Animal Totems, Power Animals, & Spirit Guides

Most of us probably have one or more pets at home that we interact with everyday. We were initially drawn to those animals, experienced a bond, and now we share our lives with them. Some of us may see certain species of wildlife regularly as we go about our daily routines, and some of those animals impress us more than others. Perhaps some of us even dream of specific animals frequently and encounter images of them in our meditations. Of course, all of these things are excellent examples of how animals influence our daily lives. And, interestingly enough, all of these things are also good examples of possible animal totem interactions as well.

Animal totems are akin to animal spirit guides. They are also often referred to as “power animals.” In essence, they are the spirit of an entire lineage and species of animal that has come to help you as a personal guide, teacher, and friend.

Animal totems play a substantial role in the lives of many people from a variety of cultures everyday and can be of tremendous benefit, if we are open to them and their teachings. They aid in self-discovery, personal integration, and extensive forms of creativity and understanding. In fact, specialized message totems can and often do change throughout the course of a person’s lifetime as they tend to bring messages pertinent to the moment and that are essential for individual growth and spiritual evolution. In general, it can be said that at the very least animal totems capture our imagination and give to us new avenues of awareness and connection.

Additionally, our animal spirit guides can assist us in remembering our past and seeing glimpses of our future… all the while making our present moments that much more alive.

The most commonly accepted definition of a totem that I have found, and one that I personally like, is as follows: “A natural object, usually an animal, which serves as a distinctive and often venerated emblem or symbol – usually a means of personal and/or spiritual identity.” And, it is interesting to note that even with such importance and power in our lives so singularly channeled that most people will have more than one totem. In fact, there are numerous categories and types of totems, both permanent and temporary, that a person can interact with at any give point in time and each totem encountered will specialize in a different life area or bring with them a different message.

Overall, animal totems and spirit guides can add enrichment and enchantment to our lives everyday, in ways that are both big and small, as we build our relationships and bonds with them. And, those relationships are entirely different from the ones we have with our pets and wildlife neighbors…and, yet, the bond may feel surprisingly similar.

About Me

Over the years I have provided a variety of totem and animal spirit guide readings for people from many different parts of the world. I’ve attended many classes and lectures from emerging voices in this specialized area of study and have taught my fair share of classes and workshops as well. I also provide a daily animal and plant insight post to numerous online venues called “Nature Awareness.” And, I write a regular monthly column for Mystik Way Magazine. In addition, I am an active member and co-owner of a local St. Louis Naturalistic Pagan group, Ancient Ways St. Louis.

To further enhance understandings of all the readings done, I like to explain how I arrive at your individualized results.

The process I use in discovering your totems and spirit guides is multi-tiered, and like all forms of divination and energetic work it does involve some amount of intuition. I also use several different and highly specialized animal card decks, items held in an animal mojo bag (all items in the bag are real animal items discovered while immersed in nature and/or ethically harvested), natural stone workings, and some naturalistic life influences and interpretations from the client and my surroundings in nature that provide an interconnected bridge.

I hope that you find all readings you receive from me to be a help as you continue to walk along your life path with your totems.

Blessings!
Jennifer Adele