“Dream Is Foolish” - Yoruba Proverb
“Ala go” is a Yoruba proverb, a reminder to be intentional with your words: to consider what you say, where you say it, and to whom you speak. In Yoruba thought, words are not neutral—they carry the power to shape reality itself. A positive dream shared with the wrong listener could inadvertently twist into misfortune, while a negative dream spoken to someone spiritually attuned to malice could manifest into real harm. Essentially, “Ala go” is a call for mindful speech, a recognition that language can be both a gift and a subtle form of conjure.
Don't Tell A Soul
The second meaning of “Ala go” delves into the fragile, intricate nature of dreams. In Yoruba understanding, a dream is never a complete message; it is a fragment, a shard of something larger and often hidden. Its significance can't be fully known in isolation—only the dreamer, or a trusted interpreter, can discern its subtle layers. Dreams are liminal spaces where memory folds over the present, where echoes of the past and whispers from the unseen may converge.
For this reason, dreams are treated with reverence. In Yoruba custom, it's considered a serious breach to share them indiscriminately. They belong only to those you know intimately, whose hearts are steady and intentions kind. There is, however, a rare exception: when a dream arrives that's startling in its uniqueness, defying the patterns of the dreamer’s life, it may call for cautious interpretation by a wise and discerning guide.
These practices are rooted in a profound Yoruba principle: life is fragile. Dreams, like existence itself, are delicate, fleeting, and precious. They demand care, attention, and respect, reminding us that even in sleep, the world is full of weight, and words, whether spoken or withheld, and those words can carry true consequences.
Sixty-One Dream Interpretations in Yoruba Mythology
1. Laughing: Whenever you dream and see yourself laughing and instantly wake up with the laughter it means your mourning will turn into laughter.
2. Dumb: Whenever you see yourself dumb in a dream it means you cannot express yourself especially in self defense.
3. Naked or defecating: Someone who dreams and finds himself walking nacked in a market place or defecating on himself will experience self disgrace.
4. Drinking: If you are already a strong Christian, and you have a dream that you are drinking alcohol, smoking and bowing down to a shrine or having fun at a club house or disco it is a warning from God against a backsliding.
5. Vomiting: Whenever you see yourself vomiting in your dream it means you are being delivered from the hands of the evil one or from sickness.
Ingesting
6. Eating: This is interpreted to be a bad omen, because it may mean that the food one likes to eat may be poisoned by someone else.
7. Eating meat: when food contains only meat, it means such a person has contracted blind witchcraft which is a dangerous dream.
8. Honey or Candy: Whoever dreams and finds he/she is being given a Candy or honey is a pointer that God will turn the fellow’s bitterness into sweetness in this life.
9. Fruit: Whenever you are given one particular fruit in your dream, it means you have been given a divine gift from God. Receiving different types of fruits means that you have been given different types of gift from the Holy Spirit which can also include an apostolic gift.
10. Maize or rice farm or gold: Someone who dreams and sees himself in a large maize or rice farm or walking through gold means that, God is going to take your hardship away. Especially if that dream re-occurs you should be diligent about it. It is a sign that God has determined to release prosperity into your life.
11. Red pepper, onion, ginger: Plucking of red pepper or receiving a gift of red paper, onion and ginger is an indication of pain, bitterness, sorrow and hardship to be unleashed.
12. Shot with a gun, receiving injection or eating: If you find yourself having being shot with gun, receiving an injection or eating food in a dream excluding meat, it is a sign of sickness which will be difficult to be diagnosed.
Intimacy
13. Sex, Romance, Eating: Someone who dreams that he/she is having sex or having romance and eating in a dream can result into set back, sickness, spiritual weakness, lack of marriage and disappointment in life.
14. Sexual intercourse: This suggests that one’s progress may be negated or the possibility of spiritual weakness.
Marriage & Funerals
15. Getting married: This may mean that the person is married already in the Spirit world and may remain unmarried for ever in the physical world. For the already married person, this could mean a gradual transition to the ancestral world where reunion is a form of marriage.
