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In the universe there are powers and laws that are working beyond our understanding. In earlier centuries we have seen them as gods, natural forces, acts of the divine, religion – whichever resonates with you, they are all the same thing. However, we are starting to lose our connection to nature and these universal powers. We see ourselves as almighty and have decided that nothing affects us. Sadly, that is far from the truth. We are timelessly connected with everything.
Neglecting the urges of our soul has led us into a life full of constant fear, anxiety, and search. However, some of us have been passed this ancient knowledge through the generations and are working on helping others. When we are living in harmony with nature – we will find all the answers we’ve been trying to find. Since you’re here, you’re already on the path of self-improvement. You are trying to understand the messages the universe has sent to you and how to grow from them. Since everything in the universe has divine timing and sacred symbolism, it will take time to decipher every message. However, we shouldn’t lose hope – even small progress is better than no progress.
This article focuses on the Spirit Animal Cardinal, its symbolism, personality traits, ways to reconnect with it, and more.
Cardinals have a vivid red color, resonant song, and unique characteristics. Cardinal has a Latin origin – meaning pivot, indeed, represents a pivotal point in a person’s life. Because of its fiery, enthusiastic, passionate, and fierce, this bird is a symbol of taking rapid action in your life. New and bold beginnings, authenticity, and standing your ground are only some of the qualities it represents. Above all, they are a symbol of faithful, monogamous, harmonious, and joyful love. That being said, they court their one chosen partner for life. These birds feel very secure in their skin and are not scared to show it. Their confidence is hard to miss, and so is their adventurous spirit.
If you feel like you embody these traits or want to channel them in your life, keep reading this article – to find a way to understand how to use and find them.
Meaning and Symbolism of Cardinal As Spirit Animal
If you relate to the Spirit Guide Cardinal – you are most likely bold, intelligent, enthusiastic, assertive, passionate, and adventurous. The combination of these qualities makes you a great leader, a loving and devoted partner, with a dare-devil soul. You are not afraid to show your true colors, even if they are brighter than everybody else. That is because you feel so secure in your personality – it is not worth masking it. We are all created perfectly, placed in the right setting, to interact with our surroundings. There is no use in trying to be someone else when you already know that what you are is needed right now.
Cardinal birds are seen as fiery and small animals that have too much enthusiasm and assertiveness. However, to understand them completely – you need to question these beliefs. Here are some facts about them that may surprise you and help you see the whole picture of their character.
Their red color is in vivid contrast with their surroundings. In nature, the Cardinal bird can fly 80 miles per hour straight off of a high tree branch, so it is confident in its abilities. It doesn’t need to hide when it is sure of its capabilities. They also lead an exemplary love life – in a perfect union, dividing the responsibilities and sharing the joy.
The cardinal – evolutionary speaking – lives on the land and in the sky. It embodies the Element Earth, Air, and Fire – it is adaptable, assertive authentic, adventurous, protective, powerful, bold, passionate, and caring. That makes it a worthy leader, self-assured in its abilities. It doesn’t need to work in the shadows because it knows that nothing can stop it from achieving its goal either way.
Characteristics and Personality
The Spirit Animal Cardinal will help you find your inner strength. Its assertiveness, passion, ambition, and bold lifestyle, will inspire you to find these qualities in yourself as well. The Cardinal’s red color symbolizes the qualities it shares with the sun: enthusiasm, liveliness, heat, and mental strength. Metaphorically elated to the sun and fire, it represents warmth and fiery energy. The Cardinal encourages us to realize our hidden talent through our actions and words.
It may be hard for some people to go through life with enthusiasm and joy, but reminding ourselves of our mortality occasionally can help. Daily, we tend to forget that we have limited time on this planet and we should enjoy it. We get stuck into loops of needing to finish an activity before being happy and enthusiastic. However, life is still passing by and we should learn from the cardinal how to be more present. A good metaphor for that would be to enjoy each day like you appreciate music. You aren’t waiting for a specific part to come to enjoy the song. You are present and enjoying it, from the beginning until the end.
Another crucial characteristic that we can learn from the cardinal’s behavior is to have a realistic evaluation of your skills and to use them accordingly. Some people are terrified by the idea of failing – so they never even try in the first place. That is because of their lack of realistic judgment of the situation. The fact is – most of the time it can only get better if you decide to try.
The Cardinal Spirit Animal is teaching you how to be more assertive in every aspect of your life – how to become more optimistic through practical judgment.
These animals represent:
- Self-confidence
- Assertiveness
- Loyalty
- Stability
- Protection
- Strong Family
- Adaptation
- Authenticity
Cardinal Spirit Animal Positive Powers
Self-confidence: Self-confidence is a necessary skill that many of us haven’t developed. The Spirit Guide Cardinal will help you become more optimistic. It is crucial to believe that your actions will have a positive outcome. However, it is equally important to have a realistic judgment in high-risk situations. That means knowing when you can gamble what the outcome is. There are situations where it is better to play it safe because you are dependent on the result. However, those are very few. Most of the time, actions are reversible and as important as – wheater you want coffee or tea.
