The Earth is filled with all kinds of amazing creatures that can teach us valuable lessons — even if we’re not particularly fond of that animal.
Rats happen to be one of those animals that most people shy away from because of their appearance and the places they decide to roam.
However, that doesn’t make them any less valuable and reflective of characteristics that each and every one of us holds.
If you’ve recently been having dreams about rats, this little animal could have a message for you.
Many people have had dreams about rats in different ways.
In this post, we are going to dive into the different ways that rats may show themselves in the astral realm.
More importantly, we’re going to figure out why in hopes that you’re able to use this message to decode what your dreams are trying to tell you.
The Rat as a Spirit Animal
As mentioned above, the earth is covered with beautiful variations of ourselves.
We live in a mirror-like Universe that presents different lessons, characteristics, and reflections of ourselves through imagery and other living things.
Animals are just one of the many ways that we can dive deeper into the journey of self discovery — all you have to do is study nature and the animals that inhabit the world around you.
Something important to note is the difference between most animals and humans, which lies in the power of the mind.
Humans are constantly observing the world around them, using the mind as this powerful tool that helps you make decisions.
On the other hand, animals are much more streamlined and programmed to do a set few things from birth.
This means that when a bumblebee is born, their objective is to accomplish their mission — buzz around, pollinate the flowers around us, and cultivate a safe home for procreation within their hive.
They don’t mix their objectives or goals with other animals’ natural abilities because they are streamlined to do those specific things in their life.
Observing nature can be very beautiful to witness as different animals and insects abide by their divine mission in this lifetime.
Naturally, they fall into the divine energy exchange with the environment around them, contributing to the cycles of nature.
Humans on the other hand, may experience much more confusion in their lifetime because we may observe other people around us and confuse ourselves with the path that we’re supposed to be on.
While some people may know exactly what they are here to do, others may pick up experiences throughout their lifetime that contribute towards a bigger picture.
Everyone is different, but we usually discombobulate ourselves by comparing ourselves to others.
When animals show up in your life, like the rat might, they can teach you lessons about certain aspects of life. With rats, they may initially seem off putting.
However, they are also just following their divine path that includes exploring the shadow aspects of self that normally get shunned.
Well in this polar Universe, we are all composed of both light and dark energies.
Usually, the lighter aspects of ourselves are shown more attention, acknowledgment, love, and compassion while the shadowy sides of ourselves are pushed to the side and never really even given the time of day.
Rats dwell in darker areas, scuttling from one shadowy corner to the next.
They are nocturnal animals, so they avoid the light. What can this teach you?
This can create an imbalance within the emotional world that causes toxic, self sabotaging cycles.
The rat may show up in your dreams (or in your real life) to remind you that your darker side is still a part of you and that you cannot fully heal without picking up those fragmented pieces of yourself.
Rat Symbolism & Spiritual Meanings
As mentioned above, rats can reveal more characteristics about yourself that you may have not acknowledged or that you need to learn from and integrate into your waking life.
Here are some of the deeper lessons that rats may be trying to reveal to you.
Exploring Shadow Work
When you first began your spiritual journey, you may have been misled to think that the journey is all about peace, love, light, and prosperity.
Yes, these are all important aspects of the spiritual journey.
However, the real healing work lies in exploring the darker parts of self.
Over the years, you may have experienced certain things that you might not even want to ever talk about.
However, picture yourself being made of all of these beautiful individual moments — almost like a mosaic picture composed of tiny images that create this gorgeous mural.
Even if the individual images may not all be pleasing to the eye, that does not mean that you should cover them up or black them out. Wouldn’t that ruin the concept of the mosaic mural as a whole?
This is the importance of shadow work! You have the ability to integrate fragmented pieces of yourself that feel unloved or left behind in your experience.
Transmuting Energy
One thing that rats do is rifle through what everyone else would consider to be trash.
The saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
The rat shows us that even the things that we feel are “less than,” negative, or no longer useful can still be used in some way.
If you’ve been sitting with negative emotions, self limiting beliefs, or toxic behaviors, these are energies that can be transmuted.
When the rat shows up for you in your life (or in your dreams), this is a divine sign from the Universe that you have the ability to transmute those energies into something much more positive and useful for your life.
Time to Clean House
It might sound funny to say, but if you’re seeing rats around your house…it might be time to clean up.
Figuratively speaking though, if the rat is showing up for you it may be time to cleanse your energy as well.
Hoarding, holding on to what no longer serves you, and harboring negative energies can attract the like.
If you’re wanting to bring in more positivity, clarity, and abundance into your experience, then you need to make room for those things to come into your life.
You can do this by physically cleaning your space as well as undergoing a mental detox from social media, certain types of music, and eliminating gossip from your life.
The Most Common Dreams About Rats
There are many people who have dreams about rats and they all hold different meanings to each person for their own unique reasons.
Here are some of the most commonly found dreams that involve rats that may help you unveil the hidden message that’s coming to you from the dream realm.
Dreaming of Falling Into a Rat Trap
Most people view rats as a nasty nuisance.
To get them away from their home, restaurants, or businesses, people will place rat traps in order to either catch them or eliminate the problem altogether.
If you’ve recently had a dream that you’re being caught in a rat trap, this could mean that you don’t necessarily feel comfortable with the people in your life or in your environment.
While you may not see the traps set up for you outwardly, you may be picking up on a subconscious energy that you’re not truly welcomed.
If this resonates for you, it may be time to evaluate the people in your life and places you’ve been spending your time and energy within.
It’s always important to feel safe and this dream could be a sign that it’s time to travel to better spaces with more inviting energy.
Dreaming of a Dead Rat
Again, this isn’t the most exciting dream to have — but it may still hold an important message for you.
Just like when you may see an animal on the side of the road and wince, this dream may have the same effect on you.
However, just like witnessing any other animal that has passed, this is a sign that something has come to an end.
Specifically with a rat dream, you may have just ended (or need to end) a relationship with someone you truly feel that you can’t trust.
Ultimately, this is a good sign that you’re eliminating what no longer serves you from your life.
Dreaming of Being Attacked By Rats
Little do many people know, rats do actually come in heaps!
They repopulate very quickly.
If you’ve seen one rat, there’s a good chance that there are others nearby.
If you’ve recently had a dream that you’re surrounded by rats or that you’re being attacked by them, this could be a sign that you’re surrounded by people who are jealous of you and your accomplishments.
This is a message that you should be thankful for because it’s bringing more clarity to you about who should be in your life and who needs to leave for you to continue growing.
If you’ve recently had a dream about rats that differs from the most commonly found dreams listed above, feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.
Telling your stories about rats and how they’ve helped you realize things on your spiritual journey may help someone on their path, too!