Quick answer
If you want an animal that fits you rather than one a quiz assigned, the best method is the plainest: spend a week outside, at the same times, and write down what you see before you interpret any of it. The older version of this page listed some of these ideas (time outside, paying attention, a journal) and then undid them by saying the animal is attached to your spirit person, that odd behaviour means it is trying to connect, and that you should wear its symbols on your body. An animal behaving oddly is usually ill, injured, habituated to being fed, or busy with the season. The exercise below gives one task a day and a column for what to record. By the end you will know which animal you actually attend to, which is the only kind of animal you can fairly claim. The reasons the phrase spirit animal needs care are in What Is Your Spirit Animal? Where the Idea Comes From, What the Label Borrows, and an Honest Way to Choose an Animal That Fits You.
A seven-day noticing exercise
| Day | Task | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walk the same route for thirty minutes just after sunrise | Every animal you see or hear, in order, with no interpretation |
| 2 | Walk the same route in the last hour before dark | The same list; note which animals appear only at one end of the day |
| 3 | Sit still in one spot for twenty minutes, phone away | What arrives once you stop moving, and how long it took |
| 4 | Look up: sky, rooflines, wires, tree tops | Birds by shape and behaviour, even if you cannot name them yet |
| 5 | Look down: mud, snow, sand, leaf litter, lawn edges | Tracks, droppings, feathers, holes, chewed cones, spider silk |
| 6 | Learn the proper name of one animal from the week | The name, one fact about how it lives, and whether the fact changes how you feel about it |
| 7 | Read the six days back | Which animal recurred, which one you felt something for, and whether they are the same animal |
- Record before you interpret; the interpretation can wait until day seven.
- Count the ordinary animals (pigeons, squirrels, gulls) as carefully as the rare ones; attention that only counts the dramatic is not attention.
- Keep a fixed distance from anything wild, and never feed it to bring it closer.
- If an animal seems unafraid, is out at the wrong time of day, or cannot move properly, it may be sick or hurt: do not touch it, and call a wildlife rehabilitator.
- Leave feathers, nests and eggs where they are; in the United States most native birds and their parts are protected by law.
Why this works: Repeated noticing does not summon an animal; it reveals which animals were already there and which ones you were already drawn to. That is enough to choose an emblem for a value you want to keep in view. If what you find is a bird, bird sightings and what they mean has the traditions and natural history of owls, crows, cardinals and hawks.
What the phrase borrows and how to choose an animal that fits
The hub covers where the idea of a spirit animal comes from, what to call yours instead, twelve animals across cultures and a four-step method for choosing.
The idea of animals as spirit guides is deeply rooted in many cultures. It’s an interesting perspective to consider.
What a load of nonsense. This is just another example of pseudoscience that has no place in modern society.
This is a fascinating guide, I’m really excited to try it out and discover my spirit animal!
I find the idea of connecting with nature and animals fascinating. Thank you for sharing these insights.
The list of animals provided is helpful for identifying potential spirit animal connections. It’s a good starting point for self-reflection.
I can’t believe some people actually think they have spirit animals. What’s next, horoscopes?
I’ve always been skeptical about the concept of spirit animals, but this article actually makes some compelling points.
It’s important to remember that the concept of spirit animals has a spiritual significance to many people, regardless of scientific validity.