I have always had a love of animals of all kinds, almost to the point of obsession. I loved animals so much that I chose to get a PhD in Zoology/Marine Biology and taught those topics at the college level. A lot of the vacations that I have taken over the years have been eco-tourism based where I have been able to experience amazing animals in their natural habitats. Some of the most notable trips of this nature have included swimming with manta rays in Kona, Hawaii, swimming with whale sharks in Cancun, Mexico, loving on elephants in Thailand, seeing all of the diversity of marsupials and monotremes in Australia, and most recently going on safari in Tanzania, just to name a few.
Over the last three years, as I’ve been delving into my journey of spiritual teaching, writing, and practice in more depth, I have become increasingly aware of animal energy and messages in my life. This includes understanding what a spirit animal is, what my spirit animal is specifically, how to work with that animal, using the energy of other animals, and receiving messages from animals that come to me in my daily life.
What is a Spirit Animal Messenger? Spirit Animals can represent different things to us. They can come to us with messages in real life and in dreams. They may represent who we are in our authentic selves. They may represent who we want to be. We can draw on their characteristics to help us navigate through life more easily.
You may already know what your specific spirit animals is, and if you do, great. You may want to incorporate some image of them (as a piece of artwork or an accessory) into your Sacred Soul Space as a reminder to you of what they represent. You may have one animal that really speaks to you, or you may have several. I myself have a primary spirit animal (manta ray) and several others that I have in and around my environment in the form of artwork, décor and jewelry that I wear.
If you haven’t thought about your spirit animal, there are a couple of ways to help guide you to discover it. First, is there an animal that you were drawn to as a child that you just absolutely loved for no explainable reason? If so, there is a good possibility that animal is one of your spirit animals. For instance, my very favorite animal as a child was a koala. I also loved dolphins and wanted to be one.
Another way to determine your spirit animal is to look around your house and see if you have a particular animal represented multiple times, possibly unknowingly. In my own home, I didn’t really think about what animals I had around until I started looking and counting. I am very drawn to elephants. I have ten prominent elephants in my living room space alone. If you would have asked me a few years ago what one of my favorite animals was, I don’t think I would have said elephants, but yet I have somehow collected them over time.
Are there any animals that consistently come to you in your dreams or meditations? If so, there is a really good chance it is one of your spirit animals. If you have the opportunity to do a vision quest or inner journey, your spirit animal will reveal itself to you as well. Be open to the signs and trust your instinct. On my website, I have a FREE meditative journey to meet your spirit animal, should you desire to discover your animal with this method.
Meditative Journey to Meet Your Spirit Animal: https://www.mysticmanta.com/free-gifts
Animals can also come to us in our daily lives with messages. If the animal comes to you and is seemingly trying to get your attention, or if the same type of animal comes several times within a short amount of time, there is a message for you to pay attention to. A few years ago, I had six days in a row with spiders coming directly to me. Once I acknowledged their meaning of being there, they stopped showing up.
For your spirit animals and the animal messengers that come to you, I recommend to research the spiritual meaning of the animal to see if it resonates with you. There are several good books on the meaning of animals, including Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, Animal Messengers by Regula Meyer and Pocket Guide to Spirit Animals by Dr. Steven Farmer. You can also go online to look at different websites to see what they say about the specific animal in question.
I have found for myself that when I understand what the animal stands for, I know immediately what the message is about. There are different animals that I can call upon for different situations when I am working with the spirit animals.
Pay attention to the animals that show up with messages for you from the universe. Call on your spirit animal energy when you need extra support. Animals are just one of the many ways that we can connect to our inner wisdom and higher self and strength as we go about our lives.
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