Animals of Spirit, Power and Totem have been a part of every major religion for centuries. The Greeks spoke to spirits and gods through oracles. The Ancient Native Americans imitated animals in dance and ceremonial rituals to estalblish links to the spirit world. The earliest recorded traditions teach that each person comes into life existence with one or more animal guides from the spirit world. It is also believed that the person and their “life-long” spirit totem animals share a spiritual, energetic connection in which the animals serves as an ally, guide, teacher, protector, and a source of power throughout the person’s life.
“If you talk to the animals, they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.” ~ Chief Dan George
Native American folklore also teaches that over the course of a person’s life, one may have nine spirit totem animals that represent their personal medicine, emulate their talents, and to also provide a source of inspiration for improving one’s self and life patterns. It is believed that seven of the spirit totem animals guide and teach during specific periods of the life journey, while the remaining two walk on the right and left sides of a person and provide influences all through one’s life. A spirit animal is referred to by many different terms, such as, “spirit guide”, “power”, or “totem” animal. Traditionally the totem power animal spirit would first come to an individual through a dream, vision quest or pilgrimage to a sacred place of power, meditation, or through an encounter with it in the physical world in which its presence and relationship availability is communicated.
Traditionally the totem power animal spirit would first come to an individual through a dream, vision quest or pilgrimage to a sacred place of power, meditation, or through an encounter with it in the physical world in which its presence and relationship availability is communicated.
The spirit totem animal offers its power, teaching, medicine, protection, wisdom and unique gifts to help a person learn and grow within one’s life. The totem spirit animal has the ability to enrich a person’s life and to empower them with its power. It serves as an intermediary between the spirit world and the physical world and helps one to realize, evolve and fulfil the full spectrum of their divine life purpose.
In opening the doorway to a spirit totem animal, it is essential for the animal to have a sacred home within the consciousness and life of the person to whom it is connected, and for the animal’s being to be honoured on a regular basis through prayer, song, tobacco or corn meal offering and other practices which enable the relationship to prosper. It is also important to invite the totem spirit in to your body, mind and spirit so it can teach you what it has to offer in the way of wisdom and guidance from the physical and spirit world.
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Spirit Totem Animals
Spirit totem animals appear in a person’s life to teach attributes, powers or lessons, and for achieving a specific purpose. The following is a list of the different types of spirit totem animals that one may encounter within their life:
Life-Long Animal Spirit Totem is an animal from the spirit world that we are connected to from birth. This animal will be with us throughout our life. It will guide us and teach us it’s powers and serve as an intermediary between the physical and spirit world.
Journey Animal Spirit Totem is an animal that guides you for a period of days or even years. It will be with you until completion of the lesson or path it is guiding you on.
Message Animal Spirit Totem is an animal that appears to teach a lesson, a specific growth attribute or give a warning. These types of animals are usually an encounter that leaves a powerful impression or significance with a person.
Shadow Animal Spirit Totem is an animal that represents the inner self and fears that must be overcome or lessons to be learned in order to evolve spiritually. This animal has great power and will put us through life-lesson tests in order to gain wisdom and growth. This totem animal changes throughout your life in accordance with the level of evolvement being attained with its presence.
