Doves are often associated with peace. But especially when depicted with an olive branch in their beaks, mourning doves mean safety. Additionally, the mourning dove call often equates to grief. Many cultures place significant spiritual meaning on animals. And so, what do highly regarded mourning doves symbolize?
The Spiritual Meaning Of Mourning Doves
Mourning doves hold powerful spiritual meanings, as you can tell by their many references throughout history. From the Bible to witchcraft and Aztec history, doves repeatedly spiritually connect with humans. So let’s look at some mourning dove meanings, especially concerning death.
Is A Mourning Dove A Sign Of Death?
Most of us are familiar with white doves, like the ones we see released at the Olympic games. They’re a representation of world peace that the games hope to encourage. However, once you start paying attention, you’ll notice light brown doves that have a mournful cry.
These darker birds are mourning doves. And partly because of their sad cooing, they’re often associated with death. However, mourning doves are not generally signs of a coming death. But instead, they represent peace and love, even during grief.
Is A Mourning Dove Good Luck?
Seeing a mourning dove might be considered good luck. And that’s because they often appear at the end of trials or growing periods to mark a new point in your life. In addition, some believe mourning doves carry a sense of promise for what is to come.
For example, in the Bible, a dove brought an olive branch to Noah after the flood. The dove’s gift served as the spirit of hopeful new beginnings as the earth dried after the torrential rains.
So, in addition to the promise of a new start, the mourning dove symbolizes learning to maintain a balance of internal peace. No matter where you are in life, you can find peace even when your life is full of trials and storms, just as Noah did. So, in that way, a mourning dove is a symbol of good luck.
You might also be wondering if rain at a funeral is good luck. We’ve got you covered!
What Is The Meaning Of A Dead Mourning Dove?
On the flip side of doves bringing good luck, some believe a dead mourning dove signifies the soul leaving a body. So if you see a dead dove, it could mean someone close to you has died.
However, since death is a natural part of living, seeing a dead mourning dove might be a simple reminder to cherish our loved ones. We are only promised today, so our challenge becomes to live each day fully.
Slow Down
Think of a dead mourning dove as a caution to slow down. Perhaps trouble awaits you, so slowing down allows you to alter your course if needed. This slowing might be physical, such as seeing a dead dove on the road and slowing in traffic to avoid a wreck.
Or it may be an emotional slowing. For example, you pause and take a deep breath before moving forward instead of sacrificing your inner peace.
Dead Doves As A Symbol Of Grief And Loss
Since doves are generally associated with peace, some believe that seeing a dead one does indeed signify grief and loss. Since we think of mourning doves as representing new beginnings, it is natural to worry that when they die, so does a part of us.
Because of their connection with life, peace, and purity, seeing a dead mourning dove feels very tragic. So whether or not a mourning dove’s death connects to that of a loved one, the main point is to slow down. Live fully in the moment. And cherish your beloveds.
Doves As Messengers Of The Divine
Doves represent God’s love for believers. For example, they promise a new beginning in the afterlife. So if you see a mourning dove after a funeral, you may take it as a sign that your loved one has reached heaven. And that they continue to live after death.
What Do Doves Symbolize In The Bible?
As mentioned above, Noah sent out a dove after the rains stopped. And the dove returned with a branch. So this gift of greenery meant a new beginning for humankind.
But the mourning dove also signified the Spirit of God’s blessing. For example, in Matthew’s chapter 3, the Bible says a dove marked Jesus’ baptism to show His approval.
As John the Baptist raised Jesus from the water’s depth, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus “like a dove.” And even though it wasn’t an actual dove, the representation of doves as symbols of love and hope grew.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Dove of the Holy Spirit rises above St Peter’s Chair at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. This magnificent stained glass art showcases the power of the dove’s spirit. It’s a beautiful interpretation of the mourning dove’s spiritual meaning.
And finally, there are Biblical instances of the mourning dove as a symbol of grieving. For example, Isiah 38:14 says, “I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”
So the Bible refers to mourning doves as a new beginning, symbols of God’s blessing, and a representation of grieving.
Aztec Beliefs in Mourning Doves
Doves usually mate for life, so the Aztecs associated mourning doves with love. They believed Xochiquetzal, the Aztec goddess of love and fertility, was the mother of humanity. A dove still represents her spirit.
In their Flood story, the Aztecs believe that the goddess of love and one mortal man survived to repopulate the world. But the children were born without voices. So Xochiquetzal called upon a dove to bring voices and language from the Tree of Heaven. And thus, all the different languages and civilizations came from this mother and her dove.
What Does It Mean When A Mourning Dove Visits You?
Mourning dove visits tend to hold spiritual meaning. So depending on your belief system, a visit from a mourning dove could be a message of peace, hope, and love. Or it may be a caution sign, warning you to slow down to assess your situation.
Some people believe that visits from mourning doves come from angels. Others say they come directly from God. And finally, others say that a dove’s visit is merely a coincidence. So a dove coming to rest near you is simply a bird resting.
And all of these answers are right. Because if you shared a love of bird watching with a friend who passed. And then a bird visits you on the day of her funeral. I bet no one could convince you that it is a “coincidence.”
Are Mourning Doves Messengers?
Is it weird that as a funeral director who saw death’s finality daily, I believe in life on the other side? I don’t think so. It feels natural to me. And even though the “other side” means many different things to many people, I believe signs exist. And so, are mourning doves messengers?
Yes, doves are messengers. And what beautiful signs of peace they offer! Sighting a mourning dove may help restore your faith in humanity. Or it may remind you of a dear friend who passed.
Is There A Spiritual Meaning Of Seeing Two Mourning Doves?
If one is good, are two better? I’m not convinced it works that way. But if you see two mourning doves, perhaps it symbolizes unfailing love. Since God’s love is unfailing and mourning birds mate for life, it might be true that two mourning doves are love’s ultimate symbol.
Two mourning birds may also symbolize peace and harmony. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite’s most prominent bird symbol was a dove. So, yet another goddess of love’s association with mourning doves makes a strong case for the power of this bird’s spirit.
Conclusion
Mourning doves are a worldwide symbol of peace. On a global level, we release them at the Olympic Games as a sign of community and working together. And on a personal level, we release mourning doves at weddings as a sign of love’s promise.
Throughout history, doves represent the presence of gods and goddesses. They speak to us of peacefulness after trials. And they remind us of God’s love when we grieve. The mourning dove’s sad cooing mimics our feelings of longing after a loved one dies.
Perhaps now you can better understand how the sighting of a mourning dove after the death of a loved one is like a message from beyond. So take heart from the mourning dove’s beautiful spirit as it brings us the news of powerful emotions.
- Peace
- Love
- Caution
- New Beginnings
- Hope
- Encouragement
- Faith
- God’s presence
