The universal animal imaginary includes the idea of a bull associated with various meanings. In America, the buffalo embodied male power, the dominant force, while in ancient Egypt it represented the god Apis. In the cradle of the West, Greece, it meant rebellion towards power.
At the same time, the figure of the bull appears in the signs of the zodiac, through Taurus, whose subjects are distinguished with attributes derived from the bull, such as sensuality and material pleasure.
The bull as a cult animal
The bull has been a cult object. The great cultures associate its strength with the idea of fertility, with its procreative capacity. Together with the cow, they represent archetypes of the reproductive forces of nature. Throughout the history of mankind, the figure of the bull and the cow has been the object of mythical, totemic, cultural and literary elaborations. Fecundity, death and resurrection find in the figure of the bull a deep meaning. Cultures such as the Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman and Egyptian cultures gave the bull a sacred character. Its blood was offered as a ritual sacrifice.
The bull in many ancient cultures is the representation of strength. In prehistoric caves the figure of the bull must have been painted and drawn to ensure its hunting, giving it a magical-religious power. The Druids, for example, related the bull to the energy of the Sun and the cow to the energy of the earth. In addition, the bull represented luxury and wealth for the Celts.
The bull in the collective imagination
The permanence of the bull in the collective imagination has allowed this animal to continue to be a symbol of fertilizing power and vitality. Its horns have been linked to the Moon and its influences. Its main peculiarity is to symbolize the vigor and power of earthly and cosmic fertilization, attributed in most ancient civilizations. The bull is the bearer of virility and power.
The symbolism of the bull in the 20th century adds the idea of security. The bull has been taken as a positive symbol for financial transactions, because of its active personality within the herd.
One of the most recurrent dreams in adults is the dream with bulls. Given its frequency in different individuals, this type of dream has been included, along with others, among the most typicaldreams.
The dream in which the subject is chased by bulls, joins a wide series of dream-like episodes, such as walking through confined alleys, experiencing robberies at night (typical of those who take excessive precautions before going to bed), acts of escape through rooms, sieges with daggers or spears, among others.
Dreaming of bulls: some meanings
The dream is able to symbolically represent the stimulus or sensation as such. This is the case when the dream is produced by pain, which is reflected in episodes of desperate struggle with animals, such as bulls that attack you.
The rebellious behaviors associated with the bull also serve to make some associations. It is likely that dreaming about bulls can be interpreted as an unconscious manifestation of the desire to disobey orders from one’s boss. If you are part of an organization structured by others, who would like to give you another direction, the bulls in your dreams are signs of your desire for insubordination.
Dreaming of bulls and the metaphor of virility
The presence of animals in the dream contents is very common, but the interpretation depends on the type of animal.
Dreaming of bulls can symbolize male images or cultural models, such as virility and strength. On the other hand, dreaming about cows is associated with the symbolism of motherhood.
It is important to take into account that dreams about -or with- bulls cannot mean the same thing in all cultures, since bulls have had an essential role in sustaining human life, even bullfighting can be considered a cultural niche for Spaniards. In other cultures, such as India, the bull has another meaning.
Dreaming of herds of bulls and cows
The dreams with herds of bulls glimpse the multiplication of their worries. They are a reflection of the fact that you feel overwhelmed and the unconscious is telling you to take a long rest.
Dreams of cows are correlated with motherhood and prodigality. Now, if you dream of cows and bulls in a herd you can take it as an advertisement for prosperity in personal relationships. This is how the idea of strength converges with that of fidelity.
If you dream of mooing cows, it is also a sign of good fortune. If the dream is of healthy white cows, it is also interpreted as a sign of good fortune. However, if the cow shows hostility and pursues you, it is probably because someone close to you is trying to steal from you.
Dreaming of a white, brown, black or golden bull
The colour white, added to the symbolic strength of the animal, indicates that the dreamer is clear about each of his objectives. He knows exactly what he wants. It is so clear that he is able to discern between several projects, staying only with what is convenient for him. Dreaming of a white bull is always a good sign. It also means that his close environment is faithful to him.
Like the previous dream, brown bulls indicate good things, specifically in work activities and financial goals.
As already mentioned, dreaming about black bulls is related to emotional affections. The dreamer misses someone who died and was very important in his life. In case a wild bull is present in the dream, it is likely that there is an eventuality about to appear.
The dream with a bull made of gold means that the person wishes to be materially rich or lives focused on producing money for personal gain.
Dreaming about killing a bull or about dead bulls
Dreaming of killing a bull announces triumph over someone he considers his opposite.
Dreamlike images of dead bulls warn that you believe your role in a social or work group is being undermined; your point of view is not respected within the group. The internal conflict you feel with what you believe is your right is unconsciously represented in this way. His mind is alert to recover his leadership.
