In Native American language a Totem is a symbol that can represent a tribe, family or an individual. Traditionally, each individual is assigned nine different animals through their life, with each animal appearing in your life when that lesson is ready to be learned. They are known as animal guides, and the natives believe there is one Totem Animal that stays with you throughout your life’s journey both in the physical and spiritual world. Your Totem Animal is known as your Guardian Spirit.
You can get in touch with your Totem Animal by paying attention to the animal you feel most connected to. Your Totem Guiding Spirit Animal will show up in your life in many different ways; you will notice them more, feel inexplicitly drawn to them, they can appear in dreams and have a special meaning. They can show up in drawings, sculptures and in your overall life when you least expect. You can feel connected and drawn to a particular animal with no apparent reason.
Native American tribes believe animals have much to teach us and they are messengers from the Great Spirit. Once you are in touch with the animal that represents your Totem Animal you can open yourself to learn the lessons and wisdom of the symbol that particular animal portrays.
The following list of Animal Totems and their meanings was sourced from Legends of America website.
Alligator
Maternal, revenge oriented, quickness, aggression, and basic survival instincts.
Ant
Group minded, determination, patient, active, and industrious
Anteater
Lethargy, curiosity, nosiness.
Antelope
Active, agile, jumpiness, and willing to sacrifice
Armadillo
Safety oriented, grounded, and has boundaries
Badger
Courage, aggressive, healer, having problems relating to others, and energy conduit
Bat
Rebirth, longevity, secrecy, initiation, good listener, and long life
Bear
Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, will power, self-preservation, introspection, and great strength.
Beaver
Determined, strong-willed, builder, overseer, and protector
Bee
Organized, industrial, productive, wise, community, celebration, fertility, defensiveness, obsessive nature, and enjoys life
Boar/Pig
A very powerful totem – prosperity, spiritual strength, organized, self-reliant, fearless.
Buffalo
Sacredness, life, great strength, abundance, gratitude.
Bull
Insight into the past, fertility, rushing into things without proper preparation.
Butterfly
Metamorphosis, transformation, balance, grace, ability to accept change
Camel
Survival, positive, accomplishments
Caribou
Traveler, mobility, preference to be nomadic, adaptability to adversity
Cat
Guardianship, detachment, sensuality, mystery, magic, and independence
Cheetah
Swiftness, insight, focus
Cougar
Leadership, loyalty, courage, taking responsibility, foresight
Cow
Swift, insightful, and focused
Coyote
Trickster, intelligence, stealth, wisdom and folley, guile and innocence
Cobra
Swift and decisive
Crab
Good luck, protection and success
Crane
Solitude, justice, longevity, independent, intelligent, and vigilant
Crocodile
Ensuring your emotions are displayed accurately/appropriately
Crow
Justice, shape shifting, change, creativity, spiritual strength, energy, community sharing, and balance
Deer
Compassion, peace, intellectual, gentle, caring, kind, subtlety, gracefulness, femininity, gentleness, innocence, and seller of adventure
Dog
Noble, faithful, loyal, teaching, protection, and guidance
Dolphin
Kind, salvation, wisdom, happiness, playfulness, prudent, capable of deep emotion, and happy.
Dove
Cross-world communication, spirit messenger, peace, gentleness, love
Dragon
Longevity, richness, prosperity, infinity, wisdom, power, and fiery
Dragonfly
Flighty and carefree, strong imagination, higher aspirations.
Duck
Water energy, helper of seers, can clearly see/deal with emotions
Eagle
Divine spirit, sacrifice, connection to creator, intelligence, renewal, courage, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, freedom, and risk-taker
Elephant
Strength, power, affection, loyalty, royalty, and wisdom
Elk
Strength and agility, pride, majestic, independence, purification, strength, and nobility
Falcon
New beginnings, adventure, passionate, and leadership.
Fish
Graceful, slyness, open-minded, quick to change one’s mind.
Flamingo
Heart healing, psychic, people person, flirtatious.
Fox
Cunning, agility, quick-witted, diplomacy, wildness, feminine magic of camouflage, shapeshifting and invisibility
Frog
Water energy, cleansing, rebirth, sensitivity, medicine, hidden beauty, peace, adaptability, poor character judgment and power.
Gazelle
Aggressive
Giraffe
Communication, intuition, attaining the unreachable, seeing the future
Goat
Surefootedness, stubbornness, independence, diligence, lack of foresight.
