4. Symbolic Animals
• The following animals
appear in a variety of
cultures and represent a
variety of things.
• In one case an animal
might symbolize
something good, while
in another culture might
consider it
representative of evil.
10. Symbolic Animals: Apes & Monkeys
• A common ancestor of
human beings, apes and
chimps are often associated
with human-like qualities
such as:
• Mischief
• Mimicry
• Cunning
• Benevolence
• Humanity
• Nurturing
13. Symbolic Animals: Bats
• As guardians of the night,
bats are often viewed as:
• Cleaners
• The unknown
• Messengers
• Duality
• Bringers of happiness
• Symbols of good luck,
longevity, & peace
• They may also represent
hypocrisy, melancholy,
revenge, or wisdom.
19. Symbolic Animals: Birds
• As inhabitants of the
sky, the realm only
recently accessible to
humans, birds often
represent:
• The soul
20. Symbolic Animals: Birds
• As inhabitants of the
sky, the realm only
recently accessible to
humans, birds often
represent:
• The soul
• Transcendence
21. Symbolic Animals: Birds
• As inhabitants of the
sky, the realm only
recently accessible to
humans, birds often
represent:
• The soul
• Transcendence
• The spirits of the air
22. Symbolic Animals: Birds
• As inhabitants of the
sky, the realm only
recently accessible to
humans, birds often
represent:
• The soul
• Transcendence
• The spirits of the air
• Communication
23. Symbolic Animals: Birds
• As inhabitants of the
sky, the realm only
recently accessible to
humans, birds often
represent:
• The soul
• Transcendence
• The spirits of the air
• Communication
• Freedom
29. Symbolic Animals: Bulls
• Although they were also hunted
as food sources by early humans,
cattle – and especially bulls –
wielded great physical strength.
• As a result, humans have
historically associated them with:
30. Symbolic Animals: Bulls
• Although they were also hunted
as food sources by early humans,
cattle – and especially bulls –
wielded great physical strength.
• As a result, humans have
historically associated them with:
• Wealth
• Potency
• Male procreative strength
• Kingship
• The taming of the
masculine and animal nature
• Destructive force
33. Symbolic Animals: Butterflies
• Butterflies must pass
through many physical
transformations to reach
their truest, mature forms;
resultantly, they are
associated with:
• Metamorphosis
• Transformation
• Immortality
• Rebirth
• The soul
36. Symbolic Animals: Felines
• Initially, cats were competing
predators, but eventually
humans were able to domestic
cats – at least partially.
• The cats’ grace, mystery, and
independence have come to
represent:
37. Symbolic Animals: Felines
• Initially, cats were competing
predators, but eventually
humans were able to domestic
cats – at least partially.
• The cats’ grace, mystery, and
independence have come to
represent:
• Guardianship
• Detachment
• Sensuality
• Stealth
• Liberty
• Magic
• Vanity
40. Symbolic Animals: Coyotes
• As untamed predators
even today, coyotes
have long been viewed
as:
• Pranksters
• Playfulness
• Duality and the ability to
present both sides of an
issue
• Clowning and humor,
perhaps sarcastic
43. Symbolic Animals: Canines
• Domesticated dogs,
perhaps the first species
of animal to undergo
that process, are often
seen as symbolizing:
• Guidance
• Protection
• Loyalty
• Fidelity
• Watchfulness
46. Symbolic Animals: Dolphins
• Extremely intelligent
and friendly when it
comes to humans,
dolphins and porpoises
may represent:
• Kindness
• Saviorship
• Intelligence
• Communication
49. Symbolic Animals: Dragons
• Mythical, fantastical
creatures like dragons are
actually metaphors that
represent forces early
humans were able to
quantify, such as:
• The power of Earth
• The breath of life
• Supernatural power,
magic, & strength
• Wisdom
• Guardianship
52. Symbolic Animals: Eagles
• As alpha predators of the
sky – again, a realm
largely inaccessible to
humans – eagles
symbolize:
• Divine spirits
• The power of the air & the
sun
• Power in battle
• Clear vision
• Success, prosperity, or
wealth
• Intelligence & courage
58. Symbolic Animals: Goats
• Hardy and formidable,
goats – as an early-
domesticated species –
have come to represent:
• Vitality
• Fertility
• Abundance
• Lust
61. Symbolic Animals: Horses
• Another species domesticated
quickly by early humans,
horses have played a vital
role in the evolution of
humankind; as a result, they
are icons of:
• Stamina
• Mobility
• Coping under difficult
circumstances
• Love, devotion & loyalty
• Nobility
• Freedom & wildness
67. Symbolic Animals: Serpents
• Chthonic creatures like
snakes, that are bound to
the earth and continually
shed their forms, have
earned reputations for:
• Life
• Rebirth & resurrection
• Healing & harm
• Preservation & destruction
• Malice & fertility
70. Symbolic Animals: Spiders
• As nature’s master
artisans – as well as
skillful predators in their
own right, spiders are
symbols of:
• Creativity
• Patterns in life
• Connecting the past with
the future
• The creation of
possibilities
73. Symbolic Animals: Unicorns
• Mythological creatures
who are thought to be
both uncatchable and
untameable, unicorns
represent:
• Chastity
• Purity
• Dreams
• Strength
• Magical healing
77. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Red
• Red has traditionally
symbolized excitement,
energy, passion, love,
desire, speed, strength,
power, heat, aggression,
danger, fire, blood, war,
violence - all things
intense and passionate.
80. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Orange
• The vibrant color
orange represents
energy, balance,
enthusiasm, warmth,
vibrancy, expansiveness,
flamboyance
• It also visually demands
attention.
83. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Yellow
• Yellow has many different
meanings, depending on the
culture.
• It often represents joy,
happiness, betrayal,
optimism, idealism,
imagination, hope, sunshine,
summer, gold, philosophy,
dishonesty, cowardice,
jealousy, covetousness, deceit,
illness, hazard and friendship.
86. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Green
• Another color associated
with a basic element of the
earth – the land – green
has come to represent
nature, the environment,
health, good luck, renewal,
youth, spring, generosity,
fertility, jealousy,
inexperience, envy,
misfortune, vigor.
89. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Blue
• Blue – a color associated
with the most basic
elements of the earth, sea
and sky – is symbolic of:
peace, tranquility, cold,
calm, stability, harmony,
unity, trust, truth,
confidence, conservatism,
security, cleanliness, order,
loyalty, sky, water,
technology, depression,
appetite suppressant.
92. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Purple
• Long a highly-prized color
because of the difficulty
required to obtain its
pigment, purple is
representative of royalty,
nobility, spirituality,
ceremony, mystery,
transformation, wisdom,
enlightenment, cruelty,
arrogance, or mourning.
95. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Brown & Tan
• The third elemental
hue, brown symbolizes
the Earth, stability, the
hearth, home, the
outdoors, reliability,
comfort, endurance,
simplicity, and comfort.
98. Symbolic Colors In Myth: Black
• Black represents the
absorption of all colors, and
as such is associated with
power, sexuality,
sophistication, formality,
elegance, wealth, mystery,
fear, evil, unhappiness, depth,
style, evil, sadness, remorse,
anger, anonymity,
underground, good technical
color, mourning, and death in
Western cultures.
101. Symbolic Colors In Myth: White
• The reflection of all light’s
wavelength’s, white is a
shade associated with
reverence, purity, birth,
simplicity, cleanliness,
peace, humility, precision,
innocence, youth, winter,
snow, good, sterility,
marriage in Western
cultures.
• It represents death in many
Eastern cultures.