Two nights ago I dreamed with angels. There were three of them. Firstly I saw two. They looked perfect. They seemed to be having lots of joy. Then my focus changed and I saw a third angel with gold wings.
It felt really good to have this dream and it is the first time I remember about dreaming with angels. I bought The Angel Bible some days before that, so perhaps that had some influence...
To see angels in your dream, symbolize goodness, purity, protection, comfort and consolation. Pay careful attention to the message that the angels are trying to convey. These messages serve as a guide toward greater fulfillment and happiness. Alternatively, it signifies an unusual disturbance in your soul. Angels may appear in your dream as a result of your wicked and mean-hearted activities.
To dream that you are an angel, suggests that you are feeling good about something your said or did.
In particular, to see three angels in your dream, symbolize some sort of divinity. It is considered a particularly spiritual and holy dream.
To see an angel holding a scroll in your dream, indicates a highly spiritual dream. Your future and goals are more clearer to you. The message on the scroll is particularly significant.
To dream of angels is prophetic of disturbing influences in the soul. It brings a changed condition of the person's lot. If the dream is unusually pleasing, you will hear of the health of friends, and receive a legacy from unknown relatives.
If the dream comes as a token of warning, the dreamer may expect threats of scandal about love or money matters. To wicked people, it is a demand to repent; to good people it should be a consolation.
Angels represent goodness, protection, and the heavenly realm. As a dream symbol they may attempt to focus the dreamer's attention on their own divine qualities and the supportive and loving aspects of life. Some say that dreaming about angels is a symbol of good luck, while others believe that you will see an angel in your dream around the time when there is a birth or death in your family, or in your close circle of friends. Angels are mystical and spiritual symbols; traditionally they have been the messengers of God. The interpretation of your dream angel depends on your own views. Generally, the message coming up from your unconscious may be of important magnitude, so record your dream and think about all of its details and implications.
A symbol of invisible forces, of the powers ascending and descending
between the Source-of-Life and the world of phenomena (50). Here, as in other
cases (such as the Cross), the symbolic fact does not modify the real fact. In
alchemy, the angel symbolizes sublimation, i.e. the ascension of a volatile (spiritual) principle, as in the figures of the Viatorium spagyricum. The parallelism
between angelic orders and astral worlds has been traced with singular precision
by Rudolf Steiner in Les Hiérarchies spirituelles, following the treatise on the
celestial hierarchies by the Pseudo-Dionysius. From the earliest days of culture,
angels figure in artistic iconography, and by the 4th millennium B.C. little or no
distinction is made between angels and winged deities. Gothic art, in many remarkable images, expresses the protective and sublime aspects of the angelfigure, while the Romanesque tends rather to stress its other-worldly nature.
Dreaming of angels will have a profound impact on your life. Holy, pure, divine, they are trying to convey an important message to you: they might bring more spirituality, joy, and peace to your life, if you have a clear consciousness. If it is not the case, they might remind you that it is time for you to think about your choices and actions, do you need to make things better? Three angels have a great symbolic signigication, try to listen to their message, it must have a holy dimension to it.
An immortal spiritual being which functions as an intermediary between the realm of men and that of the Divine. Angels are more powerful than humans and are believed to be composed of ethereal matter, thus allowing them to take on whichever physical form best suits their immediate needs. In Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other theologies an angel can be one who acts as a messenger, attendant or agent of God.
Dreaming that you are dreaming means your emotional state. You are excessively worried and fearful about a situation or circumstance that you are going through.
It is common to dream that you have had or are having a dream.
You could be experience a false awakening, in which you dream that you have woken up from an earlier dream, and are performing the activities you normally perform on waking, such as getting dressed and brushing your teeth.
Such a dream can be a sign that you have fallen into a rut in waking life.
You may also have a lucid dream, in which you are aware that you are dreaming while you are having the dream.
The meaning of a lucid dream will depend upon the content of the dream.
To remember something in your dream, indicates that you have learned something significant from your past mistakes or previous experiences. The dream may also serve as a reminder of something important that is occurring in your waking life. You are so worried that you will forget something that the preoccupation has made its way into your dream.
