Animal dream symbolism is a common concept in many folklore cultures and many experts have already spoken a lot on this topic. Whenever you see animals in your subconscious state, it may mean hidden desires, inadequacies or any untamed savage part of yourself that just gets manifested in dreams. In this article, we will explore fish dream meaning and its symbolic elucidation in real life situations.
If you are getting dreams of these aquatic animals too often, then you would find this article useful and worth reading.
Fish dream meaning
Summary
Fish in dreams mean fertility, progress, and abundance. These dreams are a mere reflection of your personal growth, fulfillment of desires, and accomplishing goals in life. As the fishes are aquatic animals, it also represents your emotional states and mindset.
As a spirit animal, fish symbolize mobility, growth, sustenance, and exuberance. When it appears in your dreams, it carries the message of self-worth, openness of mind and deeper emotional connectedness with the physical and material world. In Asian and North American culture, fishes are a lucky omen and its appearance in dreams is symbolic of creation, life, vitality, progress, growth, and prosperity.
The symbol of fish in dreams has been valued because it represents creation and sustenance of life on this planet. It reminds you that you have immense psychic and spiritual powers to manifest your deepest desires and wishes, only if you are hardworking and dedicated to accomplish your goals.
The Chinese people had long considered fishes as a spiritual messenger of peace, harmony, and balancing of our emotions, and developing our inner intuitive wisdom to live a life of our choice. In Japan, people believed that fish dream meanings signifies courage, resilience, strength of mind, endurance, and ability to fight all odds.
As the fish is a very familiar motif in dreams, interpretations would vary according to the context, how you process your feelings associated with the dreams.
Fish dream meaning can also represent your spiritual and psychological alignment with real life situations. It appears in dreams to communicate your deepest desires, beliefs, and perspectives about yourself and even the way you attract success and abundance in your waking life.
The spiritual meaning of dreams about fishes
Spiritually, when you dream about fishes, it means good luck, health, abundance, emotional balance, happiness, and fertility. As it connects you with the water element, it signifies insight and in-depth understanding of oneself.
If you have been having frequent dreams about fishes; you must be wondering, what does it mean? From a spiritual point of view, fish dream meaning can represent the following:
- A fish dream can mean financial growth, more wealth, prosperity, unexpected monetary gain, and good fortune
- When you see fish in your dreams, it shows the kind and generous side of you. You help people with money and wealth and derive happiness and inner peace. You are always a giver, and no matter what happens, you feel that you always have enough to share it with others.
- A fish dream also means that you are adaptable to change, independent in your thoughts and actions.
- Fish signifies water element; it signifies deeper emotional stability. You are balanced, poised, and intuitive.
- The fish in your dream world also represents spiritual awakening and awareness of your higher self.
- As the fish swims through the vastness of the rivers or seas, it reflects your lost state of mind.
- Fishes in dreams also mean your fertile ideas and creative thoughts that are waiting to get manifested in wakeful life. Thus on an abstract level, dreams about fishes represent cycles of creation and your unstoppable ability to remove obstacles in life.
- A fish in dreams also means infinite opportunities, wisdom, and inspiration that life gives you. It tells you to manifest these powers to accomplish your goals.
- Fish dreams also means tuning and balancing your emotions to have a harmonious life
What does it mean when you dream about fish? (Common symbolic meanings)
The symbolic meaning of fish in dreams varies according to the culture and the specific situation in which the dream is seen. Symbolically, the way you perceive a fish in your waking life can also influence the dream interpretation. Thus, your personal feelings and associations with this aquatic animal goes a long way in interpreting the accurate meaning of the dream. Many dream analysts also emphasize that you can maintain a dream journal and note down what happened in the dream and its associated feelings.
The common symbolic meanings of dreaming about a fish are as follows:
More than enough
A fish in your subconscious mind symbolizes abundance and exuberance. It symbolizes that life has given you plenty of opportunities to feel happy about. You just need to be grateful and humble to cherish more of it. You must have noticed that a large catch of fish from the sea can actually feed a lot of people. So it is symbolic of ‘more than enough’. When you dream about fishes, it may also mean financial gain, wealth, and success.
