Animal Wisdom

For eons, humans have emulated and revered the animal kingdom, which in this context includes mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and insects. Many ancient cultures' creation tales involve animals, and the earliest forms of art and writing include animals indigenous to those regions. Some cultures, such as the Egyptians, worshiped animals as deities.

The Medicine Card and Druid Animal Oracle decks use animal imagery to illustrate spiritual principles. Most animals have particular qualities associated with them, and some cultures conflict in their depiction of a certain animal, but in my opinion it is one's personal connection to the animal that holds the most meaning. For example, in the Medicine deck, the Rabbit in known as the "fear-caller" who brings his worst fears on himself. To the Cherokees, however, Rabbit more closely resembled the Coyote of the Medicine deck, the cosmic joker poking fun at humans' foibles. The famous "Brer Rabbit" of the Uncle Remus stories was based on the Cherokee view of Rabbit. Of course, there are those who simply view Rabbit as a soft, fluffy, highly reproductive animal of prey. So the choices are ultimately yours. Study the behavior of the animal for yourself, look at the role that animal has played in your life, and decide for yourself what that animal symbolizes for you.

Some of the most surprising creatures may be considered Power Animals. I grew up in an area where armadillos were considered pests that carried leprosy, and most often were seen as road-kill. However, in the Medicine deck, Jamie Sams points out that the armor of the lowly Armadillo makes it a wonderful example of setting boundaries.