In the more general sense, wings symbolize spirituality, imagination,
thought. The Greeks portrayed love and victory as winged figures, and some
deities, such as Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite were at first—though not later—
also depicted with wings. According to Plato, wings are a symbol of intelligence,
which is why some fabulous animals are winged, depicting the sublimation of
those symbolic qualities usually ascribed to each animal. Pelops’ horses, and
Pegasus, as well as Ceres’ snakes, have this attribute. Wings are also found on
certain objects such as heroes’ helmets, the caduceus and the thunderbolt in the
cult of Jupiter (8). It follows that the form and nature of the wings express the
spiritual qualities of the symbol. Thus, the wings of night-animals express a
perverted imagination, and Icarus’ wax wings stand for functional insufficiency
(15). In Christian symbolism it is said that wings are simply the light of the sun
of justice, which always illuminates the mind of the righteous. Since wings also
signify mobility, this meaning combines with that of enlightenment to express the
possibility of ‘progress in enlightenment’ or spiritual evolution (46). In alchemy,
wings are always associated with the higher, active, male principle; animals with out wings are related to the passive female principle (33). It should also be
recalled that, since the foot is regarded as a symbol of the soul (15), the wings on
the heels of some deities, especially Mercury, stand for the power of spiritual
elevation comparable in essence with cosmic evolution. Jules Duhem, in his
thesis on the history of flight, remarks that, in Tibet, ‘Buddhist saints travel
through the air wearing a special kind of shoes known as “light feet” ‘(3).
To dream that you have wings, foretells that you will experience grave fears for the safety of some one gone on a long journey away from you.
To see the wings of fowls or birds, denotes that you will finally overcome adversity and rise to wealthy degrees and honor.
To dream that you have wings, suggest new found freedom. You are on the right track and are soaring to success without limitations. Alternatively, the dream means that you are trying to escape from a difficult situation.
To dream that you have the wings of an angel, indicate your sweet, angelic quality. Or you may be in need of some protection from life's stresses and problems.
To see the wings of birds in your dream, indicates your desire for a freer way of life.
Dreaming that you have wings indicates your sweet, angelic quality. You may be in need of some protection from life's stresses and problems. Or you may be trying to escape from a difficult situation. Seeing the wings of birds indicates that you have overcome your struggle to attain wealth and honor.
Wings are associated with flying, which in turn is associated with freedom and the heavenly domain. Dreaming about wings suggests that you may have a desire to be angelic, have a need for angelic protection, or want to transcend any current difficulties and problems. Consider the mood of your dream and what type of wings you were seeing. Superstition based dream interpretation books say that if you hear gentle flopping of wings you will hear good news. However, loud and powerful flapping of wings is said to be a warning against illegal or immoral activities, specifically those in which money is involved.
Wings are associated with flying, which in turn is associated with freedom and the heavenly domain. Dreaming about wings suggests that you may have a desire to be angelic, have a need for angelic protection, or want to transcend any current difficulties and problems. Consider the mood of your dream and what type of wings you were seeing. Superstition based dream interpretation books say that if you hear gentle flopping of wings you will hear good news. However, loud and powerful flapping of wings is said to be a warning against illegal or immoral activities, specifically those in which money is involved.
This page on the meaning of wings was born out of a class I taught last summer about extracting meaning from dreams.
Some of my students described dreams in which they sprouted their own wings and flew. Others recounted dreams they had of lions with wings. One dreamer even saw a pig with wings (yes, Marcus, pigs really do fly!).
Although the symbolic meaning of wings in dreams is certainly a relevant point to explore, it's not the only bone of contention in our reach for deeper digging.
Consider, mythology gives us oodles of winged beasts in the form of hybrids:
Meaning of Wings on Horses:
Known as pterippi (pteros in Greek means "winged" and hippos means horse). Pegasus is a pterippus, and a magnificent one at that. The symbolic meaning of the horse is pretty intense with themes of power and mobility. The horse alone also carries archetypal themes of unifying grounded stability (four feet on the ground) with higher ideals (from speed and mobility). This theme really comes to life when we add wings to the horse. The pterippus, or winged horse, is a symbol of aspiring to the greatest heights of accomplishment. These beasts embody the concept of harnessing magic in the material plane. That's right, altering the physical matter via nonphysical methods. These kinds of feats are accomplished by swallowing whole the reality of our physical presence and balancing that with our (mostly) nonphysical nature/essence.
