Wolf

Although the wolf can depict a feeling that ‘things’ are out to get us, the wolf in our dream often depicts just our fear. Fear is one of our instinctive reactions to situations, so is shown by an animal. We may find ourselves a prisoner of such feelings, as Anna in the example below. The wolf, as is suggested by such fairy stories as Red Riding Hood, also represents the female fear of powerful male sexuality; repressed sexuality or anger; emotions and drives that frighten you. See Animals

Also whenever we dream its images are not like real life. Because a dream is nothing like outer life where things could hurt you, but is an image like on a cinema screen that even if a gun is pointed at you and fired it can do no damage – except if you run in fear. So all the things that scare you are simply your own fears projected onto the screen of your sleeping mind. In the early days of moving pictures, a film was shown of a train coming fast toward the audience; the viewers all fled in terror, fearing the train would crush them. That is exactly the same response if you are terrified of any thing you dream of. See Masters of Nightmares

But the wolf also appears in our dreams as a master of life in the wild. It is a group animal and has tremendous loyalty and protectiveness to its family and group. As such it can depict your intuitive understanding of life on earth, the seasons of life and death, and the deep wisdom of group relations. In some dreams the wolf is a protective companion on your life journey – what in the past has been called a spirit guide or totem animal. This sort of wisdom tells us that aggressive urges are natural to us, but sometimes they can turn back on ourselves and injure our well being. You might then even dream of killing the wolf or animal in you. But love can resurrect that vital animal life and consciousness within you and the world. The following dream and commentary illustrates this.

Quote: We have doomed the wolf not for what it is, but for what we have deliberately and mistakenly perceived it to be… the mythologized epitome of a savage ruthless killer… which in reality is no more than a reflected image of ourselves. Harley Blake.

To see the wonderful nature of wolves watch https://www.facebook.com/AppreciateENG/videos/1763709230595548/?t=63

Example: I dreamt two great wolf like dogs were on a headland. They had to be killed for some reason. I shot them. They seemed to take a long time to die and I felt compassion for them. Now horses seemed to be lying with them. The death struggles became the horses – mares – struggles to give birth. I saw the vagina parted to show a head. Birth would follow. Nathan.

Nathan explored his dream and had the following intuitive response to it as if someone was explaining it to him:

“When you were trying to murder the animal forces in yourself they would not die, they only thresh about, trying to survive. Try bringing life to them. The bringing of love is represented by your desire not to have them suffer. Great love turns the destructiveness of the lower forces into creativeness. The gun was the destructiveness of the fears and angers in you turned against yourself. The love redeemed this power, directing it in a new way. Love enables new life to emerge. The new life promises strength where there was only fear. When you love yourself, you lift parts of your being into new life.”

EXAMPLE: “I was in a caravan in the middle of a field and in this field was a large black wolf. Every time I tried to run from the caravan to the edge of the field, the wolf chased me back, so I was a prisoner in the caravan. It all sounds so simple now, but at the time I was truly terrified.” Anna S.

This next example from Oliver, a boy of six, illustrates how such fears can be met with a little courage. It is a dream which recurred several times, so his description is of a series of dreams.

EXAMPLE: “I am in my bed in my own room and I hear what I know to be a wolf wearing the sort of clogs worn in Lancashire. When the wolf gets to a certain point, there is a bang, and I wake terrified. My Mother’s reassurances do not help. Each night he gets a bit nearer before my panicky awakening. The night came when I know he will reach me. Sure enough he arrives, and the bedroom door – in my dream – is flung wide open with a tremendous bang. There is no one there. I never dreamt it again.”

When something gets nearer to us in a dream, it means that it is moving nearer to consciousness. So Oliver’s wolf – or at least, what it represents, namely his response to his childhood fears – is becoming ever more conscious. This means he is facing his fear and thereby dealing with it. If he had run away or fought to keep the door closed, then it would have gone on haunting him.

The wolf can also be a protective and life-giving symbol as in the following dream. In the dream Cathy is demonstrating a loving and unified relationship with her natural or instinctive feelings.

Example: I dreamt about a white wolf. I know you won’t believe this but I actually feel like I touched its fur in my dreams. I was protecting it and it was protecting me, and it was so real I woke up looking on the floor next to my bed to see if it was there. Cathy

IDIOMS: Wolf at the door; wolf in sheep’s clothing; cry wolf; throw to the wolves; a wolf – meaning a man who lusts after women and pursues them like a predator.

Useful questions are:

Am I still dealing with anxiety with my dream wolf – if so how can I change this?

Do I relate to the wolf as an ally or an enemy?

Is my dream wolf showing a negative relationship with my fears and aggression?

