Part 2, of four
November 5, 2025
“Let a man decide upon his favorite animal and make a study of it, learning its innocent ways. Let him learn to understand its sounds and motions. The animals want to communicate with man, but [the Great Spirit] does not intend they shall do so directly—man must do the greater part in securing an understanding.”
Brave Buffalo (late 19th century) Teton Sioux medicine man
Animals can represent a loving bridge between people. When we are separated from someone we love, a special animal may cross our path as a reminder of the person we cannot be with. Special creatures can also act as a divine connection between us on the physical plane, and a deceased person on the spiritual plane. Through these creature connections we often gain a sense of peace.
Since my father died in 1989, I have felt a strong spiritual bond with him through cardinals, the redbirds. Even though he loved cardinals, and they are common in my home state of Michigan, since his death, I noticed an extraordinary number of these birds around me.
I’m sure that some may say, “Well, that’s just a coincidence, there aren’t any more of them, you are just more conscious of them around you.” That could be a valid point; however, on the day I was married, I felt sad because my father couldn’t be there to walk me down the aisle at my garden wedding. But when the ceremony began, I heard the beautiful song of several cardinals, and when I looked up, I saw so many redbirds that the trees looked as if they were decorated for Christmas! I knew that my father was with me in spirit that day, and through the magic of nature, together we walked down that aisle. To me, the cardinal represents the power animal of my father.
Very simply, a power animal is a creature that you feel a natural connection with. When thinking of this, most people have a strong, immediate feeling, an “animal inkling” that jumps, or sometimes flies or swims, right into their minds. Opening yourself to this connection can be enlightening, and with it comes inspiration. This is what the American Indians call your power animal, and this animal’s energy becomes your “medicine.” They knew that if attention was paid to a personal animal of preference, it was possible to make that animal’s strength and power part of your own.
To the American Indians, connection with a power animal brought about potent dreams, adding clarity and direction to their lives. A power animal acts as a mirror, and in its reflection, you can see your strengths and abilities, along with your fragilities and shortcomings. Through the vision of your power animal, you get a glimpse of your own animal magnetism. Allow that animal side of you to emerge!
Life is a great puzzle, and whether we’re aware of it, we are given bits and pieces as we grow along on our Earth path. Sometimes, we stumble upon clues from the animal world, placed there to make our path less rocky and our lives more understandable.
On your path to self-discovery, ask yourself these questions:
- Which creature are you attracted to now?
- Which creature were you attracted to as a child? Children are often instinctively drawn to a particular animal, and they usually manifest this through their artwork and in their dreams.
- Were there any particular animal stories that appealed to you as a child?
- Is there a particular critter that you are drawn to, one that you tend to doodle or sketch?
- At a zoo, or during nature programs, which creature is it that you find the most fascinating?
- Do any animals appear in any of your dreams?
- Have you ever had an “animal dream” that you will always remember?
- Have you ever experienced a dream about an injured animal?
(The Spirit of Health chapter “Sleep” provides insight into the meaning of injured animal dreams. Sleep Blog soon to come.)
- When you are out in nature, have you encountered any particular animals?
- Is there an animal or creature that frightens you?
- Have you ever been attacked or bitten by an animal?
If a shaman, (a priest/priestess or medicine woman or man), survived an attack, it was believed the animal was the shaman’s spirit totem and the attack was the totem’s way of testing the shaman’s ability to handle the power.
- If you could be any creature on Earth, which one would you choose to be?
You may wonder, “How do I identify my power animal?”
It’s common for a person’s mind to tell them one thing, but their heart tells them another. And if you’ve answered the above questions—from your gut wisdom, not your intellect—you probably have a good idea.
Sometimes the domesticated version of an animal will make its way into the early phases of our lives. Then, when we begin to mature and “come into our own,” that domesticated animal is followed by the wild, untamed version of that same creature. You may start out as a tabby and grow into a tiger!
Often, we’ll have several animals we feel power through, but a primary animal usually leads the way, with secondary animals following the pack. For me, it’s always been a dog. A power animals book once pointed me toward deer, but somehow that just didn’t feel right.
For a while I thought I had “owl medicine,” since I had experienced three contacts with owls at that time in my life. And with my last name being “Gray,” I thought by virtue of the name, I could be a “gray owl.” But there was always this howling inside of me, and like a pointer, it kept pointing me toward “dog medicine.” My first instinct always said “dog,” and many clues on my path confirmed it. I think that as a younger woman, I had “dog medicine,” now I know it to be “wolf medicine”—a “gray wolf.”
Simply by taking an interest in this, you are already on the road to discovering and pursuing your power animal—and chances are your power animal has already been pursuing you!
Know that your power animal chooses you, not the other way around.
Once you recognize each other, begin to study your power animal and learn of its ways; they often reflect on your own ways. Learn about your power animal’s favorite prey; learn about its natural enemy; and learn about its habits and habitat. Think about any animals that may cause you to be fearful and learn about them; this contemplation can provide insight and self-understanding.
When the ancients studied the stars, many of the constellations brought animals to their minds, such as Ursa Major, the Great Bear, whose seven stars form the Big Dipper.
In the traditional Zodiac, seven out of the twelve birth signs are related to creatures such as Aries the Ram, Taurus the Bull, Cancer the Crab, Leo the Lion, Scorpio the Scorpion, Capricorn the Goat, and Pisces the Fish. Even Sagittarius the Archer is depicted sitting upon a horse. People born under a particular Zodiac sign often have traits associated with that respective creature.
The Chinese Zodiac consists of a 12-year cycle, each year being named for a different animal, accompanied by various personality characteristics. They include the rabbit, tiger, ox, rat, boar, dog, cock, monkey, sheep, horse, snake and the dragon. Compare your birth sign animal to that of your power animal and see if there is a connection. Study books on the traditional Zodiac, as well as the Chinese Zodiac; learn the details of the animal lore, and how it is connected to your birth year.
Even postures in Hatha Yoga connect people with nature through positions like the Lotus, the Moon, the Mountain and the Tree, and with creatures such as the Cat, Dog, Eagle, Cow, Lion, Heron, Tortoise, Fish, Frog, Locust, Cobra, Peacock, Crane, Camel, and Pigeon.
It’s no surprise that my favorite Hatha Yoga posture is “the downward facing dog.” The nomenclature of this posture is no coincidence, as it emulates the deep and natural stretching dogs do every day, particularly after rising from a “catnap.”
Observe a dog for a short period of time, and you’ll see the dog do this downward facing stretch, followed by an upward facing stretch. When dogs do this, they are not only stretching their muscles and ligaments, but some believe the movements stimulate pressure points in their paws that connect with their lymphatic systems, thereby enhancing their health. When we include this Hatha Yoga dog posture into our routines, could we be stimulating our own pressure points, too?
——end of Part Two (of four)
Based on The Spirit of Health: Mind-to-Toe Self-Care for Women
From the segment: Tools for Self-Discovery & Life Enhancement
Blog photo Winter Wolf, by Cindy Gray, ©2009 Grand Canyon, AZ
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