Spirit Animal Discussion/Tutorial

Felt like writing this. :D I hope you call enjoy it!

Fans, family, friends, and obsessive stalkers, lend me your ears.  So I can eat them- I MEAN WHAT?  Haha, welcome to a sort of informative tutorial on probably one of the most talked about things in the spiritual society: spirit animals.  Because pretty much all my family is Cherokee Indian descent, I've heard about the concept of spirit animals my whole life.  Everyone has a spirit animal, whether they like or accept it or not.  Some people don't dwell on it too much, and then there's people like me that incorperate their spirit animal into their every day activities.  Man throughout the years has had a bond to animals that runs deeper and thicker than blood in some senses.  Some people think of animals as gods, or ancestors.  Some people think of animals as family, close friends, and guides or guardians.  Others think of animals as mere pets, or sources of entertainment in zoos or aquariums, or safaris or petting zoos.  Whatever the case, man's relationship with animals can't be ignored; it's too obvious!  


In this little tutorial, I'll explain what a spirit animal truly is for those who have a misconception, or don't know at all.  I'll answer questions asked by friends and such, and use me and my spirit animal as an example point of reference.  Before I get started, I'll kick us off with some words of inspiration that have kept my relationship with my spirit animal healthy throughout the years.  I heard it when I went four years ago with my family to Seaworld in Orlando, Florida.  We attended the Shamu/Believe show, and I bought the soundtrack while I was there.  These words from the first score appear in my mind every time I think of my spirit animal, and I'll share them with you to start our discussion.


"For each of us there comes a moment; a defining instant in our lives when we are changed forever.  There comes a moment in everyone's life when you stop wondering...and begin to believe."


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First of all, I'll be basic.  What IS a spirit animal?  A spirit animal, first of all, goes by many names.  Some people call them guardian angels, spirit guides, spirit totems, animal totems, etc.  Either way, they all fall under the broad term "spirit animal".  A spirit animal, by definition, is basically an animal that's attached to you and acts as a guardian, a friend, a defender, and a model of how you are.  They can appear in dreams and visions, and you also have a strong physical connection to them when you get around them.  Have you ever been around a certain animal, and just FELT like you were tied to that animal?  That when it looked at you, there was consciousness, love, and it looked into your very soul?  That kind of connection.  People that specialize in the animal field as vets, rescuers, K-9 unit officers, all that tend to have this connection with many animals, but there's only ONE animal for each person that shares a deep connection like that that goes to the very soul.  Your spirit animal will act a lot like you, and do some of the same things you do, as well as share the same element as you.  These animals can also serve as healing purposes.  For example, if your spirit animal, like my brother and mom, is a horse, when you get around them, you heal and feel better.  All that is a spirit animal in a nut shell.


There are many misconceptions of spirit animals.  Some people think you have to be good with animals to have one.  This is untrue, because I myself am not as gifted with animals as my brother and sister, and I have a spirit animal.  Many people also think you have to be Indian descent to have a spirit animal, which isn't true.  It IS true that Indians tend to be more inclined toward spirit animals, but that doesn't mean someone of different ethnicity can't have a spirit animal as well.


One of the biggest misconceptions of spirit animals is a complaint I've heard while studying this my entire life: "There's so many animals, I don't know which one to pick to be my spirit animal!"  Hearing that makes me groan, because you do not pick your spirit animal.  It picks you.  It finds you.  You don't pick anything.  You can "pick" to accept your animal and make it a part of your life, but that's it.  Your animal finds you.


The process usually starts at a young age, but that doesn't mean there's no such thing as "late bloomers".  You start by hearing about or seeing the animal on TV or some other way, and you feel a tug.  Because of a child's curiousity, this often sparks the need to investigate or look up the animal by book, internet, or asking another person.  Some people say they cannot tell the difference in an interest in that animal from that animal actually being their spirit animal.  There's only one way to tell and know for sure.  It's commonly referred to as "the encounter".  It's usually when the person meets their animal, face-to-face, in real life.  


It is beyond hard to describe the feeling to someone that comes with meeting your spirit animal face-to-face.  It's one of those feelings that "if you've felt it before, you know how it feels.  If not, it's impossible to accurately describe to you".  BUT, because I love you guys so much and I'm that bored, I'll try to describe it.  It usually starts with a faster, heavier heartbeat, and a reddening of the face, like a blush.  If someone is with you, ask them if your pupils have dialated (gotten bigger in size).  This is also a big sign if a boy has a crush on a girl; our pupils naturally dialate when we see something we love, like, or want, be it a person, thing, or animal.  You will probably feel tense, or really mushy, and off balance.  Your breathing may also get shorter and lighter, so be careful to take deep breaths so you don't get light headed.  If you are a young person when this happens, it's natural to feel tears come to your eyes and possibly even cry.  The last sign is that you'll feel drawn to that animal, like you've known them your entire life, or they are friends or family.  It's like a "coming home" feeling.  Again, this is the part that's hard to describe, so I won't go any further to keep from confusing you.  If you don't feel every single one of these symptoms, or even in this order, don't panic.  I didn't experience all these symptoms when I first met my animal either.


