What The Octopus Symbolizes: Spiritual Meaning, In Dreams & More

The octopus is easily one of the most fascinating animals on the planet due to its unique biology. Freely roaming at the bottom of the sea and surviving for centuries, it’s no question that we can learn a lot from these magnificent creatures. Having said that, what is the spiritual meaning of an octopus?

Spiritually, octopodes are symbols of wisdom, willpower, camouflage, strength, fluidity, and multi-tasking, among other qualities. An octopus is believed to have magical powers and psychic abilities. Thus, the spiritual implications of seeing an octopus are viewed as a good omen.

Octopus symbolism is strongly associated with the water element, bringing insight into inventiveness, cleaning, deep emotion, and movement. This also creates a connection between the octopus and the moon and its divine feminine energy – giving it strong psychic abilities and spiritual connections.

What Is The Spiritual Meaning Of An Octopus?

The spiritual meaning behind an octopus is that of memory, focus, mystery, and evolution of the soul.

With its connection to the sea, the octopus is able to touch deep emotions in unanticipated ways. The octopus reveals your potential, showing you how to focus on what is essential and understand your feelings. Further, it improves your ability to reason.

Octopodes are flexible creatures, having the skills and abilities to get out of difficult situations. Not only can the octopus understand circumstances and how to adapt and find a strategic solution, but the octopus is able to detach and re-grow its limbs. This is symbolic of its ability to leave the past behind and makes it an example of renewal, life’s cycles, and the soul’s evolution.

The octopus teaches you to work with what is in motion instead of fighting against it. This ‘go with the flow mentality saves your energy from useless battles, allowing you to focus on what needs to be done and teaching you to trust that the universe is taking you where you need to be. No matter the octopus’ magical abilities, it stays close to the ground for stability.

Above all else, the spiritual meaning of an octopus is that you must be a master of understanding deep emotions, honing your cognitive skills, and moving fluidly through life. You must always stay close to what keeps you stable and remember not to fight where life is taking you.

Messages From Octopodes As Spiritual Beings

There are specific times in your life when an octopus may appear to you or when you feel the need to call on the octopus’ spirit. Some examples are:

  • You need to tune into your instincts
  • You need to unleash your full potential
  • You need to overcome limitations
  • You need to understand and give an outlet to your emotions
  • You want to share your gifts with the world

Like all animals, the octopus has many meanings which can be interpreted into a range of different messages. Common messages from the octopus are:

  • Wisdom: Defined as one of the most intelligent sea creatures, octopodes are known to be deceptive and cunning. Seeing an octopus brings a desire for spiritual knowledge that you need to understand and navigate complex situations with success.
  • Determination: Octopodes are resilient creatures who possess strong willpower. The octopus is motivation and inspiration never to give up, especially when things get rough.
  • Enlightenment: The octopus brings spiritual enlightenment and divine illumination. An octopus is a sign to search for and understand your spiritual purpose.
  • Spiritual Foresight: You must develop spiritual foresight to identify potential threats the future may bring so you can avoid them.
  • Focus: An octopus in your life brings levels of focus stronger than any other, as it can pay attention to multiple tasks simultaneously. You must master balance and time management and become in touch with your strengths and weaknesses.
  • Multi-tasking: The octopus can successfully perform several activities at once. This is an important ability as you will not always have the opportunity to focus on one task, so you must adapt and grow to handle many.
  • Adaptability: Octopodes have the ability to change color to match their environment. This is an example of being adaptable to changes in the environment and life changes in general. You must learn to adapt to survive.
  • Letting Go: Able to detach its limbs and grow new ones, an octopus is a perfect example of letting go of the past or bad habits. Only when you let go of the negative can you bring in the new and positive.
  • Freedom: There are many times when you can feel stuck in a bad situation or relationship which holds back the rest of your life. The octopus is a sign that you must use all your abilities to find a way out of the situation and also be willing to let go of the negativity.
  • Renewal: The ability to re-grow lost limbs is a sign of renewal and regeneration. It is a reminder that it can be taken back or improved upon with willingness and hard work when you lose something. It is also symbolic of a spiritual reawakening.
  • Flexibility: Not everything in life will work out how you planned. You must constantly flow with and react to the situations around you, becoming flexible and fluid with the constant motions of life and learning to escape bad situations and move on.
  • Change: As a symbol of change, an octopus is an indication that you are entering a new season of your life. This change will bring challenges that you must face and adapt to survive.
  • Important Decisions: You are at a crucial point in your life, and the decisions you make will have a significant impact. Avoid making decisions in haste; rely on your intuition.
  • Challenges: If challenges and difficulties in life surround you, the appearance of an octopus indicates that soon you will be free of these problems.
  • Abundance: The octopus brings prosperity, provision, and good luck. When an octopus is revealed to you, expect a breakthrough in your feelings of self-worth and financial life.
  • Numerous Abilities: Having eight tentacles makes octopodes representative of having multiple talents and abilities. Thus, the octopus leads to self-discovery and reveals strengths, talents, and abilities.
  • Staying Hidden: The octopus’ camouflage represents avoiding overexposure as well as secrets and the unknown. You may need to remain inconspicuous while doing something if you want to succeed, only revealing your intentions at the very last moment.
  • Shape-Shifting: There are times in life when you need to pretend to be something you aren’t to get where you need to be. You may even have to mimic or become invisible to those around you to get through a situation.

