Finding your Animal Spirit Guide

An Animal Totem is an important symbolic object used by a person to get in touch with specific qualities found within an animal which the person needs, connects with, or feels a deep affinity toward. In Native American traditions it is beleived that each individual is connected with different animals that will accompany them through life, acting as guides. Different animal guides come in and out of our lives depending on the direction that we are headed and the tasks that need to be completed along our journey. These guides offer wisdom to the individual when they “communicate” with it. This does not necessarily mean that you actually need to spend time with this animal, only that there is a lesson to be learn from it’s charateristics. They are spiritual symbols that convey to us qualities we are needing or lacking in our daily lives.

How To Find Your Animal Totem:

Since we are drawn to that which resonates with us, what animal, bird, or insect are you drawn to?

When you go to the park, forest, or zoo what animal are you most interested in seeing?

Does a certain kind of animal consistently appear in your life? This doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical appearance, they could be represented in other ways such as unexplained dreams or watching television and seeing the same animal featured again and again.

Are there any animals you are currantly curious to learn more about?

Which animal do you find most frightening or intriguing?

Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal?

Have you ever had a recurring dream about a certain animal, been an animal in your dream, or have a dream from childhood that you have never been able to forget?

Are you drawn to figurines or paintings of a specific animal?

If you are still unsure what your Animal Guide is, Find a place where you can be alone to meditate. Sit quietly and ask your animal to make it’s nature known to you. Feel free to use tools such as incense, smudge, and candles to help you reach a peaceful and receptive space. Don’t give up, sometimes your animal totem is nearby watching to see if you’re serious about connecting with it. Keep doing the above exercises until your animal totem makes itself known to you.