Native American Animal Symbols: Omens: Who Are They? What do They Mean?

As a very vocal Native American I get many questions on animal spirits and Omens Who there are what do they mean... this is by no means a definative work on the subject more a quick glimpse... also each and every tribe (there some 500 in the US alone) has there own slant on the subject... this is what I've been taught...
How you know it's an Omen when you see one is you get this odd out of place feeling, maybe the hair on the back of your neck stands up? maybe some part tells you there is a meaning to this... well sometimes there is... Sometimes what you see isn't an animal at all just a shape or after image... if it feels like it's trying to tell you something your probably right

•Alligator: Symbolizes stealth and a fight for survival.
•Ant: Symbolizes group effort, teamwork and overall perseverance.
•Antelope: Quick to bound into action (if you need to act while taking a leap of faith – just do it); calm down, be still and look before you leap.
•Armadillo: Understands personal boundary and respects the boundaries of others; carries protection at all times; understanding of vulnerabilities; empathy; discrimination.
•Badger: Symbolizes aggressiveness, passion and drive.
•Bat: The guardian of the night.
•Bear: The protector and symbolizes physical strength and leadership as well as the wild, untamable side of humanity.
•Bear Paw: Good omen; symbol of direction and power.
•Beaver: Best known as a hunter and gatherer.
•Bird: Free of worry, carefree, light-hearted.
•Bobcat: clear vision in dark places; vigilance; suspicion; seeking ancient mystical mysteries; ability to live in solitude; ability to see through masks.
•Buffalo: Provides the good things for those living as well as sacredness. Wisdom, renewal and personal power based on knowledge.
•Butterfly: A transformer and a symbol of metamorphosis; everlasting life.
•Cat: guardians of the spirit and good fortune; can see energy and self-sufficient. If you are drawn to cats, you may need to be more protective of your time and resources or you may be learning to take better care of yourself and to receive.
•Cougar: Stands for power, leadership, and swiftness.
•Coyote: Sometimes considered an omen of bad things; also considered a trickster. The embodiment of the things we cannot change or understand. He is about acceptance of human limitation.
•Crane: A symbol of solitude and independence.
•Crow: A Carrier of souls from darkness into light and guards against fear in the dark. Also a Shapeshifter; keeper of spiritual law; likes to steal shiny bright objects; always a clown. Look for the bright and shiny aspects of life.
•Deer: Symbolizes speed and family protection; plenty of game. Watch, listen, be patient, consider irreversible decisions carefully.
•Dog: Heals emotional wounds; understands duality of doubt and faith; companionship; unquestioned loyalty; love; knowledge of all things sensual; protection; ability to smell trouble.
•Dolphin: A symbol of power and control. Also a symbol of kindness, but has the nature to be playful.
•Donkey: Stubbornness; ability to make decisions; refusing to move when you know it’s not right; saying “NO” to others; ignoring other’s opinions.
•Dragonfly: Considered a messenger.
•Duck: Graceful on the water; sees clearly through emotions; spirit helper of mystics and seers.
•Eagle: Freedom, courage; considered the protector, carrier of prayers, visions & spirits. Emissaries from the sky.
•Eagle Feather: Sacred pieces of spirit - a reflection of a person's vision and accomplishments - bravery, good judgment, humility and special perspective. Prayers floating in the wind. Chief.
•Elk: A symbol of nobility, power, freedom, and great strength and agility.
•Falcon: Assists in soul healing; accompanies the soul back to the soul world; teaches swiftness and aerobatics of life; controls speed and movement.
•Fox: A very cunning, intelligent, and providing animal.
•Frog: Symbolizes renewal, fertility & springtime.
•Hawk: The great messenger and observer of the sky.
•Horse, Saddle bags: Journey.
•Hummingbird: Symbolizes devotion, permanence and eternity. Although the hummingbird is small in stature, it is extremely determined in it's own territory.
•Lizard: Promotes dreaming, agility, and conservation.
•Loon: Symbolizes peace, tranquility, and generosity. Loyalty and leadership. Brave and courageous. The best parents.
