Stephanie Tillman

inky-duchess:

Symbols and Signs: Animals

Animals are among the first symbols any human race has used. From birth we know that certain animals represent traits that are human, such as courage, wisdom and strength. I would look into Viking, Egyptian, Christian, Native American Legends and Greek/Roman mythos for animal motifs.

• Tigers: a symbol of strength, power, energy, passion, ferocity, sensuality, beauty, speed, and wrath.
• Panthers: symbolize strength, , adventure, loyalty, triumph, and a spiritual mind or personality.
• Lions: courage, power, royalty, dignity, authority, justice, wisdom, and ferocity.
• Koi Fish: fortune and luck, perseverance in adversity, and strength of purpose. (Japanese)
• Dolphins: gracefulness, playfulness, gentle, harmony, intelligence, friendship, community, and generosity.
• Crabs: trust, emotion, protection, regeneration, and transformation.
• Shark: calculation, perceptiveness, and instinct.
• Dove: peace, hope, love, freedom, promise, maternity, and messenger. (Christian)
• Eagle: patriotism, spiritual protection, guardianship, opportunity, freedom, skill, authority, vision, power, and leadership. (Native American)
• Peacocks: Glory, royalty, power, beauty, awakening, refinement, and incorruptibility.
• Hummingbirds: joy, energy, vitality, healing, peace, infinity, agility, playfulness, loyalty, and affection.
• Snake: duality, the search for balance, rebirth, patience, awareness, wisdom, ambition, evil, healing, intellect, protection, royalty, and awareness. (Christian, Greek, Egyptian)
• Frog: f fertility, luck, purity, rebirth, renewal, healing, metamorphosis, and opportunity.
• Turtles and tortoises: steadiness, protection, patience and stability
• Butterflies: beauty, metamorphosis, transformation, fragility, grace, resurrection, transition, and change.
• Spiders : fate, death, rebirth, and signifying a crafty or resourceful personality.
• Dragonflies: prosperity, peace, good luck, purity, and harmony.
• Scorpions: death, transition, sex, control, solitary, passion, protection, and defensiveness.
• Horses: power, grace, beauty, strength, freedom, and nobility.
• Foxes: cunning, playful, quick thinking or strategic personality, wisdom
• Ant: group mind, patience, action
• Antelope: action, agility and sacrifice
• Armadillo: safety, boundaries, medicine shield
• Bat: rebirth, secrets, blood and initiation
• Beaver: builder, protector
• Boar: Fire, savageness, power, the sun
• Buffalo: sacredness, life, abundance, prophecy (Native American)
• Cat: Royalty, cunning, evil, independence (Egyptian)
• Bear: Strength, Motherhood, power
• Coyote: laughter, humor, foolishness
• Crow: Death, greed, murder, wealth
• Deer: gentleness, trust, innocence and purity
• Dog: Loyalty, nobility, true friendship
• Hawk: Speed, persistence and quick wits
• Lizard: Self-reliance, longevity, age, wisdom, evil
• Mouse: Timidness
• Otter: Laughter, curiosity, mischievous
• Owl : wisdom, deception, death (Greek/Roman)
• Rabbit: Virtue, serenity, low curiosity, quiet talent, fertility, (Chinese)
• Ram: self worth, stubbornness (Chinese)
• Raven: Magic, the messenger, mystery, dreams, death (Norse)
• Sheep: trusting and naivety
• Wolf: knowledge , leadership, savagery, teamwork, fear, Motherhood (Native American, Norse, Roman)