A mythical bird of great beauty, the phoenix is often an emblem of immortality or of resurrected idealism and hope. Since the phoenix rises from its own ashes ready to live its life all over again, it signifies our ability to pick ourselves up and begin again, after what appears to be disaster. The phoenix was believed to live for 500 or 600 years, then to burn itself on a funeral pyre, knowing it would rise again. In dreams, therefore, it can symbolize knowing when to move on, when to let the past go, being aware that there is more energy available if we do so. Also consult the entry for Birds.