Spiritual link
Fishes are always associated with spirituality in the Christian religion. The native people of America believe that fish symbolizes connection with your higher self; as it represents intuition, wisdom and a deep awareness of oneself. Dreaming about fishes is a wakeup call to tap into your spiritual awareness and live life with purity and sanctity.
Duality
A fish’s dreams could also symbolize the duality that exists in this world. It represents those opposite paradoxical forces that represent the vibrational energies moving around us. The duality of the world are opposing forces that influence our life and living in every way. Such duality may include good vs evil, darkness vs light, pure vs impure. These forces operate and create a reality for us that may or may not be good always.
Fertility
Many women dream of fishes when they are trying to conceive or get pregnant. A fish in dreams symbolizes conception, fertility, and pregnancy. As fishes lay thousands of eggs when it embarks on a reproductive journey, thus it carries the message of creation and nurturance. It is a powerful totem for fertility and generative capacity.
Transformation
Fishes symbolize change and transformation. As water is connected to the flow of life, it represents variation, alteration, and modification. A fish in your dreams may carry the message of this radical change. It reminds you to remain open-minded and accept the change when and as it happens. As change is constant and will eventually happen, it is a good idea to accept it in your life and shape your life in desirable ways.
Flow of life
As fishes are always in the water, it symbolizes flow, mobility, fluidity, and movement. It is a gentle reminder to you to move with the flow of life. As fishes move with varying tidal directions, it indicates that you also need to follow specific paths to accomplish your goals. It reminds you to align your thoughts, instincts, and feelings with specific actions to move ahead in life and achieve success.
Cleanliness
Fishes are often associated with purification and sanctity. As fishes mirror your emotions and desires, it enhances your subtle awareness and intuitive understanding. It emphasizes to live life with truth and honesty. When you are truthful in your beliefs and actions, you can easily tap and achieve the purity and holiness of the soul that already exists in you.
Opportunities and growth
When you dream about fishes, it may mean the endless opportunities that are lying ahead of you. Your subconscious is just trying to remind you just that, to elevate your spirits. You will make progress if you tap the right opportunities at the right time. It is your inner call that tells you that you will always have new ways to reach your goal; just what you require is determination and perseverance to accomplish and make things happen at the right time.
Repression of innate desires and wishes
When you dream about fish, it is symbolic of your hidden wishes and desires that are repressed and are not getting manifested in your waking life. Your subconscious mind reflects your unhappiness, worries, and misfortunes with your current state of being. Maybe your real-life situations are tiring and are not allowing you to live your dream life. The dream reminds you to take a note of your inner wishes and take steps to satisfy it.
Fortune and prosperity
A fish’s dream meaning can be good fortune, progress, and growth. Maybe the problems in your waking life are coming to an end; it’s opening new doors of growth and progress for you. It may represent financial gain, profits, and success.
Biblical meaning of fish in dreams
In the Bible, dreams about fishes are considered common and symbolizes good luck and prosperity. It represents fertility, creation, abundance, and forgiveness. Fishes also symbolize faith and loyalty in the Christian community. A fish dream means sustenance. As fishes are the oldest creature living in water, they also mean adaptation, survival, and possess a fighting spirit. It is also a fact that these tiny creatures in dreams signify the depth of your emotions; the more you can uncover the emotions, the better will be the process of emotional healing.
In Christianity, fish has always been a powerful spiritual symbol. The sacred symbol “Ichthys” is a popular concept, consisting of two intersecting arcs, the right end of the arcs meeting at one place to represent the fish tail. This symbol is known as ‘Jesus fish’. It represents manifestation, abundance, and prosperity. This auspicious sign was used by Romans and Greeks as a ‘symbol of protection’. They felt that Ichthys means son of God or Jesus Christ himself.
Thus, the biblical meaning holds a strong meaning that fishes are symbols of faith, protection, connectedness, and abundance.