The following is a partial listing from the animal, bird, fish, insect, mammal and reptile kingdom; and a brief description of the many attributes, lessons and power they bring into our lives:
| Alligator: Integration, Initiation Anaconda: Foresight Ant: Patience Antelope: Action Armadillo: Boundaries Badger: Aggressive Bat: Rebirth Bear: Introspection Beaver: Building, Goals Bee: Working together Beetle: Regeneration, Resurrection Blackbird: Energy, Understanding, New Blue Heron: Self-reflection, Self-reliance Blue Jay: Creative controversy Bobcat: Silence, Secrets Boar: Confrontation Buffalo: Abundance Bull: Fertility Butterfly: Transformation Camel: Use of resources Canary: Power of song and voice Cardinal: Renewed vitality Caribou: Physical fitness Cat: Magic, Mystery, Tactile senses Centipede: Coordinated efforts Chameleon: Mastering change Cheetah: Precision Chipmunk: Respect Cobra: Enlightenment Cow: Contentment Coyote: Trickster Cricket: Luck, Sound Crow: Divine law Deer: Gentleness Dinosaur: Ancient wisdom Dog: Loyalty Dolphin: Life energy, Power of breath Dove: Inner peace Dragon: Conscious awareness Dragonfly: Illusions Duck: Free will Eagle: Spiritual connection, Enlightenment Elephant: Obstacle remover Elk: Stamina Emu: Reason Falcon: Questioning Ferret: Solving mysteries Finch: Desire Firefly: Sharing self Flamingo: Open-heartedness Fox: Camouflage Giraffe: New horizons Goat: New endeavors, Blessings Goose: Elder wisdom Grasshopper: Leap forward Hawk: Messenger Hen: Nurturing Horse: Power Hummingbird: Joy Hyena: Laughter Jackal: Cleverness Jaguar: Personal integrity Jellyfish: Intent Kangaroo: Guardianship Kestrel: Proper values Koala: Thoughtfulness Ladybug: Unexpected gifts, Surprises | Lark: Freedom from worry Leopard: Power of choice Lion: Pride Lizard: Dreaming Mockingbird: Soul Purpose, Counseling Mole: Retrieval Mongoose: Courage Monkey: Family Issues Moose: Self Esteem Moth: Out-of-body exploration Mountain Lion: Leadership Mouse: Scrutiny, detail oriented Mule: Allowance Newt: Miracles Octopus: Versatility Opossum: Strategy Oriole: Social Behavior Ostrich: Grounded, Astute Otter: Playfulness Owl: Wisdom, Discernment Ox: Sacredness Panther: Embracing unknown, Power Parakeet: Hospitality Parrot: Developing skill Peacock: Visualization Pegasus: Immortality Pelican: Hidden resources Penguin: Unity, Astral projection Pig: Intellect Porcupine: Innocence, Trust Praying Mantis: Positive focus Quail: Reservation Rabbit: Listening, Fear, Fertility Raccoon: Protection, Dexterity Ram: Breakthroughs Raven: Magic Rhinoceros: Forcefulness Roadrunner: Mental alertness Robin: Parenting Rooster: Ambition Salamander: Fire power and medicine Sea Horse: Androgyny Sea Lion: Intuition, Imagination Shark: Warning, Signs Sheep: Congeniality Shrimp: Recognition Skunk: Reputation Snail: Taking it easy Snake: Transmutation Spider: Creativity, Dream-Weaver Squirrel: Gatherer, Planner Starfish: Hope, Inspiration Stork: Growth Swan: Gracefulness Tiger: Unexpected lessons, Passion Turkey: Harvest, Shared blessings Turtle: Earth Mother, Fertility Unicorn: Unconditional love Vulture: Purification, Releasing Weasel: Stealth Whale: Destiny Wolf: Teacher, Pathfinder Wolverine: Fearlessness Woodchuck: Decisions Woodpecker: Protection Yak: Healing stillness or numbness Zebra: Non-judgmental behaviour |
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This article has been reproduced here with full permission of the author, Pamela Nine PhD. Her website is: Pamela Nine, Ph. D
Pamela is internationally known as a “Messenger of Spirit” and highly acclaimed Psychic, Medium, Counselor and Spiritual Teacher. She is also a Certified Reiki Master and Ordained Minister with a Doctorate Degree in Religion. She has been in the wellness profession for more than twenty years, and is the Owner of Nine Wellness Centre, located in Knoxville, TN. She specializes in Intuitive, Grief and Spiritual Counseling, Reiki Natural Energy Healing and Educational Programs.
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Article source: Animals: Spirit, Power & Totem
Please comment on your own experiences in divining or meeting your animal totem or spirit guide.
