It was bizarre and unexplainable: I kept having recurring dreams for about a month, where I would walk into an eerie, foreboding forest at night with a wolf peering at me through the shrubs. Its stare seemed kind, almost motherly, but very intense … somehow I knew that it was trying to tell me something about the depths of the forest ahead.
I have since had many dreams about Wolves and Dogs. And before I ever knew of my strong connection with the Canis Lupus species, I co-founded and named this website lonerwolf: a creature that to me embodies the spiritual journey.
Have you ever experienced any strange synchronicities to do with animals?
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Do you keep running into the same animal over and over again? Perhaps you’ve had repetitive dreams or have undergone a shocking, rare, or weird situation with an animal you never expected to see.
If you’re confused, need clarity, or validation, keep reading.
(By the way, if you’re interested in getting more help connecting with your Spirit Animal, see my highly-rated Spirit Animal Reading offering!)
Table of contents
- What is a Spirit Animal? (Definition)
- Ancient Origins ( Totemism & Animism )
- Spirit Animals & the Spiritual Awakening Journey
- Spirit Animal, Power Animal, Totem Animal – What’s the Difference?
- 7 Ways to Discover Your Spirit Animal
- 21 Common Spirit Animals
- 5 Ways to Discover Your Spirit Animal’s Lessons (Medicine)
- Spirit Animal Quiz
What is a Spirit Animal? (Definition)
A Spirit Animal is a teacher, messenger, omen, or guide who is there to help you in some area of your life. In shamanic cultures, spirit animals are thought to be the literal spirits of animals that we either inherit, are born with, or adopt during life. However, in various schools of psychology, Spirit Animals are thought to be the archetypal or symbolic manifestations of the primal psyche. Regardless of what philosophy you subscribe to, Spirit Animals are powerful allies that connect us with our Souls and Higher Purpose.
Ancient Origins (Totemism & Animism)
Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul.
– Pythagoras
The notion of having a Spirit Animal draws its origins from ancient Animistic and Totemistic beliefs about the world and our connection to it.
Totemism is a system of belief practiced by groups such as the Native American or Australian Aboriginal peoples who carry the philosophy that each human being has a spiritual connection to another physical being (e.g., a plant or animal).
The Kpelle people of Liberia, for instance, possess animal, plant, and natural phenomena (wind, rain, etc.) totems that are thought to guide and protect their people. Their totems are also thought to be a form of alter ego or second self.
Animism, on the other hand, is a world view held by many Buddhist, Shinto, Pagan, and Neopagan groups of people, that all plants, animals, and objects have spirits. To the Animists, we are part of nature, rather than being superior to nature, or separate from nature. As such, it’s common to see the inclusion of Spirit Animals within this worldview.
Spirit Animals & the Spiritual Awakening Journey
Spirit Animals are powerful allies on our spiritual awakening journeys as they help us to reconnect with our Souls. As the essence of an animal is raw, pure, and untainted by the issues that human beings undergo, they can help us tune into our authentic, untamed nature.
Spirit Animals embody their Souls (their unique expression of the Divine) completely and utterly. They’re not burdened with an ego that feels small, separate, and defensive against Life. As such, our Spirit Animal can teach us lessons surrounding courage, empowerment, interconnectedness, letting go, learning to love fully, and finding freedom.
It’s common for those beginning this journey of Soul Embodiment to experience synchronicities, spiritual signs, and omens connected with their Spirit Animal.
Spirit Animal, Power Animal, Totem Animal – What’s the Difference?
These terms are often used interchangeably, but there’s a difference. Put simply:
- A Spirit Animal refers to an ally who helps teach/guide you.
- A Power Animal refers to a creature that empowers you.
- A Totem Animal refers to a creature that is inherited (ancestrally or as part of a tribe/clan).
While a Power animal can be invoked or called upon, it’s often thought that a Spirit Animal chooses you (and the same applies to the Totem Animal).
7 Ways to Discover Your Spirit Animal
At this point, you may be wondering, “okay, so how do I discover my spirit animal?” Here are some powerful approaches:
1. Spend more time outdoors
This helps you to forge a greater connection to nature which you’ll need to identify your Spirit Animal.
2. Pay attention to the animals appearing in your life
Do any particular animals keep emerging? It’s said that if a particular animal continuously appears in your daily life, this is an indication that your Spirit Animal is trying to contact you. For instance, a certain animal could repeatedly show up on your daily walks, in the books you read, TV shows you watch, or pictures you glimpse.