16. Funeral cloth: If you find yourself in a funeral cloth in a dream, it signifies a life of sorrow.
17. Ghost, Casket, ambulance, grave: If you dream and see the ghost of a dead person, casket, ambulance or grave yard it signifies that the spirit of death is at hand.
Cash & Assets
18. Diamond or Gold: Whenever you receive diamond or gold in your dream, the diamond signifies glory and honor while the gold means financial break through.
19. Dead person given you gold: If you dreamt and saw a dead person giving you gold, it means the opportunity God gave to that person while he was alive will now pass unto you.
20. Money: Someone who is given money in a dream is one who is being given wisdom to make wealth or doors of financial opportunities are about to be opened unto him.
21. Counting money: This is often interpreted as a foreshadowing of poverty. The dreamer may be having a vicarious experience of wealth and mistake this for reality by relaxing, or it could mean the possibility of a sudden wealth that has no basis in the dreamer’s efforts and can also lead back to poverty if the dreamer does not embark on productive activities.
Wetness
22. Dirty water, dirty places or mad person: Poverty is depicted in a dream by someone seeing dirty water, walking through nasty grounds such as on faecal matter, gutters, refuse dump and seeing a mad person. Even if the dreamer is well of in the society, he or she needs to watch out for an impending disgrace ahead of his life.
23. Being soaked by rain: This is often interpreted as a sign of blessing to the dreamer
24. Swimming in river: This is interpreted as a struggle to survive or surmount a problem. Swimming through the river before the end of the dream may signal potential success while failing to do this may suggest serious problems ahead for the dreamer.
25. Bathing in the house: washing away ill luck or failure. Bathing in one’s house suggests some element of control by the person .
26. Fishing: Someone who dreams and finds himself fishing but is not a fisherman has received anointing to win souls. In the future, he can become a preacher or a successful businessman with so much influence over society.
27. Hunting: If the dreamer kills the game, it is interpreted as acquiring some success. If otherwise, this means the beginning of failure in the dreamer’s efforts.
28. Beating someone: Whenever you see yourself beating someone in your dream, it means the power of God has come over you to defeat your enemies.
29. Being chased: This is interpreted usually as a bad sign. The masquerade or the by animals or animal is a manifestation of evil forces. In practical terms, one’s masquerades enemies are planning evil against the person involved
30. Police or Soldier: When police men or soldiers appear in your dream to rescue you from satanic attack, it means the Angels of God has rescued you from the hands of witchcraft powers. Note when they are after you in a dream, it signifies demonic attack.
31. Prison: Whenever you find yourself in prison or a police cell in a dream, it signifies spiritual stagnation.
Animals
32. Dog or Cat: Someone who dreams and kills a dog or cat has been given victory over his household enemies. On the other hand, if the animals are not domestic, but are either snake or scorpions, it also means that God has given him victory over enemies outside his home.
33. Seeing a snail or picking snail: This is often suggested to mean that one’s progress will be slowed down. It can also mean contracting a sudden death.
34. Snail, Tortoise: Seeing snail and tortoise in a dream means that ones rate of growth will be slow especially with regard to prosperity. This is negative and needs to be dealt with prayer.
35. Snake or poisonous insect: If snake or any poisonous animal or insect bites you in a dream, it means your enemies have succeeded in overcoming you with an evil plot.
36. Black ants: Black ants clustered in ones bedroom or around ones bed, depicts the crowd that will gather for the persons funeral. This is a negative dream and has to be resisted at all cost.
37. Goat, Cow: Whenever you see a goat or cow in dream especially the black one’s it signifies witchcraft.
38. Pig, Vulture: Whenever you dream about a pig or vulture it also signifies embarrassment or poverty.
39. Sheep: Whenever you see a white ram or a white sheep in a dream it signifies meekness.
40. Rainbow, Chameleon: A dreamer who sees rainbow or a chameleon in his dream will definitely make it in life. But the pace will be slow. This person should not rush in life but take it slowly with God
Religious & Spiritual
41. Anointing oil: When someone receives an anointing oil in his dreams, it means the person is receiving a divine mantle. Find out more about whose image God is using in the dream. This may help you to discover the total meaning of the dream.