Hi there,
So I was taking a parenting class today about “burnt out and self care for the caregivers.” They had an exercise where you picked an animal figurine out of the box, I happened to pick a dinosaur ? I believe it was a Brachiosaurus.. something about the dinosaur intrigued me to dive deeper into the spirit totem. Do you happen to have any meaning to this beautiful dinosaur?
Hi Lisa
Thank you for visiting Timberwolf HQ and leaving your experience and question for my readers and I. It has been a busy year to date and I apologise for the time it has taken to respond. What I think the meaning of your choice could be is that you have or need to tap into some reservoir of ancient knowledge to enable you to see past a veil of emotions that could conceal what you seek. You may be or have been confronting something larger than you expected and need that support and knowledge to navigate your way through.
This could most certainly have been the case with the pandemic that we are all still currently living with. Please come back to Timberwolf HQ and let my readers and I know if you have had any further experiences you’d like to share and if the above information was in anyway helpful.
Timberwolf
I was at work today and I have never really looked into spirit animals and totems before until now. I was by myself outside and I heard tapping noises, I turned around and saw a husky, it never acknowledged me it just ran past me and went behind some hay bales, I followed assuming there was an animal loose that belonged to someone and called it, but it had gone almost like it had completely vanished. I never saw it come out from behind the hay bales and then there was no sign of it, haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and wondered if its a thing? or if I am just completely insane.
Hi Hannah
Yes it is a thing and no, you’re not completely insane. Feel a sense of relief? I hope so. Many people around the world believe in the power of their animal spirit of totem animal. It brings a great sense of joy to many of us to know that we hav a guide to whom we can turn in times of spiritual need. Please read more on the subject of spirit animals and how to find yours here: Discovering Your Animal Totem
When you have discovered your totem animal, please come back and share your revelations with my readers and I.
Namaste
Timber Wolf
Hello and thank you in advance for your time and assistance. What am hoping you can provide me the meaning/significance of the Raptor as a person spirit animal. I can’t find anything online that provides a description. This would mean so much to me!
Hello Marcos
Thank you for your question. I think it is necessary to determine what type of raptor you are talking about. Is it the modern raptor, a bird of the Hawk family, or a more prehistoric type of raptor. In either case, the ‘raptor’ is a significant power animal/spirit animal. The Hawk is a messenger providing a connection to the spirit world, clear vision and focus. See http://www.spiritanimal.info
If it is the more prehistoric variety, then it brings with it the ability to work as a member of a team, cunning, adaptability and speed of actions/decisions. For more see: http://www.animalspirits.com
Marcos, I hope this has helped. Please come back and let my readers and I know how you have gone with your research.
Namaste
Timberwolf
Hi I’m doing my reading for my nine totem animals and I’m curious about contrary cards? When shuffling am I supposed to keep all cards right side up? I can’t seem to find the answer anywhere but everywhere I look it seems that the cards always fall right side up. Thank you!
Hi Sabrina
There are a number of methods to dealing cards for divination. I prefer the Celtic Cross. This requires the cards to be shuffled face down and then laid out in a specific pattern: Three vertical, Two either side of the middle and then Three vertical to the far right. You can find plenty of information about it on the internet. Try this method and come back to let my readers and I know how you get on.
Namaste
Timberwolf
Hi ,
I had a centipede crawling at the back of my ear. In time I could push it away on the table and threw her out of the room. It was a black medium centipede. I don’t know what it wanted to say, right behind my ear.
Hello Shweta
Centipede’s generally indicate that you need to coordinate your effort with others. Thiw would indicate that what you are / were trying to accomplish would work better with the assistance of others with simialr goals and outlooks to yourself. I hope this has helped.
Timberwolf
I hate being owl or bear. I want to be a real wolf.
Hi Savannah
You will not always have an owl or a bear. Different spirit animals come to us at different times for us to learn from them. You will have one main totem animal, but others will come to you throughout you life. Have patience, all things come to those who look at lief through calm introspection and self-knowing.
Namaste
Timberwolf
I have frequent encounters with a big black beetle. I feel it follows me, I see it too frequently to be coincidental. I see it in the oddest places. Yesterday it tried t0gain entrance to my bedroom window. It also flew to my left ear and buzzed very loud and flew off. I do not think it is a good sign. I believe someone sent bad medicine to me.
