Fish symbols in dreams and their meaning can be found cross-culturally, from Greek mythology to Jungian psychology. Interestingly, what the fish images represents appears to be universal.
Fish or Salmon in First Nations Imagery
To the west coast First Nations groups in North America, salmon is seen as both a food source and artistic symbol. The image serves as a link between mere survival and the development of culture. It can be found as an important image in First Nations artwork and legends. The salmon image represents renewal.
Biblical Imagery of Fish
In the Bible, fish can also be seen as a symbol of abundance. In John Chapter Six, Jesus is able to feed the multitude by multiplying two fish and five loaves of bread in order to feed the five-thousand. The fish symbol that is used to identify Christianity (and can sometimes be found in sticker form on the back bumper of cars) was taken from the Greek word Ichthys, the letters of which were used a an acronym to spell "Jesus Christ God's Son Saviour". Early Christians would draw this fish symbol as a secret sign of identification.
The Fish in Mythology
In Greek mythology, Ichthys was the son of Atargatis, goddess of the sea. He represented sexuality and fertility. There are other gods and goddesses in legends that represent the fish symbol in Philistine, Egyptians and Northern European myths that also symbolize these same qualities. In Indian mythology, the fish is seen as an image of reincarnation as fish are seen to hold the souls of the deceased. These deceased will then be reincarnated in the body of the one who eats the fish.
Fish Symbols in Dream Imagery
Carl Jung spent much time studying the image of fish in dreams since he saw it as a significant symbol emerging from the collective unconscious. He saw the fish as a symbol of the unconscious mind and the self, and its connections with fertility could symbolize personal growth.
In The Complete Dream Dictionary, Pamela Ball defines the image of a fish as representing the wisdom and awareness that comes from the common experience. In Chinese dream interpretation, a fish is always seen as a symbol of abundance.
What does it Mean?
Although dream images, such as a fish, are common to the collective unconscious as Jung says, the actual meaning of the symbols in dreams should be interpreted in light of the individual's personal circumstances. Dreaming of catching fish in nets could mean that abundance could be coming in financial form. Dreaming of fish swimming against a current might mean that the dreamer feels he is struggling against life's circumstances. Whatever the personal context,however, the fish symbol carries such positive and powerful connotations of renewal, abundance and wisdom, it should be seen as a significant dream image worth paying attention to.
Resources:
Ball, Pamela. The Complete Dream Dictionary. Ontario: Prospero Books, 1999.
Jung, Carl. Man and His Symbols. U.S.A. :Dell, 1968.
Lisa Loewen - Lisa Loewen is a writer and educator living in the area of Vancouver, B.C. She has a B.A with a major in History with a focus on Canadian ...
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