Are you having blackbird dreams and wondering what they mean? Here’s what blackbirds may symbolize in the unconscious mind when dreaming.
Most people see blackbirds as bad omens or symbols that represent death. Crows and ravens are black and have carried these connotations for centuries.
However, you’ll be glad to know that black birds have many different meanings when they appear in dreams.
Why Do Blackbirds Appear in Dreams?
In general, blackbird dreams represent magic, archetypical tricksters, and unconscious fears.
In extreme cases they like to show up when death is around the corner. However, that may depend on your culture and what you actually think of black birds.
The Hopi and the Cherokee tribes consider the Blackbird to be a connector between the underworld and to your true self. The underworld is a place you die; not literally, but more of a metaphoric death of your old self dying off.
This is why death is often misunderstood in our dreams because it forces the dreamer to change and the black bird might show up to let you know. However, this shift or transition might not be easy for you and once it is met with any sort of resistance the dream turns into a nightmare.
Article: Benefits of Dying in Dreams
Understanding the Blackbird in Your Dreams
Let’s start with some of the positive characteristics the black bird carries. A bird is still a bird no matter what the color that attaches itself to.
In fact, birds in dreams are known to be positive symbols of change and freedom. A bird that attaches itself to the color black implies this is unknown and mysterious to you but must be made conscious in order to awaken.
Like most myths you need to go into the underworld to find this hidden meaning. The black bird might be the guide to get you there.
In most traditions, birds have a predominantly positive connotation.
In many fairy tales, birds emerge carrying special knowledge, and people are often transformed into birds as a learning experience. They symbolize thought and imagination, transcendence, and freedom from materialism.
Did the Blackbird Attack You?
Black birds like to show up in our dreams in peculiar ways, like flying into our homes or capturing us.
Sometimes they attack us like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie… I guess the older dreamers will have more of an inclination to dream of a black bird attack after watching The Birds.
Being attacked by a black bird in your dream represents a warning you are too close to someone’s territory.
Blackbirds are known to swoop down on people and attack during nesting season. They often become defensive in effort to protect their nests. Could this be someone you know?
Another clue is that black birds are known for their aggression. If you’re dealing with aggressive emotions, the black bird in your dream may symbolize something you are ignoring within.
Blackbird Dreams and the Human Shadow
The shadow self is a term coined by Carl Jung, and is an archetype that consists of the sex and life instincts.
Our shadow-self exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts, and shortcomings. The shadow can also appear related to the bird that attacks the dreamer in hopes they recognize their flaws. Do you have a flaw that you deny or are unaware of?
Dreamt last last a Raven was sitting outside my window looking in at me,was not aggressive,like he wanted to visit
Part of The dream ah had was that it was 6 birds 2 black bigger birds and 4 smaller gray birds they were scavenging what ah thought ah saw as my cat but nobody in the dream was panicking and before ah noticed it ah was flying around on this type of scooter that caught the drafts of wind so it was a fun dream but ended like that and the birds didn’t attack me directly but they attacked a being ah cared for deeply while ah was having fun.