People from across the world love to watch the sunset because of its mesmerizing and awesome beauty. Observing a sunset can be a different experience each day because the sky can have different colors as the sun disappears.
If you like to watch sunsets you should understand the spiritual meaning involved in the setting sun. In this article, I’ll discuss the spiritual meaning of this natural phenomenon along with sunset symbolism in different cultures.
What Does the Sunset Symbolize?
The setting sun symbolizes the end of the proceedings or completion of a cycle. It shows that a chapter in your life is about to end just to start the new one. The sunset brings calmness which means that closing the books on a certain point in life doesn’t have to be a sad occasion.
Sometimes closing a chapter in your life only means that you need to move to something more positive, more exciting, and better. The sunset also reminds you that the night is just ahead and you need to take some rest, which shows the passage of time.
Along with its positive traits, the sunset symbolizes the awakening of dark forces as well. The light fades as the sun sets and it’s nature’s way to remind us that both good and evil forces co-exist.
Spiritual Meaning of Sunset in Different Cultures
Many religions and cultures around the world associate the rising and setting of the sun with something bigger. Here’s a list of cultures around the world that appreciate and respect the sunset symbolism.
Chinese Culture
In Chinese culture, the sunset represents spring, vitality, heat, and light. It’s also associated with the concept of dualism called, yin and yang.
This concept says that both evil and good powers co-exist and they’re strongly connected with each other. The sunset explains the yin and yang concept through the day and night cycle.
African Culture
In many African Diaspora communities as well as countries, the sunrise and sunset show the cycle of life, from birth to death. The sunrise symbolizes the start and the sunset shows the ending of a life.
Many cultures in Africa also consider the sun a commanding divinity symbol because of its brightness that illuminates the earth.
Egyptian Culture
Ancient Egyptian culture used to believe that “Ra”, the sun god”, rules over the underworld, earth, and skies. They considered Ra the most powerful god and the source of light and life on earth.
It was also believed that Ra was the one who provided people with calm weather and crops. Ancient Egyptians thought that Ra used to die with each sunset to rule the underworld.
Sunset Dream Symbolism and Deep Meaning
The symbolic meaning of sunset is the completion/end of a cycle as well as the new beginning. The same is also true when it comes to the sunset dream meaning. If you often dream about sunsets, it shows that the universe is trying to communicate with you and it could mean the following.
End of a Chapter
If you see sunset often in your dream, it could mean that a chapter in your life is about to end. It could be related to your education, professional career, relationships, or anything else.
It may also show that there’s something in your life that isn’t worth holding onto and you should let go of it. And doing so will provide you with a new opportunity to start over again.
New Beginning
The new sun rises after each sunset. Seeing a sunset in your dream could also mean that something new is just around the corner. If you’re experiencing a hard time in your life, then the sunset dream might be indicating that your pains and sorrows are about to end.
However, it could also mean the opposite. If everything in your life is going seamlessly, then maybe nature is planning to test you. In such a case, you’ll need to stay positive and wait penitently because the sun always rises after sunset.
Spiritual Enlightenment
Having a sunset dream can also indicate that you’ll soon experience spiritual enlightenment. It means that you’re finally about to find your purpose in life to actually make a difference.
The sunset dream can symbolize your inner strength to do something extraordinary in life. It could also mean that you’re moving in the right direction and putting effort into something that’s much bigger than yourself.
Emotional State While Having Sunset Dreams
Your emotional state while having a sunset dream also matters. It can change the meaning of your dream. Here’s a list of the most common emotional states that people experience while having sunset dreams.
Calm
Calmness is the most common feeling that people experience while seeing a sunset in a dream or in real life. Feeling relaxed and calm while seeing a sunset means that something new is about to happen that will bring positive changes in your life. It can be a new relationship, job promotion, or any other achievement.
Happiness
If you see a sunset in your dream with a happy emotional state, it means that your worries and hardships are about to end. It’s especially true if you’re going through hard times related to your personal or professional life.
Sadness
Having a sunset dream with a sad heart means that you’re actually sad about something. You could be missing your family if you’re away from home or maybe you’re suffering from depression.
Anxiety
Feeling anxiety while having a sunset dream can be a worrying sign. It could mean that life is going to test you so that you can find your purpose. There will be darkness but it’ll lead you towards light and you’ll start a new beginning with more power and determination.
Emotionless
If you feel emotionless in your sunset dream, it typically indicates consistency and stability and you shouldn’t expect any big change in your life.
Sunset Colors
Every color has its own meaning and symbolism and it changes the way you interpret your sunset dreams.
- Golden Sunset: If you see a sunset with golden light rays, it indicates that you will grow in one or more domains of your life.
- Purple Sunset: Seeing a purple sunset in a dream is not very common. It happens when there is a longing in your heart to express emotional attachments and desires. It can also indicate success in your personal or professional life but you’ll need to spill your heart.
- Multi-Colored Sunset: Seeing a sunset with multiple colors in a dream is a good sign. It indicates that you or any of your loved ones will recover quickly from an illness.
- Red Sunset: Red sunset is a warning sign. If you see the sun setting with a red sky in a dream, you should prepare yourself for a difficult life situation.
- Sunset with Clouds: A sunset with simple or storm clouds with less blue light is also a bad sign. It typically means that you will experience problems in your love relationship. Sometimes it also indicates that you need to take a rest because of some potentially existing health issue within your body.
Other than the colors, the place of the sunset is also important. If you see a sunset on the beach, it means that you’ll soon meet your soul mate who will make your life better and happier.
Whereas, if you see a sunset from a window or your house in a dream, it means that you want to do something completely new in your life but something in your personal life is stopping you.
Summary
Watching the sunset is a beautiful and awesome experience. It’s not only mysterious but also inspirational and shows the cyclic behavior of nature. It symbolizes the completion of a cycle and tells you to get ready for a new beginning.
The sunset also shows that both good and evil forces co-exist in nature. It reminds you that you need to appreciate the good and prepare yourself to deal with the evil.