Spirit animals. In certain cultures and spiritual systems, there is a belief that we each travel with a little team of spirit guides, which also includes animals. Our invisible pack.
So, just what is a spirit animal? They can be seen as a teacher or messenger. And don’t we all need a little teaching from time to time? Obviously, they come in the form of an animal and have a personal relationship to each individual. Think of the movie with Nicole Kidman where she flies around in that really cool golden blimp. The Golden Compass. That’s it. With Daniel Craig. Spirit animals abounded there.
Anyway. It goes like this. We do not choose the animal, rather it chooses us. They are there to give us “medicine” in life. This comes in the form of guidance, lessons, protection, power, or wisdom.
It is a big, big thing in some cultures. Shamans worldwide have relied on their spirit animals for thousands of years for guidance, wisdom, and symbolism.
Many of us may think this is hokey-pokey loopy goofiness. But realize, we are a small part of this big world. People in many places have different beliefs than we do. Some of us believe that two people in a garden talked to a snake about a bad apple. Others think animals got on a big boat, two by two. Birds and cats, holding hands as they showed their tickets on S.S. Noah. So then, we should consider expanding our thinking to include other possibilities.
We can have one or several spirit animals throughout our lifetimes. They have a way of stepping in when we need them.
An animal can bring us a message in several ways. I’m not sure where the phrase, “A little bird told me so,” originated, but it is quite possible that a little bird might tell us so. There’s a bluebird on my shoulder.
We can physically cross paths with the animal. Like, seeing an eagle twice in one day. Or having a squirrel encounter. Nutty, I know. We can also dream about our spirit animals. Or, they can visit us in our meditations. Finally, we might even have one as a pet.
So. How, exactly, do we figure out what our spirit animal is?
Simply enough, we just ask the animal to show itself to us.
Like in the Golden Compass movie, our spirit animals might have qualities and attributes that we have in ourselves. It can be a symbolic representation of ourselves. We might never interact with our animals, like a lion or a dolphin. But they may have specific behaviors, character traits, or lifestyle traits similar to ours. Are we social butterflies or loners. Do we like action? Are we explorers? Or are we sedentary or serene?
When it comes to these things, sometimes I am pretty thick. I blame it on my Taurus birth sign, steeped in the earth, fixed on stability and consistency. I’ve never tried to find my spirit animal. Though, if I had to guess, it would probably be a mouse or a giant sea turtle.
Some of the most common spirit animals are eagle, lion, cat, owl, bear, fox, deer, horse, dolphin, tiger, wolf, dove, butterfly, elephant, and a few others.
So, today, have a good look high and low for your spirit animal. They may have gifts to bear, advice to bring, or comfort to show. I hope you are not a slug.
And.
We never know what might be waiting for us in this big, big Universe. If only we look.
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“You can always tell about somebody by the way they put their hands on an animal.”
– Betty White.
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“I’ve never met an animal I didn’t like, and I can’t say the same thing about people.”
– Doris Day.
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“Lots of people talk to animals… Not very many listen though… that’s the problem.”
– A.A. Milne.
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The spirit in the animal, or so they say.