The next stage in the process is usually dream visits.  It's not uncommon to see your spirit animal in your dreams, especially if your bond and love to them is strong.  Sometimes your animal can come just to visit, or they can come in visions and bring you messages.  It's also not uncommon for your animal to visit you in some way during times of distress.  If your animal is a certain kind of bird, sometimes you will see that bird in a tree in your yard, outside your car window, etc.  They have mysterious ways of tracking us down.  Seeing them randomly on television counts too, or hearing them randomly pop up in a conversation.  This is what I call the "getting to know" stage.  This is where you and your animal start to get to know each other.  The encounters start off brief and skiddish, and a little messy, but as time goes on, they get longer, more personal, and leave you with more.


The third stage in the process is what I refer to as the "research and transformation" stage.  If you have access to books, reliable people, or internet, then you'll probably want to research your spirit animal.  Some people say this is going too deep and doing too much over something so trivial, but I recommend and promote it.  Challenge yourself and research your spirit animal.  Find out what attributes they bring as a totem, where they live, how they act, what element they have, anything and everything you want to know.  The more you research, the more you will begin to act like your spirit animal.  Again, naturally as humans, when we are around people we like, love or like, we tend to mimic them.  This is no different for people and their spirit animals.  My sister, Iris Venocho, has a wolf as her spirit animal.  If she gets confused, she'll tilt her head just like a dog, or if she gets mad, she will growl.  My blood-related sister, Ethale Captor, has a type of fox (which escapes me presently) as her spirit animal, which is neither feline nor canine because it shows attributes of both.  In the mornings when she gets up, she will stretch like a cat, and if I splash water on her, she WILL hiss at me.  My spirit animal is a dolphin, and it is not uncommon to be around me and hear me constantly singing, humming, or whistling.  Also, like a dolphin, my first line if defense is a head butt.  If someone is messing with me, my first reaction is to snap at them with my teeth, or bump them roughly with my head.


The final stage is pretty much a confirmation.  You will see your spirit animal in your everyday life, consider their attributes and use that as a model to better your personality, and mimic their behavior in situations.  It's more than just simply "knowing a lot about the animal", it's retaining the knowledge, seeing how alike the two of you are, and reflecting it in your every day life.  Your spirit animal will be closer than a family member, or a friend, and they WILL defend you.  If you have a sudden reaction or outburst when something goes wrong that you didn't intend to do, and is something the animal can do, you can bet it was the animal taking over for your defense.  It is also recorded that people feel their animals touch them when they are awake, but never see them.  This can be a form of comfort as well, as well as hearing the animal's calls in your mind without actually physically HEARING them.  Your animal will defend you with its life, and it will automatically be drawn to you if you are around it, and treat you like family.  It is a connection that goes more than skip deep, and is hard to explain or comprehend until you feel it yourself.


Now that I've described a spirit animal to you, I'll answer your questions.  These are questions sent in to me from my writerscafe.org account, my deviantART account, and my Facebook from friends, family, and fans alike.  They are in the order in which I received them.

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~ Ashley G. asked: "I don't know what my spirit animal is so...."
- If you don't know what your spirit animal is, don't panic.  There are such thing as late bloomers.  Spirit animals usually find us at an early age because of our childish innocence.  It may be that the animal has already tried to contact you, and you haven't had the "experience" yet.  Think of an animal you feel drawn to, and entertain the idea or explore it.  Arrange to have a meeting with this animal to know for sure.  Remember, it's not that you don't "know" your spirit animal yet, it's just that it hasn't found you yet, or you haven't acknowledged it's knocking at your door yet.


~ Matt Strawn asked: "How do you find yours? I don't personally believe in spirits, but I'm curious and I like the idea nonetheless. Please do tell. c:"
- I explained above how the process goes, and how your animal finds you.  Just follow through with what I said above, and your animal should be made known to you.  If it doesn't work, please feel free to explore other options and create your own ideas, or research it.  If you have a friend that has a spirit animal, ask them how it happens, and tell them about any experiences you've had with specific animals to get yourself going in the right direction.


~ Kitt Knight asked:  "Did you find your spirit animal like I did in a vision/dream, or did you just know? You know mine as I have told you mine...was it the same way Sis?"
- When I first heard of dolphins, it was through the movie Flipper.  I got into them, but I didn't SERIOUSLY fall in love with dolphins until I swam with them.  I swam with a Atlantic spotted dolphin named Kiwi, and I showed the signs of "the encounter" through the whole thing, and STILL do when I get around dolphins because I don't see them a lot personally.  I see them in my dreams all the time, act like one, behave physically like one...the signs are just painfully obvious.


