Interacting with Animal Spirits
You’re in the right place if you want to…
learn about the cultural differences of animal spirits and how to talk about them respectfully
understand how to call your animal spirit and ask for its guidance
become more familiar with how to use the tarot and herbs in your daily life
Subscribe here to be notified about new episodes.
To start off the show, we look at our Tarot Card for the week and we look for moments that relate to this card in our daily lives.
For this week, we chose the Eight of Wands. The theme of this card is opportunity.
Basically, this card shows eight wands at an angle in front of a scenic landscape. It reminds me of the hero’s journey and this is the road home portion and what you are bringing with you: the elixir.
You can’t really proceed forward without making this final decision and you want to make it quickly because you’re so tired from the journey and you just want to go home.
So, this is about moving quickly, and not worrying about making the wrong choice. This card say, “look, whatever you are facing right now, just do something, move past this so you can get back to the good stuff.”
You can hear Erica’s and Maggie’s stories related to the Seven of Wands by listening to the episode.
What is an Animal Guide?
Before we get started, I wanted to make a public service announcement about the term Spirit Animal.
A Connection to Nature
Most cultures have a concept of animal spirits. In fact, I can’t think of a culture that doesn’t have some form of receiving guidance from animals. You can find tales of shape-shifting into an animal, being possessed by the spirit of an animal, interpretation of animal dreams, and attitudes about hunting and eating animals. The roots of animal guides are deep in ancient religions, because there isn’t a culture on this planet that doesn’t come from a complex, deep-rooted relationship with animals and nature.
There are the Chinese Zodiac animals, there are the animal familiars of the Greek muses, even Jesus is known as, “The Lamb.” It goes back to ancient African stories of the shaman called “Mantis” and eastern Shamanic religions and Celtic religions.
The concept of having a connection to an animal spirit is universal because humans have a connection to the natural world in all ancient cultures.
Cultural Appropriation
The phrase “Spirit Animal” is considered cultural appropriation, however.
While the words are English, the term refers to a deep and sacred tradition for many Native Americans. Because of colonization and centuries of Native American cultural oppression, many of the original terms for rituals and important spiritual aspects of their cultures have been lost.
So, to reclaim their traditions they also claim the English word that is used to describe them.
Other Vocabulary
There are alternatives to this term though, it’s so easy to just change our vocabulary. When you feel you have a soul connection to a specific animal, use another term like ‘animal teacher’, ‘Patronus’, ‘daemon’, ‘familiar’, ‘inner animal’, or ‘animal helper’ instead.
Another term is soul animal, which is a Finnish concept in which a creature is so like you you feel that you share a soul. Since there is no longer a ritual or religious use for this concept, it’s not appropriative to use the term.
So, if you see an ant struggling desperately to move a crumb that is at least 40x bigger than it, and you think, “same”, that ant is your soul animal.
What is a Familiar?
Probably the most common types of animal guides in relation to witches is the concept of the familiar.
Physical Familiar
Pop culture, such as in the 90s TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch, represents the familiar as a physical animal that helps the witch in some way. Often, the witch has some control over this animal or can communicate with it. But this is a fairly new interpretation of the familiar.
Spirit Familiar
The traditional interpretation of a familiar is a spirit. This being helps the witch by providing companionship, teaching lessons, and encouraging personal growth. I think the new version of Sabrina on Netflix did a good job of representing the familiar as a spirit that shape-shifts into the cat.
A Witch’s Familiar
Additionally, a familiar is not like other spirits you encounter in the spirit realm that are distinctly different entities than you. A familiar in the traditional context is a being that shares your soul, your spirit, or whatever word you prefer to use. You work independently from one another, but you exist as parts of a single soul.
Meeting andInteracting With Your Familiar
You can meet your familiar if you would like. Most often you will find them while astral traveling or meditating, but you can also meet them in your dreams, or in waking life. Set the intention that you would like to meet your familiar and they will likely show up to you.
And be careful that you are clear about this invitation. You don’t want to attract a random spirit that is masquerading as your familiar. You will know when you encounter your familiar because you share a soul. It will feel like being reunited with your closest friend after years apart.
