A Guide to Animal Spirit Guides (Patreon)

Have you been interested in learning about animal spirit guides? Have you discovered who yours is? Comment below! Here is an article that touches upon the basics of learning about animal spirit guides and how you can figure out what yours is.

In certain cultures and spiritual systems, there is a belief that we each travel with a cadre of spirit guides, which also includes animals. Shamanic healer and intuitive, Colleen McCann, explains below what spirit animals are, and how they can be harnessed for help in life, whether through meditation or totem form. In regards to the latter, we collaborated with the exceptionally talented jeweler, Kim Dunham, on a small collection of hand-engraved spirit animal signet rings, which can be customized with inscriptions inside to make them extra-special.

A Q&A with Colleen McCann

Q: What is a Spirit Animal?

A: A spirit animal is characterized as a teacher or messenger that comes in the form of an animal and has a personal relationship to an individual. Other names might be animal guides, spirit helpers, spirit allies, power animals, or animal helpers. It is believed that you do not choose the animal, rather it chooses, or has already chosen you. The animal is there to provide “medicine” to the recipient in the form of guidance, lessons, protection, power, or wisdom. Shamans worldwide have relied on the guidance, wisdom, and symbolism of spirit animals for thousands of years.

HERE ARE THE THINGS TO KNOW:

1.) You can have one or several spirit animals throughout your lifetime. They can come in and out of our lives to give us guidance, teach us about ourselves, and help us maintain balance. The timing and direction we are headed on our path, a specific occasion that may arise, phases of life, or tasks that need to be completed along our journey will dictate what animal steps forward to help.

2.) An animal can bring us a message in several ways. We can physically cross paths with the animal, we can dream about it, it can visit us in our meditations, or we might have it as a pet.

3.) Your spirit animal often represents qualities and attributes that you may see in yourself. On a base level, you want to understand the general vibe of the animal and look at it as an archetypal figure in your life; a symbolic representation of you. You may never personally interact with your animal, like a tiger or whale. But pay attention to the details like specific behaviors, character traits, habitat, diet, social status. Are you group oriented, a loner, nomadic, sedentary, etc.?

Q: How do you figure out what your spirit animal is?

A: Quite simply, ask the animal to show itself to you.

Notice repetitive encounters with an animal within a physical interaction or in a symbolic form. Typically an animal might appear to you over and over again in an obvious way. For example, perhaps you almost hit three deer on three different encounters over the course of the week. Then, you turn on the TV, and the Discovery Channel is featuring migration patterns of caribou. You walk into a store and there are antlers decorating the wall. Someone compliments you on your “doe-eyes”. Disney re-releases Bambi and you see advertisements for it everywhere. The medicine of deer is trying to speak to you.

Let your spirit animal choose you or come to you during meditation, dream time, or other altered states of consciousness. Set the intention or ask the animal to show itself to you. You can also do it through tarot, like this deck, or a book, like this one. You can also work with a shaman or other licensed energy healer to give you some guidance.

Meanwhile, are there animals that have resonated with you since childhood without any familial attachment? Are there animals you feel drawn to without any logical explanation?

Q: Are there spirit guides for zodiac signs?

A: Yes, you can call this your “birth animal.” Depending on what astrology system you follow (Native American, Chinese, Western, or Celtic) your birth animal will vary. Google it!

A Cheat Sheet for a Common Spirit Animals

HORSE

Giddyap and prepare for change! The horse will teach you to ride in a new direction, for new journeys and adventures may be heading your way. Alternately, you may be looking for a renewed sense of freedom somewhere in your life. Horse medicine asks us to examine the balance between the instinctive and tame parts of ourselves. When calling on horse in your life you embody strong personal drive, expression, vitality, and physical and inner strength.

EAGLE

We are asked to look at life from an eagle’s-eye perspective. In flight, eagles are able to broadly view what is below them while still being able to hone in on specific items with their laser-sharp sight. Being an eagle requires looking at life with a wide lens and not getting tripped up on daily details, or looking closely at minute details in order to see life from a broader perspective. Eagles provide vision, wisdom, strength, and courage. The eagle allows us to soar to new heights and lets us know when the winds of change are coming.

