While one of the more everyday animals that you might find in your dream, cows in dreams do have some interesting symbolism that is worth exploring.
In dreams, cows usually denote your desire to move forward in life, where you are longing for things to be different, but they also symbolize joy, productivity, fertility, and impending change.
There are also a lot of spiritual associations when you see cows in dreams, too. So when you see a cow appearing in your dreams, it normally has something significant to tell you.
Let’s get started.
Why Am I Dreaming Of Cows?
Cows in your dreams represent femininity, a caring nature, creativity, elevated wisdom, and being in touch with your emotions.
If you dream of seeing a cow with its calf, this may represent how you are guiding others toward a better life, or you are trying to improve your own life.
Cows can also signify a matriarchal figure in your waking life, too. Your dream may focus on this person in order to examine your relationship with her, and the influence she has on your life.
As cow’s milk is consumed all over the world, these animals are closely linked to well being, health, and enrichment, so they are usually considered a positive sign.
These animals signal a change, or a desire for change, for things to become better than they are. They may also signify your ability to rise above difficulties, making sure that you don’t fall into temptation.
If you dream of a cow in a picture-perfect green field, this is a positive sign for the future, where you will enjoy a lot of success and prosperity. If it was grazing, this denotes both your desire and abilities to untangle life’s issues.
Seeing many cows in a field like this is a good omen for your business or professional life. You’ll soon enjoy an uptick in business, though you might struggle to fill the demand for your skills if things grow quickly enough.
Seeing a cow somewhere in your home implies that you should try to improve your personal life, and leave any negativity behind you. It may point to current problems that you’re having difficulty with, or you’re ignoring them completely.
Herds of cows in your dreams refer to your social life, being comfortable in your skin, and allowing yourself to be your most authentic self around others.
Dreaming of a cow with white spots implies a period of calm and tranquility, especially if you are finding things tough right now.
A malnourished cow in your dreams implies that you should allow yourself to be vulnerable, and feel everything deeply instead of pushing your emotions aside. You may not develop lasting connections with others without this.
Milking a cow in your dream implies an uptick in your wealth or prosperity that you should take full advantage of. It may also indicate that a small kindness you have shown someone will be repaid tenfold.
If you see a cow being slaughtered, this implies that there are difficult times ahead of you, and you’ll need to call upon your inner resilience to get through them.
The Cow Dream Symbol
Many dream interpreters believe that a cow in your dream is a spiritual sign that you should not ignore.
Some people believe that in dreams, your past, future, and present are all rolled up into a single entity that you can access. Your logic gained from the past, as well as present insights, and your hopes for how the future might go are all laid out in your subconscious.
The cow can represent many things, so it’s important to look at all the clues your dream gives you to find the answer.
Cows are closely associated with the earth, with a nurturing nature, generosity, love, conviction, grace, and many deities in different cultures.
One thing that is commonly associated with cows in dreams is empathy, and even life itself. It may call upon you to reconnect with yourself and the present, remembering just how much influence you have over your waking hours, and the course of your life in general.
Dreams of cows are common when you’re not sure where your life is headed, or if you can cope. Your subconscious is reassuring you that you can do both.
Cows And Mythology
It’s worth looking at how cows have appeared in mythology and religion, as this can provide additional insight into your dream. Even if you’re not religious, you’d be surprised at what symbols your subconscious uses to get its message across.
In Ancient Egyptian mythology, Hathor is the goddess of love, the sky, sexuality, joy, dance, and femininity, as well as maternal love and nurturing, too.
She often appeared as a cow which represented her maternal nature as well as her link to the sky, but you can also see her as a woman with a headdress made of cow horns, holding a sun disk.
It’s interesting to note that there were more temples erected in her honor than any other goddess within the Old Kingdom of Egypt. People would pray to her for happy marriages, and safe childbirths, among many other reasons.
Some people believe that Hera, the Greek mythological goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and the queen of the gods was based on Hathor. Hera also holds strong associations with cattle and love, too.
In Greek mythology, Hera often discovers Zeus, her husband, cheating on her, and exacts revenge. In one particular tale, Zeus had an affair with Io, who he loved. Knowing that his wife would lash out, he turns Io into a white cow to save her life.
This didn’t exactly stop Hera. Incensed, Hera sends a gadfly to constantly worry Io, causing her to walk the earth and stay trapped as a cow, and even cross the Ionian Sea (what is part of the Mediterranean today). She eventually reaches Egypt, where she is turned back.
In some versions, it is Hera that turns Io into a cow. It’s also interesting to note that Io is usually depicted as Hera’s first priestess.
Io’s transformation into a cow also means that a cow in a dream can be a warning. If you are giving your love too freely, or you’re not thinking about the consequences of your actions, you might run into trouble.