3. Pay attention to the animals appearing in your dream life
Spirit Animals are also said to contact us in our dreams. Look out for animals that seem to persistently appear while you sleep – this could be a sign that your Spirit Animal is trying to manifest itself to you.
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4. Be aware of the unusual behavior of animals around you
Does a particular animal run up to you, make strange noises around you, or otherwise display strange behavior patterns in your presence? This could be a strong indication of your Spirit Animal trying to contact or form a connection with you.
5. Think about what animals you have always been attracted to
Are you drawn to any particular animal, either out of fear or adoration? This could reveal an unconscious connection to your Spirit Animal.
6. Try meditation
Our Spirit Animals often reveal themselves during practices such as meditation because the mind because still. If you don’t often meditate, or if you would like assistance, there are many free meditation videos on YouTube.
7. Keep a journal
Record what animals you encounter in your meditations, dreams, and waking life. Look for patterns or recurrences of a specific animal or animals. Learn more about how to journal.
(Bonus) 8. Get a Spirit Animal Reading
There are many intuitive souls out there who are able to help you connect with your spirit animal. I am honored to offer this service myself, and I have done so for many years now. You can get your own Spirit Animal Reading here!
21 Common Spirit Animals
While ther’s nearly an endless array of Spirit Animal guides out there, there are some that tend to continually emerge. I’ll list them below:
- Bear (strength, confidence)
- Butterfly (personal transformation)
- Cat (independence, curiosity)
- Coyote (playfulness, adaptability)
- Crow (vision, intelligence)
- Deer (innocence, gentleness)
- Dog (loyalty, love)
- Dragonfly (transformation, adaptability)
- Fox (agility, awareness)
- Frog (rebirth, renewal)
- Hawk (focus, leadership)
- Horse (freedom, passion)
- Hummingbird (positivity, playfulness)
- Lion (strength, courage)
- Owl (wisdom, intuition)
- Rabbit (abundance, vulnerability)
- Sheep (vulnerability, innocence)
- Snake (healing, transformation)
- Spider (creativity, receptivity)
- Tiger (willpower, aggression)
- Turtle (determination, persistence)
- Wolf (intelligence, freedom)
5 Ways to Discover Your Spirit Animal’s Lessons (Medicine)
Once you have discovered what your Spirit Animal/s is, a common question to ask is “what’s next?” How can you harness the new knowledge of your Animal Teacher to benefit your life? Here are a variety of ways to learn from your Spirit Animal:
1. Discover its symbolic wisdom (or ‘medicine’)
Each Spirit Animal has strengths and weaknesses which are important for you to learn about, as they directly apply to your life. The better you understand the symbolic meaning of your Animal Teacher, the better you will come to understand yourself and what you need to improve or change in your life.
2. Apply your newfound wisdom
Learning about your Spirit Animal will help you to learn more about yourself, and will consequently help you to make important decisions, deal with difficult situations and people, and reach your personal goals and aspirations. Reflect on the three main ways you can apply what you’ve learned to your life (short-term, medium-term, and long-term).
3. Don’t humanize your Spirit Animal
Anthropomorphizing (aka. humanizing) your guide will do nothing but silence their unique way of expressing themselves. To be open and receptive to your Spirit Animal’s message, you’ll need to embrace their exclusive language and form of self-expression first. To be receptive to your Spirit Animal and embrace their authentic being, take some time to observe them. Either observe them in nature (if they live in your vicinity) or watch them online. Take notes if needed.
4. Pay attention to when your Spirit Animal appears in your life
Be aware of dreams, or real-life occurrences in which your Spirit Animal manifests itself. Also, remember that your Spirit Animal can choose to manifest itself in a very subtle way; for instance, in poems, a song, or even a picture in a book or poster in the street. Our Animal Teachers are thought to serve as both omens, as well as messengers and guides. So consider the following question in your daily life:
- What feelings do you experience when your Spirit Animal appears in your life? For example, do foreboding or comforting feelings arise within you?
- What message does your Spirit Animal appear to be communicating to you?
- Is your Spirit Animal trying to lead you in a certain direction?
5. Honor your Spirit Animal
Shamans believe that by honoring and venerating your Spirit Animal, you grow and gain a deeper connection to them. Many people like showing respect to their Animal Teachers by placing objects of the same species around their houses (like feathers, skulls, statues). Others like wearing symbols of their Spirit Animals on their bodies (amulets, pendants, etc.). Simply saying “thank you” and being grateful is sufficient.
Spirit Animal Quiz
If you’d like more guidance and support in connecting with your spirit animal, you might like to take our free spirit animal quiz. This test can help you connect with either your temporary animal ally (who is helping you in this specific period of life) or even your long-term animal ally (who has accompanied you since birth). As always, take it with a grain of salt and have fun!