Dreaming of big, giant bulls
Dreams of big, giant bulls on a meadow suggest a great desire for sex.
Dreaming of a crazy, aggressive, injured or dead bull
When you dream of a wounded and aggressive bull you must be careful of an inconvenience that will be produced by someone in your family or work environment. But, when the dream shows a mad bull it is because the person who will betray him will do so without any remorse of conscience. It will be worse in this case.
The dream with an aggressive bull, who seems to look at you in a defiant way, is regularly associated with a warning about some conflict you experience in life, but refuses to give it due weight. It could be a dangerous, life-threatening situation.
Generally, angry and aggressive bulls point out dangerous situations. Defiant bulls, who chase him, point out mistreatment or betrayal from someone close to him. If you dream of fighting bulls or bullfighting, you’re looking at financial conflict, such as the accumulation of debt.
Dreaming of a tame bull
The bull’s strength and aggressive features are cancelled out, but they are dormant. The subject who dreams of a meek bull experiences that passivity, sometimes serenity, without frights, just like the bull. It is a period of life characterized by concrete facts, without fear of failure. As if taming a beast, he takes control of his life, not of one aspect, but of all its instances. He has managed to dominate his fears, which is why the bull does not show his bravery.
This passivity of the animal implies that, in its work, despite the existing problems, it has managed to dominate the beast, metaphorically speaking.
Moreover, it is possible that in the dream scene he appears mounted on the back of a red bull without a mount. In this case, you may be experiencing health problems that you will have to deal with. Other, more conciliatory readings talk about you getting help to solve a conflict or feeling manly.
Dreams of Bulls and Strength
As mentioned above, the bull symbolizes male characteristics, such as strength and power; however, it is also linked to tenacity and stubbornness. The dream with bulls can be seen as a manifestation of overdimensioned male sexual energy and fertility.
In other dreamlike content with bulls the animal represents strong temperament, an impulsive and even excessive personality. These would be archetypes of rough and tough people.
But the interpretation of this type of dreams can also vary a lot according to the dream episode, the disposition of the soul in front of the animal, the physical features of the bull, its temperament, its size and number.
The dream with a majestic and defiant bull can be positive, because it represents a powerful creative energy. If the bull chases you in order to finish you off, the reading is different: it is the sign of your inner struggle not to let your primitive instincts come out, about to overflow. You are aware that you will have to pay the consequences.
Dreams of bulls and fertility
In both men and women, dreaming of bulls is linked to affective issues, exaltation of fertility and sex.
The bull then symbolizes a repressed desire, which could announce an affair or sexual relations with the loved one. In a particular way, in women, the dream with bulls refers to a drive to be mothers in a peremptory time.
In young women the dream with bulls could represent a powerful feeling towards the newborn. In a strict sense, the woman wants to become pregnant.
Dreams with bulls and human betrayal
The bull’s ability to charge without being noticed is transposed into sleep. If you dream of bulls you may be going through bad times and the animal’s presence suggests that you should be on the lookout because, as bulls often attack, the blow can come from either side.
However, if the bull chases you, it can be interpreted as your escape from the conflict. Meanwhile, if he faces it, he will also face the problem and get out of it as soon as possible. Dreams with bulls are related to distressing situations and problems to come.
The emotional disturbance manifests itself particularly in dreams of black bulls. Passivity in front of the bull indicates that the conflicts will involve him.
Dream activity with bulls also reveals the possibility that he will be betrayed by someone around him, in an unexpected way. If you dream of an aggressive bull, you will be careful of betrayals from the family. Betrayal, a human characteristic, is transferred to the animal, when in truth the bull only acts out of an instinct of self-preservation.
The theme of the bull’s horns
The bull’s horns culturally represent the betrayal of love. It is common to use expressions like “riding the horns”. If you dream of bulls with huge horns you are expressing the fear of being betrayed by your partner. Obviously, your fears can be totally unfounded.
Dominant personalities also tend to dream about bulls, because of the bull’s attachment to strength and stubbornness. Leaders may eventually have these kinds of dreams.
Dreams of Bulls and Culture
A territorial dream, where culture has a relevant role, is produced among the Spanish male population and people who admire this type of event. It is about dreaming with the bulls of the Sanfermines bulls, in Pamplona. It is unimaginable that a person who defends the bulls should have a dream of this type.
If you dream that you are in a bullfight, the most probable thing is that you will witness a difficult situation in which you will not be able to intervene. Another interpretation of the dream is that you will experience a conflict between your most primal desires and your spirituality. The old struggle between Eros and Thanatos.