Spirit animal

 Animals are present all around in our lives, be it in the form of our beloved household dog or the roaming coyote that we see every now and then. Yet, we often lack an understanding of the symbolic nature and the key characteristics that define them.

How many times have you come across the phrase “want to know who is your spirit animal on the internet?”.  But do you know what exactly a spirit animal is and from where did the word originate?

A spirit animal is defined in various traditional cultures as a spirit that helps to guide or protect a person on their journey and with whom the person shares their characteristics with. It is a humorous metaphor for someone or something a person admires and relates to.

A spirit animal is also known by names like animal guides, spirit helpers, spirit allies, power animals, or animal helpers. It is believed that a person doesn’t choose their spirit animal and rather the animal chooses the person. The concept was traditionally adopted in native American cultures in Pagan and Wiccan during the 1990s. In the contemporary times, spirit animal has been used to indicate a strong appreciation or identification for someone or something. For example, referring to a “baby panda” as a spirit animal. A person can have more than one spirit animal throughout their lifetime, who come in and out of a person’s life to guide and teach them. The interaction with the spirit animal can take place in several ways like physically crossing paths, having a dream, or a visit in our meditations. A person’s spirit animal often portrays qualities and attributes that a person may see in themselves. A person shares a general vibe with the animal and their behaviors. A spirit animal in the ironic sense can be anything from cute funny animals like a baby panda or celebrities and fictional characters like Beyonce. Food and beverages like a taco or any other thing that someone is related to can be a spirit animal. Today, there are hundreds and thousands of internet quizzes available that help a person discover their spirit animal according to a person’s personality traits. Such a use of the term spirit animal is, however, considered insensitive and inappropriate to indigenous people as it can be seen as a sign of mockery or ignorance of their beliefs and traditions.

                                      

After an understanding of the traits and behaviors of the spirit, one can understand the signs to look for to known if the spirit animal is around you. To invoke the spirit guide, a person can make use of meditation or prayer or set an intention for your dreams to encourage the spirit guide to show itself. The signs of the spirit animal would be subtle and symbolic. Spending more time in a natural environment can be a way to connect to the spirit guide. Disconnection from technology and reconnection to the Earth is a necessary condition to establish the bond with the spirit animal.