Native American medicine features animal guides such as bear, butterfly, coyote, dog, eagle, hawk, horse, snake, spider, and wolf as elements in healing & self-knowledge
Wisdom traditions teach that worldly wisdom can only be achieved when you first learn to “know thyself.” One of the most popular elements of Native American symbolism is the role of animal spirit guides – animals that represent parts of ourselves and can teach us to integrate, heal and develop both our weaknesses and our strengths.
What is an Animal Guide?
Most Native American tribes believe that our ancestors watch over us and guide us. Our grandparents and great-grandparents act as spirit guides, lending wisdom, support and spiritual protection when we need it – or when we remember to ask.
In addition to the ancestors and other spirit guides, everyone is born with a connection to one or more (usually many more) animal guides.
Animal guides are spirit guides that are animals. They may be animals we have known in life (such as a deceased pet) or they may be personal symbols that represent the qualities of an animal. The characteristics of our animal guides are qualities that we possess or that we need to learn from in our lives.
How Can I Find My Animal Guide or Guides?
What’s your favorite animal? Most people’s guides include animals they are drawn to and care about. Your favorite animal is usually the one to which you have the strongest connection.
Other animal totems may be animals that you resemble or that you are particularly drawn to. If an animal bites you, in a dream or in real life, it is said to be one of your most important animal guide teachers.
Meditation, guided visualizations, and astral travel can all be good ways to meet your animal guides. Some shamans and healers who work with animal medicine guides may be able to “see” or sense some of your guides, and point you in the right direction to learn more.
Nine Animal Guides in Action
Bear – Bear is the part of the self that needs to retreat into its own space, hibernate and heal itself. Bear totem is comforting and protective. Remember those stories about “Mama Bear” fiercely defending her cubs? Bear is a common animal spirit for mothers.
Butterfly – A bewildered caterpillar emerges from the cocoon transformed into a butterfly. Butterfly stands for our ability to accept the beauty of growth and change in our lives.
Coyote – Coyote is the trickster totem. He created confusion, self-sabotage, humour, and that delightful sensation when you aren’t sure if you’ve gone crazy - or had a breakthrough that is going to change you and your world.
Eagle – Eagle is a profoundly spiritual animal totem, representing wisdom and power on a spiritual dimension.
Hawk – Hawk is the messenger and represents perspective. People who have Hawk as a medicine animal are able to see an issue from all sides and avoid jumping to conclusions.
Horse – Horse represents power: personal power and permission to be oneself. When use of the Spanish horses began by the Native Americans, Horse came to represent power because the advantage the animals gave in hunting and foraging. In a generation where women are still working toward equality, horse is a popular totem.
Snake – Snake is a powerful guide for healers. It carries the ability to transform, like a snake shedding its skin to reveal a renewed body and self. Snake enables shamans to transmute poisons of the body and mind.
Spider – In some traditions, Spider is the creator Goddess who spun the world into being. With her eight legs and gift of weaving, spider is the creative totem of artists, crafters, writers and painters.
Wolf – Wolf is the animal guide of true teachers. Wolves are connected to the moon and feminine energy. They are predatory and define themselves in relation to other people of their “pack” (even a “lone wolf” is defined by her or his distance from the pack). Like Dog totem, Wolf is loyal to family and people they consider their own. Wolf guides are very common today – increasingly so as wolves in the wild become more threatened.
The copyright of the article Animal Spirit Guides & Guardians in Natural Medicine is owned by Victoria Anisman-Reiner. Permission to republish Animal Spirit Guides & Guardians in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
I had a spiritual experience that involved a deer. I focused in on a
white spot in the distance, past the field behind the building I work in.
I asked for protection, then tried to meditate for a moment. I asked my
spirit guides to reveal their names because I would like to know who they
are. While still focused on the white spot in the distance, a deer
appeared, and then disappeared. I walked across the road to see if I could
see it again, and there it was. A buck with two perfect antlers. They
were curved and pointed straight up. I clapped my hands expecting it to
run off, but it stood there and just stared at me. It looked like it had
dark pits for eyes. It is said that when you see an entity, they have no
pupils. We looked into each others eyes for about 5 minutes, and then it
slowly walked away. It was so awesome, and I took it as a sign that at
least one of my guides has something to do with deer, or the deer itself
may have been my guide. This is the second time for me now that I have
slowed down, relaxed, sent a thought to the spirit world, and had an
immediate response. This feeling is amazing.
