19 Spiritual symbolism and meaning of the lightning bolt

We all have experience with lightning. It could be this dog cartoon. Or this magic book. Or the rumor that wearing red clothes causes lightning bolts to target you. Or the fact that you see lightning before you hear thunder… but they happen at the same time.

Today we will focus on the lightning symbolism in the spiritual realm. It could mean seeing lightning bolts on fuse boxes, dreaming of rainstorms, or suddenly noticing lots of Flash Gordon comics and Sheldon Cooper t-shirts. So let’s take a look!

1. Divinity

Science tells us that a massive static charge builds up in the clouds when protons and electrons compete up there. Then the clouds seem to blink and shimmer. When the electrons in the clouds combine with the positive charge on the ground, lightning strikes.

And since many religions and creation myths believe that a divine being in heaven created us, it makes sense to assume that our God above sent it down. Almost every culture has a god responsible for thunder and/or lightning, so lightning could easily represent deities.

2. Punishment

Lightning generally “falls” from the sky. If you’re in the MCU, the lightning bolt symbology means Thor is coming. But in other religions, too, lightning is often seen as God’s wrath. After all, he’s been known to use rain as punishment before, and there’s certainly been lightning.

Also, as a child, you were probably told that if you said something sacrilegious, you would be struck by lightning from heaven. And technically, Thor is a sky god, just like Zeus. So it’s a plausible thought that some powerful being up there got angry and threw down some bolts.

3. Clarity

If you’ve ever been caught in a storm, you know how scary it can be. Visibility is poor, your wheels keep slipping, the windows are fogged up and you could have an accident at any moment. Storms often cause power outages. So when that flash flashes, it’s enough to shake your soul.

But it also does something else. In that split second of electric current, the whole world lights up. It’s like a giant flashlight from the sky giving you a glimmer of hope when you see that everything still exists out there in the darkness. That is why lightning symbolizes revelation.

4. Disaster

Many people are afraid of thunder. It’s an annoying noise. But in many ways, the stillness of the flash is even more ominous. And it always seems to start “over there” and gradually get closer. Lightning symbolism calls it an omen. They see lightning and thunder coming.

But on a more general level, lightning represents danger and destruction. You’ll see it on utility poles and fuse boxes, but you’ll also see it on poison bottles. Harry Potter’s lightning scar heralded the end of the world as they knew it – Voldemort’s return.

5. Bad mood

Electricity comes from electrons, and electrons have a negative charge. Coincidentally, the average person has a bad attitude toward lightning. We all believe it will knock us down, although few of us know anyone who has actually been hit by a rainstorm, red umbrella or not!

In the same way, some see it as a portent of worse things to come. But the lightning bolt symbolism can also be a symptom of something bad already happening. You see the lightning far away and coming closer, so lightning means the bad event over there is going in that direction. Soon.

6. Surprise

The second you see that flash, you know thunder will follow. But there is no realistic way for ordinary people to predict lightning. Meteorologists maybe, and there’s probably an app for that. But its stealth and unpredictability give this badge meaning.

In this particular sense, the lightning bolt symbolism portends a shocking event in your near future. Possibly a nasty one, as lightning is known to cause all sorts of damage, including fire and electric shock. And it can hide behind something positive, just like lightning and rain.

7. Violence

Thor is probably the best known weather god (blessed Chris Hemsworth). In canon, his father Odin has a lightning spear which he could presumably throw to earth when he was throwing a tantrum. His young son Thor was afraid of thunder and would scream if it rained.

So Odin “made” him the god of thunder as a nasty nickname for all his roars. But Thor grew into his title amid thunderous battles with his father. Somewhere between that backstory and its destructive power, the lightning bolt became a symbol of violence and aggression.

8. Closure

As we explained at the beginning, this flash does not come as suddenly as we think. It bubbles up into the sky until it “bursts”. In this sense, the lightning symbolism could denote completion, conclusion or fulfillment. Battles may have been raging in your organic brain cloud.

But your lightning bolt dream (or maybe you see lightning bolt symbols throughout your day) could mean that you have found a solution to your challenge or an answer to your nagging question. Releasing suppressed emotions grounds you, just like grounding this current.