42. Picture of Jesus: Someone who dreams and sees the picture of Jesus has a divine calling upon him into ministry, to preach the gospel worldwide. A frequent recurrence of the dream is an indication that God is serious about the issue.
43. Bible: Someone who dreams of receiving a Bible in a dream as a gift signifies that he has been given salvation, divine wisdom, divine power, divine dominion and divine authority.
44. Bible or Bible verse: someone who dreams that he has been given a chapter or verse of the bible in a dream means that there is a message from God out of that verse for him. It can be a warning, words of encouragement or words of wisdom. The scripture given will show what God wants to communicate.
45. Man of God: Someone who sees a man of God in a dream has received a revelation of God’s shadow because men of God represent God.
Society
46. Politician: A Pastor who moves with politicians in a dream will experience great opposition and criticism. The end of the dream will determine whether he/she will be victorious or not
47. National flag reversed or burning: Whenever you see a national flag being turned upside down or being burnt by fire in a dream, it means that such a nation will face misfortunes, such as wars or natural disasters or famine.
48. National flag: When you see a national flag in a dream, it signifies the nation. The particular flag you see will determine the country God wants to talk to you about. The content, symbols and tokens of it will determine what God wants to tell you concerning that nation. Therefore, if you see two different national flags tied up together it means that there shall be a strong unity among those two countries.
49. Former School, home, teacher, sites etc: Someone who dreams and sees himself in his formal school, hometown, formal residence, formal work site or sees his formal teacher, ex president , formal land lord, is a signal of a setback in life and also an indication of great honor being withheld from the dreamer.
50. Award: Someone who dreams that he has been awarded by a president will receive an award of blessing in the land governed by the president from God.
51. Interview: Someone who dreams, he is being shot on a video camera having a journalist interview or being tape recorded while giving a speech means he or she shall be either a national or an international star depending on the type of people interviewing him or her.
52.Computer: The dreamer who finds himself always using a computer where as he is not a computer literate, speaks of someone who God will make famous by means of the mass media.
Travel
53. Shoe: To be given a new shoe in a dream is an indication of being given a new opportunity.
54. Visa: A dreamer who receives a visa in a dream under a parabolic dream signifies divine authority to go places. Note that when the person is seriously sick before this dream, it is a signal that that person’s departure from this universe has been approved by God; which means death.
55. Keys: Whenever you receive keys in a dream, it means God has given you divine wisdom, authority, dominion and power. A lone key however is an indication that you are being given an opportunity.
56. High mountain or building: Someone who dream’s and sees himself on top of a high mountain or a high story building has great victory in store.
57.Traveling: Whenever you find yourself traveling oversees for a business in a dream. It could be taken literally to mean just that. Under parabolic dreams however, it means your blessings are not limited to where you are.
58. Driving a car: Someone who dreams and sees himself always driving a private car also means God will one day give him/her a personal work or independence to become an employer.
59. Driving a bus: A dream where one finds himself driving a commercial vehicle containing people but the dreamer has no knowledge about driving is a sign that the person will become a leader over a group of people in a government company in the near future, the size of the vehicle he is driving will determine the number of people in the company.
60. Driving a taxi cab: A dream where a non-taxi driver finds himself driving a taxi speaks of one that shall lead a group of people but they will not be large in number.
61. Driving a cargo car: The driving of a cargo car loaded with goods by one who is not a driver means the person will one day be in charge of properties. The size of the car he saw in the dream will determine the size of the property he will be in charge of.
At the end of the day, our dreams are asking us to pay attention. It’s about noticing the quiet weight of what we say, the fragility of life, and the Law of Attraction hidden in ordinary moments. Dreams, like life, are delicate threads connecting the past, the present, and something just beyond our reach. Treat them—and the people around you—with care, and you’ll find that even silence can hold power, meaning, and a kind of gentle, unexpected wonder.References
1. Dr. Kayode Fanilola - Dream In Yoruba Worldview
2. “Yoruba Dream Symbols.” Adventures of Akin, September 2, 2011,
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