Monkeys are known for their many spiritual meanings. Due to their playful and mischievous natures, you may already guess some of their symbolic meanings for life. As monkeys also link to humans and human behavior, it would be particularly interesting to know their spiritual meanings.
A monkey’s spiritual meaning is playfulness and joy. Playfulness is a reminder to bring entertainment and liveliness into daily life. Another spiritual meaning of a monkey is resourcefulness and the ability to problem-solve. Monkeys symbolize compassion, intelligence, and the importance of bonding.
The spiritual meaning of a monkey differs depending on its origin. This includes different meanings according to Native American, Eastern, Christian, Celtic and African symbolism. Other thought-provoking symbolism comes from dreams and having a monkey as your spirit animal.
The Spiritual Meaning Of A Monkey
Monkeys symbolize playfulness, joy, curiosity, and mischievousness. These meanings come from their natural behavior. This would translate into having a tendency for jokes and trickery. This symbolism shouldn’t necessarily be seen negatively, but rather good tricks that do not harm others.
Aside from their entertainment and playful symbolism, monkeys are also associated with deep knowledge and intelligence. They can be very resourceful, finding clever solutions to problems. This cleverness can be interpreted as using your ingenuity, imagination, and wit to solve problems in life.
Monkeys show lots of bonding between each other and mimic good family values. This symbolism manifests compassion for each other as well as understanding. You may have seen monkeys engaged in intense grooming sessions, where they focus on cleaning each other. This act resembles support, attention, and kindness.
As compassionate and family-driven monkeys can be, they also symbolize boldness, confidence, and loudness. They can even threaten other animals, displaying aggression to protect their territory and family. These behaviors translate into encouraging being assertive and resistant to change in life.
However, this should be interpreted with caution, as too much aggression would be a negative trait. A delicate balance should be reached between being confident and bold but not too threatening to scare people off.
Spiritual Meaning Of A Monkey According To Mythology
The monkey symbol can be seen all over Southern America, as everyone is familiar with the Aztec monkey symbol. This symbol (Ozomatli in the Aztec calendar) is associated with the god, Xochipilli, related to art and harmony and light-heartedness and fun. In Native American folklore, monkeys are known for being tricksters.
The symbolism of a monkey is also known in some Eastern mythology and Asian cultures. In the Chinese zodiac, the ninth sign is represented by the monkey. It is believed that children born in the year of the monkey are clever – like the monkey. In Indian folklore, there is a monkey god called Hanuman. Hanuman is known to be brave and selfless.
The spiritual meaning of a monkey is not as well known in Christianity. Opposed to other interpretations, the monkey has a primarily negative connotation in Christianity. Greed and hatred are two associations made with the monkey, mimicking humans’ traits.
In African symbolism, the monkey is mainly recognized in Egyptian mythology. Still related to the monkey, the god of wisdom and science was depicted as a man with a baboon head. This god represents the development of art and science, coming from the observation that baboons were smart with good communication skills.
A Monkey As A Spirit Animal
If you have the monkey as your spirit animal, then you are likely to be good at practical jokes and engage in light-hearted trickery. Trickery can turn into something negative, so it is essential to remind yourself of the time and place.
As a spirit animal, the monkey also symbolizes the opportunity to let joy into your life. It can also teach you that laughing is good medicine for tough times. The monkey may get your attention through fun and surprise, but the messages conveyed should be taken seriously.
The monkey as your spirit animal symbolizes intelligence and intensity. A positive trait for people with the monkey as a spirit animal is being emotionally expressive and living in the present moment. You may be very good at motivating and encouraging others.
The monkey symbolizes a figurative way out of a rut in life. If you are experiencing some low times, the monkey, as your spirit animal, will through you the rope to swing yourself out. You will be given support from the monkey to get your life back on track.
Spiritual Meaning Of A Monkey And Dreams
If a monkey appears in your dreams, it can mean that you have been flattered at some point in your life but that it was not what it seemed to be. In other words, you may be fooling yourself into thinking that everything is going well in your life.
A monkey in your dream can predict some trouble in your future. Associated with this, the monkey can symbolize trickery, mockery, and immaturity.
If you get bitten by a monkey in your dream, it can symbolize that you have acted wrongly, which will come back to bite you later on. It would be best if you considered finding out what you have done or said and tried to correct these actions.
A monkey appearing in your dream can also symbolize something positive. It can remind you of family and community, precisely to place emphasis on these aspects as they are essential to a happy life.
If the monkey is happy in your dream, this can be taken as a positive sign. Similarly, dreaming of a monkey sitting on your shoulder is a good thing. This type of dream represents a visit from someone soon.
Conclusion
The general spiritual meaning of a monkey is playfulness and joy, as well as intelligence and resourcefulness. Family and community are another two interpretations from the monkey as a spiritual symbolism.
The exact meaning of a monkey differs slightly when associated with different folklores and mythology. However, the main message to be understood is that you should not take life too seriously, have fun, but also be intelligent and confident.