LION

King of the jungle, lions teach us how to embrace our personal power and self-confidence as well as warning us about threatening situations in our lives. We learn strength, assertiveness, and leadership. The lion may also be letting us know it is time to deal with anger, authority issues, fears, aggression, or control-freak tendencies.

RABBIT

Rabbits are associated with procreation, desire, and fertility…f*%k like a bunny, right? Rabbit lets us follow our intuitive instincts in an alert, quick-witted way. Rabbits’ heightened senses invite us to use cleverness and fast reflexes to succeed, as well as sense fear and danger.

FOX

Sly like a fox, this animal is a great ally to have when you are facing a tricky situation or encountering obstacles. Foxes are cunning, quick-thinking, intelligent, deceptive, and sometimes tricksters. The fox teaches us how to get around obstacles fluidly instead of facing them head on with the same bag of tricks. The fox can teach us increased discernment in situations having to do with business and relationships.

SNAKE

What does a snake do? It sheds its skin over and over again. When a snake appears in your life it represent healing, transformation, and life changes. As a snakes sheds its skin, we shed layers that are no longer serving us. The spirit of the snake is connected to our life force. As a reptile, it symbolizes our primal needs and instincts. Snakes can provide guidance about life changes and transitions.

Q: What is an “animal totem”?

A: An animal totem is a symbolic representation of your animal guide. It can be represented in the form of a totem pole, talisman, emblem, crest, statue, or jewelry. A totem can symbolically represent a whole group of like-minded people, a family lineage, or an individual. Totem animals are believed to be the animals that we feel a very strong connection with and can influence us throughout our lives.

In shamanism, an animal totem is meant to be a representation of the traits and skills that you are supposed to learn, acquire, or embody. Totems have been used in shamanistic practice throughout human history. Hunters and warriors from ancient civilizations would depict their prey on walls during ceremonies to bless and ensure a plentiful hunt and to acknowledge, bless, and thank the spirit of the animal being sacrificed. Ancient tribes, religions, and spiritual traditions have all in some form embedded animal symbolism into their practices.

Many traditions believe that a totem animal is one who stays with you for life, both in the physical and spiritual world. Though people may identify with different animal guides throughout their lifetimes, it is this one totem animal that acts as the main guardian spirit. The animal at the top of the totem is believed to guide you in all aspects of your life: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically. Although you will most likely identify with different animals throughout your life, the totem animal acts as the main guardian spirit, in other words, your “ride or die” spirit animal.

Totem Traditions: 9-Animal Totem

Native American traditions believe that we are each connected with nine different animal guides that accompany us through life. You have a totem animal within each of the seven directions: north, south, west, east, above, below, and within yourself. The other two animals are believed to walk on either side of you.

North: Reminds us to live in gratitude, and when to listen, and when to speak.

South: Protects our inner-child and reminds us to stay humble and have discernment in who we trust, and when to trust.

West: Promotes trust in your inner-knowing, and discernment around goal-oriented tasks.

East: Guides you to, and through your greatest spiritual challenges.

Above: Governs the dream state, and reminds us that we came from the stars and we will return to the stars.

Below: Explains how to stay grounded and on your personal path.

Within: Guides you on a personal path that makes you happy. This is the protector of your “sacred space” or personal space—the place that is never accessed by anyone unless invited.

Right Side: Protects the masculine side of the body and all characteristics that are associated with this idea—like courage, fire, force, action, doing, and movement.

Left Side: Protects the feminine side of the body and all characteristics that are associated with this idea—like flow, receiving, mothering, relationships, being, and intuition.

Totem by Type

You can call on an animal during specific occasions:

Protectors: For strength, energy, warning of danger, and strategy. Call on LION!

Teachers: For accessing your own inner wisdom. Call on EAGLE!

Healers: For times of mental, physical, or emotional illness. Call on SNAKE!

Advisors: For choices, decisions, path, guidance, or direction when lost in life, or literally where you have no cell service—call on FOX!

Q: Shortcuts for learning more?

A: There are two great apps, Indie Goes and Earth Magic for your phone. These are both oracle cards apps where you can find an Animal Spirit deck. And there are many quizzes: Spirit Animal, Brainfall, What Is My Spirit Animal?, Spirit Hoods

Source:

https://goop.com/style/trends/guide-spirit-animals/