Dreaming of Eagles: Discover the Spiritual Meaning and Interpretation

Dreams can take many forms, and so much of our subconscious and reality is fuel for our mind to toy with after we fall asleep. Over the centuries, many have spoken about dreams where an animal makes a presence, and what that could mean for the dreaming person’s life. Some animals are good omens; some are not.

A big part of our dreams stems from what we think about regularly. Some of the lesser know appearances in dreams may be something that we saw recently, if only for a moment, and the visualization left a mark in our thoughts for whatever reason. Many people believe there is meaning, whether ominous or positive, in our dreams. Those of us who remember what we’ve dreamed about may be able to recall it for a reason.

Dreaming of Eagles

Eagles are massive, beautiful birds that spend a good portion of their time flying high and gazing down at the world while scanning the land for prey. Other eagles spend their time near bodies of water and prefer to fish than hunt mammals. But what does it mean when an eagle shows up in your dream?

Dreaming of Catching an Eagle

This might mean you are not listening closely enough to someone that is trying to explain themselves to you. It could be that you are obscuring how another person is trying to find out about themselves. It could also mean that you need to pay closer attention to your surroundings or that you can make an educated decision if you pay attention to what others around you want.

Dream of an Eagle Attacking You

This type of dream may mean you are under attack or need to watch your back. It can also mean that you need to protect yourself more in life.

Dream of Killing an Eagle

If you have dreams of killing an eagle, it could mean that you will get what you want by being ruthless and not caring about others, even if they are friends or family. It could also mean you are killing your freedom.

Dream of a Dead Eagle

If you dream of a dead eagle, it could mean that you are feeling disappointed, depressed, and like a failure. It can also mean that you are losing control of your objectives.

Dream of an Eagle Chasing You

This can mean that you are in the midst of financial troubles, which are starting to affect your mental health. It can also mean that you know something bad is going to happen but don’t know when so you are waiting for it to catch you.

Dream of Riding on an Eagle

This type of dream could mean that you will visit a new and exciting place, but it could be a little scary if you’re not open to it completely. It can also mean that a new adventure awaits you that will bring you closer to your goals while making everything else seem small.

Dreaming of an Eagle’s Nest

This could mean that you are looking for a sense of stability in your life and a place to call your own. It could also indicate your home and family.

Dreaming of an Eagle Soaring

This can mean that you are acting passionately and courageously to obtain your desires. It can also mean that you are searching for something since that is generally why an eagle flies.

Dreaming of an Eagle Carrying Something

This can represent a task you need to complete. It can also stand for the desire for success or to accomplish something you have been working towards.

Dreaming of an Eagle Perched on a Tree

This type of dream can symbolize the need for a long-awaited break where you can sit in peace. It can also mean that a time to sow down and catch your breath is upon you.

Dreaming of an Eagle with Golden Feathers

Dreaming of a golden feathered eagle symbolizes wealth, power, or success. It can also stand for your desire to succeed with something currently in your life.

Dreaming of an Eagle with White Feathers

This can symbolize a spirit guide or a need for spiritual growth. It can also mean you need clarity or purity in your life.

Dreaming of an Eagle with Black Feathers

This can mean you need to be more assertive or protect yourself in your life. It can also symbolize strength, power, and protection overall.

Dream of Becoming an Eagle

This can indicate getting a new start in life or a transformation. This can also stand for a metamorphosis in your life.

Spiritual Meaning of Eagles

What does spirituality mean to you? To some people, it means seeking a bigger and more powerful connection with something other than yourself. Not everyone is in tune with their spirituality; some are against it altogether. It gives some purpose to their otherwise empty existence. What does it say spiritually to dream about an eagle?

The eagle, no matter the type, symbolizes protection, strength, independence, and vision. Others believe it means spirit, freedom, and self-expression. It generally means spiritual growth and connection to our higher, authentic selves. Eagles symbolize freedom in a way that few other animals can. They fly wherever they want at any time and are at the top of the food chain. These feathered apex predators do not let fear stand in their way. They protect their nest and family with everything they have and mate for life. The eagle doesn’t give up and will rise above everything and everyone to pursue their desires.

