Animal Symbolism

I'm not usually one for paranormal or metaphysical stuff, but strangely I do buy into this a little. From an evolutionary perspective we are related to all other animals on earth, some closer than others, so it would make sense that we share common characteristics with individual animals. I think certain animals are recognized for instinctive traits that they have each honed and perfected, so if for example owls are known for their "wisdom" then it's fair to say we have a little "owl" in us if we are characteristically wise, or that we have some "fox" in us if we are particularly cunning. So I could actually see a scientific basis for this thinking (I'm a logical scientific thinker so that usually matters to me).

Now you've got me really interested in this. If you find good information on how to identify your animal symbols, let me know. A quick scan of the Internet suggests that there isn't one school of thought (as there is with astrology) but rather a collection of symbols that vary with cultures and regions.

Hey Jon, what have you learned about your animal symbols?

 

I'm atheist, but I am absolutely FASCINATED by ancient religions, such as those practiced by the ancient Egyptians/Greeks/Norse. I discovered my fascination after 6th grade history, which was all about ancient history. Then I started playing Age of Mythology and that pretty much got me hooked onto the subject. I tell my friends that if I were ever to start believing in a God again, it'd be Ra.

 

^I totally think I'm a wolf from everything I've read. A little deer inside too, but I would be a wolf in almost every respect;

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/totem-wolf-symbols.html

I think my two greatest attributes are loyalty and compassion, I'm an intellectual nerd and I've always been good at communication. It's so funny, a while back I picked my mood as "Wolfy" on EC and although I had no idea what it even meant, it just felt right, like it was me. Now I know why!! :icon_bigg

I agree with this so much I might even change my avatar to be a wolf... James the Wolf!!

 

By that logic, most people should be relating themselves to bats, tree shrews and flying lemurs (after other primates of course), rather than bears and wolves. http://tolweb.org/Eutheria/15997

I'm all for believing in the spiritual stuff, but let's not pull science into it.

 

I think I'm a mixture of the Wolf and the Badger and maybe the elephant.

 

Gurl, you are one of the prettiest elephants I've ever seen! :eusa_danc

(bet you hear that line all the time...)

 

I am a Sagittarius.

I do think I sometimes post strongly worded observations and opinions. But I will be damned if I think that makes me a horse's ass.

 

Am i the only one who thinks the girl from the Know Your Sign website looks like Zuul form the first Ghostbusters movie? And that is totally AWESOME! XD

 

I love this kind of thing. I love to read about it and be told things. I am part of the wiccan religion which is a play off of the nature based religion paganism. I love it and it makes me feel peaceful everytime I am out side.

 

*diatribe follows*

One of the things that has long bothered me about conventional religion is how it has elevated mankind to a special status on earth, like we're somehow privileged over the other species. And of course we use that to justify all kinds of violations against animals and nature - which we now see as the degradation of our home planet to the point where you have to wonder if it can ever recover. When I look around me I see ample evidence that we are a conceited and obnoxious species that's lost perspective.

The more I look into this "religion of nature" the more I am finding a resonance with what I've always held to be true, that all species are created equal on this earth and that we have no more right to dominate the earth than wolves or whales or worms or bats or even plants. I think the Native American Indians had a particularly enlightened perspective that integrated humans with all other living things (and even non-living entities) by acknowledging the symbiosis of all life on earth and respecting the give and take of life (they call it the "circle of life").

Some can write off this whole animal spirit thing as simple symbolism or as metaphor, but I am starting to warm to the idea of it being a true spirituality. Long before the New World order came to "civilize" the natives of North America, the natives had created a complete belief system around this - and it worked for them for thousands of years. In fact things only started to go horribly wrong when our ancestors tried to convert them to "the truth". I for one don't mind winding the clock back a little and seeing if maybe there wasn't something to be learned in the very things our predecessors worked so hard to extinguish. I keep a very open mind.

Here's an interesting thought. There are all these threads floating around about the new laws in Uganda that threaten homosexuals. It's interesting that if you read about the original indigenous African shamanic-type religions, homosexuals were actually revered in these cultures! Many shamans were either homosexual or transgendered, and it was considered to be an elevated state of being. It's only when the modern religions were introduced into Africa that homosexuality became a perversion. (same with the North American Indians by the way)

And strangely I find that this form of spirituality aligns itself better with my strong scientific convictions than the modern religions. Science relegates man to an interesting speck of dirt in an incredibly complex universe. It reminds me that we have an awful lot left to learn and that we aren't going to learn much if we see the world through rose-colored glasses.

So anyway I am totally open to the idea of my "enlightenment" extending well beyond my sexuality and into other important aspects of my life!

And I don't mean this to come across as a critique of others' religions, in fact quite the opposite; just a request that others acknowledge that there is a genuine spirituality in what Jon is talking about. To quote someone famous (I can't recall who), there are many ways to make it to the top of the mountain, but we're all trying to get to the same place.