Shamanic magic perceives animal spirits as helpers, guides, wisdom givers and protectors. Animal and nature worship thrived in pagan times and continues in some places today. Evidence of animal cults such as Bull and Bear are found in early history.
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Animal spirits have different qualities and abilities. No one spirit is stronger than any other. It's rare to work with just one animal spirit. Just as they exist together in nature they can all bring their unique energies together in harmonious balance.
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Animal spirits can be part of daily life, embodied by beloved pets, domestic or farm animals, or wild residents of the environment. They can also appear in mediation, trance state or dreams. You may feel a special attachment to the animal or awareness of hidden depth.
Certain animals are more fearsome than others as phobias about snakes and spiders can color one's perception. Fear of a certain animal can also indicate a need to work with or understand the spirit.
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Be careful with those known for wielding power, as they come with strong emotions and energies of destruction, and can upset equilibrium. Animal spirit workers might want to pair the force of the Bull, for example, with the grace and beauty of the Swan. Note the Swan also has a dark side. You might bring in Butterfly to lighten things up.
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1. Wolf - Family, Solitude, Shape-shifting
The Wolf has a complex nature and high intelligence. This spirit is known for family loyalty, protection and good parenting. Most wolves hunt cooperatively and show strong teamwork. Some Wolves prefer the solitary path a while. Alone or in company, Wolf is the symbol of the Mystic Warrior. Wolf gathers wisdom from the mortal environment and the Spirit World.
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In magic the Wolf is associated with transmutation and shape shifting. An Enchanter might take on the body and senses of a wolf, or the animal form might be a curse, a famous example being werewolves.
The Wolf is a totem of the night and moon magic. This animal spirit has a strong Yin energy which brings gifts of intuition and enhanced awareness. Hunches and feelings are usually accurate. A quiet observer, the Wolf can cross realms and is a favorite spirit companion of the witch, shaman or mystic.
If Wolf is your animal spirit or totem you are a truth seeker with strong values. Wolf people may have a lot of friends or just a few; either way, Wolves have enduring loyalties to people they welcome to their tribal space. Family or a family member plays an important role in the life of a Wolf person.
The Wolf likes to play and have fun. This spirit encourages you to appreciate and enjoy the world around you. Wolf energy also helps your find your place of comfort in a hierarchy or situation. Wolf helps decipher the truth behind a façade and the real person behind a fabricated front.
Although the charismatic Wolf is highly social, there are times this animal must walk alone. For the Wolf person, such time is needed, especially if a person feels lost or out of touch. The Wolf gives guidance and answers to deep thoughts. Wolf energy helps clarify the nature of the Self.
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The Wolf is sacred to Roman deities Apollo the Sun God; Apollo's mother Leto; Mars the Warrior and Diana the Huntress. The female Wolf suckled the brothers Romulus and Remus, thus laying the groundwork for the creation of Rome. This was not without sacrifice, as Romulus killed his brother just before he founded the city in 753 BCE.
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Although the Wolf is associated with the Sun God, its connection to the moon is legendary. In American werewolf stories, typically the person changes to the wolf or a hybrid on a full moon. The first full moon in January is called the Wolf Moon and refers to wolves howling at the moon on winter nights. While modern research reveals wolves don't actually howl at the moon, the mystic name remains.
Wolves howl at night, but not at the moon. Howling is a means of communication, a social gathering call, a signal to hunt or definition of territory. Wolves are good communicators, and attuning to Wolf energy can help find a voice if words seem to fail.
Wolf is an animal of Norse God Odin. At times Odin is accompanied by two wolves, Geri (Greedy One) and Freki (Ravenous One), forces of destruction in the Chaos Creation cycle.
Odin also has conflict with the Wolf Fenrir, son of Loki, with Odin representing the powers of order and the wolf those of chaos. In Scotland, before wolves went extinct, they were sacred to Cailleach or the divine Old Woman who personifies Winter in Scotland and Ireland.
Wolf can give insight into past lives or past events leading to present circumstances. The Wolf spirit can be called up in meditation or trance work.
Wolf Flower is another name for the lupine (Lupinus). The word comes from the 14th century, either because the plant was thought to kill livestock; or ravenously exhausted the soil. Another plant, wolfsbane, secretes toxins used in the past to hunt and poison wolves.
As the Wolf was given evil attributes in legend and history, it was misunderstood in nature. A Wolf person might feel that way too at times. Attuning to the Wolf spirit helps inspire confidence, awareness and a sense of belonging in the world.
2. Mouse - Agility, Exploration, Joy
The mouse seems small but her talents are mighty. This animal can find a way through the dark, and knows hidden places and information. If the Mouse comes into your life, you'll soon learn something new. Mouse is curious but cautious. A Mouse examines a problem from all sides before making a decision. For the Mouse, a wrong decision can be lethal.
