If you look at a dove, you will immediately notice how graceful, gentle, and divine it looks. You can’t help but feel a sense of peace descend upon you in its presence.
Perhaps this is why they have been called symbols of peace forever. Even in international forums and government agencies, doves have always been used as symbols of hope and harmony.
Dove symbolism isn’t a new thing. In fact, it dates back to ancient cultures. They have been mentioned in several ancient mythologies and religions of the world.
In some cultures, they were even considered sacred and were used as symbols for goddesses. This shows that there has always been a spiritual and mystical element to this bird.
I’m going to delve deeper into the spiritual meaning of the dove and look at what this symbol means in different cultures, and what it means if you dream of a dove. Keep reading.
What Is The Spiritual Symbolism of A Dove?
You might have heard doves being called “messengers.” This is one of the most common spiritual symbols of a dove. And this is probably because they have been used as actual messengers for thousands of years (similar to pigeons).
After all, doves have the ability to return home if they are released within a 600-mile radius. So, many ancient cultures used to think of doves as messengers from the gods. And since they represent peace and harmony, the messages were considered positive.
Doves also depict purity. This is probably because of their gentle, white plumage. But it could also be because they are monogamous. That means they mate for life. This, too, is seen as a trait of purity in spirituality.
Many people don’t know this but doves represent the third eye chakra in human beings. This chakra is associated with knowledge, perception, awareness, spiritual communication, creativity, and self-expression. As such, this is seen as one of the most powerful symbolic meanings of a dove.
Another aspect of dove symbolism relates to spirit animals. These spirit animals protect and guide you throughout your journey. If you resonate with the traits of peace, harmony, love, and hope, then the dove is most likely your spirit animal. And so, you can call on it for assistance and guidance.
I wanted to take a moment to relate the symbolism of the dove, and everything it depicts, back to our chakras in the energetic body.
The white colour of the dove takes us to the crown chakra. Although this is often represented by an indigo colour, it can also be white to connect with the angel and spiritual realms.
If you are looking to push forward on your spiritual journey and connect with the angels and your guides, you can call on the dove in meditation to help you.
What Does The Dove Symbolise In Christianity?
Doves have a lot of significance in Christianity. They have been mentioned in the bible and quite a lot of legends over centuries past.
The most popular of these mentions is perhaps in the story of Noah’s Ark. Noah had sent a raven to find dry land, but it didn’t come back. Then, he sent a dove. When the dove returned, it was holding an olive branch in its mouth.
That’s when Noah realized that the waters had receded and God had forgiven mankind. Therefore, doves are symbols of holy messengers and rebirth in Christianity.
Doves are also considered to be the symbols of the Holy Spirit. It is said that seven doves represent the seven spirits of God. Also, in the Law of Moses, the Holy Spirit dove was used as a purification offering of an infant.
In many historical paintings, doves are shown to be flying away from scenes of warfare. Many people have understood this to represent the souls of the departed soldiers. Some have also interpreted them as being agents of God sent to protect mankind from the many horrors that we inflict on ourselves.
What Does It Mean If A Dove Appears In Your Dream?
Dreams have been a topic of mystery for the longest time.
Throughout the world and across different cultures, people have tried interpreting the meaning behind their dreams.
What does it mean to dream of doves? It can mean several different things depending on what exactly you saw. So let’s look at how to interpret dreaming of doves.
If you dream of a pair of doves, it could symbolize your yearning for a partner. It means that your soul longs for companionship and love. It could also be a hint of what you can expect in the near future.
If you dream of a flock of doves, this could symbolize your desire to be a part of a group. Again, here too, your soul is looking for companionship or friendship. It could also mean that you seek acceptance and validation as a person.
If you dream of a flying dove, this could represent your desire to be free or to run away. This is not a bad thing. It just shows that your soul seeks freedom and liberation.
If you dream of a mourning dove, this is a bad omen. It could mean that you are grieving the loss of a loved one. And it could also represent a danger to a loved one in the near future.
If you dream of a dove feather, that could represent divine protection. This shows that your guardian angels are near you and are constantly taking care of you.
What Does It Mean If You Encounter A Dove?
It could be that you encounter a dove in real life. This typically happens when you need to be reminded to fly higher in life. The dove could be a messenger from the divine forces telling you to aim for something higher and more meaningful.
It tells you that you need to spread your wings and let the wind become your friend.
Seeing a dove could also be a message that you need to be more peaceful in life. Maybe you are dealing with anger issues or going through frustrating times. If so, a dove sighting could serve as an inspiration to let go of the anger and be at peace.
Encountering a dove can also be symbolic of your intuition. As I mentioned above, doves represent the third eye chakra. So, if you see a dove in real life, it could depict your awareness of yourself and your connection with the larger reality.
All in all, a dove sighting is a good omen most of the time and something that should put a smile on your face.
Doves are beautiful, gentle birds, and they are symbolic of many things. One of the most well-known symbols associated with the dove is peace. But they also act as messengers from the spirit world, like many other birds do.
You may find that the dove enters your totem as your spirit animal if you are looking to pursue love or if you are looking for a more harmonious and spiritual life.
My name is Lianne – I’m the person behind Spirit of Sapphire.
I started Spirit of Sapphire in August 2017 after finally building up the courage to start reading tarot for people other than my loved ones.
At the same time, I embarked upon expanding my spiritual knowledge and skills and so attended various psychic mediumship courses and circles, and I also began to train as a Reiki practitioner.
I’ve designed this site to be a hub of spiritual knowledge. As I learn new things, I want to share them with you.
