Understanding your dreams is an opportunity to gain intel and receive messages from your subconscious or guides. The way you feel in a dream provides the information, and reflecting on the emotions it brought up can provide insight as well.

Hawk dreams in particular can have powerful meanings, with Honigman explaining if you dream of hawks, “This could be a message from your inner self, reminding you that, like birds of prey, you cannot be tamed—you call the shots.”

Another meaning could be about trust and honoring your own knowledge. “The message might also be to remind you of your own innate wisdom,” says Honigman, adding that hawks are very intelligent “and if you’ve been mistrusting yourself and your personal judgment, the dream could offer you balance, and remind you of your true value.”  

The dream could also be letting you know changes are coming, according to Garbis, who tells mindbodygreen, “Consider life’s choices—perhaps there is a major shift or change ahead that needs attention.”

The main messages from dreamtime, according to Nerenberg, are found in the emotions it evokes and how it makes you feel. “The imagery is frequently more the vehicle that delivers the message than the exact symbolic meaning itself—though it can be both,” she adds. 

To get clear on what your dream is trying to tell you, jotting down anything you can remember can help you understand what the message may be. “Take a moment to journal about it—write down all the details, how you felt, what time of night it was exactly, and anything you can remember about the dream,” Honigman recommends.