The turtle in dreams is a symbol of an ancient hidden strength, able to protect itself from any external attack just as the turtle protects itself by retreating into its hard shell.
From the psychological point of view, it somewhat resembles the ancient silence of life, which in case of danger always knows how to take refuge in itself.
Dreams about Turtle – Meaning
Calm, patience, perseverance, prudence: it is the morality transmitted by the fable of the hare and the tortoise; while going slow, the turtle arrives at its destination, because it leaves on time and never stops moving forward.
Longevity and wisdom: the turtle can live even more than 100 years; it is also one of the oldest animals that inhabit planet Earth; it is a natural example of stability, strength, endurance.
Defense, confidentiality: the shell of the turtle is an effective defense against predators and external threats.
Therefore, in dreams he can express the need to stay on the defensive, to withdraw into your ‘armor’ for not being hurt, or the need to defend your privacy.
Balance, cosmic order: especially in the ancient oriental culture, the turtle was a symbol of stability of the cosmos (its shell is the sky, its body the earth).
Furthermore, according to some ancient beliefs of the American Indians, the earth’s crust would actually be the shell of a huge tortoise.
Creation, femininity, motherhood: the turtle is an animal tied both to water and to the earth, of which it expresses the feminine and creative qualities.
Since it lays many eggs, it is also a symbol of fertility. In ancient times it was sacred to Aphrodite.
Faithfulness, loyalty, moderation: all qualities inspired by the quiet and silent character of the turtle. Love for the home and the family: the turtle always brings his ‘home’ with him.
the turtle is a very common animal in dreams, more than you can imagine. It can become a recurring dream in times when you feel the need to withdraw into yourself because you are more vulnerable (for example, following an illness, or other “debilitating” situations, on a physical or mental level); it can also occur in hectic and very stressful times, as an invitation to slow down the pace of life and reconnect with yourself.
Dreams about Turtle – Symbolism
If in reality you have one as a pet, it is likely that your turtle will often appear in your dreams as your alter ego.
Dreaming of a land, sea turtle – sea turtle Generally the turtle, whether of land or sea, appears in dreams to remind you of the need to prepare yourself to achieve your goals without haste, with the right times, with balance and wisdom, seeking above all in yourself the strength to go forward.
It invites you to be wary of easy shortcuts, because you will get more stable results by proceeding a little at a time.
The sea turtle is connected to water, therefore to the emotional part of your interior life; it is a symbol of fertility and creativity, so it is generally a good omen.
The ground turtle is connected to the Great Mother Earth and expresses the need to reflect, withdraw into yourself, meditate, ponder well the pros and cons of a problematic situation. It is a symbol of a contemplative and reflective life.
Dream of black, white, green, blue tortoise etc. – Dream of black, white, albino, green, blue, yellow, red tortoise, etc. …: each color has its own meaning, and can help you in the overall interpretation of the dream.
Dream of a very large, huge, giant tortoise – This could be an important symbol, maybe if you find it inside your house, or in your garden, or in the sea, while swimming in water. This big turtle is probably there to remind you to face everything more calmly, relying on your inner strength and the forces of nature.
Dream of turtle eggs and small newborn turtles – To dream of a turtle that lays eggs is certainly a good sign: it can allude to a particularly propitious and fertile period, especially for projects involving the home and the family.
Birth is the most delicate moment in the turtle’s life: in the first moments of life it is very fragile and defenseless; in fact, the sea turtle lays many eggs, but there are few turtles that survive: as soon as they come out of the sand, they must immediately run towards the sea, hoping to get in the water before being eaten by predators.
Even for the land turtle it is not easy to get out of the egg laid underground.
Dreaming of newborn turtles – coming out of the sand or from the ground can indicate that you will have good insights coming from your unconscious; however, it will not be easy to bring them to maturity, there will be many obstacles to face.
Dreaming of a turtle flying, running, jumping, talking – Turtles in nature walk very slowly, or (marine ones) swim with a certain agility. If in your dream, instead, the turtle does things and special (for example, flies, has wings, runs fast, jumps, climbs, etc.) this can indicate the need to get out of a too static phase of your life; it may be time to do more sporting activities, to travel, to undertake new adventures.