Native American Spirituality

To the Native Americans, eagles are sacred beings that symbolize honesty, truth, majesty, strength, courage, power, freedom, and wisdom. Their feathers are honored with great care and respect, just like the raptors themselves. To be given an eagle feather is the highest honor one can have within the tribe. The one gifted the feather must never let the feather come into contact with anything that would impair the wearer’s mind. The feather is given with great gratitude, respect, and love for the receiver by their people. The feather must hang up in the home and not be stored away. Also, the feather must never be abused, dropped, or contaminated in any way.

The Cherokee Native American Tribe incorporates eagle feathers into the dancers’ ensemble used in the Eagle Dance. If a feather comes loose and falls on the ground, there is a tribe member appointed to guard the feather where it landed until the proper cleansing ceremony has been performed. Many would rather lose their horse than their eagle feathers. They are not given away often; in doing so, the tribe member must do something fearless to be awarded the ability to wear one in their hair.

Native Americans believe that when the creator first made the world, they also made birds, and the eagle was their leader and Master of the Sky. The eagle spends more time very high up in the sky, and it is believed that eagles are closer to Father Sky and that Father Sky is an element of the spirit. The eagle’s wings represent man and woman and the balance between them.

Some Other Worldwide Views on Eagles

Across the oceans and throughout the land, eagles have been regarded as spiritual beasts with an array of magical properties and unimaginable strength for centuries. Each nation has a set of mythological tales, superstitions, and otherwise spiritual meanings behind the eagle. Below are some examples of what the different cultures believed.

Norse

Ancient Germanic tribes associate the eagle with Odin. In Norse mythology, Odin is the god of war and a sky god. The eagle was very sacred to Odin. The Norse believe that when a hero is born, a golden eagle cries. The golden eagle is most often silent, so to hear its call meant something very special was taking place.

The greatest of eagles sits on top of the Tree of Life, World Tree, or Yggdrasill. It was also suggested that if a lone eagle was seen sitting on a branch, an enemy was approaching. If a pair of eagles were seen, it symbolizes peace.

Greek

In ancient Greece, Aetos Dios was a massive golden eagle that was Zeus’ companion and messenger. Zeus even had a drawing of the eagle holding a bolt of lightning on his shield.

There are several legends regarding where the eagle came from or why it was with Zeus. Some say that Aëtos, the childhood human friend of Zeus, is the eagle. Hera, the sister/wife of Zeus, turned Aetos into an eagle because she feared Zeus was in love with him.

Another legend says that Periphas, who was said to be a legendary king of Attica who was kind and fair, made Zeus so jealous of his popularity that Zeus turned him into an eagle to remain at his side and be king of the birds. This was better than what Zeus originally wanted before Apollo stepped in since he had intended to kill Periphas’ entire family, including himself. Yikes!

Another Greek legend states that Gaia, the mother of all life, created the eagle and sent it to Zeus. Zeus first met the eagle at the beginning of the 10-year war, the Titanomachy. When Zeus saw the majestic eagle, he took this as a good omen of victory, and thus he put a picture of the eagle on his shield.

“For so happy an omen, especially since victory did ensue, he made a golden eagle for his war standards and consecrated it to the might of his protection, whereby also among the Romans, standards of this kind are carried.” — a translated excerpt from Fulgentius’ “Mythologies” (Mythologiarum Libri III)

Christianity

The eagle is mentioned many times in the bible. In artwork involving the resurrection of Christ, he is often depicted as an eagle rising in flight since it symbolizes power. The eagle is also a symbol of the Gospel of Saint John.

Isaiah 40:31 reads, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.“

The Book of Exodus 19:4 says, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”

Deuteronomy 32:11 says, “Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions.“

In Psalm 103, the eagle is once again mentioned: “Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s?” 

Roman Republic

The eagle symbol of the ancient Roman Republic used on the battle shields of the legions was called Aquila. The eagle was held very highly by the god Jupiter, who was regarded as the greatest and best god of the Romanians. Then the eagle was made their symbolic mascot. The legionary eagle was made of silver. It was considered consecrated and sacred, and any loss in combat was considered extremely bad.

