Animal Totems and their Meanings

The following is a list of animal totems and their meanings. Depending on where they appear in your spread, the essence of their traits can help you understand which actions to take in order to solve a problem, learn a lesson or achieve a goal.

For daily divination, draw one animal totem from your deck of Medicine Cards or animal oracles deck. You'll find the qualities of that totem will serve you during the day's events.

Bear - divinity, power from within

Buffalo – Leader, the importance of sharing and caring for all.

Butterfly - The butterfly represents transformation and the ability to accept change.

Cougar - leadership and encourages you to take responsibility for your life.

Cow - The cow is a symbol of motherhood and nourishment. It is also a symbol of fertility.

Crocodile – pay attention to your emotional nature, making sure that you display them appropriately and accurately.

Coyote - recognize your own mistakes and to laugh at yourself, cunning and ability to pursuade

Crow - the need to find balance and to stay in the present and will bring to you the ability to release past beliefs.

Deer – Gentleness, kindness and compassion.

Dolphin – breath of life, importance of communication, sacred messenger, yet playful as well

Eagle - connection to spirit, encourages you to see beyond the mundane to your higher purpose.

Elephant- the importance of learning discernment, great affection and loyalty.

Fox - patience - the ability to wait for the right moment to act, strategy

Frog - jump from materialism to spirituality.

Hawk - ability to see meaning in ordinary experiences, observant.

Horse – strength, friend

Hummingbird - the joy of living and brings with it the ability to see beauty in everything.

Kangaroo - protection, sacred and safe environment. Stamina as long as they are moving forward.

Koala - very psychic and intuitive. Good with meditation. Usually solitary. Can hold on during crisis.

Lion - wisdom and power. the abilities of heart-centered leadership.

Lizard - brings the subconscious to your awareness, importance of dreams

Mouse - notice the little things in life - all of those details you previously overlooked and to be ever alert to those things going on around you.

Owl - wisdom and gives you the ability to see things that are normally hidden from view - like the motives of others so that you won't be deceived.

Panda Bear – willpower, clarity, ability to see beyond the surface

Raven - the messenger, make changes in the way you perceive things and gives you the ability to see what has to be changed.

Seal – psychic, agile, comfortable in their own skin

Snake - ability to let go of things that are worn out and no longer useful - just like the snake sheds it skin when it is no longer needed.

Spider - creativity and the weaving of your own fate.

Squirrel - develop the ability to plan ahead and to anticipate your future needs, to be prepared.

Swan - ability to handle change and transformation, connected to spirit, psychic

Tiger - brings forth silent, solitary, power.

Turtle – keep grounded. pay attention to earthly things.

Unicorn - the ability to make your dreams come true.

Weasel - ability to see beneath the surface of things to what the actual intent and meaning is; develop your sense of inner hearing and to pay attention to your inner voice.

Whale - know the wisdom of the ages - from the time before time.

Wolf - teacher.

Please note that this list of animal totems is abbreviated.

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