Many cultures have a belief that animals are signs. That an animal is linked to a deity. Religions that believe in multiple deities are called Polytheistic Religions. Each one of these Polytheistic religions has its own animal or totem animal that they consider as a symbol of his or her divinity.
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They also believed that these totem animals had a message if they were seen. These messages were not to be ignored. This leads to people asking what the meaning of seeing a rabbit means.
Dreams or Live
In general, the meaning of seeing a rabbit can be both good and bad. The basic meanings include dread, sexuality, abundance and then wealth. However, there are many other beliefs as to what seeing a rabbit can mean. There are many others to complete the list, too many to mention all.
Rabbits are vulnerable creatures. They tend to be preyed upon by a variety of predators. Luckily a rabbit is not only fast, but they are also quite smart which leads to survival for the majority of rabbits. When it comes to humans, rabbits have a way of reminding us how vulnerable we actually are. They also show us that we have an inner strength that will help us keep going.
Symbolism
Being nocturnal animals, they are most often connected to the moon and nighttime. This may also mean new beginnings and rebirth due to the delicate appearance. There are many different cultural beliefs about animals. The meanings may even vary from one group to the next. However, the symbolism of Rabbits remains consistent across all.
Many native tribes used a rabbit as identification with deep meaning. While in Greek literature, the rabbit was the messenger for Hermes. One Chinese Emperor had the rabbit as a home symbol.
There are meanings for the number of rabbits in some regions. According to the Chinese, the rabbit is the luckiest of the zodiac signs, while many Native American tribes see the rabbit as a trickster. In Central America, the furry rabbit is considered to be a sign of fertility. The Aztecs, however, view the rabbit as promiscuity and drunkenness.
Let’s explain some of these symbolizations before we get to the next area. As stated, sensitivity, fertility, gentleness, hurried or quick, good luck, the moon and also new beginnings to name a few.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity in a rabbit is what keeps the little guy alive. A rabbit has the ability to smell at least 20 times the amount of scents that a human can. Their ears are large and allow them to hear up to 46,000 hertz, while a human is only able to hear up to 23,000 hertz. The rabbit also has very large round eyes. This allows him to see in almost every direction at once.
If a rabbit crosses the path in front of you and hesitates to look at you or acknowledge you, this is likely a reminder that you are becoming too desensitized to what is around you.
Gentleness
Being a herbivore the rabbit eats plants, this is in stark contrast to the predators that the rabbit fears. These are like the alligator, the eagle. The rabbit tells us to treat others gently, as we would want to be treated. To be empathetic to others’ needs, not just our own. This also means that we must treat ourselves just as gently. We should never talk down about ourselves and never do anything that could be considered self-harm.
Fertility
It is common knowledge that rabbits are very fertile creatures. Some people have been accused of breeding like a rabbit. The truth of this is that the rabbit can begin mating and having litter as soon as 2 months of age. The gestation period is 27 days.
Not only can a female rabbit produce quite a few rabbits through one year, the male likely does many more. The male rabbit is not a monogamous animal. The male will mate with many other females, which means many litters each year from each female he impregnates.
Haste
The rabbit always seems to be in a hurry to get somewhere. This need to hurry is a basic instinct for a rabbit. Whenever they find themselves in an open area, instinct tells them to hurry up and get to safety to avoid any probable predators. The rabbit is also seen as agile and able to manoeuvre away from some predators.
New Beginnings
At Springtime, rabbits will generally begin breeding again in February or March. Many animals follow suit with the mating times. There are many signs of new life and new beginnings in the world starting in Spring. The rabbit should be seen as a positive in your life if you are considering adding a family member or a new opportunity coming your way.
The Moon
This is multifold, the new moon is seen as a new beginning, which also symbolizes a woman and her monthly cycle, just as the moon has its cycle each month. Many Ancient cultures believed they were seeing a rabbit when they gazed at the shadows of the craters on the moon.
Good Luck
A rabbit is considered good luck to the previous meanings, a new beginning, fertility and sensitivity. When the turn of the century came in England, it is said that many citizens repeated the word ‘rabbit’ three times on the first day of the new month. This was said to be a way of bringing good luck to your home and family.
What Does A White Rabbit Symbolize?
If you see a white rabbit in your dreams, it signifies that your life is going to get better.
In many cultures, the white rabbit might mean different things. As an example, the British believe that if there is a white rabbit outside of the mine before they went to work, it meant there was going to be a danger, something terrible would happen.
If you see a white rabbit rather than a black one, you are considered to be lucky in love and money. You are also considered a person of kindness, strength and love.
The symbolization of new life, a new beginning can be related to ‘Alice in Wonderland. When chasing the White Rabbit, Alice fell down the rabbit hole and a new life then began for her. This is also seen as opening one’s mind to the possibility of new things or a Spiritual Awakening.
Native American Beliefs
The different tribes appear to vary in what they believe the rabbit symbolizes. For the most part, they can somewhat agree that the rabbit is a trickster.
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe and other Algonquin tribes believe that the creator deity is a rabbit. Nanabozho, the cultural hero for the tribes is also thought to be a shapeshifter that takes the form of a rabbit.
Native Americans from the Southwestern States
These wise tribes continue the belief that the rabbit symbolizes fertility, rainfall and prosperity.
Kokopelli
Kokopelli is the endeared Kokopelli drawing of the Flute player, however, in some of the drawings, he is depicted as a rabbit playing the flute. Kokopelli is highly important in the culture. He often appears in the ceremonies, the tribal dances and of course within the stories passed from one generation to the next.
The exact beginnings of Kokopelli are not clear. He will sometimes be depicted as a guide that helps the Native Braves to hunt, and also as one who impregnates the women because he is a fertility god.
At times he is considered to be a rain god to help crops to grow. While other times the depiction is of a man with a large pack on his back, similar to Santa, so he is seen as prosperous and in abundance.
Cherokee
The Cherokee also see the rabbit as somewhat of a trickster. However, in Cherokee tales, the rabbit learns a lesson in regards to causing mischief. Much like the Coyote and the Crow. One of those tales involves how the Rabbit got a beautiful coat of fur but was left with only a nub of a tail.
Seeing a Black Rabbit
When you set eyes on a black rabbit the connotation takes on a negative meaning. All your fears, emotions and helplessness are showing. This means if you see a black rabbit, you are likely feeling depressed or anxious in regards to a personal issue. Dreaming of a black rabbit is reminding you of struggles and any tragedies that happened when you were a child.
Seeing two white rabbits whether in dreams or in life signifies that balancing, relationships, choice and judgment are in your thought processes and your guardians may be helping you to resolve the issues you are facing.
Two black rabbits signify that you may want to be somewhat more reserved in your choices and interactions. Your guardians want you to know that your ideas have shadows that need to be cleared before anything.
Ending on a positive note, white rabbits are considered so lucky in Britain that it is commonplace to hear or tell others, “white rabbit” as a wish for good luck on the first of each new month.
