Signs & Symbolism

Animal symbolism is the meaning people read into the animals that cross their path. A crow on the fence, a dragonfly by the water or a cardinal in the snow can feel like a message. Many traditions treat these moments as signs worth noticing.

Those meanings come from somewhere. Some grow out of Indigenous stories, like the Cherokee tale of the redbird or the Tlingit Raven who brought daylight. Others come from scripture, Norse myth or European folklore. Our guides trace each belief to its source. They also explain what the real animal does, since most symbolism starts there.

New here? Start with what a spirit animal is. Then read about the red cardinal, the dragonfly, the raven and the crow.