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Mouse brings the spirit of dance, athletics or celebration. Mouse energy helps keep balance in a tricky situation, and brings a burst of positivity. Good things will happen. However, a dream of many mice might signify overwhelming work or emotions, overthinking or taking life too seriously. Mice prefer to live in the moment.
People with the Mouse as totem or spirit animal have luck on their side. They understand hidden facets and meanings. Mouse people are forward thinkers but rarely impulsive. They may over-analyze a situation.
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Because they're small and agile, mice can wriggle into places humans and predators don't fit. They have intimate knowledge of their environment. When every other animal wants to eat you, it's good to have a secret place or two. Mice have a different hearing range than humans. They hear high frequency sounds we don't, and can't hear well in the lower hearing range.
The Mouse senses what we can't. She has poor eyesight and doesn't see well in the dark. Her long whiskers are sensitive to every touch. Her tail gives balance. Mouse teaches us to hone our skills and senses, and what lacks in one area can be strengthened in another.
Mouse people enjoy good cheer and lively company. They also nurture their creature comforts by nesting at home. Mice don't feel the need to show off to the neighbors, so can seem unassuming or timid. Never underestimate a Mouse, because these canny characters have a tricky side!
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Mice like to read or travel, always adding gems of knowledge to their growing collection. The Mouse is a fortunate spirit for explorers, intellectuals, analysts, dancers, librarians, athletes, scientists, mathematicians and thieves.
Embrace the challenges of each new day. Mouse energy helps navigate obstacles in the path with agility and ease. Mouse boosts personal power in tricky situations, and reveals answers to difficult questions.
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Mouse is also a symbol of house and home. One mouse is a lucky sign, but too many will eat all your food. Perhaps it's time to examine personal limits or boundaries, and those you allow other people. It's easy to take Mouse people for granted, especially as they don't like to bring attention to themselves. It's important for the Mouse to maintain a strong sense of Self.
3. Swan - Beauty, Romance, Change
The alluring Swan appears in myth and culture throughout the world. The Swan spirit is associated with physical and soul beauty, grace, art, poetry, romance and love, fidelity and change. Swans are naturally white in the Northern Hemisphere, black in the Southern, and black and white in between.
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The Swan is a creature of solar magic. Swan is a Yang energy (Sun, Fire), balanced by the Yin Water element. Swan represents transformation, balance of opposites, and change coming to your life.
It might as simple as a new hairstyle or as complex as a new romantic relationship or moving house. Swan energy helps you transition through changes. This bird can signify the death of one thing and the birth of another. It gives gifts of inner strength, music and self-expression.
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Spirit of Swan brings a balance or integration of masculine and feminine forces, signifying energies of androgyny or bisexuality. Appearance of the Swan might identify conflicting or opposite energies in life, and how overall they are part of the whole.
As parents, Swans are loyal, devoted and defensive. Mom and Dad both incubate the eggs, which hatch after 4-6 weeks. Chicks or cygnets stay with the parent for a year and become independent for the next breeding cycle. Spiritually the Swan relates to family and familial love as well as romantic love.
As romantic partners, Swan people will usually remain true unto death. Passion races in their veins. When they commit, their devotion is absolute.
Swan mates caress and talk to each other. If one Swan dies, the other either might perishes or get another mate as soon as possible. In nature their lives are defined in duality as a couple, and they can't live by themselves.
The appearance of the swan can signify positivity and longevity in a current or upcoming love relationship. It can herald a change such as marriage or move.
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Pulsing with creative energy, the Swan encourages self-expression. This spirit can inspire and empower musicians, poets, visual artists, expressive dancers. Swan can bring harmony and creative abundance in all aspects of life.
Swan is also associated with death, the soul, transformation and travel between the boundaries of life and death. A Swan can bring messages between lovers from the Spirit World. This protective spirit can help those who do trance work or spiritual journeying.
Although this is a spirit of gratitude, forgiveness and gentle virtues, Swans attack forcefully if they or their nests are in danger. They can give a person a fright but don't actually have the strength break an arm or any bone. Another urban myth.
Swan people are graceful, artistic and perceptive. They have good taste in fashion and décor. Protective and loyal partners who love deeply, they may be artists, designers, work in theatre or arts, writers, lovers, dreamers, poets and creators of all kinds.
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Watch out for stormy skies if a Swan person gets angry, as strong emotions could flow and self-expression thrives. Although the Swan might make a show of aggression, in general this spirit strives for harmony. The Swan attunes to rose quartz, a good gem to have on hand to create or strengthen a connection with the Swan spirit.
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