Figure 1 A spirit animal can help you make tough decisions
Have you ever felt an intense connection with an animal of some kind and not been able to completely understand the meaning behind it all? Sometimes we feel a presence guiding us through the spirit realm and a particular type of animal may be the form of the help we are receiving.
Spirit animals have been a part of shamanic cultures for centuries and the belief in something else being able to guide us through our life – and the decisions we make – is not a new one for many peoples. But it is still something that is misunderstood in many cultures.
You may feel yourself receiving some kind of sign via your spirit animal and might not be able to understand the relevance. If you feel a strong relationship with a Longhorn, for example, you may feel like checking out the options for sports betting in Texas.
But it could be something far deeper and meaningful than that. This article will attempt to decipher some of the meanings behind spirit animals – and how we can let them guide our lives.
Table of Contents
What is a Spirit Animal?
There are different ideas of what spirit animals are and what they represent. In some shamanic cultures, they are the actual spirits of animals that become part of our lives.
This can be at birth or adopted at some point during our time on Earth. But there is also a more scientific approach that uses the idea of an animal as part of our psyche.
The characteristics of the animal that you choose – or is chosen for you – are the ones that navigate you through your decisions. They are our constant allies that connect us with the outside world.
Types of Spirit Animal
Once you have started looking into spirit animals you will find that there is much more to it than just a vague idea of taking on animalistic characteristics. In fact, there are different kinds of spirit animals for different aspects of your life.
Messenger guides will come and go from your lives quite quickly and visit for a very specific reason. This may be as a warning but can also be just to share a truth that you need to fully understand.
These spirit animals can be quite persistent and may come in the guise of a recurring dream. The persistence is because it will be important for you to take heed of what is being communicated.
A journey guide is a friendlier animal and will be there for you when you need to make an important decision about which way your life is heading.
Think of this as when you come to a fork in the road and you need to decide which way to go. These spirits are always with you – and always will be – but are there to help you make these specific decisions.
Shadow spirit guides may not always seem as though they are being very helpful. This is because they are helping you in a way that may cause some discomfort or disappointment. But they do have your best interests at heart. They are very powerful and are there to impart great knowledge. These spirit animals will teach you to help you transform.
The final type of spirit animal is your life guide. As the name suggests, these spirit animals are there for you throughout your time on Earth and will guide you through every day of your life.
Sometimes there is more than one of these, as the spirit animal may need help to guide you along your path.
These are the most commonly known types of spirit animals and the ones that you take your own characteristics and personality from.
Deciphering Messages from Spirit Animals
It may not always be particularly easy to figure out what your spirit animal is trying to tell you.
But you should always persevere and trust in the process. These spirits will come to you to help you make decisions and guide you towards the correct path. There are no malevolent spirits here.
You should learn about the wisdom that your spirit animal can bring you. Once you discover what kind of animal is guiding you, you can use those characteristics to inform your own decisions.
By applying those traits, you will discover more about yourself – and that is ultimately the main idea.
The timing of when your spirit animal appears to you can be very important. The way it manifests itself – through dreams, stories, or other seemingly everyday tasks – will point to how it is trying to guide you.
By listening to your spirit animal in this way, you can help figure out what the message is.
You should also be careful about not humanizing your spirit animal. We have all seen the cartoons and movies starring talking animals. But these spirits do not need to conform to our human ways to communicate. In fact, humanizing these creatures will have a detrimental effect on how they guide and communicate with us.
You may not be able to fully understand the message at first.
But part of the relationship you have with your spirit guide is coming to understand why they are presenting themselves to you. Once you can communicate on their terms, you will be able to take in their information.
Figure 2 Owls are especially common in recurring dreams
Allowing Your Spirit Animal to Lead the Way
By listening and honoring your spirit animal, you are tapping into another way of directing your own life. You should realize that these spirit animals are here to help you in your life’s big decisions.
It is crucial that you open yourself up enough to allow spirit animals to become a part of your life. This way you will always feel as though you have a spirit on your side, guiding and protecting you. Use the strength these spirit animals bring to you and you can feel more secure in the direction your life is taking.