These attributes help cement the common meaning behind cows in dreams, so it’s important to pay attention to these animals when they appear, and how they appear.
Why Am I Dreaming Of A Calf?
A calf may appear in your dream when you’re about to experience some minor changes in life, or you’re just starting on a spiritual path that has the potential to change your life completely.
While an adult cow in your dream is a promise of positive events, and change, the calf signals the possibility of these things. It can be difficult to know which path to take, but there may not be a right or wrong answer.
Alternatively, seeing a calf in your dream suggests that in order to attain a better sense of peace and happiness, it is a good idea to help someone out emotionally. They may need an ear to listen to.
A dream like this is often a call to be more aware of other people’s emotions, and how your own actions or intentions affect them. Perhaps you’ve only been focusing on yourself lately, or you’ve been caught up in your own problems.
A calf in your dream may also represent the need to positively influence someone in order to get what you want out of a situation. Maybe you need to convince someone of your skills.
Dreaming Of A Cow Being Milked
Seeing a cow milked traditionally typically signifies prosperity, success, fertility, family, and caring nature. It also draws your attention to how you’re trying to shape your life into something you want, rather than settling for what you have completed.
If you’ve been working towards a long-term goal in waking life, and you dream of milking a cow by hand, this implies that you will gain success through your hard work, but also potentially through being mindful of others, and how your decisions may affect them.
It’s a positive sign for the future, where you will soon be able to enjoy your success, and move onto something new when you have learned all you can.
A dream where a cow is milked by a machine implies that part of your identity or your capabilities is being limited by something in waking life, and this is affecting your potential to do great things.
As a cow is unable to look after its young this way, it suggests that you may not be considering other people, the extent of a situation, or you may not be as productive as you hope you will be.
If you see a hoof print in the earth in a milking shed, but no cows, this reflects how you are currently lacking something in waking life. You may not know exactly what it is that you are missing, but you are feeling it deeply.
Is it time to go on a journey of self-discovery, and find out?
A Dream Of A Single Black Cow
Dreaming of a lone black cow represents your shadow self, where your innermost thoughts, hopes, and fears lie. Consider what the black cow does in your dreams.
If it acts aggressively, you may be afraid of what you’re ultimately capable of, or something that lurks in your past, such as regret, or being terrified that you’ll make the same mistakes.
The theory is that your shadow self is an aspect of your psyche that you’re completely unaware of in the conscious world. This dream may serve to connect you with this hidden part of yourself and reveal anything in a ‘safe’ environment, where you will be able to cope with what you find.
Dreaming of a friendly black cow suggests that you have reconciled any past issues, lingering emotions, or other things holding you back, and you are now free to focus on what you want from life.
If you see a black cow in a herd of different colored cows, this implies there is some mystery or magic to a change that’s coming to you. It may also represent a period of transition, or needing to use your creativity to move forward.
A White Cow In Your Dream
A white cow means that you should expect great news soon, or a wish is realized. It may also denote prosperity, grace, and a better sense of your journey through life.
If you dream of a white cow attacking you, this implies that your hopes are getting in the way of seeing reality.
Dreaming Of A Golden Cow
A golden cow means that you need to spend less time worrying and spend a little more time enjoying yourself, specifically spending time with people you love.
Alternatively, it may indicate a large increase in your finances soon.
A Brown Cow In Your Dream
A brown cow in your dream denotes the need to be grounded, to listen to your intuition, and trust your instincts.
Maybe you have been getting a little ahead of yourself when it comes to chasing after your dreams. Perhaps something cannot be accomplished in the way you want for a while, where you’re focusing on trying to attain what you want, and not how you should be going about it.
Maybe your instincts are telling you to adjust course somewhere, but your optimism is insisting that things will be fine if you carry on how you are.
This dream urges you to assume responsibility for your actions, and listen to what your intuition is telling you. If a situation does require a different approach, why not take it?
It may also denote someone who will give you a better sense of self, direction, or purpose.
Being Attacked By A Cow In Your Dream
Many people are afraid of being attacked by cows, and it’s not surprising when you consider they can be very dangerous if they feel threatened. These incidents usually occur when you are walking your dog, or getting too close to cows that have calves.
A cow attacking you in a dream suggests that your emotional needs are going unmet, and you’re not getting the affection or connection that you require. You may feel cut off from others entirely, or distanced in a single situation.
Not being able to escape the cow in your dream signals an issue in waking life that you cannot deal with by yourself.
If the cow attacked you for no reason, it may denote an upheaval in your life, one which you will struggle with for a while.
Dreaming of walking your dog, or enjoying some fresh air and then being attacked by a cow denotes that someone will hurt you in waking life, or they will make you feel vulnerable in some way.
