Animal Spirits in Witchcraft & Magic
Animals and their spirits have a long history of connection to the practice of magic and witchcraft. They appear in witch-lore in a myriad of ways. The witches’ familiar is often depicted as a spirit assuming the form of an animal. The Devil also appears in such witch-stories, offering pacts of power in shape of a hound, a goat, or a crow. Animals can serve as both omens and symbols of power, formidable allies through which the practitioner of magic can better divine the future and hone their own primal energy.
Practitioners of magic and witchcraft often forge special relationships with the animal realm, whether the animals they work with are physical beings, spiritual presences, or representations of. Our affinity for animals—in our homes and in nature—can be a big part of our magical and spiritual identities. But how can we utilize that to empower and improve our magical crafts?
Animals as Archetypes
One of the elements of craft-building that never seems to get enough airtime is the time and energy that practitioners of magic spend building relationships with the spirit, energy, and symbol components of our craft. No matter what our view of the spirit is or what kinds of spirits we incorporate into our work, building relationships with our curios, symbols, tools, and selves is part of what we do. It may not be a conscious effort, it may not be linear, and it may not check all of the boxes—but our craft is likely to involve an effort to forge those relationships one some level, in some way, or at some point.
Some of the relationships that we build with animal spirits are associations that we build between an animal and a concept, a type of person, a set of traits, etc. Here, the animal acts as an archetype that helps us to be better understand those concepts. The bear becomes emblematic of maternal instinct, the wolf becomes a symbol for independence and leadership, and the elephant becomes a symbol of strength and of family. When we view the spirit of the wolf or the bear as being the collective spirit of all wolves and all bears, these animal spirits function as archetypes through which we can filter and amplify parts of the human experience and belief.
The archetypal functions of animal spirits are evident within the folk stories and fairy tales of cultures from around the world. Often featuring animals as anthropomorphic versions of their species, these stories explore human traits, behaviors and qualities that were also associated with these animals and their collective spirits. We grow up with these stories and understandings of these animals—and this helps to form the lens through which we view the same animals in nature. Through the beliefs and customs of our cultures, our understandings of the behaviors of animals, our interaction with the collective spirit of a species, and the framework of our magical practices, our understanding of animal spirits as archetypes is cultivated and integrated into our magical working through symbolwork, divination, and the study of the spirit.
Animal Allies, Spirit Guides & Familiars
Other relationships we may develop as practitioners are reciprocal, two-way relationships that occur between a practitioner and the animal spirit—either the collective spirit or the individual spirit. In these cases, the animal acts as a practitioner’s personal ally or guide through their magical or spiritual journey. Although these associations between practitioner and animal spirit can be quite similar in the ongoing, reciprocal, personal nature of the relationships, they can fulfill very different roles within a magical practice.
An animal ally is a type of animal with which the practitioner has developed a spiritual connection or relationship. Like animal archetypes, animal allies are typically based in the collective rather than being any one particular animal. Although a white snake or black cat may serve as a witch or practitioner’s animal ally, the spirit connected with them is often the collective spirit of the animal and all of its associated lore and belief.
These relationships can be powerful tools for practitioners of magic. When the spirit of the animal ally is called on during spellwork and ritual, they can lend their energy to the magic, helping do give the working more direction, stronger symbolism, and more specific results. They can also appear as messengers or indications of certain energies that are moving through a practitioner’s life, lending their aid and insight to the practitioner as they navigate both spiritual and personal decisions.
Similarly, our spirit guides (spirits which aid and chaperone us through our work with spirits and their realm) and familiars (spirits which may come to the aid of a practitioner in their magical practice and workings) can come in the form of animals. Unlike the animal archetypes of animal allies, however, these spirits may be the specific rather than collective. A brown hare, for example, may merely be the symbol of a brown hare in the case of the archetype or ally, whereas a spirit guide may appear as a specific brown hare with a name.
In both cases, there can be a number of reasons that the spirit assumes the shape of the animal that it does. It may choose to appear in the form of an animal which has some significance to the practitioner’s magical tradition, personal identity, cultural background or regional lore. It may also take on the shape of an animal which is associated with traits that be practitioner must lean into, unlock or understand within themselves.
Animals & Symbolwork
“In the practice of magic (just as it is in literature, theater, and artwork), symbolism is a vehicle for deeper understanding” (“Exploring & Creating Personal Symbolism for Power-Raising, Divination and Spellwork”). When we’re practicing magic, anything can be viewed as a symbol (in the right conditions, within the right context). Of all of the elements which come together to make up the symbol-sets through which we view, interact with and understand Spirit and its realm, the animal world and its behavior seems to hold a special place in the hearts of many practitioners.