Nov 23, 2008 8:59 AM
Guest :
i have had recurring dreams since i was a child of a black wolf with green
eyes hes always with me following me
Dec 14, 2008 9:41 PM
Guest :
I had a dream that I was in an unfamiliar place and the walkway was covered
with spiders and spider webs. There were huge black spiders and small
brown spiders. One of the small drown spiders bit me on the top of my left
foot. Two older people that seemed to belong to the area looked down at
all the spiders and stated nonchalantly that they were guardian spiders.
The next morning I notice I had a small scab on the top of my left foot.
Then I remembered that 6 month before a psychic had told me that I had a
hawk, a hummingbird, and a spider around me.
Dec 21, 2008 11:23 PM
Guest :
I have bin doing some stuff to help me find my guide or guides I think it
is a wolf coz I cape seeing a wolf in my mind and after I did a meditation
and wen I went down to my dogs they were acting as if I had a dog that they
have never seen before wid me and in the nite lately I cant get to sleep I
want to go out side and do some thing like run and stuff and play fight wid
my dogs so I have bin going and siting wid them and some times I think that
I can see a foul moon but I am in side it is strange
Feb 12, 2009 8:13 PM
Guest :
well i actully think mine might be a wolf i don't know how i know either
Feb 24, 2009 1:33 PM
Guest :
I have been recently thinking about my power animal. I have tried
meditation and asking for a dream. I recently had a dream about a wolf
protecting me against an enemy. I am not sure if the wolf is my power
animal,but i feel like it is.
Mar 21, 2009 11:40 PM
Guest :
I feel closely bonded with hawks, yet as a healer, I feel a connection
between me and snakes. I'm not sure which one is my spirit animal. I think
it is a hawk. I will meditate into a land of animals. Which ever one I am
drawn to, must be my spirit animal.
Mar 26, 2009 12:52 PM
Guest :
i saw prints in the snow in my front yard that looked like a deer's prints.
there were no other prints around. it's like the deer walked across my yard
and then dissapeared. deer might be my spirit animal.
Apr 28, 2009 4:10 PM
Guest :
I am about 1/4 Cherokee and I have recently been looking into my history. I
wanted to find out what my spirit animal is. I did the meditation and a few
seconds into it I was staring into the eyes of a big white wolf. So Im
wondering if that is my animal or maybe I need to try again.
May 18, 2009 1:51 PM
Guest :
What about cats? Does anyone know what cats represent? I have had several
viewings of cat spirits and I understand one of them but there is a new
white kitten that I know nothing off that I have been seeing. There is a
new born baby amongst my family and so I am thinking this cat comes with
her as a guide or is a warning for something to come. When I had my
daughter and was pregnant with her, I was bitten and scratched by a cat and
would always have feline dreams. I have always seen spirits and felt or
knew things to come but I am not understanding a lot of things that happen
to me. Just wondering if anyone has had any experiences or knowledge in
this area.
May 28, 2009 12:24 PM
Guest :
I have had dreams of two different animals. My first dream I was sitting in
a dark park at night, when a dark shadowed man walked up to me and tried to
grab me. As he got close something spooked him and he ran off. I looked
behind me and saw a black panther with green eyes. I didn't move and did
not feel scared. I felt at peace and very calm. My second dream I walked
up on a dock over a lake with mountains in the back ground. I look up and
see to White falcons, soon to realize I was one of them. I danced in the
air with the other falcon. I felt so loved.
Jun 5, 2009 8:42 PM
Guest :
I beleive I am a wolf. I don't know why but it kinda makes sence. Once i
had a dream i was running through the woods and never stopped it felt as
heaven to me. And for some od reason most animals run from me I had gone to
my local zoo and weirdly all the birds stayed away and the red pandas were
no were to be found intell i was gone i wonder if i am.
Jun 18, 2009 12:04 PM
Guest :
ok I belive I am a wolf I have never been normal.The weird part is I am
haveing a dream that I am a wolf and that a wolf is comeing to me and I am
not fritten.I fill as one.I all was fill like I cant escape.I case rabbits
for some reason!!!I all was fill like going and running in the woods.
Jun 24, 2009 11:46 AM
Guest :
I have a spirit animal but it's not a normal one. It's a big black cat. It
comes and gos. She's very nice. I first saw her when I was 15 and she left
when I was 18. I just remember I had a spirit animal when I turned 20 and
she is with me again now at 21. I was definitely surprised to fined that I
wasn't imagining her when a stranger on a buss asked "Do you know how
she is yet? Your cat do you know her name?" I don't but I made up a
name that seams to fit a little bit. Ethealda.
