Sunset: 10 Symbolic Meanings in Myth, Dreams & Spirituality

Sunsets often represent finality or transition between one phase to another, or even symbolize the close of life itself.

The sunset marks the end of a workday both in ancient and modern times.

In the realm of personal introspection, sunsets might represent a descent into the subconscious, encouraging exploration of hidden aspects of a person’s hidden self. Within the context of dreams, sunsets typically denote hope, satisfaction, or potentially the onset of challenging periods, depending on the dream’s details.

Thus, throughout various cultures and times, sunsets have been infused with profound symbolism.

Sunsets symbolize life’s triumph over death

Ancient and contemporary mythologies often depict sunsets as symbols of life prevailing over death.

A typical example is found in Egyptian lore, where every night the sun deity Ra fights through the threatening darkness, successfully defeating Apophis, the serpent of chaos, thereby bringing light to a new day.

Similarly, in Central American folklore, the sunset represented the sun’s descent and journey into realm of the dead, but without experiencing death itself.  This was in contrast to the moon’s “death” during its hidden phase, and it’s gradual rebirth from crescent moon to full moon.

This theme is echoed in tales like that of Jonah and the whale, symbolizing the sun’s voyage from dusk till dawn.

Similarly, the Phoenix continually rises anew out of its ashes following the fires of the sunrise and sunset.

Part of the four-fold order of nature

In nearly every culture, sunsets are intrinsically tied to the fourfold pattern inherent in nature, involving the elements of water, air, fire, and earth.

This cyclical system starts with water, progresses through air then fire and ends with earth.

When applied to years, this cycle contains the four seasons – winter, spring, summer, and autumn. The daily stages are midnight to dawn, dawn to midday, midday to sunset, and sunset back to midnight

Finally, four-part cycle also contains the life stages – childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.

This four-fold pattern form the basis of practices like alchemy, astrology and mysticism.

End of a life phase or situation

Sunsets commonly represent endings, both for creation as a whole (as an Apocalypse) or for individual people.

Sunsets in mythologies often represent the end of existence, after which all creation returns to its original formless state.

As an interesting exception however, according to past Jewish belief the day started at sunset.

On an individual level, sunsets are often used as a symbol of death, either literal or metaphorical, or to mark the closure of a life stage.

In the realm of dreams, the sunset implies a situation or relationship is nearly over. But this is just a phase, since inevitably, the sun will rise again and a new phase of your life will start again.

Dreaming of a sunset could also suggest you need to complete an important task in your life, or finally resolve a lingering issue.

A time of magic

Sunsets often represent a mystical time, where the power of the sun wanes and the moon, associated with magic, begins its reign over the night.

This transition ushers in an altered reality, with the night’s shadows containing possibilities beyond our ordinary experiences.

Historical beliefs further add to this magical context; during Columbus’s era, the reddish hue of the sun at dawn and sunset was thought to be a reflection of fires of hell, hinting at supernatural influences.

In Italy, pagan superstitious beliefs in Venus (the Roman version of Aphrodite) survived well into medieval times, when complex love charms cast during sunsets.

A symbol of the West cardinal point

For centuries, sunsets have been strongly linked to the western cardinal direction. This association emerges from the fact that the sun sets in the west, making it a symbol of this direction in most cultures.

In numerous mythologies, the west is considered a mystical realm of spirits, where the hero’s nocturnal voyage commences.

Moreover, in times when compasses were not accessible, individuals used the sunset to point to the western direction.

Thus, for most cultures the sunset served as a consistent, observable phenomenon that symbolized the west.

Completion of work

In ancient times, the working day was over at sunset, since there was very little artificial lightning available to illuminate the world.

Even today, the working day is usually finished before sunset.

As such, the sunset is the “edge” that separates work from rest, the time of doing to the time of planning and contemplation.

Autumn, maturity or end of life

Sunsets often symbolize autumn, the mature phase of life, or even a person’s end years.

The year, just as the day, can be divided into four intervals that are equivalent with one another:

• midnight to sunrise symbolizes spring.
• sunrise to noon represents summer.
• noon to sunset signifies autumn.
• sunset to midnight depicts winter.

This concept often parallels the human life stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.

In this interpretation, the sun serves as a metaphor for our inner light, which is inevitably enveloped by darkness as we approach life’s end.

Transformation through knowing yourself

Sunsets often symbolize personal transformation, serving as a bridge to one’s subconscious.

Many cultures share the myth of a sun deity who dies in the west, consumed by the night, only to be reborn in the east.

This can be viewed as the conscious self (symbolized by the sun) diving into the mysterious realm of the unconscious, but rising again, inevitably influenced by the unconscious.

Consequently, dreams of sunsets could be perceived as an the subconscious inviting the rational mind to explore and better understand the hidden aspects of one’s psyche.

This dream requires the dreamer to move from depending only intellectual knowledge and embrace a more primal form of understanding.

Hope and contentment

Sunsets in dreams typically symbolize hope and contentment. When sunlight appears in a dream, it often implies positive emotions in your life.

The progression of the sun throughout the day can be compared to life stages – sunrise symbolizes clarity and new beginning, the rising sun represents growing energy, the midday sun embodies maximum energy and productivity, while the sunset signifies aging or a period of rest before a new beginning.

Thus, bright sunrises or sunsets in dreams are is usually a favorable sign, forecasting happy, worry-free days ahead.

The sunset suggests “darkness” ahead

As an exception, in some dreams a sunset suggests you foresee “darkness” coming towards you.

Thus, sunset in a dream could symbolize the beginning of a challenging phase in life.

However, there are nuances to this. If the sunset is observed amid clouds in the sky, it could indicate impending sorrow, turmoil, or discomfort.

On the other hand, a sunset viewed in a clear sky, particularly at the conclusion of a pleasant dream, signifies happiness and recovery from an ongoing illness or difficult situation.

---

References:

• A dictionary of symbols by Cirlot, Juan Eduardo
• A dictionary of symbols by Chevalier, Jean
• Dictionary of symbols by Chetwynd, Tom
• A dictionary of dream symbols : with an introduction to dream psychology by Ackroyd, Eric
• Illustrated dictionary of symbols in eastern and western art by Hall, James
• Dictionary of symbols and imagery by Vries, Ad de
• Symbolism : a comprehensive dictionary by Olderr, Steven
• Dictionary of mythology, folklore and symbols by Jobes, Gertrude
• The complete dictionary of symbols by Tresidder, Jack