50 Types of dreaming of fish meanings
The dreams are a window to the unconscious mind. Most of the dreams are a reflection of your current state of mind in real life. The issues of your waking life are trying to get noticed and as such you may be getting weird dreams and seeking explanations for the same. The 50 common dreams about fishes are as follows:
1. Dream of catching a big fish
If you dream of catching the fish, it means a successful endeavor in your real life. To catch a big fish means that you have accomplished a life goal that you might have set for yourself. It could be getting a new job, becoming a parent, or getting married, or even setting up your new startup etc. Some dreams about catching also mean holding on to the new opportunities in life. Similarly, if you see a dream where you have managed to catch the fish but it slipped away and you couldn’t hold it; it means an unsuccessful attempt. If the fish you caught goes back to the water again, then also it means a lost chance. As you have missed your chance and need to wait for another desirable opportunity in future.
2. Dreaming of dead fish
This type of dream may symbolize an uneasy, sick, and tired body. It may mean some bad things will come soon. Lots of dead fish also represents the end of a personal relationship, emotional and sexual incompetence of your partner.
3. Dream about eating fish
The meaning of dreaming of eating fish depends upon the size of the fish. If you dream of eating a large fish, sitting in a restaurant, it signifies profits, monetary gain, financial success, new investments, and accumulation of wealth. Contrary to this, if you dream to eat raw fish that is small, it means you are in a petty trouble and trying to come out of it. Some minor annoyance of your wakeful life is getting manifested in dreams. There are instances where you might dream that a fish is trying to eat you. In such a situation, it could mean that there are harmful people around you who are conspiring against you. They possess some negative intentions and you are reminded to be careful and stay away from them.
4. Dream of a big fish
When you dream of a big fish, it could mean that the Universe is trying to test your tenacity, will power, and emotional maturity; when faced with negative situations in life. You are reminded to set personal boundaries of happiness and well-being and let go of toxic forces in your life. This dream reminds you to stay calm and poised and have a good control over your emotional upheavals. A big fish symbolizes your ability to solve issues and decide upon things both rationally and emotionally.
5. Dream of cooking a fish
A fish dream to cook fish represents a bad sign. It represents life problems and stressful moments that you are going to face in your wakeful life. This dream tells you to change your attitude and perspectives to become successful and cope up with your current problems.
6. Dreaming of fish swimming
Whenever you dream of fish swimming, it means that you are happy with your love life. Maybe you will soon meet someone special and get into a relationship. This dream also signifies good life experiences and happiness that may come from success in a job, starting on a new project, etc. this dream type is all about growth and prosperity in all walks of life.
7. Dream of fried fish
When you dream of a fried fish, it represents your calm and poised state of mind. It tells you to remain honest and pursue your goals with perseverance. A fried fish is a symbol of firmness and strength of mind. Even when you dream of eating a fried fish, it means content and inner joy. You have embarked upon a fulfilling journey of life, with good friends around and loving family relationships.
8. Dream of fish eggs
When you dream about fish eggs, it means a fresh start. You may start a new career, a new beginning such as marriage or parenthood etc. Lauri Loewenberg, an eminent dream analyst said that dreaming about fish eggs is also linked to fertility. She further adds that women who want to have a child usually get dreams of fish eggs. This is also a reminder to create and generate new ideas to make new beginnings in life.
9. Dreaming of a fish tank
When you see a lot of fish in a fish tank, it means that the ideas and emotions that flow in your subconscious state needs to be manifested in your waking life. It reminds you of all the beautiful opportunities that life has given you; you just need to look below the surface and put your ideas into successful endeavors.
10. Dreaming of fish in clear water
If you dream about fishes in clear water, it means you have proper insight and clarity in whatever you are doing right now. In some other context, these dreams also symbolize wealth, power, and promotion.
11. Dreaming of fish in muddy water
If you see fishes in muddy water, it usually represents an illness or some complex life problem bothering you. A muddy water represents lack of clarity and awareness. It represents blurred perception with a lot of negative emotions attached with it. You are not clear about your goals and ambitions and are trying to figure out your actual purpose in life.
12. Dream of a school of fish
If you get dreams of this type, it means abundance and growth. If the school of fishes are swimming smoothly, it means you are happy and content with whatever is going on in your waking life. A school of fish means a storehouse of wisdom and knowledge.
