Denotes a
peaceful nature or condition - may be a religious or spiritual sign
from God or a spiritual guide. It represents love and tenderness. It
can mean an 'inner' initiation, such as the descent of the Holy Ghost
as in Matthew 3::16 when Jesus Christ was baptized In the
Bible, the dove was used to symbolize the end of the Flood, and
represents the Holy Spirit. It was used at Jesus Baptism, the
Annunciation, the Holy Trinity, and divine inspiration. The seven
gifts of the Holy Spirit are represented by seven doves, wisdom,
understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the
Lord. Doves also stand for the newly baptized. Doves are also shown
flying out of the mouths of dying martyrs. The dove is the symbol for
the soul in India. In China, it stands for marital fidelity and
longevity. It is also a sign of fertility. The cooing of a dove
is preferable to a 'booing'. We should speak with a 'coo' rather than
with harshness.
