Wolf

The wolf shares much symbolic content with the fox and, to a lesser extent, with the lynx – they are referred to as "nature's lights" in various sources. An important aspect of the wolf, which it does not share with the mentioned animals, is that, like the dog, it is a pack animal (which could suggest group mentality, the collective).

Devouring and Evil

The wolf is a dog- and pack animal that is often a more destructive symbol than the two mentioned predators. It also has a distinct devouring quality, and its howling at the moon makes the wolf an eerie and demonic symbol, connected to witches and The Great Mother (in her negative form). The names of Odin’s wolves, Gere and Freke, mean "the greedy" and "the gluttonous." Devouring, greed, and covetousness are recurring associations with the wolf in its negative aspect, as well as emotional coldness and contempt.  

Both in myths (for example, Fenris) and in folk tales (such as Little Red Riding Hood), the wolf as a devouring monster is clear. Little Red Riding Hood also shows how the wolf is associated with The Great Mother – her grandmother and the wolf are symbolically interchangeable, as one side is protective and the other deadly.

The Underworld

The wolf is a dark, eerie, and destructive force that roams the wilderness and howls at night. It is associated with Odin, Hel ("the wolf's pale sister"), and other death gods, as well as the underworld. On the other hand, the wolf is also associated with war gods, like Ares or Mars, and again Odin, but also Apollo in his "wintry aspect."

Cold Steel  

Perhaps due to the association with war and also because of its gray fur and white fangs, the wolf is linked to metal, iron, and spears. The wolf can symbolize anger that has become cold and murderous.

Helpful Animal

Despite the wolf's strongly negative associations, there are also many legends about a close relationship between human children and wolves. Stories of children being cared for and raised by wolves are found both in Asia and Europe, and we are reminded of how Romulus and Remus were suckled by a wolf when they were abandoned by their parents to die.

Modern Associations

Since modern urban dwellers do not have a relationship with wild animals like the wolf, they tend to be romanticized, and we often project spiritual meaning onto them; in dreams, the wolf may thus carry such content. To understand what a dream image means, one must always first and foremost consider the dreamer's associations.

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