•Mole: Guardian of the lower regions; connects with the energies of the Earth; knowledge of herbs, roots, minerals, seeds, rivers and other hidden bounties of the earth; ability to turn inward; blindness to all but light and dark in the material world; love expressed in nature.
•Moose: Symbolizes scrutiny and attention to detail.
•Mountain Lion / Cougar / Puma: Wise leadership without ego; balancing power, intention, strength; self-confidence; freedom from guilt; cunning.
•Mouse: Symbolizes humility and is the pathfinder. Humble, generous and innocent; small and hard to find, just as humility is.
•Owl: A very respected animal and is thought to symbolize the souls of the departed. They are connected with darkness and night and are considered a bad omen.
•Otter: A mischievous creature that is also a symbol of laughter, curiosity, grace, and empathy.
•Parrot: Considered bringers of specific prayers and could bestow blessings.
•Pheasant: Symbolizes warning and concealment.
•Polar Bear: Never gets lost; solitude; expert swimmer through emotional waters; ability to find food where none seems to exist; strength in the face of adversity; communication with the spirit; creature of dreamers, shamans, mystics and visionaries; defense and revenge.
•Porcupine: Symbolizes gentle innocence and trust.
•Possum / Opossum: Proper use of deception; sensibility; guidance to uncovering talent, psychic or physical; gains wisdom; recovery.
•Quail: lives close to the earth; ability to blend into the background; finds peaceful solutions to peril; courage to face hardships.
•Rabbit: Symbolizes fear and overcoming limiting beliefs.
•Raccoon: Understands the nature of masks / disguises; dexterity; seeks guidance and confidence; questioning without fear; balancing curiosity.
•Raven: Sometimes considered a trickster like the coyote. It is also known to be a teacher, hoarder and the mark of a shape shifter. He is creator, deity, clown, caretaker and mischief-maker.
•Robin: Understands the power of song; happy; guide n the wisdom of change.
•Salmon: Symbolizes instinct, persistence, and determination.
•Seahorse: Symbolizes confidence and grace.
•Shark: A great symbol of survival, adaptability, and hunting prowess.
•Skunk: Understands energy flows; self-respect; courage; will power; self-confidence.
•Snake: Usually seen in healing and fertility rites. He is often considered a hunter.
•Sparrow: Symbol of desire and fertility; manifests new love in someone’s life; understands the aspects of race; ability to use the power of song; understands all aspects of color.
•Spider: The story weaver-creating something from almost nothing. Said to connect the past with the future; creative and weaves the pattern of life.
•Starling: Ability to control mobs; imitation, adaptability and intelligence; mental receptivity.
•Swan: The symbol of total grace, serenity, and innocence.
•Tadpole: A very powerful figure. They are a symbol of fertility, change, and renewal.
•Turkey (Earth Eagle): Sacrifice of self for a higher purpose; understands the gift of giving; honors Earth Mother; harvest bounties.
•Turtle: A very powerful symbol for women. It symbolizes fertility, long life, and perseverance. It is sometimes even considered able to defy death.
•Weasel: Stealth; cunning; ingenuity; revenge; ability to see hidden reasons behind things; power of observation; Weasel and otter hides, because they come from "tough little animals", are linked to the Crow sun dance, probably conferring endurance. For the Lakota, these two animals are especially "wakan", meaning akin to sacred.
•Wolf: The teacher of new ideas and wisdom; shows intense loyalty with a balance of independence. Teaches cooperation, protectiveness and the value of extended families.
•Wolf Print: This print symbolizes tracking and movement.
•Wren: Messenger from the gods; sibling relationships (brother/sister); power of the voice; fearlessness; sees future events.


Now that you have some insight on the subject let me add... I've seen a lot of Owls lately, in broad daylight...

[edit on 16-10-2009 by DaddyBare]

I attended a few knap-ins this year, and a few of us got together later and did a floating trip..canoes/kayaks
3nites
4days
We all sat in a small alcove/almost cave, but just really overhang.
Due to rain....
While eating, and talking, campfire story's...
We discussed why they would draw them?

I have the impression it has got to be 1of 2 reasons?
Maybe they ate well there, stayed until they needed to move on, and these were left for the next, "travelers" letting them know that this is what you will see in the area?

