I had a strange dream that I don't understand the symbolism of as I think it is a Christian symbol?? Not sure. Maybe one of you ladies know.

So I dreamed I was walking down this red carpet and it was some kind of festive event, like an opening of a movie or something, I'm not sure. It was very crowded and I was getting shuffled along by people out of the limo. And then I realized that I was on the red carpet with a date and everyone around us was taking pictures and I was baffled, and nervous. So I figure I am escorting some woman, a movie star or something until we get to the middle area where the greatest amount of people are. All of a sudden it turns very much into my experience at the United Nations, when the crowd are like holy rollers, Christians, and they are yelling at me, screaming obscenities, holding up signs, definitely in protest. But it is then that I realize they are angry at me- just like at the UN when the protesters turned against me. Then all these reporters come up to me and are taking pictures and asking me how I feel about them protesting my work, and I don't know what they are talking about, I just freeze up and go inside. But the crowd is incensed and they like completely riot so security takes me to the roof. At this point the dream seems familiar, I think I have had it before from the way everything looks on the roof. I see the people rioting in the streets cop cars are there and I am afraid for my life. It is then that a hawk, my primary animal totem, swoops down and alights on like the railing only a few feet away from me. The hawk lets out this ear piercing scream and takes its wings and rips its chest open revealing a burning heart kind of like those Jesus pictures I have seen before.

I know what the symbolism of a hawk is in terms of being a messenger of the gods kind of dude, but what does the heart burning mean? Does anyone know if there is any lore on a hawk with a burning heart?

What's weird is I know I have had that same dream many years ago, at least that's the way I felt about it after I woke up so I think it is an important message but I don't know the burning heart symbolism.

things that make me go hmmm,
JB

As far as I've alwyas seen it the burning heart symbolizes passion for seomthing you believe in with all your body soul and mind. Jesus' Passion was his death for seomthing he believed in. Perhaps your hawk is trying to tell you not to fear feeling so passionate for something that you could die for it?

Just my feeling...I don't really interpret dreams well. But the burning heart has long been a favourite symbol of mine. I don't see it as necessarily Christian, though it is most commonly associated with Christianity. I see it as a universal symbol for an overwhelming love and passion for something.

In Catholicism, it is called the Sacred Heart and it is a symbol of the Divine's love for humanity. In other Christian paths, it symbolizes the faith filled life.

Perhaps your hawk is telling you to have faith, despite what you see around you?

Some good insights I wouldn't think of. thanks.

I saw a real hawk this weekend just sitting low in this tree when I was coming home. It immediately reminded me of the dream the way he was perched. Hawk to me always come before there is a message about a big life-change. I also had the strangest encounter with a deer when I was driving through the woods. A young doe jumped out from the woods right in front of my truck looked at me and then scampered off and jumped over a 5 foot fence in front of this churchyard. You know the kind; black wrought iron with those gothic spikes at the top. I thought it was going to get impaled but it easily cleared it and was like WHEW! I also saw the strangest animal in the Pine Barenns a peacock! Those are not indigenous to the area, and the Pine Barrens are the New Jersey forest that the Jersey Devil is supposed to live in and I just was amazed. I mean peacock?? Sometimes when I'm having this many strange animal encounters it usually means some new energy is coming into my life. I just lost my job recently so maybe I will be getting a new one. Who knows, maybe a publisher will write back and tell me they are going to publish my book!

thanks for the input,
JB