9. Inspiration

Ever since Thomas Edison, we’ve used the lightbulb as an abbreviation for bright ideas. It is the graphic representation of the “Eureka!” shout. In cartoons or comics, one is often seen materializing over someone’s head. Lightning symbolism has a similar concept.

You see, if you get physically struck by lightning, it can be really bad. But if lightning strikes you in a dream, it is a positive sign. You may have been struggling with a dilemma, so this dream means that you have found your solution now. And if you can’t see that resolution yet, you will soon.

10. Calm

Think of the idioms associated with bad weather. Things like cooking up a storm (in a teacup). Or my favorite, calm before the storm. When you’re watching a tornado in action, the last thing you want is to get sucked into that funnel. But this place, the eye of the storm, is the safest place.

Science has proven that the “sides of the funnel” are where the damage happens. If you’re in the middle, you’re fine. So lightning could symbolize that moment of tense calm before things get really bad. It’s a warning to get dressed and ready, it’s about to explode!

11. Creativity

Lightning is literally a form of creation. Atmospheric particles condense into clouds and pile up until they break up. Then the negative charge in the sky and the positive charge in the ground combine in a flash. Seeing lightning in your dreams could indicate a burst of artistic energy.

You may soon be bursting with ideas, so get ready to grab them. After all, lightning bolts are gone in microseconds, so unless you harness that incoming energy and record the ideas, you’ll quickly forget them. Get a notebook (or note-taking app) and jot them down.

12th speed

The term “lightning bolt” is now a cliché, but it was built around the speed and shock value of lightning. Blink and you will miss it! (Although you’ll likely see the brightness from behind your eyelids.) So lightning symbolism can mean urgency – you’ve got to be quick!

Also, the visual effect of lightning bolts makes you wonder if there’s a hidden hand in the cloud, throwing down its brightly booming spears – and God only knows why. So this bolt can sometimes symbolize a crucial action in a split second. Without hesitation. The goal is “Do it now!”.

13. Not so pretty

You may have heard of the SS. That would be the Schutzstaffel aka Protection Squadron. Originally known as Hall Guard or Hall Security. Under Heinrich Himler it developed into the Aryan equivalent of the Russian KGB. This paramilitary entity was key to the operation of Nazi Germany.

And modern iterations have appeared among neo-Nazis. While this is more practical than a spiritual symbol, it still counts. Context is key here, as double flashes (like the SS) can inadvertently be a bat signal, summoning contemporary white supremacists.

14. Strength

It seems that lightning symbolism is impossibly linked to the idea of ​​gods. While Thor is a firm favourite, Zeus (by the Greeks) aka Jupiter (by the Romans) was considered the ruler of the gods because he controlled lightning. He threw some at the titans in this war.

And since lightning is the weapon of choice for the mightiest god on Olympus, lightning easily becomes a symbol of strength and conquest. And that’s not necessarily a positive force, because Zeus wasn’t the nicest of gods. Again, context distorts meaning.

15. Life

This interpretation of the flash is not so well known. And it’s more philosophical than spiritual. You see, lightning often comes with rain, which feeds the crops, which then feed the people and all their livestock. For this reason, lightning signifies life, fertility and rebirth.

In agricultural societies (both ancient and modern), the fires caused by lightning can destroy the land and force you to start over. In Japan, the twin gods of weather are Raijin and Fujin, and if they sent lightning to your paddy field, you would have a bountiful harvest.

16. Holiness

For the Celts, lightning symbolism was about purification and refuge. Lightning struck sites became ceremonial sites for celebration, worship, and ritual sacrifice. Forget sun-kissed skin, too – Celts preferred an electric kiss. It was a caress of the gods.

In her world, being struck by lightning was a good thing, even if you died. For her, lightning was like a touch with God. Meanwhile, among Native Americans (especially the Hopi), lightning represents the Thunderbird, an ethereal being representing truth and morality.

17. Justice

The Native American Thunderbird (similar to the Christian god) is an all-powerful, friendly being. But the bird can be quite rude with malefactors. The bird is watching us from the sky and when…