Warriors believed that a particular animal would represent the power in their heart. They would put that animal on their shield, and the power of the spirit would protect them. – Dale Carson
A friend asked me the other week, “How do I get a spirit animal?” Well, I explained, “You don’t quite ‘get’ them, they come to you. They come in many different ways and forms, and what’s so beautiful, is that you actually already have one.”
In the Native American tradition, we are all born with a spirit animal totem, one that stays with us for life. Others come to us as we need them to balance our energies, bring us guidance and protection, and reveal aspects of our selves we didn’t know we had.
My birth totem in the Native American tradition is the deer. Deer people are “gentle peacemakers, who move softly but swiftly through tumultuous times” (whatismyspiritanimal.com). When I discovered this, I knew it to be true as it felt like my foundation, my essence, my core; and yet I also knew that I had grown into other aspects of myself that were far from doe-like :).
The first step is to find your birth totem. Visit a site like whatismyspiritanimal.com , look for your birth date, and discover the spirit animal that is at your core or essence. It will tell you the qualities that you embody, and also the aspects of yourself that you need to protect and live into.
Noticing animals that show up suddenly and with intention in your life are also ways that spirit animals make their presence known to you. They have a message they are trying to deliver, so it’s best to take note, look up their symbolism, and see how it relates to you in the moment. If you are open to it, the teaching they bring you will be clear.
My favorite sites for animal symbolism are:
http://www.whats-your-sign.com
http://www.shamanicjourney.com/category/power-animals-totems-spirit-guides
Dreams are also deep messengers for animal spirits. This method of delivery comes with a double whammy, not only do you have to interpret the symbolism of the dream, you have to understand the relevance of the spirit animal within it. It’s like a puzzle or riddle, which can be fascinating. You may want to check out my dream guide (posted on my Facebook page) and look up previous posts of mine about dreams to detangle the mystery.
And I feel that I have to share this, so you aren’t disappointed in your spirit animal. Not every animal or creature that shows up for you will be adorable or seem powerful; some will look pretty ordinary, some will be nasty looking, and others will seem just plain silly. They only seem that way because we make associations that we have been taught (spiders are scary or snakes are creepy) or through experience (we were stung by a bee or bitten by a dog once).
Just so you know, the spider is now one of my spirit animals because it kept showing up: in my hair, on my clothes, under pillows (and I was deathly afraid of them), and finally in a dream. When it came to me in my dream (it was huge and was weaving a web on top of my head), I surrendered to it (after looking up its symbolism) and made it one of my many spirit animals. The spider is all about the web of life and creativity, a message I needed to hear in that moment…
Each and every animal, insect, fish, and crustacean has an energetic quality to it, something that makes it special in the world, and it is these qualities that are its power (and yours).
Being given your spirit animal by a teacher or guide is another beautiful way that spirit animals come to you. I was given the white swan by my teacher, from whom I learned about cacao ceremony, and I immediately looked up the symbolism of the swan and bought a white swan feather smudging wand for my altar. The feather reminds me every day of my aspiration to live into the qualities of inner grace, balance and commitment.
Cacao ceremony is another way that spirit animals come to, and communicate with, us. The teachings of these animals, because of the communication channel (cacao), is often profound and transformative. Many of my spirit animals have joined me in this way and I now take them into ceremony with me as guides and protectors, and I even call them in before I fall asleep. I joke with friends that I now have a whole “zoo” of animal spirits. And I never feel lonely :).
And so, I want to take us back to the beginning, to our animal birth totem as our foundation, as the essence of who we are. Start there, acknowledge and honor who you truly are, and follow that energy and what arises…. Other spirit animals will come.
“Deer as a Totem animal belongs to those who shine the light so others may find their way home”( whatismyspiritanimal.com). Today, I am honoring my deer birth totem as I live into my true path guiding others to find theirs.