Hello Gloria
I apologise for the delay in my responding. I wanted to be sure that what I was feeling was accurate. My research indicates that while beetles signify regeneration and resurrection, a black beetle may indicate that there is a dark energy that is seeking to engage with you. I would urge you to keep your psychic guard up and to channel as much white light as possible. Do not kill the beetle, just tell it firmly to go away and flood it with your white light energy. This should clear the dark energy from around you.
Please come back and let my readers and I know how you are doing.
Namaste
Timberwolf
My spirit animal is a red panda . . . I was meditating, and in a clearing, I thought I saw a flash of brown and randomly and distinctly thought of a raccoon, then pieced together later the brown was more of a reddy brown. I then instantly thought of the name “Bayo” and that’s now how I address him! We’ve been together for only a couple days now, but I’m now happier and feeling as if I could run a million miles!! Thank you, Bayo. You mean the world to me.
Hi there, I am new to Timberwolf HQ and I will be visiting again. But I have a few facts on the wolf spirit totem. Firstly the primary qualities of the wolf are wisdom, love, loyalty, communication and courage. But lesser ones are competitiveness, patience and order. The roles of the wolf are The Leader, The Teacher, and The Friend. The wolf is supposed to guide, to lead to love. People who have the wolf totem should hang out with people of the bear, hawk and cougar totems as well as their own kind because these are the most courageous and wise totems. But they should stay away from cyotes,bison and mountain goats as these are too careless and are troublesome. My totem is the wolf and I did not choose him I wanted him but he chose me as his partner because of my soul not because I wanted him.
Namaste Mark
Thank you so much for visiting Timberwolf HQ and providing my readers and I with the benefits of your knowledge. It is amazing how much we can learn through this simple act of sharing our knowledge. It combines with everything else we know and increases our spiritual intelligence.
I hope to see you back here at Timberwolf HQ in the future.
Timberwolf
Hi TimberWolf!! I think i met my Wolf spirit. She was awaiting me at the end of the tunnel. But I’m not completely sure. Then, i was flipping through the channels and the movie they were giving had a Timber Wolf, the wolf i met was a Timber Wolf.
Hi timber wolf I’m kind of new but I belive my spirit guides are my black pantherwith a ying and yang marking and my black wolf also with a ying and yang marking can you try to helo on how to figure them out and what their medicine is please
Hi this is an incredible blog, thank you very much. I was hoping you could help me with a vsion that I saw real clearly while meditating. It was a siberian husky dog. This was odd because it was the first time that an animal has appeared this vivid. The dog was so clear and beautiful, had no idea that it was trying to tell me something. If you could help it would be appreciated.
I feel connections to wolfs but most of all to nature itself and I really wanna know what animal is helping me or rather guiding me.
My spirit animals are the dog and spider. I had thought these two were almost opposites? I feel strongly that my darker side is more of the spider…and perhaps lighter side is of the dog. I would love you insight on this. Thanks!
Hi, I’m new to this animal totem stuff and I was wondering… What if your animal totem and animal spirit is the same or alike in any way? Is this good or bad? My animal spirit and totem is a Wolf. I’m just courious about what this means and I hope to find more information about myself.
I didn’t have a dream, but rather, I was about 12 years old and my dad was driving me to school, in Florida, and when i looked outside the window, I saw a Snow White Wolf, with Blue Eyes. I took a moment and blinked, and when i looked again, it was gone, like it vanished. I didn’t even think about it until today, when I was walking home from my bus stop, in another county in Florida, and I saw the same wolf, and again i blinked and it vanished. I dont know whats going on, but I would like to know what its trying to tell me, can you help me?
Hello Timberwolf,
My animal spirit totem is the anaconda. I have tried searching for the personality and description of a person with an anaconda totem. I wish to know more about what the anaconda teaches and how an anaconda person acts and behaves. Any information you can provide, will be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time 🙂