Once you’ve met your familiar you can work together on anything you want. Remember that this is an independent being and not your slave. But they will help you if you ask and if you let them.
You can ask the familiar to guide you toward the lesson you need to learn, or you can ask for help with something specific. Communicate with your familiar in whatever way feels comfortable to you: journaling, meditating, astral travel, or dream work.
Animal Symbolism
The final thing I wanted to talk about is the symbolism that each animal represents.
I am asked all the time about what it means if you see a specific animal and it really depends.
For example, if I asked someone, “What does it mean that I keep seeing cats?” they would likely respond, “It means that you went to the cat cafe and adopted two cats and now they live with you.”
Another tongue and cheek response that someone recently commented on one of my Instagram posts, “What does it mean if I keep seeing fruit flies?” “It means your bananas are overripe, okay?”
Sometimes, seeing animals doesn’t have a deep spiritual meaning. You could be seeing the animal because it also live in the world you live in.
But, if you’re seeing the same type of animal in a variety of contexts—like in a commercial, and then as a logo, and then on a card someone sent you—there might be some meaning to be made.
Interpreting the Message
And when it comes to interpreting animal symbolism, I think about that animal’s behavior.
For example, koalas like to sleep a lot, so maybe seeing koalas everywhere is a sign to take a rest or to get high. Elephants are family focused and matriarchal so maybe you need to call you mom or grandma or daughter or granddaughter to check in.
This post is brought to you by CLOVES
MEDICINAL - Topical: Always add a carrier oil such as coconut or a lotion to clove essential oils. It is a hot oil and it will burn you! Digestion: great for getting the appetite started and stimulating digestion. Can be used in a variety of culinary options; Colds and flu: use in a bath or steam to alleviate congestions; Toothache: Found in many toothpastes and washes; helps ease tooth pain (again use in carrier oil!); Inflammation; Aphrodisiac
MAGICAL - Active; Jupiter; Fire; Sagittarius; Banishing; healing; love; money; protection; add a clove to a charm bag for protection; drill holes in the clove to turn them into beads and create a necklace or hang this over the entrances to your home; burn clove to banish all energy and purify the space; make a pomander for wealth and abundance
Send us a voicemail
We play one listener voicemail on each episode of Talk Witchcraft, with a few exceptions. To send us a voicemail, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to welisten [at] talkwitchcraft [dot] com. Please keep in mind that we only choose voicemails that are two minutes in length or shorter (even if they’re great!).
What we’re looking for in a voicemail
Share from your personal experiences (especially experiences that we could never have) and use that to illuminate the zodiac season or theme in new ways.
Ask questions of Erica and Maggie, so we have an opportunity to respond meaningfully to your voicemail during the podcast.
Use one of these prompts: Is there something happening with you and your life that aligns with the current zodiac season or a Tarot card? How do your experiences show us something new about the magic, something that we haven’t talked about so far?
Send a voicemail even if you’re behind on the podcast. If your voicemail is about a previous episode, zodiac season, or tarot card; that doesn’t mean we won’t choose it!
Tips for recording a great voicemail
Make sure you’re somewhere quiet.
Plan what you’re going to say ahead of time, because two minutes goes quickly.
Opt for talking freely based on a bullet pointed list rather than reading word-for word from a script.
Let us know if you’d prefer to remain anonymous.
Wait, don’t go yet!
Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you’ve enjoyed this post of Talk Witchcraft, I invite you to check out mumblesacademy.com.
Mumbles Academy is the place to be for intuitive souls at any stage on their WitchPath. Whether you are a Wildling at the very beginning of witchcraft journey and looking for a safe learning environment, a Creator who is already committed to their practice and wants to develop their witchcraft skills even more, or a Sage who full of wisdom already and is ready to share that with others, Mumbles Academy was designed for you.
With monthly masterclasses and live Q&As, an extensive archive of courses and training, and a supportive community to help you along the way with encouragement and advice, Mumbles Academy is the perfect place for you to be as you as you continue on your WitchPath.
