What is your spirit animal?

Over the last two months I have been thinking about my spirit animal more and more lately. A spirit animal is simply an animal that you feel spiritually connected to on a deeper level. It goes beyond 'this is my favorite animal' or 'they are super cute.' Instead, your spirit animal gives you a feeling that you are somehow connected or you are drawn to them. Often times you will see your spirit animal in dreams or even stumble upon them in nature more times than you would reasonably think you would. This is a deep connection and almost feels like the same feeling you get when you learn something new about yourself, make a life-time connection with a significant other, or that feeling you get when you come home after a long trip. It's both comforting and can also be eerie depending on where you are psychologically.

Now, being a secular-humanist it might seem strange that I am even entertaining the idea that spirit animals exist. True that I have doubts on supernatural elements, but there is one thing I never doubt and that is the magic of nature. Nature, is an energy source, and often exists in cycles or chains that connect one species to the next. Take away one element and you often find that other parts of nature start to die, or put something that was never suppose to be there, and you will see similar results. This is why even though I am a secular-humanist I do entertain ideas about spirit animals, reincarnation, and auras. Not definitively, but they make more sense in my mind since those parts match the proven behaviors of nature that we already understand. Cycles, connections, and energy.

Now like I said, I do believe we have spirit animals who exist to remind us of our journey and to guide us when we are lost. Sadly, our modern progress has widened the disconnect between ourselves and the messengers we desperately need. Many of our spirit animals are endangered or hiding maybe even extinct. Maybe this is why there is a growing sense of unrest, depression, anxiety, and a decrease in mental health overall. We have taken our natural messengers away from ourselves; as well as systematically destroyed the nature that allowed us to reflect and appreciate the true magic of being alive.

I invite you to examine what your spirit animal is. Really think on it, do not go with the cutest animal you can think of. Go with the animal that really pulls at you or maybe even think back on your dreams to see if you can locate what your spirit animal is.

Examination

Mine is a wolf. Now if I was to go with personality connection then most definitely it would be Welsh Corgi. If I were to go with intellectual obsession due to my love for Athena, the Greek Goddess, then I would go with owl. But my spirit animal is undeniably a wolf, and I will explain why.

I have always had vivid dreams especially when I am stressed or anxious. Many times in my dreams whether I am being chased or I am so busy with everything there will always be this moment where I can catch my breath. I look up and there is a powerful majestic Gray Wolf usually on a hill then it would turn away before I went back to whatever anxious thing in my dream I have to deal with. As a kid,  I would be noisily excited about the monkeys in the zoo since they were entertaining, but when I entered the wolf's habitat I would get quiet.  Observing them seemed like majestic experience that needed the respect of silence. The wolf calmed my wild ADHD mind.

So that leads me to some research about the wolf:

Symbolism/Traits

• Intelligence 
• Individualism/Freedom 
• Strong instincts 

Fear/Issue or Negative Side: 

• Distrust in other people and possible self-doubt  
• Sensitive with a high self-preservation instinct 

The lessons of someone who has a Wolf Spirit Animal is someone who is learning to trust their instincts and trust in others. To learn and embrace independence or going your own way without being bogged down by the ideas/thoughts of others. People with this spirit animal are not afraid to stand alone for what they believe, but fear that being connected outside the pack we choose might take away that independence or that role that we are use to. 

There is so much more to my spirit animal, but only showing what is pertinent to my main message. The first lesson of the wolf was the struggle of young me. Learning to trust myself over the voice of others. Standing alone and trusting my instincts which harmed some relationships in the process. The part I am working on now is learning to trust others and trusting my instincts as I try to strengthen some connections while possibly seeking new ones. 

It's intriguing. Might be complete hogwash, but sometimes you need little things to remind you of your purpose. This has helped me so maybe it will bring some clarity to you as well. 

PS: That is not a Husky it is a Timberwolf. Huskies might be hard to train, but a Timberwolf will kill you if you try to put a leash on it. Just a public safety notice.