Spirit animals have been used as teaching tools for countless ages. Animal wisdom is about using nature as a metaphor and teacher through animals’ archetypal energy. At the start of Coyote’s journey, he has answered the Call to Adventure and has overcome the Refusal of the Call. Like Coyote, if you are following the path of the ecospiritual shaman, you are on a trip to find your ecological self. At this point in the journey, you are about to undertake a new, sometimes dangerous, quest through unfamiliar territory. It’s as if you are about to go into an uncharted, deep, dark forest without a map. It is dangerous because it is leaving the familiar behind and venturing off into unknown territory. Such a challenge can be quite daunting. This is why, in most legends and on most spiritual quests, some sort of Supernatural Aid is required to begin.
If you have a belief in any supernatural entity, then by all means feel free to call upon your own higher power for assistance. But such a belief is unnecessary to tap into nature’s supernatural powers for guidance. There are several ways to do this, and all of these ways involve using nature as a teaching metaphor. Any metaphor will work, but for our purposes, my favorite type of supernatural assistance is Animal Wisdom.
If you’re a sports fan, you’re no stranger to the fact that many professional sports teams are named after animals. There’s the Chicago Bears, the Seattle Seahawks, the Atlanta Falcons, the Philadelphia Eagles, etc. We also use animal names as terms of endearment (for example, “Teddy Bear”) or as nicknames (Richard the Lionhearted, or King Arthur, whose name means “The Bear”). This tendency is a vestige of a time when we lived closer to nature. We chose these nicknames because certain animals have specific characteristics. In using these names for ourselves, our loved ones, and our sports teams, we are either consciously or unconsciously invoking the characteristics of those animals. We are using the archetypal energy of animals to make changes in ourselves.
Animal wisdom is the wisdom our spirit animals give to us. A spirit animal is an animal soul that functions as a teacher, companion, and helper. Some consider the practice of taking a spirit animal as the practice of drawing the archetypal energy of that animal into yourself, while others believe that animal spirits are real and assist us in our endeavors.
Regardless of what you may personally believe about the actual existence of animal totems or spirit animals, you may call upon the archetypal energy of your animal totems to help you begin your journey. You may also call upon them at any time during the quest, should the going become difficult.
Do you have an affinity for a certain animal? My wife and I both love cats, and she collects cat figurines and pictures. Other friends I know collect cows, pigs, bears, etc. When I ask people about their reasons for collecting a particular animal, the usual response is, “I don’t know, I just like cats (or dogs, or whatever).”
Finding Your Spirit Animal
If you have a favorite animal, have you ever stopped to think about why? What is it about that particular animal that attracts you? There is an almost universal tradition in indigenous spiritual paths of taking a totem animal. Sometimes even whole tribes took on the name of a particular animal (The Wolf Clan of the Cherokee people would be an example). Such connections with the animal world are important. But why are they important? Think about your favorite animal for a moment. You may have more than one favorite animal. If that is the case, pick the one that first comes to mind. Picture that animal clearly in your mind. It may help to do a mindful meditation while focusing only on your chosen animal. When you feel that you have established a connection in your mind with your animal, we will be talking about your spirit animal further in future posts.
You may have more than one animal helper, but most of us have a primary power animal who serves as a helper. To call upon your own supernatural aid to begin the quest, you must first find your own spirit animal. You may already have at least one. If so, that’s okay. But if not, here are some ways of finding out what your spirit animal is. Begin by asking yourself the following questions:
- If you’ve ever gone hiking, were you followed by a particular animal? If this happens to you, pay particular attention if the animal seems to be trying to tell you something.
- Is there a particular animal that you find yourself drawn to? Is there something about the energy of this animal that you could use in your own life?
- When alone in the woods, is there a certain animal you find yourself looking for?
- When you find this particular animal, do you study its behaviors to see what it might be telling you?
- What animal do you enjoy learning about? Have you studied a certain animal enough to be an expert on it? This animal could be a cherished pet or a wild animal that calls to you.
- Does a particular animal keep showing up in your dreams? If so, what is this animal doing? Pay particular attention to animals that might attack or devour you in dreams. When this happens, the animal is symbolically killing the old you so that you may be reborn to partake in your spiritual journey.
- Have you ever been bitten, chased, or attacked by a particular animal? Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean that this animal is your enemy. It could mean that this is the only way your totem animal can get your attention.
- Do you collect paintings, statues, stuffed animals, or trinkets of a particular animal? Have you thought about why you do this? What does this animal mean to you?
If you’re still uncertain about your spirit animal after reading this list, then do a brief meditation before bedtime, and ask your power animal to reveal itself to you. Make a note of your dreams that night. Did any animal show up? If not, keep doing a meditation and recording your dreams until your spirit animal reveals itself to you.
Spend some time contemplating your own spirit animal. We’ll be talking more about how to connect with the archetypal energy of your spirit animal in future posts, but for now, just get comfortable with the idea of finding yours and meditating on its energy.