Animals are frequent visitors in dreams. Maybe your own personal animal shows up in a neglected state, or has panicked about something. When they make an appearance we should sit up and pay attention to the message they bring.
“From a nightworld perspective, (animals) are presentations of specific soul qualities and behaviors, essentials that cannot better present themselves than in this animal shape. The appearance of an animal restores us to Adam. We recover the first woman in the cave, tracing out the animal soul on the underground walls of the imagination. Of course, the different animals present styles and shapes of vitality, so one tends to say, “Animals in dreams represent instincts. They stand for our bestiality and primitivity.” No, they do not; first, because they are not ours or us; second, because they are not images of animals, but images as animals. These dream animals show us that the underworld has jaws and paws, opening our awareness to the fact that images are demonic forces. The least we can do for them is to pay them that primordial respect of the cave man drawing in the dark, face to the wall. We need large caves and loving attention. Then they may come and tell us about themselves.”
James Hillman, The Dream and the Underworld, p.150
