Can you Learn from the Animals in your Life?
Absolutley, according to Ted Andrews who is widely considered to be the MacDaddy of animal symbolism. As a symbolism junkie myself, I was thrilled to discover my inner Dr. Dolittle through Mr. Andrews’ audio book Animal-Speak: Understanding Animal Messengers, Totems, and Signs
Animals show up often in my dreams and I’m guessing yours too. They can be intimidating (snakes anyone?) or confusing, “I was pregnant but then, instead of a baby, I had a litter of puppies!”. Here are a few basics to help you get started working with animal symbolism in your life.
The Basics
Animal totems are believed to be a guiding essence that reflect and remind us of certain characteristics of that animal in our lives. We can have one or more and they follow us throughout our lifetime. Discovering your animal totem(s) is more of an art than a science. Here are a couple of questions to help you uncover what yours may be:
- What animal(s) do you dream about regularly?
- What animal(s) have you been fascinated with since you were a child?
- What animal(s) are on your ‘must see’ list when you visit a zoo or aquarium?
- Do you have any animal collections such as figurines, pictures, etc?
Pick one or two animals that seem to resonate most or have an emotional pull on you. Then, do a little 3rd grade homework assignment and find out more about that animal. What are their traits, behaviors, and habitats? Do these characteristics resonate with you? If so, you might have just tapped into your animal totem.
How Animals Speak to your Life
My recurrent dream animals are rattlesnakes (with an occasional cobra or three) and mountain lions. Although they scare the bejeezes out of me, I am always strangely compelled to visit the snake house at the zoo. As I investigated more about snakes, I found that they have some interesting qualities:
- They have a keen sense of smell.
- They grow as long as they live, shedding their skin as they outgrow it.
- They are warm blooded, meaning that they are affected on a survival level by their environment.
Andrews calls these qualities “the animal’s medicine” or the essence of the learning you can receive from the animal totem. Looking at these characteristics, I can see in my own life I have developed a keen sense of ‘smell’. I can easily ‘smell’ it when things are not right or people are being deceptive. By embracing this behavior, I have learned to trust that instinct instead of blowing it off as my ‘crazy imagination’. Just as a snake sheds its skin, I can also embrace my tendency to learn, grow and move on instead of beating myself up for not sticking with things. And finally, I am learning to be very careful with my personal environment such as who I surround myself with, groups I participate in, and am even getting outside more often.
You can leverage the animal’s medicine further by putting a picture or a small representation of your animal in your line of sight. This will remind you to embody these traits. I don’t think I want a live rattlesnake or even a picture of one but a black diamond might be a good logo for my business. Get the idea? Be creative and have fun with it!
What About you?
What animal shows up in your life again and again? Start paying attention. You can probably learn a few new things and get a new perspective on your life.
I would love to hear about your animal totems and dreams! If you need a little help with the symbolism of your animal or would just like to share, post a comment below.
Next post… How to interpret animal symbolism and energy in your daily life.