Guide animals: what they are, origins and how to find them

Guide animals: what they are, origins and how to find them

What are guide animals? What are their origins and how to find them in our life? Here's everything you need to know

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Many tribal cultures attached particular importance to animals (and their spirits) and so did shamanism (or shamanism), which developed in them. Although our relationship with animals has changed dramatically over time, we continue to feel deeply connected to them.





As explained by Tom Cowan, author of "Shamanism - A spiritual practice for everyday life", animals have always played an important role for man, supporting him not only materially but also on a spiritual level. Not surprisingly, ancient peoples considered animal spirits as precious guides.

Spirits that some native peoples of the northwestern coast of North America, Cowan explains in his book, called "guide animals", recognizing their specific spiritual powers. According to the shamans of these peoples, the various animal spirits choose a human companion to help him and be helped in turn, acting as protectors and guides.

How to find the guide animal

It is not certain, explains Cowan, that the guide animal corresponds to one's favorite animal, it could be completely different and accompany us only for a certain period, because perhaps at that certain stage we need its help.

Anyway, how to find the guide animal? Cowan explains that traditionally the shamans used several methods:

  • in some cases they isolated themselves from the rest of the community reaching remote wild areas for more or less long periods, begging the spirits to reveal their guide animal to him;
  • otherwise they asked the animals themselves to reveal themselves in dreams;
  • in other cases they used drums, rattles and various instruments to ask the animal spirits to join them;
  • another method was the dance of the guide animal.

Today, Cowan explains, the modern practitioner can find their own guide animal isolating themselves in a simple room at home for at least 24 hours and praying the spirits to reveal themselves. In this period of time you should eat the bare essentials trying to limit the distractions of everyday life as much as possible, while keeping in mind your limitations.



Another method, less difficult to practice, is to ask the animal for guidance manifest in a dream before bedtime.

even the drum method can prove useful, in this case Cowan suggests isolating yourself in a room, darkening it, lighting a candle, burning some incense, sitting on the floor and starting to play the drum or rattles keeping a regular rhythm, with eyes closed or slightly open, facing the candle.

With an open mind and heart, animals must be allowed to come into consciousness. After 5 or 10 minutes, a particular animal may catch your attention, for example staying longer than the others. Behavior that may signal that it is your guide animal. Once discovered, it is necessary to continue playing the drum or rattles, trying to feel its power and presence.

And still Cowan suggests dance, which must be accompanied by the sound of rattles, gradually turning towards the 4 directions: east, south, west and finally north. Calling, from time to time, the animals that reside there.

Another method is that of shamanic journey: if you want to deepen it, we recommend reading his interesting book, which also offers more detailed explanations on the various passages described here.

Once found, the guide animal according to shamanism would be able to influence our inner life but also the outer one, offering valuable advice, albeit in a different way from what we are used to.

List of Guide Animals

Guide animals are innumerable and as explained, they do not necessarily correspond to one's favorite animals. Here is a non-exhaustive list:



  • Horse
  • Eagle
  • Tigre
  • Lion
  • Wolf
  • Dragonfly
  • Snake
  • Farfalla
  • Owl
  • Dolphin
  • Coyote
  • Fox
  • Tarantola
  • Scorpio
  • Bull
  • Formica
  • Bat
  • Jaguar
  • Bear
  • Cobra
  • Ape

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Read also:

Shamans: a bridge between the earthly world, the otherworldly and the forces of Nature

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