Hare

Intuition, hardiness, irrationality.

Intuition; creative ideas; the crazy irrational notions we sometimes call intuition. This probably arose because of the hare’s habit of suddenly bounding up from its hiding place unexpectedly, as intuitions often do; the victim or hunted feeling; swiftness; timidity or shyness. The hare occasionally appears as a supernatural figure giving advice; or as a sacrificial animal. As such it depicts our ability to make great changes in life, or to draw on potential that has enormous unexpressed resources.

In past cultures the hare was often given great respect. It stood for intuition, rejuvenation and resurrection, and thus of the immortal nature of humans. The hare was sometimes the messenger of the gods. It was also seen as a fertility symbol, and was predominantly female and connected with the moon. In this connection the hare is the Easter Bunny, connected with the Moon Goddess Oestra or Eostre.

The Native Americans saw the hare as a hero/saviour, the personification of light. For some reason early Christianity saw the hare as representing lust – but many animals represent lust in Christianity as this religion has had a huge struggle with sexual drives. It seems to be a faith that has difficulties with sexuality. The Jewish faith see hares as unclean. This rests on a law that only grass eaters with cloven feet should be eaten.

The symbol of three leaping hares is from old English churches in Devon and Cornwall, but the image was also linked with the Moon Goddess. The gestation period of the hare is 28 days, and so there has always been a link with the moon and human menstrual cycles. Easter was originally a festival celebrating the period of fertility.

Useful questions are:

Does the hare give you a message, if so can you put it into words?

Is there any warning indicated in the dream – if so what is it?

Is there anything new or vulnerable arising in you intuitively?