What Do Hornets Mean In Dreams?


I once had a dream about a hornet, and this caused me to delve into the meaning.  I am sure I am not the only person to have such a dream, and so I share my experience with you, and what I learned.

The meaning of hornets in dreams

I suspect most people are wary of hornets, but having investigated the meaning of the hornet, I am not at all convinced that to dream of hornets or a single hornet, is a bad thing (actually quite the opposite) and I will explain why.

Hornets And Symbolism

I was brought up in the Christian tradition, and I cannot deny that as well as my fascination for bees and other hymenopterans, spiritual topics have long been of interest to me. 

Christian philosophy therefore, informs my interpretation of the mystical symbolism embodied in the hornet.

I happen to own several Bibles, and a hefty Strong's Concordance.  Strong's is an excellent, robust reference guide, that in my view, can quickly help a seeker to get a broad perspective behind the mystical symbolism presented in the Bible, though it's a gargantuan book, and not for everyone.  I especially appreciate the Hebrew and Greek sections, which provide additional meaning and depth when I seek it.

So what does The Bible tell us about the meaning of hornets?

Hornets in The Bible And Their Meaning, And How It Relates To Dreams

When I looked up hornets in The Bible, what I found was that they were overwhelmingly used by God to assist in driving out 'enemies'.  Here are 3 examples:

  1. Exodus 23:28
    I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.

  2. Deuteronomy 7:20
    Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished.

  3. Joshua 24:12
    I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.

If you have a dream about hornets, I encourage you to consider what or who in your life, is the enemy? 

Note that 'the enemy' may not be a specific person or a physical situation, it could be something to do with your own personal psyche: self doubt, negative thoughts and so on. 

Even if your hornet dream feels scary or uncomfortable, the meaning of it may actually be positive, and I will explain why in a moment.  First, I will tell you about my dream.

hornet in flight approaching ivy flowers

My own dream about a hornet

In my dream about a hornet, I was alone on the beach, and it was a beautiful sunny day. I decided to leave the beach, and as I made my way up the wooden steps, I came upon a hornet foraging in a pink flower.

In my dream, I decided to take a closer look at the hornet on the flower (I instantly recognized it as a Baldfaced hornet!), and I stood there for a moment, watching.  I felt perfectly calm.

When I awoke, I knew my hornet dream was meaningful, so I consulted Strong's Concordance.  The meaning of the dream leapt out at me immediately.

In my case, I understood that I was receiving a gift of assistance: the hornet was there to help me drive out self doubt at a time when it hampered me greatly. 

I suspect the pink flower also had meaning, probably associated with love.  The combination of the hornet and the flower seemed very powerful to me.

Are fearful dreams about hornets bad?

I am aware that some interpretations of dreams generally tend to assume that if a dream feels bad, it's automatically a negative omen.

Whilst this may apply in some cases, I also think it's a generalization that is not necessarily true, even if it seems plausible.

So what if my dream had involved conflict or feelings of fear? 
Feeling fear of the hornet, especially if the hornet is sent to help drive out negative ideas or doubts, might simply be symbolic of internal resistance to allowing those ideas and thoughts to be defeated. 

It's a well-known fact that we humans set up all kinds of self-jeopardizing mind behaviours.  It seems to me that certain negative parts of the 'ego' are afraid of their own demise, and put up resistance.

In my view, where the subconscious mind puts out resistance and fear in a dream, the hornet could well represent hope: my intuition tells me that the hornet would not appear without the dreamer's receptivity to help in moving forward.

Dreams about a swarm of hornets, or large hornets

Hornets don't swarm in the way that honey bees do (see my page Bees vs Hornets), but they can form 'clouds', and without a doubt, some hornets can be large.

Is this a reason to be fearful if such hornets appear in a dream?  

My own view is that multiple hornets or larger hornets represent an even stronger force against 'the enemy'.   The hornets are on your side, after all!

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Honey bee foraging on the pink flowers of a favourite Winter shrub for bees, Daphne Bholua