Spiritually a shell is a miniature representation of the process of life and death. A shell carries within it a great deal of symbolism. It can be seen as a magical symbol which holds within it the power of transformation. The spiral of the shell suggests both going inwards and coming outwards. The ability to shelter is also symbolized, and as a receptacle it also links with the feminine, emotional side of nature. In dreams a shell represents the defences we use in order to prevent ourselves from being hurt. We can create a hard shell in response to previous hurt, or a soft shell, which would indicate that we are still open to being hurt. Shells were also once a unit of currency and in dreams can still be seen as this. You might also like to consult the entry for Snail as well as the information for Spiral in Shapes and on Transformation in the Introduction.