Animal Wisdom

Animals can teach us a great deal about ourselves as well as how best to approach different situations in life. What appears below is some correspondences from my personal Book of Shadows for some of my personal "power animals."

Adder/Snake--rebirth, wisdom, cunning, reincarnation, letting go of what's outdated, healing, life energy

Bat--vision, the soul's journey, avoiding obstacles, rebirth, coming out of the darkness, facing fears, clairaudience

Buffalo--social life, fertility, courage, abundance, prosperity, knowledge, sharing, work, challenge, survival, planning, prayer, footwork, manifesting abundance, going with the flow

Bull--knowing when to be aggressive, defense, contentedness, alertness, Earth Lord, fertility, strength

Cat--playfulness, equilibrium, grace, protector, flight or fight (the knowledge to know which is appropriate), independence, self-assuredness, seeking beneath the surface, mediumship, Bast, Freyja, Shasthi, curiosity, resilience, cleverness, unpredictability, healing, magick, mystery, sensuality

Deer--spiritual education, security, gentility, Artemis, Aphrodite, Diana, grace, swiftness, alertness, hunting/seeking, abundance, dreams, intuition, introspection, listening, death/rebirth, Lord of the Underworld, messages from guides, better understanding of the cycle of reincarnation

Dog--tracking, companionship, loyalty, determination, intuition, meditation, protection, personal truth, faithfulness, trust

Dolphin--the sea, wisdom, eloquence, freeedom, magick, change, discovery, truth, communication, trust, balance, harmony, life rhythm, rhythmic breathing, water element, oracles, divine messages, Apollo

Elephant--clearing the way, being teachable, confidence, patience, new situations, royalty, fertility, Ganesha, Indra, the afterlife, strength, power, virility, discrimination, herbalism, triple goddess, affection, loyalty

Giraffe--precognition, communication, balance, progress, family and friends, third eye

Goat--abundance, removing guilt, independence, nature energies

Hippopotamus--fertility, righteous anger, seeking new ideas, justice, protection

Lion--learning to relax, destressing, strengthening family ties, strength, courage, energy, the sun, gold, Mithra, issues dealing with community and groups, hunting, cooperation, stealth, creativity, intuition, imagination

Monkey--ingenuity, protection and care of family, getting things done

Mountain Goat--sure footedness, flexibility, Capricorn, focus, protection, balance, perspective

Owl--self-truth, wisdom, vision, Athena, the Crone, silent and swift movement, clairvoyance, seeing through deception, magick, darkness, freedom, dreams, shape-shifting, astral projection

Rabbit--transformation, hidden teachings, intuitive messages, quick thinking, doing the right thing, strengthening intuition

Ram--balance, self-confidence

Raven--divination, rebirth, wisdom, eloquence, magick, change in consciousness, mediumship, the Crone, Hellios, prophesy, shape-shifting, fearlessness

Spider--fate, destiny, networks, Holda, the Norns, Spider Woman, the Fates, wisdom, creativity, new life, industriousness, Maya, weavers, link to past and future, balance, creation, focus, combination of gentleness and strength

Tiger--power, energy, action (as in not procrastinating), strength, will-power, water element, mothering, travel, sensuality, mysticism, Kali, Dionysus, the west, autumn, all metals, adeventure, passion

Wolf--cunning, escaping hunters, invisibility, outwitting those who would harm you, fighting when necessary, spiritual teachers, wisdom, hunting/seeking, magick, dreams, introspection, intuition, listening, death/rebirth, transformation, protection, spiritual guidance, sociability, intelligence, free and unspoiled wilderness, ritual, hierarchy, communication, self-trust, loyalty, the moon