The Sparrow Dream

Sparrows were one of the birds I rescued as a child. When a chick fell out of a nest in our backyard, I’d scoop up the little bundle of fluff in my eager hands and place it in a shoebox. Then I’d offer it some milk and bread and watch it fall asleep. At night, I’d keep the box with the sleeping bird near my bed. A day or two later, I’d let it go, hoping the parents would return to care for it.

I was unprepared for the dream I had about the sparrow many years later…

I am standing in an open meadow with a few deciduous trees nearby. There are also 20–30 children standing with me in the meadow. The children cup their hands together, as if they are holding something, and suddenly lift their hands into the air, each releasing a sparrow. The birds fly above us, creating a purple mist, and four luminous wolves appear hovering in the mist.

A girl, about four years old, with long blonde hair, takes my hand in hers. She wants to show me something. I walk with her to the foot of an old tree. What catches my attention, and holds it, is the muddy area nearby. A hideous-looking creature, the size of a rhinoceros, seems to be stuck in the mud. Part of the back and all of the head is sticking out. It has one eye in the middle of its insect-like head. I can feel its ancient power and malevolence. I also know it wants to roam the earth freely, but something is preventing it from doing so.

There were many important symbols in this dream. The most important one was the sparrow, which, according to Ted Andrews in his book Animal-Speak, represents the triumph and awakening of the common nobility. In the Middle Ages, the sparrow became a symbol of the peasants because they were often seen as helpless under powerful landowners. Because of this, people loved hearing stories of the humble sparrow triumphing over powerful enemies such as bears and eagles, the traditional symbols of the elite who had mistreated them.

The other symbols were the children, representing innocence, trust, and new beginnings. The purple mist is interesting. I saw it as otherworldly, even within the dream, and purple has long been associated with color of the nobility. In fact, England had sumptuary laws during the 16th century that allowed only the nobility to wear purple. The four wolves represent the four directions, finding a new pathway, and teaching. In certain Native American traditions, the wolf also represents humanity itself. The creature in the mud represents negative energy, suffering, and the oppressors that have plagued the earth and humanity for centuries.

To sum it up, this dream represents what I believe is happening on our planet right now. Many people believe we are living through the Ascension, or the Great Awakening. When I had this dream nearly ten years ago, I had no idea I would one day feel as though I was watching it unfold in real time. Every time I see a sparrow, I thank it for reminding me of this extraordinary time—where the first shall become last, and the last shall become first.

Other meanings for seeing a sparrow in your daily life:

• Hope during difficult times.
• The quiet strength found in ordinary people.
• Community, cooperation, and helping one another.
• Joy in life’s simple moments.
• Resourcefulness and resilience.
• New beginnings and personal renewal.
• Trusting your own inner voice.
• Awakening to your own hidden potential.
• Divine guidance appearing in ordinary ways.

Since that dream, I have never looked at a sparrow the same way again. Whenever one appears, I pause for a moment and remember what it taught me—that great change often begins with ordinary people who simply awaken to who they really are.