Bird

Birds are messengers across nearly every dream tradition. The Vedic Rig Veda describes the soul as a bird (the hamsa, the swan). Egyptian art shows the ba — a human-headed bird — leaving the body at death. Jung called birds symbols of transcendent function — what moves between conscious and unconscious. The specific bird matters a great deal: a dove speaks peace, a raven secrets, an owl wisdom or omen. A bird entering a house is nearly universally understood as a message crossing a threshold. Notice whether the bird is captive, wounded, flying free, or speaking; and notice whether you catch it, free it, or let it pass.