Spirit animals

This group gathers spirit animals not sorted into a particular zoological class, the beasts held in various traditions to carry powers, teachings or kinship with people. The idea that an animal may be a guide or emblem is ancient and worldwide, from totem and clan animals to the guardian creatures of many cultures.

The browser will find the spirit animals the atlas classes here. The entries describe each animal's symbolic associations, distinguishing long-standing cultural meanings from the modern "spirit animal" and "power animal" concepts.