Turtle in Dreams Meaning

Can you remember or do you know of someone with a painted turtle as a pet? Maybe you grew up in the country or along a beach somewhere, and you got the chance to see a turtle or two up close and personal. Of course, if it was a snapping turtle, you learned quickly to avoid the little guy as it can be remarkably temperamental (hopefully a lesson mastered by word of mouth advice, because to do so through personal experience would hurt like heck)!

Wherever you encountered a turtle first, you could not help but be fascinated by a creature with an inseparable home: One the turtle carries everywhere. If this sweet, usually docile, steady-paced creature has crawled into your dream narrative, it has a definite message or two for you!

First, let’s consider the inseparable home the turtle carries on its back: This home goes everywhere with the turtle and suggests ease of adapting to just about any environment. If any reptile stands for the notion of “home is where the heart is,” it is the steadfast, deliberate, and dedicated turtle.

The turtle is born out of eggs buried in the sand or dirt and then, head straight for water when born. This makes the reptile correspond to both the earth and water elements. With the earth element, the image of the turtle’s earthy connections reveals its strength, dedication, patience, endurance, determination, willfulness, and stubbornness. In contrast, the watery elements that may hint at your dream’s meaning include the universal subconscious or unconscious, spirit, the realm of dreams, and inspiration. All of these concepts should be considered in light of the dream content and context so you can get a clearer idea of turtle’s message.

Have you ever seen the determination of a turtle? Just look at one that has been flipped over on its back! The creature will wiggle, kick and twist until it can return to the upright position again. “The slow and steady” pace of the turtle as it walks along is another sign of its determination and impressive patience.

Turtles are highly adaptable as is indicated by the fact they are cold-blooded creatures who have an internal body temperature as is defined by the environment they are in at the time. Being able to walk about on land and travel through water also proves this animal’s remarkable abilities. The dream message from the turtle is, therefore, one of the need for fortitude, patience, and trusting your own instincts.

If turtle feels it is in danger, it can retract its head into its shell to protect itself. The dream message of the turtle then becomes one of “what might you be sticking your nose into, and is it really safe to do so? Sometimes, turtle teaches, it is just safer to withdraw until the trouble passes. Turtles are often associated with the earth and the Earth Mother; part of this reasoning may have to do with their long life spans. As such, the turtle in your dreams may be a sign for a need to reconnect with the earth, or it could be an indication of something being a lifelong condition or long-term position/situation.

Now that you know what turtle means when entering your dreams, why not explore the meaning behind the appearance of other reptiles at WhatIsMySpiritAnimal.com.