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With the release of The Wild Unknown’s Animal Spirit deck I thought it might be a good time to talk about Spirit Animals, what they are and what they mean to me as I see the concept becoming quite popular over the coming year. There has already been a beautiful first edition release of Animal Kin Oracle cards from The Fifth Element, with a second edition soon to come along. This year has also seen the publication by Llewellyn of the Animal Totem Tarot deck which features animals on each tarot card.
With all this animal energy around it may be helpful to step back and get a broader pictures of what exactly Spirit Animals are and what they can mean for you. Spirit Animals are seen as guides that can help us through different phases of our lives. We can use the powerful medicine that these creatures evoke to help us through tough times or lead us on our journey.
All of us have a special Spirit Animal whose energy is with us from the time we are born. But we also have Spirit Animals who can help us through certain situations or phases of our lives. Right now, my spirit animal for 2016 is the Skunk. Not the most pleasant animal, but one that reminds me daily about reputation. Forming an online identity of who I want to be seen as and who I want to attract or repeal. Some powerful Spirit Animal medicine there.
I’ve been working with Spirit Animals for years now. In fact, my very first oracle deck was Jamie Sams and David Carson’s Medicine Cards. I still have my original deck that I purchased in middle school with notes stuck in various pages with my sophomoric handwriting spelling out which animals were guiding me during that time. It is fun to look back on my interpretations from that time and see my beginnings.
I’ve always had a strong connection to the animal kingdom and it no surprise that Medicine Cards were my first foray into cartomancy. It just so happens that animals were also involved in the first spells I did as a kid. I still remember getting a witchcraft book for spells involving animals. My very first spell involved a cat whisker (and the book explicitly stated that it must be found and not pulled from the cat) and a necklace with a picture of my favorite cat. I do not remember the purpose of the spell only that I did it on the first day of high school to either give me courage or protection in that anxiety producing environment.
Spirit animals can show up in your life in a variety of ways, both in person and in objects you see in your everyday life. Take note of any repeats or animals that show up during important moments in your life. For me, there was a crow that decided to attend my outdoor wedding and that same animal has shown up during several other pivotal moments in my life.
And, just as a quick plug, Sprit Animal readings are available in my etsy store in case you would like a little assistance in figuring out which animal you should be working with now.
So what animal are you attracted to? Are there animals that keep popping up during important occasions?
Mary Shannon 
I have a strong connection to Spiders. I first started noticing them a couple years ago, and I began to feel like I could sense their energies. It got to the point where I knew I could just turn and point, and a spider would be there. It impressed my friends, although most of them wished I connected with a different sort of animal. Recently, they’re turning up less and less, but I did almost walk into one that was hanging from the ceiling this morning, so they still have messages for me.
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Wow! That is pretty powerful. What do spiders mean to you? For me, they are about a time of learning a new skill and building/crafting a new foundation.
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They hold meaning on a couple levels. For one, I’ve always connected with creepy, having been born on Halloween. I also identify with them as a misunderstood creature.
On a more symbolic level, Spiders have connections with wisdom, language, storytelling and general craft, and in some cultures, trickery and even the creation of the world. The lessons there are virtually endless.
Then there’s fear. Fear as an emotion plays a big role in my life, although to explain specifically why would be wayyyy too deep for this comment. But there are few animals that embody fear quite like the spider, especially considering its relatively small size. There are many animals that are more dangerous than your average spider. Yet, its the spider that has a hold on the fears of so many. It’s fascinating. Fear has a lot to teach us. It’s a lesson that I don’t think you ever fully master until the day you die.
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