Whether we are using our symbols in augury or in spirit work—or some other discipline within the scope of magical practice—we love our animals. We love viewing animals as symbols because their appearances within our lives often captivate us, demanding our full attention at least for a moment. Think of any time you have encountered an animal that you don’t normally come toe-to-toe with. Perhaps you saw a deer grazing at the edge of your lawn, in an area where you have never encountered deer before. Or, maybe you had a vivid dream of a lion sleeping in your bed with you. I, myself, can still vividly recall a time during an otherwise normal commute to work, I glanced over at the other side of the road to see a fox running alongside my car on the sidewalk. I can remember the experience as if it happened this morning, even though it occurred more than two years ago.
Animals are valuable to use as symbols because of the lens through which we view them. Animals are part of our folk stories and are present in many religious myths. They help us to measure the change of the seasons and to anticipate changes in weather. They can be symbols of our ancestry, representing our tribes, clans, and cultures. They can even stand as spokespeople for specific deities and spirits. We often recognize their spirits and humanize their behaviors, which adds a layer do an experience with an animal (living or spirit) that one doesn’t necessarily get with a plant or a stone. These things make our interactions with the animal kingdom especially powerful.
The use of animals as symbols in the practice of magic and witchcraft has many applications, across the wide spectrum of magical disciplines. They can be read as omens in augury and other divinatory practices or used as imagery to help direct and amplify the effects of a spell or ritual. They can be adopted as personal power symbols or invoked during rituals and workings as allies/aids. Because the understanding of each animal as a symbol can vary based on one’s culture, religion, magical tradition, and personal experiences, animal symbols are extremely versatile and can have a variety of expressions and applications.
Incorporating Animals into your Magical Practice
A lot of the time, beginning to incorporate different spirits into your magical practice is as simple as opening yourself up to them and waiting for a response. Spirits are like that sometimes. If you leave a door open for them, they just kind of show up and let themselves in. But there are, of course, ways to make it easier. Here are some tips for opening the door for animal spirits to let themselves into your practice or for seeking them out if you prefer.
1. Become the neighborhood’s first Crazy Goat Lady. If there is a particular animal that is significant to you, your family, your culture, your faith, etc., surround yourself with its imagery. Use them as your cellphone/desktop wallpaper. Buy postcards of them when you see them. Commission a painting of them from your favorite indie artist. Find a charm bracelet or a necklace that has that animal featured prominently on it. (Or, if you’re like me, just cover your bed in reindeer stuffies. It’s okay to be the Reindeer Girl. It’s a personality trait.)
2. Try out an animal-themed Tarot or oracle deck. If you’re looking to bring animal spirits into your divination practices, try incorporating them into a practice you already use. They are many amazing animal-centered divination decks out there—like the Druid Animal Oracle and the Hush Tarot. As you read, pay attention to which cards seem to turn up a lot as significators or personal guides.
3. Make a space for animals on your altars and shrines. Some of the most common advice that practitioners of magic give to practitioners looking to reach out to spirits or deities is to make a space for them on your altars or shrines—or even to make them their own. This applies to animal spirits too. This can be a very effective way to “reach out” to and connect with the denizens of the spirit world, as it encourages us to reflect on and get to know the spirits we are trying to bond with.
4. Revisit the folklore, fairy tales, religious imagery, etc. you grew up with—but this time pay attention to the animal element. For many practitioners, it is helpful to incorporate elements of our background into our magical paths. Whether it’s the use of local folklore or ancestral folk custom, leaning into our religious beliefs, or integrating elements of the fairy tale magic we grew up with into the magic we weave today, this practice can be extremely helpful to practitioners who might have trouble identifying with some of the more sterilized, textbook variations of magical tradition. These sources of inspiration can also be a great place to start understanding animal spirits as guides and omens, because they help us to understand why we interpret certain animals in the way we do by better understanding the stories that help to shape our view of them.
Disclaimer: Each of the Crowsbone writers and guest bloggers has their own magical background, beliefs, traditions and practices. These post represent the opinions, research and beliefs of the individual writers. We do not believe that they represent beliefs and rules associated with all magical practice or witchcraft; nor do they represent the beliefs and opinions of all of the Crowsbone community.