The act of a cow attacking you may also reflect your fears of the people you love hurting you, or how you’re desperately trying to avoid stress or difficult situations in waking life.
Seeing A Dead Cow In Your Dream
A dead cow in your dream may imply an internal or spiritual journey of sorts. It denotes that the change will come from within, possibly started by upheaval or a shift in your priorities.
To some, it may reveal a continuation of the current structure you have in your life, and also something future-proof. Despite this, you may seek something new because you feel you are stagnating where you are, and every day feels like a repeat of the same routine.
A dead cow can also mean that you’re not being considerate enough when it comes to other people’s feelings, or you’re feeling out of place when it comes to other people.
A dream like this may also suggest that to get past problems in your waking hours, you need to give something up that you are starting to outgrow. This might be a relationship, a job, or old habits that are holding you back.
Seeing Cow Poop In Your Dream
Dreaming of cowpats or cow poop suggests that you want to scrub your life ‘clean’ of something. You know there is room for some improvement in your life, but you might not know where to begin, or how you should do this.
If you dream of being unfortunate enough to be covered in slurry or manure, this suggests a very messy or unpleasant situation in waking life.
A Flying Cow In Your Dream
Dreaming of a talking cow represents success, victory, and bravery. You’re about to enjoy success in your long-term goals, your finances, or both.
Any current obstacles you’re facing will soon be over, and you’ll be able to use what you’ve learned to move ahead in the future.
However, if you see a cow flying through the air thanks to a disaster such as a tornado, you’re about to encounter a cluster of problems. While they will be difficult, you’ll manage to get through them.
A Talking Cow In Your Dream
Talking cows may manifest in your dreams to imply there are people that you should get to know soon. They may be on your radar already, but for whatever reason, you are reluctant to make connections with them.
Consider what you are talking about with the cow for additional insight. If, for example, you are arguing with the cow, this reflects frustration with your current relationships, and how you wish people were easier to deal with.
The Spiritual Interpretation Of Cow Dreams
As cows are associated with change, in dreams they denote how your spiritual path is going to shift in direction.
It may indicate that the traits this animal is linked to, such as generosity, productivity, and being grounded will be instrumental in bringing about this change. Perhaps a single act of kindness will spur you upon this path, in an unexpected direction in life.
Cow dreams represent transformation, so they may also suggest that the change will not be external, but a shift in your priorities or personality.
Cows, as you might imagine, are also linked with bulls in dreams. If you see a bull and a cow in your dream, this implies that you’ll have to give up something to enact positive change in your life.
The good news is that you are unlikely to miss it, as you’ll be too busy changing your life for the better.
What You Should Take Away From A Cow Dream
Throughout many cultures, cows are associated with success, non-material wealth, prosperity, and happiness. Seeing a healthy cow, or a herd of cows denotes positive times ahead of you, while seeing sick, injured, or dead cows can suggest the opposite.
They also represent well being, so a dream like this may be a call to better look after yourself, or turn your attention to the needs of others to get where you want to be in life.
For some people, cows in dreams represent parenthood and an expanding family. If you have hopes that your family will get bigger, this dream is a potential promise.
If you’ve been suffering from stress or worry, and you have a positive dream of a cow, this dream comes as reassurance. Things will soon look up, especially if you learn to let go of the unnecessary worry that stops you from enjoying the present for what it is.
Positive Things Are Coming, If:
- You milked a cow by hand or saw one being milked by hand
- You saw a cow nuzzling its calf
- The cow looked healthy and happy
- You saw a field full of happy cows
Cow Dream Summary
- An empty cow shed: something is missing in your life
- A starving cow: allow yourself to be vulnerable, connect with your spiritual side
- A cow attacking you: feeling detached from others, vulnerable, or someone attacking you in waking life
- A dead cow: wanting change, spirituality, connect with others
- A flying cow: great things ahead, success in finances or your career
- A talking cow: potential long-lasting friendships, get to know more people
- A cow in a field: good luck
- A herd of cows: positive times ahead, good luck, happiness
- A calf in your dream: emotional support, new opportunities, potential
- A white cow: spirituality, grace, wish fulfillment
- A brown cow: trust your instincts
- Cow dung: you need to clean up your approach or your life
- A golden cow: good news, prosperity
- A black cow: mystery, your shadow self
Final Thoughts
Cows in dreams can represent many things. This is dependent on the color of the cow, its actions, and how you feel when you see it in the dream.
A cow that attacks you denotes fear, feeling cut off from other people, and feeling as though something is missing from your life.
Most cow dreams are incredibly positive and serve as a way of showing you how you can progress further in life, and push past any current obstacles.
A cow may also mean that you need to trust your instincts rather than what your logical mind is telling you, or what you hope might happen.
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