Jun 25, 2009 1:57 PM
Guest :
I had this really werid dream were I was running on this forest path and
there was a white wolf with one black toe on the right foot and on the
tail was one black dot in the shape of a strawbarry. . . and I found that I
have one thats red on the back of my leg. the next time I saw her she told
me her name so I gess she is my spirit guide. now she fallows me around
every were I go.
Jun 30, 2009 1:41 PM
Guest :
i alwase have the same dreem and i think it means somthing -im rinning
accrost a desert plain as a coyote and there are 9 other coyotes running w/
me were chaseing somthing and we need to get it- i dont know what it means
Jul 5, 2009 4:34 PM
Guest :
since i was little i always felt atracted to wolves and dogs, but in these
past 5 years i've felt more atracted to wolves. I've been bitten by wolves
in my dreams, but not as if they were attacking me; in one of my dreams i
was talking with this grey wolf and i asked him to bit me and he did it
very carefully. I don't know what that means, but i've always seen this
grey wolf with yellow eyes in my dreams. Today i was meditating and the
same wolf appeared, i asked for it's name and he said he was akuh or
hakuh.
Jul 16, 2009 9:53 AM
Guest :
the coyote is my spirit guide since i like to trick people into a lot of
things.
Jul 27, 2009 8:46 PM
Guest :
Last night I dreamt of a confrontation with a Wild Boar. With only one
arrow remaining and my father doubting my aim I opted for the chair. Though
I knew my aim was true I decided not to waste time in argument. We charged
each other, he turned broadside at the last second, and I pinned him into
submission against a wall with the chair. I awoke this morning and read of
Boar medicine. Confirmation. I now feel very centered and assured my path
is good. Found this site and thought I'd share.
Jul 27, 2009 9:59 PM
Guest :
i recently had a dream that involved a long white cat, and an eagle. i dont
remember much of the dream, but i talked to my mom about it, and she had
said that the cat was her spirit guide. is it possible to have someone
elses spirit guide as well? or what does it mean when someone elses guide
is contacting you? is it possible to have multiple persons spirit guides
contact you? if so, then why??
Aug 9, 2009 12:32 AM
Guest :
I'm really not sure what my animal guide is. I've always been attracted to
wolves, and love to listen to there howl. when i think about them i always
imagine a sleek pure white wolf or a proud looking pure black wolf. Both
have beautiful amber eyes. i wonder if they are my guides. they sort of
remind me of yin and yang. i have also been finding myself thinking of
jaguars and foxes. does anybody know what that means? can you have more
than one spirit guide? and how do i find out?
Aug 19, 2009 4:51 PM
Guest :
Lately I have been attrachted to owls, and wolves. I don't know why, but I
have a weird intuitve feeling that an owl or a wolf (maybe both) might be
my spirit guide. Every now and then, a snowy white owl with a couple of
black spots on its wings, or a big white and gray wolf with coal black eyes
pops up into my dreams. It is really brief too.
Aug 26, 2009 5:59 AM
Guest :
I think it may be possible to have more then one, as I have both dreamt
about and am extremelly drawn to many animals but the ones that mean the
most to me is the Wolf I have been drawn to wolves since I was about 3,
have had many dream were I have been giuded and helped by wolves. Recently
I have been having many dreams that involve snakes not only them biting me
but me being able to control them. in the dreams in which i was bitten by a
snake i was not afraid but i had a friend with me who was, maybe it was the
scared part of me. I love talking about spirit guides it is a subject i
love and am extremelly interested in...
Aug 26, 2009 7:01 PM
Guest :
i know everyone is saying a wolf, but i actually have always had a
connection w/ the bear. i dont know why or how, just i've always felt i'm
like a bear. i just recently found out i'm 1/4 cherokee indian, and when i
found out what the bear ment, it seemed to click. ive also had a huge
connection w/ the butterfly. i dont know why, but when i was young my
cousin caught one and tried to drown it, i saved it, and held on to it all
that day. that nite i set it down for a minute by the window, and i looked
up to see it fly away, even though i thought it to be dead.
Oct 13, 2009 5:19 PM
Guest :
i found my spirit animal today a black wolf with icey blue eyes
Oct 17, 2009 10:52 AM
Guest :
im 12 years old and i have always had a pashon for wolves. i keep seing a
grea wolf when im normal, when im nervous or around a boy that i like i se
a different wolf. its scientific name is Abyssinian wolf, its endangered.
i dont know if i have more than one or its one that changes breads.
its funny because i want to be a vet when i grow up, but i
volinter.
Jul 3, 2007