Celtic

There is a Welch tale about Culhwch and Olwen that speaks of the eagle. The story goes that one of Culhwch’s tasks, to win the hand of his beloved, Olwen, was to find a lost child. It says that the oldest and wisest animals must be sought for the information needed to get back the kidnapped child Mabon, the magical son of the goddess of motherhood. The animal he spoke with was an eagle. The Celtics have always held the birds in high regard for their ancient wisdom.

The white-tailed eagle is a beautiful raptor with beautiful light-colored eyes. In garlic, “Iolaire suile na grein” translates into “the eagle with the sunlit eye.” These magnificent birds are known as Erne from the Anglo-Saxon for “‘the soarer.”

Scotland

Several golden eagle skeletons were found in a tomb in Orkney. People believe the eagles held some type of religious significance. In Scotland, the dead would be left in the open so that the birds of prey could scavenge them.

Celtics also referred to eagles as the carrion birds of the battlefield and messengers of the sky that sometimes brought good or bad news. They also consider the eagle a visionary who is a high achiever who will stop at nothing to see its desires come true.

An old Western Highland myth states that the birds all held a contest to see who could fly the highest. The eagle, of course, was winning, but right at the end of the race, a wren popped out from the eagle’s feathers and journeyed higher still. An old Manx tale tells it a bit differently. They believe the eagle was a druid’s bird, Drein, thus giving them the status of a king.

Japanese

Tengu are mythological creatures in between war gods and nature spirits. They are large Yokai who are terrifying and monstrous. Tengu were said to have red faces, long pointed noses, talons, enormous wings, and remarkable strength. These rather frightening spirits can be motivated by benevolence, mischief, or evil. Tengu can use their strange powers to control the weather and may bring deadly storms. The Tengu are extra creepy since they started as dog-like figures, then became eagle-like figures, and are now more humanoid-looking than anything.

Native American

Sometimes the eagle in Native American culture is a majestic and powerful force of good; other times, it can be powerful but not always in a kind way. The eagle, sometimes referred to as the Thunderbird in Native American myth, is all-powerful and is capable of causing severe weather in the form of thunderstorms and torrential downpours. The Thunderbird is also regarded with great respect and was a guide for great Native American leaders.

African

One of the best mythological stories that is still told to children today is that of “King Eagle’s Promise is Easily Broken.” It tells the tale of King Eagle and Sparrow, King Eagle promised to share his kingdom with Sparrow if he was able to drink an entire bottle of wine. Sparrow asked to go to the river and drink water between each sip. Eagle mistakenly agreed to this. Sparrow had his whole family hiding in the bushes at the river, and after each sip, another sparrow would go in his place. When Sparrow finished the bottle of wine, King Eagle was surprised but decided not to share his kingdom after all. The kingdom exiled him for being a dishonest ruler and never found out how Sparrow tricked the King.

In Egypt, the eagle is a symbol of strength, perseverance, and beauty. An eagle can still be seen on their country’s flag. In times of Pharaonic civilization, the eagle symbolized the goddess Nekhbet, who was the eagle deity and representative of Northern Egypt to Aswan. Nekhbet was the Pharoah’s protector and was always seen standing behind him with wings open and a white crown on her head.

Eagle as a Spirit Animal

Having an eagle as your spirit animal comes with some weight. It means that you are extremely ambitious, strong-willed, powerful, and will stop at nothing to get what you desire. These people are genuine type-A personalities and can be regarded as a leader but also as bossy. These accurate visionaries strike fast and hard when they need to.

Afterthought

Eagles have been regarded as amazing creatures for as far back as we can recall. These massive birds are illegal to hunt, injure, or catch. If you think finding an eagle feather is pretty great, you might be shocked to find out that it is a federal crime to have an eagle feather that the government isn’t aware of.

Whether you love learning about cultures and dreams or are a big fan of eagles, we hope you have enjoyed this article and will tune in to our other eagle-themed articles.

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