Animal Guide Meanings

Establishing a relationship with One’s Animal Totem or Spirit is such a gift and an honor. These sacred beings accompany us through our lives guiding and protecting us regardless of whether we know they are there or not. Throughout our lives we will have more than one with us at all times and others will come in and out to lend their medicine as the need arises. They help us on our life journey in both the physical and spiritual world offering the most amazing gifts to our lives. Some of us feel especially drawn to one animal in particular, there is an undeniable connection felt on a soul level, this is the one that is with you for life and it acts as your main guardian spirit. All Animal Spirits offer their medicine in various ways, some in the form of wisdom, power or healing, even the attributes they possess such as strength, joy or guardianship. In order to receive these gifts, we need to honor their presence in our lives and acknowledge them for their lessons they have to teach us and the wisdom they can provide. Take a few moments each day, upon waking in the morning is a wonderful time, to simply send your animal your gratitude and love. Speak from the heart and you will be amazed at how your animal will find ways to speak to you and make its presence known even more!
If you are still wondering what your animal guide is, think upon some of these questions:

• Have you ever felt drawn to one animal or another without being able to explain why? This could be animal, including birds and insects.
• Does a certain kind of animal consistently appear in your life? This doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical appearance, it could be other ways such as receiving card and letters with the same animal pictured over and over, unexplainable dreams of a particular animal, watching television and seeing the same animal featured time and time again, or, actually having the animal show up.
• When you go to the zoo, a park, wildlife area, or forest, what are you most interested in seeing?
• Are there any animals that you find to be extremely frightening or intriguing?
• Is there a particular animal that you see frequently when you’re out in nature?
• Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal?
• Have you ever had a recurring dream about a certain animal, or a dream from childhood that you have never been able to forget?

This is by no means a complete list of all the animals, insects or reptiles out there. It is simply to provide you some quick references for only SOME of these animals can offer. My suggestion is to use these only as a guide as each animal has so much more to offer and a lot of it is specific to you and your life! Ask your animal spirit what medicine or messages it has for you as this is the true nature of establishing a lifelong relationship. They have much to teach us, let us learn from them!

Bat: Rebirth, longevity, secrecy, initiation, good listener, long life, illusion, journeying, inner depth.

Bear: Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, will power, self-preservation, introspection, and great strength.

Buffalo: Sacredness, life, great strength, abundance, gratitude, consistency, blessings, stability.

Butterfly: Metamorphosis, transformation, balance, grace, ability to accept change, lightness, soul, vulnerability.

Cat: Guardianship, detachment, sensuality, mystery, magic, independence, astute, watchful.

Cougar: Leadership, loyalty, courage, taking responsibility, foresight, sensing danger, awareness.

Coyote: Trickster, intelligence, stealth, wisdom and folly, guile, innocence, skill.

Crow: Magical, shape shifting, change, creativity, spiritual strength, intelligence, energy, higher perspective.

Deer: Compassion, peace, intellectual, gentle, caring, kind, subtlety, gracefulness, femininity, gentleness, innocence, and seller of adventure

Dog: Noble, faithful, loyal, teaching, protection, guidance, obedience, sensory perception.

Dolphin: Kind, salvation, wisdom, happiness, playfulness, prudent, capable of deep emotion, and happy.

Dragon: Longevity, richness, prosperity, infinity, wisdom, power, fiery, mythic.

Dragonfly: Flighty and carefree, strong imagination, higher aspirations, lightness, joy, transformation.

Duck: Water energy, helper of seers, affectionate, community oriented, can clearly see/deal with emotions.

Eagle: Divine spirit, sacrifice, connection to creator, intelligence, renewal, courage, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, freedom, and risk-taker.

Elephant: Strength, power, affection, loyalty, royalty, wisdom, reliability, sense of history, pride.

Fox: Cunning, agility, quick-witted, diplomacy, wildness, feminine magic of camouflage, shape-shifting and invisibility

Frog: Water, cleansing, rebirth, sensitivity, medicine, hidden beauty, peace, adaptability, metamorphosis.

Goat: Surefootedness, stubbornness, independence, diligence, in the moment, aloofness, virility, sturdiness.

Hawk: Messenger, intuition, victory, healing, nobility, recollection, cleansing, visionary power, and guardianship.

Horse: Freedom, stamina, mobility, the land, travel, power, freedom, grace, nobility.

Hummingbird: Messenger, timelessness, healing, warrior, energy, vitality, infinity, affection, playfulness.

Jaguar: Chaos, shape-shifter, aggressiveness, power, confidence, manifestation, breath.

Lion: Family, strength, energy, courage, guardian, protector, ferocity, authority.

Monkey: Ability to change the environment, health, success, light and dark, communication, swiftness, energy.

Opossum: Smart, clever, sensible, grounded, group-minded, proper use of deception, strategic, surprising.

Otter: Playful, friendly, dynamic, joy, helpfulness, sharing, love of young, sensibility without suspicion.

Owl: Wisdom, deception, intuition, insight, messenger, mystery, freedom, secrets, stealth, vision.

Panther: Protection, hidden emotions, introspection, caution, careful decisions, multi-dimensional, dark and light.

Porcupine: Innocence, companionship, trust, curious, imagination, good-natured, non-interference.

Quail: Group-work, team play, creator of harmony and group tolerance, protectiveness (especially toward children)

Rabbit: Fertility, artistic, in motion, hyper vigilant, joyful, lives by own wits, steps through fear.

Raccoon: Curiosity, disguise, explorer, secret, night vision, cleanliness, dexterity, seeker.

Ram: Stoic, sensitive, persevering, curious, imaginative, new beginnings, change, life force.

Raven: Magical, introspective, self-realized, courageous, transformational, messenger, psychic, divination.

Road Runner: Mental agility, speed, opportunistic, multi-tasking, energy, busy, accomplishment.

Salmon: Proud, intense, confident, wisdom, inspiration, can swim upstream, rebirth, determined, spiritual desire.

Scorpion: Transforming, strong, inspiring, chaotic, passionate, altered perception, death and rebirth, seduction.

Seal: Love, longing, dilemma, active imagination, creativity, protection during change, dreamer, good luck.

Shark: Prowess, perpetual motion, hunter, survival, warning signs, workaholic, savior, guardian, superiority.

Skunk: Reputation, presence, strength, demands respect, sensual, steady, pacifism, taking your time.

Snake: Impulsive, primal energy, shrewdness, rebirth, transformation, initiation, and wisdom

Spider: Balance, wisdom, creativity, communication, networker, cyclical, crafty, fate, protection.

Squirrel: Planner, gatherer, preparedness, awareness, sociable, playful, energy, prudence, resourceful.

Stag: Lord of the forest, masculine power of regeneration, signs.

Swan: Grace, balance and innocence, soul, love, beauty, elegance, transformation, dreams.

Tiger: Strength, valor, power, energy, devotion, tactful, royal, illuminated, unpredictable.

Turtle: Nurturer, shy, protecting, patience, strength, innocence, endurance, longevity.

Unicorn: Purity, innocence, dreamer, personal power, gentle, spiritual vision, other realms, faith, healing.

Whale: Wisdom, provider, intelligence, kindness, deeper awareness, nurturing, navigator, communication.

Wolf: Loyalty, perseverance, success, intuition, spirit, appetite for freedom, can be a loner.

Woodpecker: Sensitive, protective, devotion, prophecy, progress, determination, balance, communication.

Zebra: Clarity, motion, individuality, balance, illusion, instinct, free, wild, communal, playful, social.