13. Dreaming of fish jumping out of water
If you dream of a that jumps out of water, it represents some unexpected situations in your life. You are surprised to see the changes and are not confident whether to deal with it successfully. You may feel emotionally overwhelmed after such a dream. This dream induces fear and tends to question your worth and credibility.
14. Dreaming of fish in an aquarium
When you dream of fish in an aquarium, it may represent your confined wishes and unfulfilled desires. You are not happy in your current life situation. You may feel trapped and as such you are unable to make progress towards your goal.
15. Dreaming of a large and threatening fish
If you dream of a large fish or sea animal such as a whale or shark, it represents your repressed fears, insecurities, and worries. Some current threat in your waking life or impending danger is just getting manifested in dreams. You may feel less controlled and are overtaken by negative emotions.
16. Dreaming of someone turning into a fish
This dream symbol means change and transformation in your waking life. It represents a comfortable change that has been welcomed by you. It made you happy. The mood of this dream is a sign of positive things, as it signifies new beginnings in life that are positive and leads to personal growth.
17. Dreaming of fish during pregnancy
If you get dreams of fish while being pregnant, it means creation, nurturance, and sustenance. The embryo thriving in you represents creation and new beginnings, coupled with joy and life satisfaction. These dreams are symbolic of good luck, success, and a fresh start in life.
18. Dreaming of colorful fishes
When you dream of colorful fishes swimming in water, it means optimism, hope, new ventures, a fresh start, and accomplishment of life goals. It reminds you to move out of your comfort zone and embark on a new journey. You are told to start things afresh in your waking life. You need to uncover your hidden talents and passions and pursue them successfully.
19. Dream about a live fish
This dream is a lucky charm as it signifies love and relationships, growth, and prosperity. It reminds you that very soon you are to be rewarded in some ways. Your relationship will be healthy and enriching. This dream also symbolizes nurturing your innate abilities and using it in the right way.
20. Dream about cleaning fish
It is a good sign of prosperity and progress. To clean a fish in dreams is a good reminder to let go of your old habits, old perspectives and beliefs. You should embrace new beginnings in life, accept the good ones and develop a positive mindset towards life.
21. Dreaming of fish talking
If you dream of a fish talking to you, it means that you should develop your communication skills. It is a good sign that tells you to focus on social relationships, to spend time with family and friends, and mend your communication gaps with your near and dear ones. It also represents your loneliness and solitude.
22. Dreaming of fish out of water
This dream symbolism is not a good omen. It signifies that you are lonely and probably in an uncomfortable life situation. You are alienated, isolated, in response to others. Your relationships have fallen apart and you do not have enough support system to lean on in times of adversities.
23. Dream about flying fish
When you dream about flying fishes, it may mean overcoming problems in your real-life situations. You have been able to solve your problems and obstacles and are happy and blissful about it. Flying fish symbolizes freedom of thought, feelings, and actions. It also represents a successful endeavor that you have achieved by mere hard work.
24. Dream of not able to catch a fish
This dream signifies that you have just missed a good chance in your waking life. It symbolizes losing opportunities and the result is disappointments and worries.
25. Dreaming of fisherman
This dream tells you to relax and let go of worries in your real life. You need to focus on yourself and do some self-care that you may have ignored for long.
26. Dreaming of fishing
If you dream of fishing alone or with someone else, it is considered auspicious. It signifies wealth and good luck. Fishing also represents hidden emotions and your repressed wishes that want to get manifested in your real life situations. The dreams are a reminder to you to carry on with your good work. In real life, fishing is a relaxing activity, so when you see yourself doing it in dreams, it may mean it’s time to take some off and live life fully.
27. Dreaming of killing fish
When you dream about killing fishes, it means that you have overcome your problems and defeated your enemies. It means that you have successfully achieved whatever you have desired. When you kill a fish in your dreams, it simply means victory, personal growth, self-improvement, and prosperity.
28. Dreams about buying fish
When you see yourself buying a fish, it means that you or your family members may have health problems. In another context, to buy fish also means greed and wanting more from life. It symbolizes your unhealthy desires and obsessions in life.