Are you accepting the wolf as a protector and giver of wisdom?

See Programmed – Levels of the Brain – Being the Person or Thing

Comments

-dwayne 2014-06-06 18:15:57

I had a dream that my parents locked me out of the house with a friend but me and my friend were like vikings and there were alot of dogs around us and suddenly it got really really dark like pitch black then my we heard a growl and figured at first it was a dog but it got louder and terrifying and we knew it was right infront of us but we couldnt see because it was to dark. Then my friend said this is a wolf and we started moving in the opposite direction. We made our way through a like storage room and i lost my friend in there but didnt know . I ran to the other side of the house and saw a gate with light from inside the house shining out and i ran to it hoping it was open and it was, as i closed it behind me i turned arouns to look outside and there was this wolf standing right outside the door. When i was smaller i always used to dream of my front yard having thise huge open slope and at the bottom there was a forest and if we got to close to the forest wolves would come out and chase us. And i dreamt this many time, always scared that the wolves would come up the slope. What does my dream mean?

    -Tony Crisp 2014-06-09 7:28:13

    Dwayne – This sounds like a replay of a scene from your childhood. You took on the feeling of being Vikings to bring confidence that you could deal with the fear you felt. But it went on for too long and then the fear came in an image of the wolf.

    When young we often cannot deal with some of our feelings and so dream of a lion or tiger attacking or scaring us. There is nothing to be frightened of except your own fear. Please read http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/questions-2/#Summing

    Tony

-Dan 2014-06-05 9:33:14

Just moments ago, I had a dream about a black wolf biting my neck.
I was at some sort of event with a love interest (that doesn’t exist in real life, and I have a harsh history of being devastatingly hurt by the women I choose to love.) Anyway, this particular woman had taken advantage of an opportunity to disappear. When I started to question her whereabouts, I was told by my young niece that she had went outside with another man. I quickly assumed he might have been a friend or acquaintance, but my sister knew something was wrong. She told me she was going to find out the truth and went outside. My sister can be very brutal, so I followed to try and keep things civil. We walked the grounds and found nothing. I saw the edge of some woods and started towards it. My sister followed me. As I got closer, I startled a black wolf that took off running around us to get away. My sister chased after it only a few feet then stopped. As she stopped, the wolf stopped too. She started to run back towards me, then the wolf leaped in the air after her. She ducked and the wolf pounced on me, immediately sinking his teeth into my neck. I suddenly woke up and could remember that the wolf was black with light reddish brown highlights.
I am very troubled by this dream…

-Gabrielle 2014-05-30 11:35:09

I had two wolf dreams back to back. The first one: I was at home with my mom and step dad. We stepped outside with our dogs (in real life we do not have pets. I am from East Tennessee also). But in the dream we owned three dogs. We look over to them and I count 4…puzzled I ask my step dad about the new dog. He had no idea what I was talking about…next thing I know my mother grabs me from behind and drags me in the house. Later we asked what it was and my step dad told us it was a wolf. I woke up after that.
Second dream: I am in the US Navy. I’m currently based in Sasebo, Japan. My dream starts with me boarding a small boat going out to my ship. There is an old gray wolf, who could talk babbling incoherently, floating on something in the water. Me and a fellow shipmate start messing with it. We turn him upside down in the water, attempting to drown him. We keep messing with him. Before we know it he has transformed into a young, brown wolf who becomes very aggressive. We fight him. Run from him. He’s after me. He cares nothing about my shipmate he only wants me. I know this because everytime i would start to get away he would get upset. I don’t remember what all he said. I just know we ran. I was not afraid until he turned aggressive. I woke up…and when I blink or close my eyes, I see his snarling face.

-Alyssa G. 2014-05-28 14:06:47

I dreamed that I was in this zoo like exhibit with a wolf, healthy and playful. All black. I’m playing with it and it somehow falls into this hole that was covered with wood. I help it out but when I do it’s looks way different, half of it’s fur has come off, it was blind in one eye it seems like it had that white film over it. It becomes aggressive and I become frightened. It runs on top of this rock and makes this horrible sound that scares the hell out of me, and then I scream. I woke up and felt scared…

-Michelle 2014-05-25 13:25:50

I can’t seem to find anything on my dream… I was saving a very young white wolf from a half man half wolf monster. Someone was with me and we were working together to save it. Finally after much struggle I coaxed it up the wooded path and it ran up the street. I went back to the monster to distract it. I glanced behind me one more time and saw the young white wolf was fully grown now. And that’s where my dream ended.