That's heavy. To help grasp those implications, Pegasus offers great analogy because of the dichotomy it offers. Grounded by the stability of its body, yet in flight by the ephemeral power of its wings. High and low (mind and body). Pegasus (white in color) stands for clarity of mind, and how clean mental focus combined with stable footing can transform our lives in magical ways. There's scads more about Pegasus to chat about, but this page is on the meaning of wings, not Pegasus. You can learn more about Peggy here on Wiki.
You can also learn more about the enchanting symbolism of the horse here.
Symbolic Meaning of Wings on Lions:
In alchemy, the lion is symbolic of gold - a spiritual quality that is lusciously luminescent and gloriously rich in value. Bling of the heart. Alchemical texts and artwork will depict a lion when a specific magical/spiritual goal is to be achieved.
Conversely, winged eagles in alchemical texts are symbolic of the beginning of a process. Alchemical eagles are symbolic of youth, initiation and the unbridled exuberance felt when launching in a new direction.
So, when we see winged lions (a mix of eagles and lions), it's a message of combination - a juxtaposition between beginnings and endings, fact and potential, the seeker and the accomplished.
Griffins are considered a version of winged lions. They're typically viewed as guardians of sacred places. They're most often seen at the entrances of tombs, protecting the ancient souls of the deceased. I love how this symbolism plays right into the hands of the alchemical lion and eagle. Griffins guarding transitioned souls are at once honoring what has passed and protecting what is yet to be (in the form of evolved spirit - from death to rebirth). Cool, no?
See symbolic meaning of lions here, and more about lions on my blog here.
See symbolic meaning of eagle here.
And, I've written more about Griffins from a Celtic perspective here (last animal sign on page).
Meaning of Wings on Serpents and Dragons:
I'm completely biased about this topic. I love snakes, and most things typically classified as "creepy" or "crawly." So when I encounter party-pooper perspectives of (evil, death, sin, and other nonsense) I throw it right out the window and venture back to a more reasonable perspectives on these magnificent creatures.
For example, I suspect one of the many origins of the winged serpent comes from ancient Egyptian observations of the cobra. The hooded cobra, specifically. When the hood is spread open, it looks a lot like wings. And just like the meaning of wings on the horse and lion, on serpents (cobras) we're also dealing with a theme of duality. The Uraeus (Egyptian cobra associated with the sun god Ra and often seen on headdresses of kings and gods) is symbolic of sovereign rule and the power to take and give life. Life and death is about as polar opposite as it gets.
The winged snake evolved into dragons over time and through nomadic legends into other countries. It shares a lot of the same symbolism of the snake. Power, life, rulership, dominion and a kind of magic that is to be respected (mostly because of its mysterious nature).
Winged serpents and dragons are a paradox. At once a slithery ilk, with bellies pressed lovingly against the soft, yielding Earth - yet with wings, they are creatures of the limitless skies. Like winged horses, this speaks to us of being grounded, while having unhindered imaginations. Feet on the ground, head in the clouds.
See more on symbolism of snakes here.
And, I've written more on symbolism of dragons here and here (dragon totems)
Of course, mythological creatures aren't the only source of wing meanings.
Winged Humans:
Angels, of course. They are divine liaisons. They are messengers with the ability to move freely from the realm of earth-bound matter to the unlimited heavens. They're depicted with human attributes, and so we reason they have human interest at heart. They are gifted with magic and flight, they are creatures of the divine. They live betwixt worlds (indeed, Greeks thought angels were responsible for moving constellations and planets). More duality.
You can learn more about the symbolic meaning of angels here on my blog.
Gargoyles are fabled to be humans who have succumbed to base behaviors (greed, lust and other unsavory aspects of human nature)....like an antithesis to angels, I suppose. But, their wings are symbolic of the ability to overcome these crippling facets of personality. Essentially, gargoyles are the spokespersons (err, or spokes-creatures) for human potential. We've all got wings and inherent ability to glide above and beyond primitive, substandard tendencies. Gargoyles remind us that our conditions cannot determine our divinity.
Symbolic Meaning of Wings in Dreams:
If you're dreaming of wings, it's a clear sign of a desire to rise above a challenge. Dreaming of wings on animals may be a message to overcome base or animalistic qualities. It may also indicate the inner self's desire to escape from undesirable (primitive) living conditions.
