To that end, she adds, fertility can also relate to creative fertility, with the fish representing the thing you’re creating from your emotional landscape (with water being the emotions). There are more nuanced interpretations and explanations of fish dreams depending on the specifics of the dream, which we’ll get into shortly. But before that, it’s important to note that there are no universal meanings for dream images. People can have a common dream and find the most common interpretation resonates but not always. As therapist and dream expert Leslie Ellis, Ph.D., explains, “My dream fish might represent something slimy and disgusting, while your fish might be a gorgeous, colorful pet, or an animal you deeply respect and have grown to love because you have spent many happy hours fly-fishing, catching and releasing rare specimens.” She does believe that fish have often had religious or historical significance, thought to represent procreation and renewal, “But I think it’s better to ask a person who dreams about fish what the specific nature of their dream-fish is and also what kinds of feelings they personally associate with fish.” Here’s more on how to interpret dreams to help you pin down your dream’s message. Beyond that, Loewenberg explains that fish dreams do often have to do with pregnancy, creation, and/or reeling something in. So if that resonates, she says, think about the possibilities that are open to you and how you can support any relevant ventures. (It never hurts to do some dream journaling, as well.) “And what especially were you thinking or saying to yourself in the dream when you’re looking at or interacting with the fish? The thoughts you have in the dream will always apply to what waking life thoughts are currently in your life,” she says.