The Spiritual Meaning When You Dream About An Octopus

Every dream is unique and personal to the dreamer since they come from the subconscious mind. Hence, you cant assign one specific meaning to a dream; however, by combining symbolic octopus’ meanings, your emotions during the dream, and your personal feelings on octopodes, you will be able to determine the message your subconscious is sending.

Overall, octopodes are important in dreams, carrying positive and negative connotations. An octopus appearing in your dream signifies wisdom, spiritual growth, greed, and controlling behavior.

Themes Octopodes In Dreams Symbolize

There are numerous ways to interpret an octopus in a dream, but the majority of their appearances are likely to revolve around the following themes:

Wisdom – Octopodes are intelligent creatures and are symbols of enhancing your cognitive abilities such as memory, logic, and intuition.

Multi-tasking – Octopodes are master multi-taskers. The appearance of an octopus signifies that you can juggle all the things in your life, but you may need to set your priorities straight.

Emotions – Octopodes can dive deep into emotions, making them signs that you are lost in your emotions or entangled in drama.

Possessiveness – Octopodes are clingy creatures and can represent someone who is controlling and possessive with behaviors that hurt those around them. There may be a person like this in your life, or you might be this person. 

Greed – Octopodes are associated with greed and selfishness due to their number of arms. They can symbolize that your greed is hurting those around you.

Warning – Octopodes are known for their foresight; thus, they may come as a warning to be careful of an enemy pretending to be something they aren’t.

Letting Go – Octopodes are able to signify when you have spread yourself too thin and are holding on to things that you cannot control. It is time you let go of things holding you down and conquer your fears and insecurities.

Octopus Color And Actions In Dreams And What They Signify

While the general significance of seeing an octopus in your dream carries many meanings,  a more specific message can be determined through the color of octopodes.

  • White Octopus: White octopodes signify staying true to yourself. Do not try to grab and hold on to everything that comes your way; remember to stay grounded.
  • Blue Octopus: Blue octopodes signify forcing your emotions unto others. You may be subjecting others to your feelings, and it is hurting those around you.

The specific meaning of an octopus in a dream can be determined by how the octopus appeared, what it was doing, and how you interacted with it.

  • A Giant Octopus: You have a complex personality full of contradictions and are capable of many things.
  • A Small Octopus: You are in the middle of a difficult situation and feel helpless. Overcome your feelings of low self-worth in order to overcome all your other problems.
  • Seeing an Octopus: This can signify your indecisiveness when solving problems. Feeling happy in the dream indicates that you are ready to simultaneously take on several projects and activities. Contrastingly, feeling sad is a warning to avoid doing too many things at once – especially when it comes to being in several relationships.
  • Octopus Swimming: Seeing this is symbolic of significant changes. Your entire life will be shifted, and you will look at life from a different perspective.
  • Octopus on the Ground: An octopus out of water signifies that you will make sound financial decisions in the future.
  • Octopus in the Ocean: A dream of an octopus in the ocean or sea suggests you will make a good decision about a job soon.
  • Octopus in an Aquarium: This is a good omen that your education or work-related issues will soon be resolved.
  • Octopus in School: Seeing octopodes in your school signifies difficulties and stress you are dealing with in your waking life.
  • Being an Octopus: If you are an octopus in your dream, it indicates your desire to control others. Assess your life to see if you are in a co-dependent relationship. It can also represent obsessive emotions towards someone.
  • Turning into an Octopus: You need to make an important decision; consider asking your friends and family for their opinions and advice. Approach this decision with caution.
  • Octopus Stretching: If the octopus is stretching out its tentacles in all directions, it is a sign which foretells troubles in your future.  
  • Octopus Shooting Ink: An octopus hiding behind its ink is a clear sign that you are surrounded by problems and have to assume your responsibilities to resolve them.
  • Attacked by an Octopus: An octopus attacking you signifies trouble on the horizon.
  • Ensnared by an Octopus: Being trapped by an octopus can symbolize that your unconscious mind is pulling you into its realm. Do not resist the call to find what is hidden deep within your psyche. Furthermore, being seized by an octopus signifies a possibility of your getting involved in an adulterous affair.
  • Dragged Underwater by an Octopus: A dream of an octopus dragging you underwater is a bad omen and forewarns significant problems in your future.
  • Eating an Octopus: Eating an octopus indicates an end to a difficult period in your life and that a positive time lies ahead.
  • Catching an Octopus: This dream symbolizes success in all the areas of your life. You will defeat your enemies and excel at what you are working on.
  • Killing an Octopus: Seeing an octopus killed means you are taking a moral stand. However, killing the octopus yourself suggests that you will get the answers you have searched for.
  • A Dead Octopus: This dream foretells that your problems will soon be over, and you will be able to relax in the company of your loved ones.

Conclusion

Despite your personal feelings for them, one must spiritually recognize the octopus for the powerful and positive symbol it is. It aims to help you realize your spiritual purpose.

Octopodes are reminders that you must rely on your abilities and talents to carry you through difficult situations if you want to survive and succeed. With their creative nature, you must rely on your cognitive abilities to get out of difficult situations. An octopus also teaches you to prioritize and focus on what is essential.


Other Popular Spirit Animals

See if you relate to any of these popular spirit animals.