Dreaming of wings by themselves may indicate it's time to work on your inner landscape, a prompting to fly into the realms of spirituality. It may also indicate for a spring cleaning of the mind (sweep away rubbish thoughts) and gain clarity in thought about a certain situation that's been troubling.
Dreaming of wings on people (i.e., angels) is a distinct message from the divine. The presence of angels in dreams are a call to pay attention to your environment and glean more information from it. Messages abound, "wake up" and pay attention.
In Hindu doctrine, gold is the ‘mineral light’. According to Guénon, the
Latin word for gold—aurum—is the same as the Hebrew for light—aor (26).
Jung quotes the delightful explanation offered by the alchemist Michael Maier in
De Circulo Physico Quadrato to the effect that the sun, by virtue of millions of
journeys round the earth (or conversely) has spun threads of gold all round it.
Gold is the image of solar light and hence of the divine intelligence. If the heart is
the image of the sun in man, in the earth it is gold (32). Consequently, gold is
symbolic of all that is superior, the glorified or ‘fourth state’ after the first three
stages of black (standing for sin and penitence), white (remission and innocence)
and red (sublimation and passion). Everything golden or made of gold tends to
pass on this quality of superiority to its utilitarian function. Chrysaor, the magic
sword of gold, symbolizes supreme spiritual determination. Gold is also the
essential element in the symbolism of the hidden or elusive treasure which is an
illustration of the fruits of the spirit and of supreme illumination.
To see gold in your dream, symbolizes wealth, riches, natural healing, illumination and/or spirituality. It is also a symbol of love, longevity and domestic bliss. Negatively, gold may represent greed, corruption and temptation.
To find gold in your dream, indicates that you have discovered something valuable about yourself. This may be some hidden talent or knowledge.
To bury gold in your dream, suggests that you are trying to hide something about yourself.
f you handle gold in your dream, you will be unusually successful in all enterprises. For a woman to dream that she receives presents of gold, either money or ornaments, she will marry a wealthy but mercenary man.
To find gold, indicates that your superior abilities will place you easily ahead in the race for honors and wealth.
If you lose gold, you will miss the grandest opportunity of your life through negligence.
To dream of finding a gold vein, denotes that some uneasy honor will be thrust upon you.
If you dream that you contemplate working a gold mine, you will endeavor to usurp the rights of others, and should beware of domestic scandals.
Finding gold in your dream means that your superior abilities will place you easily ahead of others. Seeing bars of gold and gold jewelry in your dream means your carelessness with the spending of your money. Seeing golden tableware and flatware indicates financial gain and stability. For a pregnant woman, to dream of gold, foretells that your expected child will be a girl.
Dreaming about gold could be a reflection of concerns that you have about your most precious valuables or a reference to "alchemist's gold" which is usually spiritual in nature. If you are losing gold in your dream, it may express your anxieties over a missed opportunity. However, remember, "All that glitters is not gold." Your unconscious mind may be reminding you not to judge things on appearances
To see or read the bible in your dream, symbolizes truth, belief, inspiration and knowledge. You are seeking some form of comfort. The bible may also refer to your fundamental belief system. Perhaps you need to turn to the bible more.
To buy a bible in your dream, suggests that you are trying to justify your actions.
To dream of the Bible, foretells that innocent and disillusioned enjoyment will be proffered for your acceptance.
To dream that you villify{sic} the teachings of the Bible, forewarns you that you are about to succumb to resisted temptations through the seductive persuasiveness of a frien
Dreaming of or read the bible, symbolizes truth, belief, inspiration and knowledge. You are seeking some form of comfort. The bible may also refer to your fundamental belief system. Perhaps you need to turn to the bible more.
If you dream that you are reading the bible, or that you give someone a bible, you may think that a situation needs to be approached in a sensitive manner.
A dream about swearing on the bible can be a message from your unconscious that you need to be more assertive.
If you see a bible on a lectern in your dream, you may be feeling confused about something.
To dream that you are joyful, denotes harmony amongst friends and loved ones. The dream is a reflection of your waking state of mind.
To dream that you feel joy over any event, denotes harmony among friends.
Dreaming that you are joyful indicates harmony amongst friends and loved ones.
To dream that something or someone is perfect, represents your unrealistic expectations and idealistic notions.