The sky has always intrigued human curiosity. With its endlessness, many colors, and being the home of the sun, the moon, and the stars, the sky has always been a source of inspiration and a bit of mystery.
The sky has been important throughout history. In ancient days, our ancestors used the sky, moon, and stars as a guide. Back then, everything was written in the stars, and who knows, maybe it still is.
This article is a guide to sky symbolism and meaning. Below, you’ll discover the different meanings of the sky, everything it symbolizes, and the interpretations of the most common dreams about it.
The sky symbolizes: power, heaven, tranquility and freedom.
Table of Contents
Sky Symbolism and Meanings
Sky Symbolism
The sky symbolizes different things, and they’re all positive and inspiring, so let’s take a closer look at them.
Source of power
The first thing that the sky symbolizes is a source of power due to several factors. First of all, many people believe that it’s the place where gods live. Secondly, in the past, when there was a drought, the tribes prayed to the gods in the sky for rain. They used to beg the divine above them and perform dancing rituals to invoke rain.
When it would start to rain, they believed that their prayers had been heard and answered, and they praised the gods for that. For these reasons, they believed the sky was the source of power.
Heaven
In many religions, the sky relates to the heavens, the place where God and the angels live. People believe it’s a peaceful, cloudy place where the souls of good people go when they die. People believe that when they die, their souls will continue to live up there, and that reduces the fear of death.
Tranquility
Watching the calm, bright sky brings stillness, peacefulness, and the feeling that you’re one with nature. Also, when people look at the sky, the feeling of tranquility takes over them, as they know that someone they loved who’s passed away is somewhere and keeps an eye on them. Believing in this has always provided people with comfort, hope, and calmness.
Freedom
When you stare at the sky, you probably feel free, calm, and attracted to nature. Freedom is another thing associated with the sky. The sky is endless and doesn’t have any boundaries.
The birds have always flown across it in any direction, so the sky is limitless and symbolizes something new and unexpected. Also, it symbolizes the freedom to explore without any obstructions.
The meaning of the sky throughout history
The sky has always been of great importance. People were intrigued by it and started to observe the movements of the sun, the moon, and even the stars.
Because the ancient civilizations couldn’t understand the sky and the objects in it, they developed their own belief system of gods who lived in the sky and ruled it. Soon enough, they worshiped the sky.
Below, you’ll find the belief systems that different cultures have developed for the sky and discover that each culture had its own god who guarded and watched over the sky’s objects.
The meaning of the sky in different cultures
Many mythologies have a sky God, who represents the keeper of the sky, and a deity that controls the weather. Below are some of the most famous gods of the sky in different mythologies.
Egyptian sky beliefs
In Egyptian mythology, Horus and the goddess Nut are the sky gods. The rich Egyptian mythology nurtures the belief that the sky is a cosmic ocean, and the pharaohs would become stars after their death. The Egyptians were so interested in the sky that they focused on building temples aligned with different astronomical objects.
Mesopotamian sky beliefs
In Mesopotamian mythology, Anu is the god of the sky, and the sky always enchanted Mesopotamians. They observed the stars and the changes in the sky because they believed those changes were omens indicating the future. That’s why everything revolved around the sky, and they were obsessed with studying it.
Greek sky beliefs
In Greek mythology, Zeus is the god of the sky and thunder. The ancient Greeks admired the stars because they believed the spirits of the people who passed away lived in the stars. Moreover, it’s believed that the Greeks discovered the sky’s constellations, as most of their original names are in Greek, showing how important the sky was to them.
Roman sky beliefs
I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Roman mythology, Jupiter is the god of the sky and thunder. You probably know that most of our solar system planets have gotten their names from the Roman gods. So, there’s nothing more left to say. The Romans also invented the calendar, thanks to their love and curiosity about the sky.
Slavic sky beliefs
Andrey Shishkin, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Slavic mythology, Perun is the god of the sky. Slavs believed that the stars in the sky were living creatures. They also believed that when someone is born, a star is also born, and the star dies when that person dies. Thus, they have paid a lot of attention and interest to the sky and the objects on it.
Celtic sky beliefs
Image courtesy: Hiltibold flickr.com (CC BY 2.0)
In Celtic mythology, Latobius is the sky god. The ancient Celts thought that they knew exactly where heaven was. Moreover, they thought that heaven was the place where the North star is. Thanks to the sky, the Celtic calendar was very similar to the one we use today, but their year lasted 13 months and was based on the moon’s phases. So, everything they were doing was directed by the sky.
Finnish sky beliefs
Image by Noel Bauza from Pixabay
The beautiful Aurora Borealis in the Finnish sky has captivated the interest of the Finns for thousands of years, so they were always interested in the sky. They believed that firefox had been running so fast that its tail had left an enchanting trail across the sky that is the Northern lights today. In Finnish mythology, the sky god is Ukko.
Most Common Dreams of the Sky and Their Meaning
People usually dream about different colors of the sky or flying across the sky, and these dreams have different meanings. Below are the most common sky dreams interpretations, so you can quickly learn the sky symbolism and meaning behind your dream.
Dreaming of a blue, calm sky
If you’re dreaming of a blue, clear, and calm sky, that means purity, peacefulness, and freedom. It also means that new amazing opportunities will come your way.
Based on this, you can expect a serene period ahead of you without any disturbances or major changes. This dream also shows that the way to achieve your goals and fulfill your dreams is without obstacles.
Dreaming of a dark sky
Dreaming of a cloudy, gray, or dark sky indicates that troubles are coming your way, so prepare. Don’t be disappointed because this dream doesn’t mean you’re not strong enough to face whatever life throws your way. This dream is positive because it gives you the heads up to mentally prepare for any obstacles you might encounter.
Dreaming of a dark sky also represents fear of something, and only you can understand what that fear refers to. This dream is a great chance to become aware of your fears, sit and analyze them and try to overcome them.
Dreaming of a stormy sky
The only negative interpretation of dreaming about the sky is dreaming of a stormy sky. This dream means that you’ll get involved in conflicts and disagreements. They might be with your family, or they might be with your partner. Either way, this is not something to look forward to.
Dreaming of storms and lightning might also be an indicator of the toxic people around you. So it’s always a good idea to stop and think about your relationships and how to improve them.
Dreaming of flying across the sky
If you dreamt about flying across the sky, you must pay attention to the feeling you had while doing that. Usually, dreaming of flying freely as a bird across the sky awakens a good feeling, which means that you’re going to free yourself from your problems and the things that weigh you down.
However, if you feel afraid while flying in your dream, it means you want to free yourself, but you’re scared of changes and afraid to break free from your routine and comfort.
Final Thoughts
Looking at the sky brings a sense of relief that we don’t lose our close ones, even though they’re not with us anymore. It also brings a sense of freedom and optimism that everything is possible.
The sky’s symbolism and meaning have always existed. As you’ve read, different cultures have different meanings of the sky, all deep and compelling. People were always captivated by the sky and its changes, and it’s easy to conclude its importance in human history.