-Andre 2014-05-15 21:20:24

I had a dream that two wolves were biting my arms whatis the meaning of that

-Tiffany 2014-05-05 4:39:04

I had an awesome dream last night that a white wolf appeared to me (in a blacked out open space, no background environment) and for a split second I was taken aback, but then reached my hand out to pet it. It was receptive to my extended hand allowing me to pet it, then I was able to put my arms around it and hug it. It was so soft and I was pleased and loved the experience. What does this mean? (Thank you for your time and thoughts)

-Ryan 2014-05-04 12:25:00

Last night I had a dream. My friends and family were staying in a huge cabin in the woods. In the morning I took my dog outside and I noticed a pack of wolfs. Then what seemed to be the leader grabbed my dog by the neck and kept him from me. Me and a friend struggled with the wolfs and happened to take my dog back. Later on in the day the wolfs stayed outside the cabin behind a big metal fence. My step day tried to taunt the wolfs by opening the gate and telling at them. While he opened the gate my dog was able to wonder off. The wolf grabbed my dog again and ran off into the woods. And I woke up. Thoughts on it?

-frank 2014-03-06 0:20:26

Had a wolf dream where I could only see a shadowy front image through the trees. Next time I saw a clear front view. My last dream the wolf was black and walking along the edge of the woods. I got my wife to show her the wolf. Each time I would get nervous and go in the house. The wolf has shown no aggressiveness

-joe 2014-01-23 5:35:18

My dream had two brown bears and three wolves
The brown bears were coming at us in a curious way , but it was scary. As they got near I yelled at them to leave us alone then I scared them off and all of a sudden there was 3 wolves by my side and they were like my pets, I let them out just to make sure the bears were gone … thats the dream

-Teena 2013-11-29 9:16:07

I just had a dreams about white wolves. I remember i was inside a house and it was at night. There were woods around the house and i got a feeling to look out the window and i could see their eyes in the dark. The next thing i know they are in the house and i try to put them out. I closed 2 double doors and locked them but they were still trying to get in. They didnt seem agressive but i was still afraid. The last thing i remember was a wolf jumping on my back as i was laying in bed but it didnt attack me. I actually felt its weight and paw on my back, it was like it was really happening then i woke up. ….does anyone know what this might mean?

    -Tony Crisp 2013-12-05 9:04:38

    Teena – Considering the very short time that humans have lived on the Earth, and that we evolved from a long line of animals, a large part of your nature is still very much an animal. In fact we are all like a rider of a very ancient beast – our body – and we need to treat it right and not be afraid. See – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/#reptilebrain and read on to the next bit.

    The white wolves are the beautiful animal instincts that you have within you. You are ready to meet this side of you, a wonderful strength that can protect and care for you. It enters your house/you and so do not be afraid, but welcome them. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/questions-2/#Summing

    Tony

-Lori 2013-11-02 2:18:58

Last night I fell asleep around midnight… In my dream there were 2 wolves. The first wolf that appeared was dark grey and it was trying to attack me, but I was able to fight it back and scare it away. The second appeared just as the other was backing away, but it didn’t advance. I would have to say it was black with red eyes looking right at me. I woke up almost immediately, but I could still see the image of the wolf in the darkness. *What is this dream saying?*

-Annie 2013-10-20 23:52:22

Had a wolf dream last night. I was walking at the edge of a very green forest and I had found a very young gray wolf pup and was holding it in my arms to keep him safe. The wolf was very docile and did not fight back. Then I put it on the ground for a moment and a squirrel came running out of the bushes and attacked the wolf pup. The squirrel was going to the pup’s neck. I picked it up and the squirrel ran away. The pup did not try to defend himself but allowed the squirrel to attack him. I tried to put the pup down again and as soon as I tried to lower it to the ground, the squirrel was after him again. I picked it back up and the squirrel ran away again but it was watching and waiting for an opportunity to attack. What does it mean?

-candi 2013-10-09 13:27:25

what does it mean if you dream of a white wolf save you in the woods & at your home

-Bella 2013-04-26 16:26:17

I had a dream the other night.. it was one of a string of dreams, but this one stood out the most. I dreamt it was the middle of winter, and I was out taking a walk in one of the richer neighborhoods in my town.. It was very early in the morning, maybe 4-6am. It was still dark, possibly brinking on sunrise. I was walking on this bath between houses when these dark shapes ran past from behind me, first one and then the other. I got the weeling they were wolves, from their size and shape and speed. I hurried down the path and this lady came out of her house, asking if I was okay, as if she thought I was a run-away teen. I said I was okay, that my mom knew where I was and besides, I’m 20.
I get the feeling this has to do with the fact that I’m considering moving out and away from home in 6 months and my mom doesn’t want me to leave, but I’m not sure exactly what it’s trying to say.. Any thoughts?

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