How Do You Know Your Spirit Animal? -

When you are new to the world of magical spirit animals, there are two fundamental questions you have in mind. First, how do you find your spirit animals, and also how do you know your spirit animal?

These two questions look similar, but actually, they are quite different questions. So today, I will elaborate on the answer for how do you know your spirit animal.

In dictionary to know has two meanings:

Be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information.

Have developed a relationship with (someone) by meeting and spending time with them; be familiar or friendly.

So in the light of these meanings of “knowing,” let’s answer the question: how do you know your spirit animal?

Or better to say how you can be aware of spirit animals through observation, inquiry, or information and how you can develop a relationship with your spirit animals.

Are you ready?

So, let’s start!

How to find your spirit animals?

As I have explained above, in this article, I will focus on knowing your spirit animal. If you would like to learn more about finding your spirit animals, you can read here.

How would you know your spirit animal?

At the entrance of the temple of Apollo at Delphi, it said: “know thyself.”

Knowing your spirit animal is also knowing yourself and vice versa.

The more you know yourself, you will realize that the more you will know about your spirit animal.

The more you will know about your spirit animal, the more you will comprehend about yourself.

So having said this, are you ready to start a relationship with your spirit animal?

How do you meet your spirit animal?

First, you need to get prepared for this life-changing relationship with your spirit animal.

Spirit animal is energy like everything else.

#1. Invite that energy with your intention.

To make your intention visible, you can create an altar for your spirit animal, or if you already have an altar, you can add details with the symbolic meaning of your spirit animal.

#2. Get a spirit animal diary to write your findings.

#3. Say your intention aloud/pray

In the book “Spirit Animals. Unlocking the Secrets of Our Animal Companions”, Stefanie Iris Weiss gives us two prayers that you can use:

“If you are still not sure which animal is your spirit animal, you can pray as such;

Right here, right now, I am reaching out for what I need. I may know precisely what that is yet. Whatever shape you take, I open my mind and body to your spiritual wisdom. I want to see you, feel you, smell you and understand you. I want to explore your habitat to fill my world with the healing and pure power you possess. You are the next step of my path.

If you are sure about your spirit animal, then below is your prayer;

I invite you into my life (say your spirit animal’s name here). I crave your energy. Everything I have done up to now has led to this moment. I am reaching deep into the collective unconscious, so I can see you, feel you, touch you and smell you. I’m ready for the wisdom only you can provide.”

How do you learn your spirit animal?

Once you start creating a relationship with your spirit animal, the next step is learning about your spirit animal.

There are two sources of information to learn, internal and external.

Let’s start with internal information.

When and how can you see your spirit animal?

In my journey with my spirit animals, internal sources of knowing have been the most important ones.

You are unique, so your spirit animals’ messages for you.

This does not mean that we will not get information from external resources.

We will learn the balance of the sources of information, and sometimes external information will help us trust our internal knowing each time more.

Where and how can you see your spirit animals? In shamanic journeys, meditations, dreams, and even tarot and other cards.

Let your intention focus your energy.

#1. Shamanic Journey:

For me, the number one resource to meet my spirit animal is the shamanic journey. You can learn more about how to make shamanic journeys here.

Write about your findings in your shamanic journey in your spirit animals notebook.

Link to YouTube video.

#2. Dreams:

Your dreams will be the source of meeting with your spirit animals as well. If you do not know how to work with your dreams, start small.

Have a dream notebook and leave it just beside your bed.

Before sleeping, relax. Try not to have any screen two hours before going to bed.

You can have a shower, do some breathing and meditating exercises, and relax.

Say your intention of meeting with your spirit animal and ask the question that you have in mind.

You can visualize yourself content just after receiving the answer from your spirit animal, before going to sleep.

Once you wake up, write your dream. The first thing you do.

If you do not see anything in the beginning, have patience.

You can also get some critical elements of the dream and free write about their symbolic meaning.

#3. Meditation:

You can also meditate to meet with your spirit animal. Relax and meditate. In that place of silence, say your intention internally. Write your experience to your spirit animal notebook.

#4. Tarot:

You can ask your tarot deck questions about your spirit animal or ask help from your spirit animal to be seen via tarot cards to provide its wisdom to you.

#5. Other cards:

You can also use other oracle cards—for example, those specifically for spirit animals to ask your questions. You can see some card examples here and here.

How can you know your spirit animal?

#1. Read books about spirit animals and shamanism.

I invite you to the sacred world of shamanism and spirit animals’ books. I am providing below a list of the books that you can enjoy.

Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, Mircea Eliade
The Way of the Shaman: A Guide to Power and Healing, Michael Harner
Shamanic Journeying, The Beginner’s Guide, Sandra Ingerman
Pocket Guide to Spirit Animals by Dr. Steven Farmer
Spirit Animals – Unlocking the Secrets of Our Animal Companions by Stefanie Iris Weiss
The Secret Power of Spirit Animals by Skye Alexander
Ayşe Nilgün Arıt, Sacred Guides in Shamanism (in Turkish only)

#2. Learn as much as you can about your spirit animals. Read mythologies and stories about your spirit animal.

Open your radars and learn everything you can about your spirit animal’s personality and traits, symbolic meanings, and representation throughout human history and their spiritual meanings.

You can find many articles on our blog.

To give some examples. If you are looking for;

#3. Learn about your spirit animal’s four-elements

Each element corresponds to specific modes of expression, energy patterns, and realms of experience.

Earth: bodily life, necesities, and material resources.
Air: mental activity, intellect, and communication.
Fire: sexual life, desires, and creativity.
Water: emotional life, feelings, and intuition.

If you become aware of your spirit animal’s element, this can give information about your strength and weaknesses and how to balance to bring harmony to your life.

We are alchemists, working with these four elements in the search for harmony. Aren’t we?

Some animals can have just one element:

The dolphin’s element is water.
The hummingbird’s element is air.
The snake’s element is Earth.

Moreover, in the case of the Phoenix, the mythological spirit animal has both air and fire.

#4. Pay attention to the seasonal and daily cycles of your spirit animal

How is the cycle of your spirit animal? Are they awake at night or during the day? Which season is their favorite? Are they active all the seasons?

Learning about their cycles can mean learning about your cycles as well.

#5. Learn about the medicine of your spirit animal

Each spirit animal represents different medicines. You can read the articles about other spirit animals in My Sacred Space blog about the medicine of each spirit animal.

Discover them.

#6. Pay attention to the symbiotic relationship between animals

You can think about other animals that your spirit animal is in a relationship with. This can be in the predator-prey category, or they can share mutual benefits.

Knowing this compatibility character with other animals can give you information about your spirit animal and you.

#7. Improve your senses to recognize your spirit animals when they show up

The better your senses become, the more prepared you will be to recognize your spirit animal and receive its messages.

I can recommend you some easy to do daily practices to improve your senses:

Improve your sense of sight: While walking the path you walk every day, try to recognize all the details and write about them when you return home.
Sense of smell: Get some essential oils and smell them while your eyes are closed. Then try to recognize what each oil is.
Improve your sense of hearing: Get a watch and hear its “tik tak” s for a while daily.
Sense of touch: You can touch your partner’s hand and face and try to envision it in your mind.

How do you know what your spirit animal is?

Ayşe Nilgün Arıt says that;

“Shamanic work is to be in the Now physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

Is to be here

Being fully aware of everything about yourself

Unless we learn this thoroughly, the shamanic journey cannot produce the desired result.”

So while learning about your spirit animals, in reality, you are learning much more than that.

You will learn about the philosophy of shamanism: the world’s oldest belief system.

You will gain self-trust, creativity, and empowerment.

After daily practices and creating relationships, you will know what your spirit animal is.

How to honor your spirit animal?

And then, once you know full heartedly what your spirit animal is, you will want to give back to them. Honor them.

Be creative and find your ways of honoring your spirit animal. Do not forget this is a living relationship; giving and receiving.

Some ideas to honor your spirit animals;

Find pictures of your spirit animal in magazines or online and display them in your home or workplace.
Draw, paint, or sculpt images of your spirit animal.
Write a poem or story about your spirit animal.
Wear jewelry or clothing with the animal’s picture on it.
Get a tattoo of your animal.
Go to a park, beach, farm, wildlife sanctuary, or other places to see your spirit animal.

How do you tell your spirit animal?

When you begin to live a relationship with your spirit animals, they will become one of your best friends.

You will want to share your experiences with people.

We are living in a world where un-seen has not any place for some people.

They believe in those things that they can see with their eyes.

So remember that you do not have to tell everybody about your spirit animals.

Especially those people who do not believe, respect your gut feeling, and do not share if you feel uncomfortable sharing your reality with them.

Conclusion

Shamanic perception helped me pass the fields of doubt and reach a place of knowing instead of believing.

With some patience and good intentions, and practice, you will know.

The more your know, the more you will realize that you know nothing.

Then you will surrender and be blessed in front of this web of life.

Check our other articles around the topic:

Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so, you can pin it to your Spirit Animal Board!