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Since the dawn of time, Spirit Animals have been summoned to help us learn vital lessons, make important decisions, and grow significantly at a Soulful level. From the Native Americans and their totem animals to the animistic beliefs of indigenous Africans, Indians, Asians, and South Americans, animals have been revered for hundreds of thousands of years.
All of us have at least one spiritual connection to another physical being such as a particular animal or plant species.
I hope this article has illuminated and inspired you.
If you have any comments, experiences, or opinions that you would like to add, please feel free to share them below.
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Ever since I was a child I had an affinity for herbivore animals–deer, rabbits, horses, squirrels, chipmunks, and butterflies–and was fiercely protective of all trees and vegetation. I had a very hard time relating to predatory animals and their instincts (even though I ate meat as a child) despite my owning–and adoring–both cats and dogs my entire life. I was notorious for refusing to play along with any of my cousins’ make believe storylines–unless I got to be a dog or bunny rabbit or rodent of some kind. So when we all played Peter Pan? I was Nana the Saint Bernard. My best friend and I often pretended to be either wild horses, deer, or baby abandoned mice/chipmunks/rabbits fending for ourselves in the wilderness, but I was so concerned for even the fictional animals in our pretend world that I couldn’t bare to pretend to be orphans–we were always abandoned because I didn’t want to “kill off” our imaginary mother. I also have been teasingly referred to as “the butterfly whisperer” as people throughout my life have brought me injured butterflies they had found which I would then research and care for for the rest of their natural lives. I… Read more »
Burning Lion.
Plus Persepolis is the same thing but it’s a religion book not sure if you would be interested in it.
Well me I know that my two spirit animals are a wolf and a fox but they haven’t appeared in any of my dreams. What does it mean? I am so clueless.
For me, it has always been a silver fox, ever since I was a toddler, and today, asides from that, I’ve felt a strong connection to owls, in my dreams, its a white baby owl. I’ve always consider the two of these animals as my guides, mentors. but I haven’t really put much energy towards understanding the meaning behind it all.
I have always been curious about spirit animals. It’s taken for granted in my family that I must have been a cat in a past life, as I’ve always felt an affinity with them – but I am fascinated with other animals as well, in particular wolves, foxes and bats. I’m not sure what it is… They just intrigue me…
The magpie and or the raven/crow are big totems for me.
My totem is shumba meaning lion.i have been personally puzzled about my dreams causing me to want to belive that there is a connection between us humans and the animal spirit.i have had contless dreams of me walking in the bush riddled by lions.with my heart pounding i see a lion as i slowly walk past avoiding attention i look ahead and see three to four big lions lying in the grass.but somehow i manage to pass through without being hurt. these dreams come more or less the same all the time.i dont knw if anybody has had a similar experience.
Hi Aletheia & ED, who sent the post earlier, just putting the subject of Spirit animal/guides aside for one moment, Ed, your friend may be interested to read a book I read recently called “Journey to the Dark Goddess” by Jane Meredith who is a High Priestess based out in Australia. It is written for everyone who is on a journey of self discovery, however if you are of a Pagan/Wiccan influence it is easy to relate to. It is all about a journey into the Underworld using some mythology, which sounds very strange/sinister, but which is only in fact an inner journey to your dark self or shadow self. It talks about facing your fears with a sometimes intense period of introspection, which whilst may sound frightening or intimidating ultimately helps to liberate you of past traumas, doubts, fears etc or at the very least come to accept &/or even embrace them as valuable life lessons that have shaped the unique person that you are. I feel your friend may learn much from this type of introspection as a way of healing herself if she has not already gone down this path. It is easy to find the book… Read more »
I’m sorry if this is particularly wordy and lengthy, but I have so many questions and I’m quite fascinated! There’s no need to answer to all of these things, especially since I could imagine it’s a bit of a hard topic to exact or that even there’s any way to know the why in everything and such. Though, thank you for reading this far anyways, as you can see that I blather and have very much to say, though if you’re still interested in answering all of these questions, you might like to take it as a bit of a challenge, perhaps? I have a friend, who is an empathic witch of the Wiccan religion- she’s quite talented in her capabilities and I find her a constant source of inspiration and wisdom, as I am also empathic and I find she’s rather wise and motherly beyond her years while perhaps still having the soul and personality of a young person. From her I have found that my spirit animal has changed quite a number of times apparently. I’m aware that this is a thing, but I’m curious to just how often this happens to people? I also find that at… Read more »