Goose
Self-demanding, reliable, prudent, rigid, vigilance, parenthood, and productive.
Gorilla
Family-oriented, intelligence, strength, environmental protector, keeps peace through aggression.
Grasshopper
Good luck, abundance, forward, progressive.
Grouse
Personal power, enlightenment.
Hawk
Messenger, intuition, victory, healing, nobility, recollection, cleansing, visionary power, and guardianship.
Heron/Egret
Aggressive, self-determined, self-reliant, multi-tasking, balanced.
Hippopotamus
Power, creation, imagination, healing.
Horse
Freedom, stamina, mobility, the land, travel, power, and freedom.
Hummingbird
Messenger, timelessness, healing, and warrior.
Jaguar
Chaos, shape-shifter, aggressiveness, power.
Kangaroo
Forward, balance, creative, stamina.
Lion
Family, strength, energy, courage, guardian and protector.
Lizard
Conservation, vision, self-protection, hidden defenses.
Llama
Comforting to others, secure.
Lynx
Keeper of secrets, guardian, listener, and guide.
Mole
Sensitivity, guidance, searching.
Monkey
Ability to change the environment, health, success.
Moose
Headstrong, longevity, steadfastness, and wisdom.
Mouse
Scrutiny, order, organizer, and an eye for details.
Octopus
Intelligence, camouflage, nocturnal.
Opossum
Diversion, strategist, and deceiver.
Ostrich
Grounded, practical.
Otter
Playful, friendly, dynamic, joy, helpfulness, and sharing
Owl
Deception, clairvoyance, insight, messenger.
Ox
Sacrifice, chastity and self-denial
Panther
Protection, hidden emotions, introspection, caution, careful decisions
Parrot
Communication, beauty, guide for wisdom, mockery, thinking before speaking
Peaco*ck
Immortality, dignity, and self-confidence
Pelican
Resilient, unselfish, rising above.
Penguin
Self-discipline, grace, self-confidence, spiritual
Porcupine
Innocence, companionship, and trust
Prairie Dog
Swiftness, industrious, constructive, preparedness
Puma
Companion on journeys to other worlds, grace, silent power
Quail
Group-work, team play, creator of harmony and group tolerance, protectiveness (especially toward children)
Rabbit
Fear, timidity, nervousness, humility, rebirth,
Raccoon
Curiosity and cleanliness
Ram
Stoic, sensitive, persevering, curious, imaginative.
Rat
Fertility, stealth, scavenging, intelligence, enjoys luxury
Raven
Introspection, courage, self-knowledge, magic
Rhinoceros
Wisdom, solitary, insightful, solid.
Roadrunner
Mental agility, speed, opportunistic.
Rooster
Vanity, likes to be showered with gifts and attention, early riser, settling for nothing less than the best
Salmon
Proud, intense, confident, wisdom, inspiration
Scorpion
Transforming, strong, inspiring, chaotic, passionate
Seagull
Versatility, loud, easy-going nature, creativity, laziness
Seahorse
Confidence and grace
Seal
Love, longing, dilemma, active imagination, creativity
Shark
Hunter, survival, and adaptability
Skunk
Reputation, presence, and strength
Snail
Protective, aware, solitary.
Snake
Impulsive, shrewdness, rebirth, transformation, initiation, and wisdom
Spider
Balance, wisdom, creativity, communication
Squirrel
Planner and gatherer
Stag
Lord of the forest, masculine power of regeneration, signs.
Swan
Grace, balance and innocence, soul, love, beauty, of the self
Tiger
Strength, valor, power, and energy
Toad
inner strength, luck, self-examination
Turkey
Generosity, life-giver, and sharer
Turtle
Nurturer, shy, and protecting
Unicorn
Purity, innocence, dreamer, personal power, gentle
Weasel
Strength, energy, ingenuity and stealth
Whale
Wisdom, provider, intelligence, and kindness.
Wolf
Loyalty, perseverance, success, intuition, and spirit
Woodpecker
Sensitive, protective, and devotion
Zebra
Agility and individuality
Native American Commandments
Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.
Remain close to the Great Spirit.
Show great respect for your fellow beings.
Work together for the benefit of all Mankind.
Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
Do what you know to be right.
Look after the well being of mind and body.
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
Be truthful and honest at all times.
Take full responsibility for your actions.
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