If you have dreamed of a talking turtle, pay attention to what it says, even if there and then it seems to make no sense: it could be an important message, which may be clearer to you in the future.
Dreaming of aggressive turtle, which bites and attacks – Dreaming of an aggressive turtle that attacks you, chases you and bites you can indicate that you don’t have a good relationship with time; you don’t know how to manage times for yourself and those for others, perhaps alternating moments of frenetic activity with moments of apathy and inertia.
Alternatively, this dream could also allude to the fact that you have an excessively closed attitude; you hide in your armor for fear of being attacked and judged, but if you are too hard you may still suffer from it.
A turtle that bites in the dream could have a positive meaning of “awakening”, as an invitation to seize the good opportunities that life is offering you.
Dreaming of two turtles fighting and fighting each other – this dream could express your inner conflict.
Dreaming of a turtle with a broken shell, without a shell – The shell is the leathery protection of the turtle, the safe haven in which to retreat in case of danger. To dream of a turtle without a shell, which comes out of its shell, which loses its shell, indicates that your defenses are failing, you feel more exposed and fragile; but this is not necessarily a bad thing, because it could represent a moment of opening towards the outside world and to other people who can help you; by dropping your protective barrier you will feel more vulnerable, but you will defeat the isolation.
This dream could happen when you decide to talk to someone about your problems, to tell them many personal details that you never talked to before about; for example, many people have this dream when they are on a psychotherapeutic journey.
Dreaming of wounded turtle, sick, dead – Dreaming of a wounded, sick, bleeding turtle: you feel vulnerable, your defensive barriers have weakened and you feel you are at risk, in danger.
In the dream you could see the tortoise falling and breaking its shell, or being crushed; the earlier you felt strong and sheltered, the more fragile you feel now and at the mercy of events bigger than you.
This feeling could be a consequence of a trauma or accident that you have suffered. If you can save the turtle, then the dream is positive, because it indicates that you are already trying to lift yourself up.
Dreaming of an upside-down turtle – when it is lying on its back, the turtle cannot move without someone helping it to straighten up. This dream could refer to an excessively static situation in your life; you need to get back on your feet, perhaps with someone’s help.
Dreaming of a tortoise in hibernation – there is probably something important that you should notice, but you are not very receptive, as if you had fallen into hibernation yourself.
Dreaming of a dead turtle – even those who are apparently indestructible can actually hide a fragile and delicate soul; this someone you could be yourself, or a person dear to you, to whom you should give more attention and care.
In dreams the tortoise means slowness as well as in reality, it can interpret a situation that evolves with particular slowness or a person who moves slowly in life whether you or an acquaintance of yours. But this can also be an invitation to move with less haste.
The meaning of longevity, protection, prudence, silence, wisdom and understanding is also clearly linked to the turtle symbol.
Dreaming of a turtle can also mean renewal of one’s existence which is this psychic, internal or external; but also, introversion in oneself and isolation from the world.
Conclusion
In the book of dreams, very often the symbol of the turtle has been associated with women and female fertility but is also seen as a representative and significant symbol of the earth.
Dreaming of a sea or land turtle has the same meaning as the turtle symbol in general.
Dreaming of a dead turtle can interpret the meaning of something in ourselves that is dead or a warning, a warning as to tell us to reflect on what we are doing.
Dreaming of a turtle that bites or attacks means that it is opposed to something that has been done or must be done, in fact it can invite prudence.
Dreaming of a running turtle is in contrast to what is associated with the turtle itself, so it can really tell you that perhaps you are on the right path and can give you a move as if the turtle is safe with its wisdom and prudence you can be too.
Dreaming of a green tortoise or Dreaming of a white or orange, blue, white, yellow, gray or other colors of turtles can have a meaning that is linked to the colors in dreams.
Dreaming of a turtle swimming in the sea can express freedom and security of your future expectations while
Dreaming of a turtle swimming in the pool can mean that our expectations must decrease if we want to return with our feet on the ground or maybe we are close and want more.
Dreaming of a turtle that gives birth is a good sign that can mean reaching a goal or being almost there.