Or they could be something as simple as the evening news, early comic "with an early theatrical" story teller?

We are all fimilar with most of their meanings...esp! owls
They all got the willies real bad, I'm very good at calling owls.
I got them "a few adolesent" owls riled up..
But yes I agree there seams to be more owls now, than I have ever seen in my 37 years.
More so in early evening/mornings than before, they were always a .,..
middle of the night bird here! Untill recently..3-5 years

I will ty in advance for letting me understand if I'm a long way off base!
S+F

reply to post by DaddyBare

---

thanks for putting the list on the forum pages,

i'm not from a native american lineage, i'm actually from the old word i.e.lithuania in english.

i have three animal spirit guides, the list characterizes them as:

•Turtle: A very powerful symbol for women. It symbolizes fertility, long life, and perseverance. It is sometimes even considered able to defy death.
•Owl: A very respected animal and is thought to symbolize the souls of the departed. They are connected with darkness and night and are considered a bad omen
(Cave) Bear: The protector and symbolizes physical strength and leadership as well as the wild, untamable side of humanity


here's how these profiles match up to the events of my journey in the world...

Turtle - although i'm male... I have already survived 2 clinical Deaths
Owl - the owl also allows on to discern hidden things, foresee stuff...
Bear- the neolithic cave bear has different power than what's mentioned

i practice/follow old world shaman-ism...i'd say very archaic compared to Native American Spirit tradition... Owl is a very fortunate spirit as opposed to the bad Omen as you report...


thanks again, because there will be a resurgance of spirits-and-shamanistic worldviews in the wake of the 2012 events.

reply to post by St Udio

---

In the old stories Owl is not a bad spirit, in fact he's one of those that helped humans into this world... Where Owl gets a bad rep is that he brings warnings of danger and death... does that make him bad... do we shoot the messenger?

In my own somewhat colorful past I've seen owls, once in the middle of Ocean Side Calf...Just outside Camp Pendleton.. about three minutes before I was mugged! Once while out on a hunting trip I saw an owl and almost at the same time I heard that ZING of a stray bullet whizzing past.... it might not have missed if I hadn't paused to say look there's an Owl.... I dont see them as being bad just telling me to look out!

[edit on 16-10-2009 by DaddyBare]

Owl has been of benefit to you...
Owl could reveal to you the mysteries & hidden knowledge that confound most people...
human beings however, mostly are put off by owl for wrong reasons...

i appreciate the added insights you have told me/us

Wonderful thread I appreciate you taking time to share this information with us.

So many paths converging right now and each one is just as important as the next.

For many the truth of Nature is the greatest symbolism for where we have traveled , where we are now and where we are headed in the future.

Our spirits do resonate at different times with various animals of the wilds and for me the connection recently has been over the top.

Can you tell me why you decided to do this thread at this time?

I 2nd St Udio TY again for more info!
I too believe in "The messenger of death"----don't ever shoot the messenger!
For fear of he will drop his message with you!

The only negative things that seem to happen to me with owls...
Are either about loved ones, or someone/thing that will affect my life.
A message of death...

I try, really hard, not to see them, but the daylight thing has me now....

While groing up coon hunting, trapping, and really just being in the woods in the Ozarks @ night.....I loved them, silent, stealthy, and it was dark!
I never had to see them, now days, not so much..

edit to add.. I do not think he is bad, just fear/respect, his power.

[edit on 16-10-2009 by Doc Holiday]

Can you check out this thread sometime and tell me what you think?

Again thankyou for this thread it was long overdue.

www.belowtopsecret.com...

Without sounding to preachy A lot of people are scared right now... Feeling like something big, Good or bad as about to happen... To be honest... I do too but couldn't say what.... My grandfather would say my seeing so many Owls means this growing danger is not hidden, out in the open, in clear sight... Damn if I can see it though???

I've have found and taken a lot of comfort in my spiritual/ tribal teachings, though as a student of those teachings I'm more your C-, rather then the honor student... Still if what little I know can be of comfort, help someone find their own answers and hopefully a bit of peace... well I succeed... that's all.......