~ Hannah G. Holifield asked: "are they real?"
- Yes, spirit animals are VERY real.  I've never heard of or met another person that could see/feel other peoples' spirit animals, only their own, but they are most definitely there.  It's not always something you can physically see, hear, or touch like if I was standing next to you, it's more of a sense thing and a deep connection that goes INTO being able to hear and feel them.  A dolphin doesn't literally follow me around, that's why they're called spirit animals.  It's kind of like having a ghost follow you around.  You don't always see them, but you know when they're there.  You can hear them when they aren't physically there, and you can feel them when they are near you without them ever having to touch you.  Some people are so strongly attached to their spirit animal that they can feel themselves being physically tugged or touched by their animal, but these occasions are rare, and are often thought to be paranormal.  In conclusion, yes, they are very real.


~ IamKaatheSnake asked: "Sssssssso, Memory, long time no talk, darling; here'sssss a quesssstion for you.  Spirit animalsssss are often tied with certain elementssss.  Desssscribe the elementsssss and which animalssss fall under each.  Thankssss sssweetheart.  ;)"
- No problem, Kaa.  Spirit animals usually fall under the four main elements: air, water, earth, and fire.  Water animals are pretty obvious, as are air animals.  Earth animals would be pretty much any animal that isn't reptilian.  The reason reptiles are the only animals that fall under the "fire" category is because of their cold-blooded nature, and their being-known to inhabit deserts.  It IS possible for your spirit animalt to be, say, a deer and your element be air instead of earth, but these are rare occurances.  Now, I'll briefly descrive the four elements.


Fire - Fire people are known for their hot-headedness and tempers, but this isn't all they are.  Fire types are very passionate people and put their passion into everything they do, and I DO MEAN EVERYTHING.  They are not weak-minded nor submissive, and they are extremely social and forward.  They speak their mind whether you want to hear it or not.  They are kind of your rough outer shell people with a rather caring, warm inside.  You just have to find out how to get to that inside.


Air - These are your air-heads.  They are kind of ditzy and have trouble paying attention, and are also flighty.  They are quick to change their minds and thoughts.  They're pretty much bipolar, but with their minds and thoughts than their emotions.  They dream big and go hard for the goal, but are also kind of shy and introverted.  They're the kind of people that would try to cheer you up by making you laugh, or taking you out to get your mind off your problems.  They are also generally clueless and the last ones to get a joke.


Water - This is my element.  Water is bipolar, constantly changing.  Water types are very accepting and understanding, and rarely ever judge others.  They are refreshing to those they are around, and uber protective of their friends.  They tend to stay serene and calm, and is the only element to rival fire's temper.  Water is very violent when angered, and can turn sour, sarcastic, and hateful in an instant.  Water types tend to be very supportive of others, but very down and derogatory on themselves; they are extremely selfless.


Earth - Earth is extremely nurturing, gentle, and welcoming.  Earth doesn't care who you are as long as you're a good person.  They have the longest fuse and get angry the least, but when they do, it's more of a controlled, righteous anger than a violent one like water's or fire's.  They are natural counselors and healers, and mend others well.  They seem to have a fantasy about them and a gracefulness, as well as gentleness that's almost motherly.  They also to tend to be very sensitive, not only to others around them, but when it comes to insults too.


~ Hectorson3 asked:  "Howdy Mem, I've got a question for ya!  When you say you change physically when you adopt your spirit animal, do you become like a superhuman?"
- Not exactly, Hector.  You pretty much just act like that animal.  However, there is ONE change that people often undergo when they adopt their spirit animal.  One of their fives senses will heighten, your five senses being sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.  It's not uncommon for one of those senses to increase dramatically in a person depending on the animal they adopt.  Again, using my sister Iris as an example, her spirit animal is a wolf, and her dominant sense is smell.  She can smell something in a house with the door shut a block away.  Because a dolphin's hearing is so good, I have incredible hearing.  My other friend Daniel has a snake as his spirit animal, and his dominant sense is his sense of taste.  One of my classmates, Will, has a bird as his spirit animal, and his sight is incredible.  This is the only dramatic physical change recorded in people when they adopt their spirit animal to my knowledge.


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Well, that's all the questions I received.  Thank you all for reading this, and for your questions!  Feedback and comments are welcome, and if you ever wanna discuss things like this with me, PLEASE feel free to do so!  Ask any questions you like via comment or private message (Private notes are preferred because there is a longer word limit on them for lengthy answers), and I will answer them to the best of my ability!  If this helps you, or you start having an experience with your spirit animal, tell me and I'd be happy to hear!  :D  Love your spirit animals guys, because they definitely love you a lot to have picked losers like us as companions!


With Love,
~Dolfury

Author's Note

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to message me! :D

Reviews

[Ethale Captor]

I have the first comment. Ha ha. And this is cool, by the way.

[Dolfury Nixie Ritter]

Heehee, thanks! I worked really hard on it and I'd like to do more of these in the future!

[Ethale Captor]

I look forward to it.