Platypus Dream Meaning & Interpretation
Most people probably have a hard time imagining what it must be like to encounter a platypus in a dream, but for some people, this is a clear symbol that can be interpreted in various ways depending on the context. This article covers the symbolism of the platypus in general and considers how one might interpret a variety of different dreams involving the platypus. Using this general guidance as well as these examples, you can determine the meaning of the platypus in your dream.
Platypus Dream Summary
Platypus Symbolism
The platypus is best known for being a sort of cross-over species as the only mammal in existence that lays eggs. To look at a platypus is also a bit confusing, as it seems to have had its parts tacked on from a number of different creatures and ended up looking rather odd. With its duck bill and webbed feet, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was more of a duck. However, while swimming in the water it seems to resemble a beaver instead. The one thing that can be agreed upon about this oddball is that it is strange. Therefore, it is seen to represent the misfits and oddballs as well as a need for radical self-acceptance in order to develop the confidence and courage necessary to be oneself.
Common Platypus Dreams
When dreaming about the platypus, we are often dealing with a need to embrace our own inner oddities or to be flexible and adaptable, just as the platypus has done. On the other hand, the platypus may itself represent something odd about ourselves or something that stands out in a particular situation, usually having to do with something we’re afraid others will ridicule us for.
- Dreams about a platypus in water
- Dreams about being a platypus
- Dreams about a platypus in the forest
- Dreams about a platypus crossing your path
- Dreams about a platypus baby hatching
- Dreams about a platypus being embarrassed (or on stage, etc.)
What Do Platypuses Symbolize?
Flexibility & Adaptability
The thing that makes platypuses so strange is also their greatest strength: their flexibility and adaptability to different environmental conditions in order to survive. So, when you see a platypus in your dreams, consider whether they might be symbolizing a need for greater flexibility in a given situation. Pay attention to the contextual clues as well as your own emotional reaction in the dream to put together a full dream interpretation, and use the example dreams that are analyzed in this article as a starting point for further exploration.
Radical Self-Love/Self-Acceptance
Platypuses often show up in our dreams as a symbol of radical self-acceptance. Again, it is precisely because they’re so odd looking that they can embody this symbol and challenge us to embrace our inner oddball. A platypus may represent you or someone else, but its message is intended for you alone. That means if you dream about someone else as a platypus, then it means you’re seeing them as an oddball. The challenge of the dream is to radically accept that person as they are instead of trying to change or control them.
Confidence & Courage
Sometimes, a platypus will show up in our dreams to teach us a lesson about confidence and courage. Once again, it is their strange appearance that allows them to take up the charge for the “be yourself” campaign. After all, what choice do you (or they) have? So remember, if you see a platypus in your dream, you’ll have to determine who or what it represents. If the platypus is someone else, then maybe you’re simply identifying them as someone who lacks confidence and is kind of an odd duck. If it’s you, however, then your dream could be saying that you need to have more courage and be more confident in who you are.
Platypus Dream Interpretations
Dreams about a platypus in water
Water is the platypus’s natural habitat and symbolically relevant on its own as both a source and sustainer of life. It’s important to note that while swimming, the otherwise awkward platypus is at its most streamlined as its sleek body glides through the currents with ease. This highlights the flexibility and adaptability symbolism of the platypus and indicates that your dream is about going with the flow. However, you will have to examine the other factors in the dream to gauge the precise meaning of the platypus in your dream and consider that sometimes a swimming platypus can still be quite awkward.
Dreams about being a platypus
If you dream that you are a platypus, note how awkward you feel. Are you feeling like an oddball, lacking in self-confidence? Does it feel similar to a situation you are already experiencing in your life? These are the kinds of things you want to consider when attempting to figure out the meaning of the platypus in your dream. Usually, if you’re dreaming that you’re a platypus it’s because you associate that animal with some of the strangest, most inexplicable features in the animal kingdom. However, it could also be that you are experiencing the love and radical self-acceptance symbolized by the platypus’s more positive aspects. It’s important to note how it felt to be the platypus in your dream in order to determine its meaning.
Dreams about a platypus in the forest
Platypus dreams often involve forest themes even though platypuses live alongside freshwater streams and are not a distinctive feature of the forest habitat itself. The forest is thought to represent the obstacles that surround the platypus. So, if you dream about a platypus in the forest, especially if that platypus is you, consider whether you may be feeling as though you’re overwhelmed by obstacles and, like the platypus itself, you don’t know where you fit in. If so, this dream is probably trying to tell you it’s time to confront those feelings. You can’t continue on the way things are.
Dreams about a platypus crossing your path
If a platypus crosses your path in a dream, it could be telling you that it’s time to confront something. The presence of the platypus tells us that it’s something we feel awkward or ashamed about and maybe don’t want to even admit to our closest friends. However, the dream is begging you to address it. Consider the other symbols in your dream to help interpret the true meaning. For instance, if the platypus that crosses your path is wearing a suit and tie, it’s possible you are feeling like an oddball at work. If it’s dressed up for a date, it could be that you’re just having pre-date anxieties. All of these things can be understood with proper dream interpretation.
Dreams about a platypus baby hatching
Platypus babies are some of the most adorable creatures on this earth, no lie. Maybe it’s just me because they’re also kind of super ugly but in a totally adorkable sort of way. However, if you’re dreaming about baby platypuses hatching I first just want to say, bless you! I’m glad someone is having that dream, and I’ll bet it’s fantastic. However, what it means is that something is being born in your life that needs your love and radical acceptance now. It’s a loner in need of parenting and guidance, and it’s looking to you for those things. Do yourself a favor and practice radical self-acceptance if you need to in order to fully embrace those awkward little puggles. Yes, they’re really called that. Told you they were cute.
Dreams about a platypus being embarrassed (or on stage, etc.)
Dreaming about a platypus in an embarrassing situation calls upon the most extreme example of the awkward/oddball symbolism. It indicates that your fear of exposure has escalated to the point that you feel like everyone is looking at you and perhaps that everyone is laughing and/or making fun of you. This may relate to your presence in the world in general, but more likely has to do with a particular situation at work or in your home life. Pay attention to the other details in the scene to help you decode the dream’s full meaning, but be aware that this symbol is calling on you to radically accept someone (perhaps even yourself) as they are.
Conclusion
The platypus is such a strange creature that it doesn’t seem to belong anywhere. That’s a feeling we all have from time to time. When the platypus archetype visits our dreams, it’s telling us it may be time to confront those awkward feelings of being different or even being laughed at for those differences. It may not be easy (it usually isn’t), but if the platypus is visiting you in your dreams, it could be that the effort you’re putting into avoiding reality is worse than whatever the cost might be of confronting the awkwardness (or the platypus) head on.