29. Dreams about piles of dead fish
This type of dream usually holds a negative meaning. It represents loneliness and solitude. Your relationships are not going healthy and you may feel that nobody tries to understand you and so you always tend to hide your true feelings. A pile of dead fishes also means fresh difficulties and obstacles. It also means loss of hope, sadness, and treachery.
30. Dreaming of a fish market
When you dream about a fish market, it means positivity and good luck. It resembles new opportunities for personal growth and innovation.
31. Dreaming of small fish
A dream about a small fish or many small fishes together can mean many minor obstacles in life. In certain connotations, it could mean a sudden accident or misfortune with minor injuries. A dream about the small fish can mean that probably you will lose something important to you. Thus, it indicates loss of valuable material objects.
32. Dreaming of an empty fish pond
If you dream of an empty fish pond, it means that your enemies are watching you and secretly conspiring against you. This is a wake-up call to stay safe and cautious. You are reminded of the various safety measures that you may take to protect yourself.
33. Dreaming of fish hooks
When you dream of fish hooks, it may mean cheating by some known person. You have been deceived and tricked by someone who dislikes you. This dream is considered a bad omen as it signifies deceit, lies, and unhealthy social practices that you might have been a part of.
34. Dreaming about fish bites
When you see dreams about fish biting you it indicates problems. Your work pursuits will not be smooth. It may indicate that your life problems may get big and worse. The problems may be related to finance, health, relationships, family life, and social life.
35. Dreaming of a big fish attacking you
It represents your emotional problems in wakeful life. You are emotionally overwhelmed for some reason and trying to escape away from it. This dream is symbolic of fear and uncertainty, lack of control over negative thoughts. This dream holds a negative meaning of bigger life problems coming your way.
36. Dreaming of fishing rod
When you dream about fishing rods, it means you are motivated to confront issues and problems in your real life. You are also ready to deal with your repressed emotions and will readily take up self-discovery. This dream signifies your personal quest towards gaining insight and wisdom.
37. Dreams about rotten fish
This dream holds a negative connotation in your real life. It symbolizes family conflicts, broken relationships, disputes, and jealousy. Someone is conspiring against you and all your relationships are slowly getting toxic and unacceptable.
38. Dreaming of fish bones
Fish bones are a reminder that you need to learn from previous mistakes to live a healthy and happy life. The mistakes that you have committed in your waking life are lessons that teach you endurance and perseverance.
39. Dreaming of dropping the fish on the ground
This type of dream denotes your negative feelings, anxieties, and worries. It denotes lack of emotional control and stress in your waking life. You are emotionally overwhelmed with constant worries. This dream tells you to relax and take some time out for recreation and well-being.
Fish dream meaning – Different types
When you dream about different types of fishes, it also holds a symbolic meaning. Let’s analyze a few of them.
40. Dream of Koi fish
When you dream about Koi fish swimming in clear water, it is considered lucky and auspicious. It represents friendship, love, and affection. This dream reminds you to let go your arrogance and pride and be humble and kind. Koi fish dreams also mean tenacity and patience. A black koi fish in a dream brings change and transformation. A gold koi fish is symbolic of abundance, growth, and prosperous living. A white koi with red mouth brings a message of love. If you dream about koi fish with red markings on its head, it symbolizes reputation and promotion at work. A silver koi also represents business deal and growth.
41. Dream of goldfish
When you dream about a goldfish, it can have varying meanings. If you see that you are holding the goldfish in your bare hands, it represents new beginnings and good luck. If a young woman dreams of a goldfish, it means that she will soon meet her life partner. These dreams are related to wish fulfillment and meeting of your repressed desires. Gold fish is a positive symbol of inspiration and good opportunities. The dream also means hope, happiness and fulfilled living.
42. Dreaming of sea fish
When you dream about different fishes in the sea and they are swimming around, it may signify good luck. You may receive good news related to any particular aspect of your life soon. But if you are facing problems in your waking life, a large sea fish dream may represent gossip and conspiracy. A small sea fish also represents loss of money, loss of respect or worth.
43. Dreams about Catfish
The catfish symbolizes your deepest emotions. It symbolizes fear, inadequacies, and insecurities. When you get such dreams, it’s a reminder to adopt well with changing circumstances. You need to work out what suits well for you. It gives you a warning to change your perspectives and develop healthy emotions to solve your problems effectively.
