hone our thoughts and skills. The eagle commands us to tailor our intelligence and talents in a form that best suits our needs. We all have inner abilities, but when the eagle shows up - it's a clear sign it's time to use these abilities in a laser-like fashion to bring about focused change in our lives.
To revisit the Thunderbird association, eagles are said to bring down lightning with the storms. This makes me think of flashes of insight, surges of power - electrifying vision.
I also like to look into the eyes of the eagle. There I see the lightning. I see the sun itself living in those all-seeing bright yellow orbs.
Do these observations this strike a chord with you? If so, take flight with the eagle meaning by experimenting with these visualizations:
contemplate the power cased in the heart of the eagle.
Synchronize your own heart beat with that of the eagle's - visualize each pulse as a flash of lighting - an impulse of divine thought.
Picture the power of the gods clapping like thunder with each flap of their wings. With each crack of thunder consider barriers and blockages in your life being shattered.
Then see the great 7 foot wingspan of the eagle growing even longer in your vision in order to swipe away the rubble - making all trace of limitation disappear.
Look into the eyes of the eagle, and see the dawning sun shine clarity upon the dawning of your own awareness. These eyes are like a light into your own contemplative vision - let them illuminate your from the inside out.
These kind of powerful connections can liberate on so many levels.
But, you don't have to take my word for it. Consider our ancestors perspectives on the eagle meaning for more inspiration.
Alchemy symbolic eagle meaning:
A representation of prime matter, the start of an alchemical operation. The eagle spreads its wings over the step into creation and fans the fire, encouraging growth of new matter.
Aztec and Mayan meaning of eagle:
The eagle carries the veil of night and dark over our existence and awareness. It's affiliated with the dawning sun, and is a magnificent celestial power, able to shine light into our world.
Celtic animal symbolism of eagle:
Associated with the symbolism of water, and the intuitive oracle water serves as. Perhaps because our Celtic kin observed their magnificent ability to see into waters with miraculous clarity. Like scrying. I like to think the Celts skimmed across the waters of their existence invoked the eagle for assistance in "diving in" for treasures of wisdom.
Christian eagle meaning:
Associated with the Christ himself. Because the eagle seems to easily ascend the skies, looking into the sun with unblinking focus, we relate symbolism of Christ's unblinking faith in the Way, the Truth, and the Light. We also see themes of renewal (baptism) as the eagle plunges the soul of man into the sea, and lifts them out renewed and cleansed.
Greek meaning:
Another reference as a solar animal, the eagle is symbolic of authority, rulership and virility. It's depicted with thunderbolts in each talon. In my mind, this seems like a phallic reference would bolster sexual energy as well as warrior status (energy, thrust, courage, bravery, fearlessness). I get a confirmation of this by Zeus's strong affiliation with the eagle in myth.
I could go on forever about the symbolic meaning of the eagle. It's an inspiring creature, so it's only natural that every human eye that has witnessed it would be enraptured by its regal presence.
The eagle imparts spectacular wisdom. Take purposeful, meditative time to connect with the eagle, and discover what kind of glorious insight it can share with you.
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The eagle personifies the divine power. It can rise high in the sky, higher than any other living being, and because of this comes close to the Great Spirit. Rising to such heights, it can observe life in its entirety. The eagle teaches the importance of recognizing the whole pattern of life with its bright and dark sides. This means we should regard both positive and negative events as experiences that can serve a higher purpose and help to develop the self. The power of the eagle, therefore, requires trust in divine leadership and only by examining his strength of soul can a person acquire the power of the eagle. Eagles' feathers have been used by shamans since ancient times to heal the aura of the sick. The message of the eagle is: Defeat your fears and see beyond your horizon, become one with the element of air and fly!
Creation, mental-spiritual-emotional swiftness, healing, dignity, strength, courage, wisdom, healing and insights, awareness of surrounding, aids in seeing hidden spiritual truths and higher balances, illumination of spirit, stronger and quicker in actions, responsibility, shows how to connect with intuition and higher spiritual truths. Are you willing to soar to new heights at this time? Are you ready to be involved with your creation and manifestations? Eagle teaches that you can achieve balance and intuit the winds of change while remaining connected and grounded.