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?”
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.
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.
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21 Common Spirit Animals:
While there are nearly an endless array of Spirit Animal guides out there, there are some that tend to continually emerge.
Here is a list of them:
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)
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Here are 5 Ways to Discover Your Spirit Animal’s Lessons (Medicine) :
Once you have discovered what your Spirit Animal is, your next question is:
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.
Remember all of us have at least one spiritual connection to another physical being such as a particular animal or plant species.
