I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept that when an unusual animal appears on our path, it’s the Universe’s way of communicating with us. So, what’s the message, you ask. Well it depends – the annoying answer is actually quite relevant, as context is everything when it comes to interpreting the symbols.

The message delivered through symbols is rarely cut and dry, or exact to everyone. To be able to learn what the Universe is saying to you, you need to crack the code. To put it simply, you need to learn how to interpret the symbols.

Symbol vs. Superstition

First, we need to distinguish between superstitions and symbols. On the surface, they appear similar, as they both are believed to provide a connection to supernatural powers. Every culture and tradition has its own set of superstitions and symbols. But while the superstitions are absolute in nature and possess certain predictive power, the symbols are more fluid and less definite. More poetic, if you will.

Superstitions are one size fits all – you know what the meaning is every single time. Symbols, on the other hand, are unique to each individual and subject to personal interpretation. The message behind the symbol can be revealed in the context of one’s life and experiences. Which means, the same symbol could have a completely different meaning to two, even close people.

Think of a dove showing up in your life. For one person it could be a message encouraging to slow down and finding their inner peace. For another, a reminder that in order to soar, you must know when to move your wings and when to allow the wind to take you to new heights. But if both people were to investigate a black cat crossing their path from the superstition point of view, they would receive the same message: there’s imminent bad luck heading their way.

What’s a Symbol?

Carl Gustav Jung, was fascinated by symbols and their meanings throughout his long career. (Check his well-illustrated book “Man and His Symbols,” available in PDF) He considered symbols to be projections of the collective unconscious – a term coined by Jung himself – which is the unconscious mind shared by all of humanity. Some symbols are universal, appearing in many cultures, while others are more local, specific to one region or culture.

For Jung, a symbol could be anything: a name, term, picture which is familiar in daily life, yet has other connotations besides its conventional and obvious meaning. Symbol implies something vague and partially unknown or hidden, and is never precisely defined. Therefore, a symbolic sign needs to be examined in the broad context of one’s life. To gain a deeper understanding of its meaning, it’s important to consider what, where, and when. And the reactions we had to it when it made an appearance.

Cracking the Code: How to Interpret the Symbols

So how does one start decoding the meaning behind the symbol? First, we need to isolate the symbol. While Jung claimed that everything can be a symbol, not every single object we meet or encounter carries a message from the Universe – collective unconscious. Most things we see are simply what they are – a pen is just a pen and a bus is just a bus.

But if something grabs our attention and/or appears to be out of place, there’s a great chance we have spotted a symbol. The more unusual – or repetitive – the sighting, the more meaningful the symbol.

Personally, I apply the same principles to identify symbols in my waking hours as when I decipher a dream. I write down the encounter in a story-telling fashion, the way I remember it. I try to include as many details as possible. If there were any unusual feelings or emotions present, I write them down too. As a side note, the presence of strong feelings is another indication that we’re dealing with a symbol. If the Universe is trying to get our attention, it will use every tool in their disposal to do so.

Once we have a story – see this blog post for my story – it’s time to look for what stands out. In my case, it was the appearance of three different animals in one day. Knowing what my symbols are, I started researching the meaning associated with them. I used DuckDuckGo, Google, books and my own personal notes. Here’s what I found out.

Butterflies

Butterflies are a sign of transformation, spiritual rebirth and ascension. Each colourful and graceful butterfly has three forms of life behind them, because they develop through a 4-step process called metamorphosis. In Greek, metamorphosis means transformation or change in shape. Therefore, butterflies are the masters of transformation and reinventing themselves.

When you see butterflies, you may want to consider changing some – or all – aspects of your life. What kind of changes can you make to live more in alignment with your authentic truth?

Butterflies have been associated with the transition between one lifestyle, personality, or journey into another. If you have been going through a major life change, you might spot more butterflies than normal as they accompany you on your journey and encourage you that everything will turn out okay if you take the leap of faith with grace and bravery.

Mouse

Mouse is a symbol of trusting one’s instincts. As an animal with virtually no defense mechanism and a plethora of predators, mouse’s survival depends on trusting its instincts. Mice are known for their keen sense of observation, which is related to their big, bulgy black eyes. Thanks to them, they have an excellent peripheral vision, helping them notice predators approaching. Mice are also known for their undivided attention they give each task.

Their symbolic message?

The message is to see what is right before your eyes and to take action accordingly.

Another lesson is to take care of the little things in life. It’s easy to neglect them when we’re busy with big-picture thinking, but they won’t magically solve themselves, only cause more problems down the road. Be in the moment, aware of your surroundings, connected to nature.

Serpent

I’ll start with a confession: researching this animal was the most difficult I try to put it away for as long as I could. I simply can’t stand the look of them – hence the tongue-in-cheek picture above. But the Universe has a funny way of getting the messages across – the more primal reaction we have to a symbol, the more important the message behind said symbol. Knowing this I had no choice but to face my fears and find out what it means when a snakes slithers into your life.

Snakes grow by shedding their old skin and growing a new one, therefore they are considered a natural sign of change and transformation. Additionally, snakes are a symbol of patience, intellect, fertility, longevity, rejuvenation and intuition. Snakes are cold blooded animals with well developed sense of translating the energies and vibrations from their surroundings as a guide to find their direction. It’s no wonder one of the messages they deliver is a lesson to rely on our intuition and “gut feeling” while navigating the complicated world.

If snake winds itself into your life know that change is in the wind and that you are at the center of it all as the catalyst.

Putting It All Together

Once the main symbols have been identified and researched, I looked for the patterns. Was there a something that the symbols had in common? Indeed. There was a message about change and transformation. There was a warning about scattering one’s energies and betraying core values.

I was on the right path to see my dreams fulfilled with a great chance of leaving a legacy behind. But before that could happen, I need to shed my old skin and be prepared to transform beyond the self-imposed limitations. For as long as I stay in the present moment with a clear focus on the end result, I can achieve my goals.

A lot has happened since I wrote the above. Currently, I’m interviewing for a position that seems like a step up professionally. I’ve been already challenged to step outside my comfort zone while preparing for the next steps. Considering that I’m still in the race I guess I must be doing something right.

Would this be the opportunity of leaving legacy behind? Only time will tell. Right now I focus on the moment and enjoy how the things are unfolding.