Isn’t is wonderful that our minds provide some entertainment as we recharge? Why we dream depends on who you ask, but it’s a great way for your brain to work out any conundrums it’s facing with minimal distractions.
Your dreams are heavily influenced by your environment, both physical and emotional. Even when the dream seems to come off as a collage of scenes that appear non-related, you’ll always find that it all seems familiar.
When we dream of people, sometimes we can’t see their faces but often, we know who they are. With animals it is a little different. You are unlikely to dream about something you’ve never seen or wondered about.
If you haven’t been on a farm and haven’t watched any braying animals lately, a donkey is unlikely to debut in your REM (Rapid Eye Movement – said to be the stage of sleep when dreams are most vivid) box office.
Dreams are so subjective that the images your brain is likely to conjure up must have some significance to you.
This article is going to focus on the imagery of a sheep dream, a few examples of the scenarios the dreams may present and possible interpretations. This is more art than science and is heavily dependent on the dreamer.
Think of a dream like you would an abstract painting. Two different people can have the same elements in a dream yet the message derived from both could be completely different. As one seeks to interpret their dream, it is important to consider a few things:
What emotions did the dream elicit? Did you feel scared or assured? Were you in danger or did you feel safe. Were you comfortable with the main object in the dream or repulsed? The emotions felt during and in the wake of the dream are very important in deriving accurate meanings from the dream
What did you do the day before? Not all dreams are meant to communicate a hidden message. If you took a trip to New Zealand to see the place where the Lord of the rings movies were shot, and came across a flock of sheep, their presence in your dream may be just your brain replaying the events of the day.
Your feelings toward the object of the dream, in this case sheep. Are sheep friend or foe? If you’re a farmer, the presence of a healthy flock of sheep may mean something completely different than a city dweller that has no affection for these fluffy livestock. The same type of dream could elicit completely different reactions and cannot then be interpreted the same way.
The above elements provide a context for the dream and will contribute to the decryption of your subconscious message.
What does the image of the sheep mean?
A sheep thrives in a herd and are social docile animals. They are tagged to distinguish between them so in most cases there are no natural discernable features, at least not to the untrained eye.
They are known to follow the leader, no questions asked. It’s easy to prove this. If you direct sheep to an area where they have to jump over a hurdle, and then remove the hurdle after half of them have jumped, the rest will continue to jump as if the hurdle was still there.
As a result they aren’t viewed as intelligent, but rather followers and dependent on a leader. They are mostly timid animals, unless you find yourself faced with a territorial ram. Their domesticated nature puts them at the mercy of man or predator with barely any defences.
It’s not hard to understand why counting sheep would have the lulling effect it has. Coming across a flock of sheep as part of a landscape is calming, as long as you do not have a phobia for them.
A flock is a sign of prosperity, wealth, productivity and multiplication. It can be a sign of a positive ripple effect where one action leads to much greater things.
Lambs are a symbol of innocence and vulnerability. It can also be a sign of nurturing because of their level of dependence. A white lamb is often thought of as a sign of purity.
Rams are known to be territorial and virile. A ram is likely to fight off other rams or other threats to his flock. They are a sign of power and conflict with possible victory.
Let’s tackle a few possible scenarios
Sheep as part of the landscape
If your dream is about you at a vantage point looking down or over a landscape with sheep, where you feel relaxed, then it could mean that you are content with what decisions you have made.
You feel that your actions or decisions will lead to the acquisition of so much more. If on the other hand, the dream left you feeling frustrated, it could be that you feel you have lost significance.
The sheep could represent your compliant nature and your frustration would be an attempt to break out from the flock and stand out. Was the flock blocking your view of something else?
Perhaps there is a common understanding shared among many that you feel you need to change. Perhaps your own idea has been challenged and you’re having a hard time trying to see beyond it to something new and risky.
Herding the sheep
Are you trying to get the flock in one direction? Are they going where you want them to go? Are they moving at all? Do you feel as if they can’t hear you?
Herding could symbolize some inner conflict that you are trying to resolve. It could be that you are trying to get different ideas to work together, or trying to come to a common understanding with others.
It could also point toward a feeling of insecurity about yourself and your skills. Perhaps you don’t feel ready to tackle an assignment or project. That anxiety can manifest itself in form a failure to herd sheep successfully.
Perhaps you fill a mismatch in your life that you are not suited for a particular task and you belong in another world.
On a positive note, it could be a sign of a breakthrough in communication, allowing you to lead a team in a wanted direction. Another possibility is a sign of resignation.
Did your inability to move the herd bother you? If not, it could be a sign of final acceptance. Perhaps you have finally decided to agree to disagree and you can now move on, despite failing to reach a particular goal.
Are you one of the sheep?
Are you trying to join a flock yet feel like an outcast? Is the rest of the flock rejecting you? Are you trying to separate yourself from the sheep? As people we all need to feel that we belong.
Perhaps the relationships with your family members have been strained. Maybe your attempts to make amends haven’t been received graciously. This longing to belong is likely to pop up in your dreams.
On the flipside, if you the dream feels like a suffocating dream or getting lost in the flock then that points to conflict within yourself, trying to break away from your norm.
The pressure could be from friends and family trying to keep you from a risky venture moving to unfamiliar territories. It could also be your own insecurities trying to keep you from trying out new things.
What if all you see is one sheep?
Is it an ewe, a ram or a lamb? It is thought a single ewe could signify a female symbol of authority. There may be a woman in your life that makes you anxious or that you look up to.
Is the ewe blocking your path or does it appear to you as an aid? How you feel in that moment will help guide you to the meaning that best suits your circumstance.
A lone lamb can bring out the nurturer in you, or be a sign of vulnerability. There are those who say that the lamb can signify a birth or new member of the family.
A sick sheep is a sign of things going wrong or out of your control. The presence of a dead sheep could be anxiety over a failure or inability to protect a loved one. It could also point to sacrifice or giving up something close or dear to you.
Slaughter or feasting on sheep
Once again, this is heavily dependent on how you view sheep and the emotions you felt in the dream. Slaughter can be ceremonial, signifying a happy occasion.
It could also mean the death of a part of you, perhaps the timid part freeing you to embrace adventure.
If it was an unpleasant dream, slaughter could mean that someone is taking advantage of your peaceful nature. It could be a manifestation of your doubts about someone in your inner circle.
Conclusion
Freud would have found a way to link your sheep dreams with repressed sexual desires, but that is hardly ever the case. As you seek to find meaning, pay close attention to all the other elements in the dream in order to get a truly whole picture.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article !