44. Dreaming of salmon
When you dream about salmon, it symbolizes deeper emotions and struggles associated with life. Moreover, in certain dream contexts, these fishes also signify fertility, renewal, and prosperity. The exact interpretation depends upon the dream context and the feelings that you get during the dream process.
45. Dreams about jellyfish
A jellyfish in dreams can show your aggressive nature. It shows that you are controlling and loves to impose rules on others. It reminds you to become flexible with your thoughts and perspective. You should give enough space to others to maintain healthy relationships with all.
46. Dreams about starfish
Starfish is symbolic of good luck, enlightenment, wisdom, change, empowerment, and insight. When you dream of these fishes, it means that you are undergoing a change in your life. It reminds you to trust your intuitions and keep following them until you achieve your goals.
Colored Fish dream meaning
Different colors of fishes also hold symbolic meanings of its own. Some common beliefs associated with these colorful fishes are as follows:
- Black fish dream meaning – a black fish denotes loss, grief, death, infidelity, loss of trust
- White fish dream meaning – white fishes are symbolic of happiness in love life and fulfilling personal relationships.
- Golden fish dream meaning – a gold colored fish represents wealth, prosperity, and progress
- Red fish dream meaning – anxiety and worries
- Yellow fish dream meaning – friendships, and family life
- Blue fish dream meaning – it represents depression, sadness, and a bad mood.
- Purple fish dreams meaning – romance, love, and passion
Cultural interpretations of fish in dreams
Throughout the long traditions of folklore history and culture, fish in dreams are usually considered auspicious and lucky. The fish symbolizes wisdom, good luck, monetary gain, intellectual power, and even pregnancy that is about to come. As such the different cultural interpretations of fish dreams are:
1. In Native American culture
Fish dream meaning in this represents longevity and wisdom. The salmon fish is regarded as a storehouse of knowledge and wisdom.
2. In Chinese and Japanese culture
In China, fish in dreams are related to fertility, devotion, and happiness in married life. The koi fish is given to the new bride during weddings to embrace new beginnings. In Japan dreaming of Koi fishes represents courage and inner strength, a sense of freedom and authority.
3. In Greece
In Greece also, dreaming of fishes is considered a lucky omen. It symbolizes the dreamer’s inner strength and authority to sail through adversities.
4. In the Bible and Christianity
In the Bible, fishes are auspicious species to be seen in night time fantasies. It symbolizes faith, clarity of thought and understanding; abundance amidst scarcity.
5. In Buddhism
A fish in dreams means spiritual awakening. It means the dreamer has learned to let go of past issues and move ahead in life. In spiritual theories, fish symbolizes the eightfold principles of Lord Buddha.
6. In Hinduism
The dreams of fishes are related to higher self and spiritual awakening. Lord Vishnu Is depicted as ‘matsya’ with head of a human and tail of a fish in folklore depictions. it represents the connection of the dreamer with his/her spiritual being.
What to ask yourself when you dream about fish?
Whenever you dream about fishes, it is important to note down your feelings and associated anxieties related to the dream in order to interpret the meanings. You can ask a few questions to yourself about the dream that you have just seen.
- How many fish or fishes were there in the dream?
- What were the fishes doing?
- What kind and color of fish came into the dreams?
- What was the size of the fish?
- How did you feel after the dream? Were you anxious or happy with the dream?
The video link given below describes the symbolic meaning of fish dreams.
Parting words from “TheMindFool”
From the detailed discussion done so far, it became clear that fish dream meaning is symbolic and is a mere reflection of your inner world. It’s just a reminder to make positive changes in life and tackle life problems effectively. You are neither to get swayed by emotions nor by excessive reasoning. Rather the best way to interpret such dreams is to be intuitive and aware of the associated thoughts and feelings of these dreams.
The pop-ups of your subconscious mind can communicate hidden truths about which you were never aware in your wakeful life. You can best decide which fish dream symbolism works well for you because everyone has their own insight and judgements how dreams relate to their life and living.
If you get dreams orcas then check its meaning here.