When you have complete trust in yourself and your abilities nothing is unchangeable.
Sometimes we can forget how far we’ve come. Undermining yourself and your abilities is a recipe for failure. Most of the time when we set our mind to something it becomes reality. Therefore, try to see yourself as the beautiful and unique creature that you are.
Assertiveness: Assertiveness is a commonly misunderstood trait. People tend to associate it with pushing your opinions on others. However, it has barely anything to do with that and a lot with being comfortable in your skin. Assertiveness is a key skill that can help you to better manage yourself, people, and situations. It can help you influence others to gain acceptance, agreement, or behavior change.
It is the ability to express your opinions positively and with confidence. Assertive people are in control of themselves and are honest with themselves and others. Sometimes that can be mistaken for aggression. The main difference between the two is the final goal. Assertive people’s main goal is to present their point firmly – yet in an empathetic way. Aggressive people are seen as pushy and acting without considering other people. Of course, the line is very thin.
The Cardinal will teach you how to appreciate yourself enough. You will speak about your thoughts and desires openly and claim them. That is a very important step on the path of creating meaningful relationships with people.
There are two ways to view the situation: your thoughts and needs are valid and so are other people’s. When you keep track of both of them you will find the perfect balance.
Strong Family: Cardinals mate for life. They pick one partner and build a loving home with them. It bases on shared responsibility and joy. We can all learn from them how to build a solid foundation for love. It is crucial for our survival and happiness to find a way to not only coexist with others – but to maintain meaningful relationships. There is a lot of joy in sharing experiences with others, learning from them, and being each other’s support. The Cardinal Spirit Animal has realized that already and it puts all of its efforts into achieving this magnificent goal. For many people it may not be the right time to create a family, however, the cardinal encourages you to work on the family you already have as well. Sometimes it can be chosen family – sometimes we need to work on our centuries-old issues at home. Either way, your spirit guide is here to help!
Authenticity: Authenticity is the quality to be completely true to yourself. To achieve that – you will need to work on your self-love. That is not an easy task, to begin with – however, it comes bearing immense rewards. There might have been people in your life who tried to lessen your value. Sayings like “You will never find someone if you keep doing what you are doing” or better yet: “You will never (insert desired activity) if you keep (insert activity that annoys the other side).”. We can see why this is not credible information. No one can tell you that because of who you are you can’t achieve what you want. You can do whatever you set your mind to! Remember that you aren’t lovable at the end when you succeed – you are lovable throughout the whole process. It is a state of being. The cardinal can teach you how to love yourself and present it boldly and openly to the world.
Cardinal Spirit Animal Negative Powers
Arrogance: Arrogance is one of the most unpleasant and ineradicable manifestations of human nature—one that has been condemned since ancient times. Buddhists identified māna (arrogance) as one of the five poisons of the mind in the Mahayana and as one of the ten fetters in the Theravada tradition. Ancient Greeks had the notion of hubris, which referred to actions that humiliated the victim for the pleasure or gratification of the abuser. As the quotes above show, arrogance was also viewed as a sin in the Abrahamic religions. Contemporary research confirms these early insights showing that arrogant people are less liked by others, and perceived as less sociable, less intelligent, and less productive. When you have an unrealistic conception of yourself and others – you can magnify your importance to the point it turns into arrogance. Try to remain humble by reminding yourself that you are just as valuable as everything else in the world. For it to be in a perfect balance – it needs all of its pieces.
Unrealistic ideas: The Spiritual Animal Cardinal likes to take risks and to be bold. However, some feel like an unnecessary gamble or an unrealistic judgment. That is why we can learn from this behavior, understand the positive and the negative sides, and apply only what we see as beneficial. Some are risks are not to be taken lightly. Therefore, try evaluating your abilities fairly and then deciding what chances you can take. Some have a hard time seeing reality in its true colors – it is mainly twisted through our prism of understanding. Breaking down the criteria of which it consists when you want to evaluate something might help you understand it better.
Cardinal as an Animal Totem
A Cardinal totem reminds you to be: adaptive, assertive, bold, protective, extroverted, and loyal. If you are trying to embody some of the traits that this animal represents – keep a symbol of it nearby. It can be in the form of jewelry, art, written words, or anything you associate with this animal. Any object that reminds you of the cardinal can be used as a totem.
Keeping a cardinal totem in your home will bring authority, protection, self-love, strong bonds, strength, stability, and fast thinking to you and your close ones. Keep it somewhere you look at often – that will remind you to appreciate yourself and others.
How to Call the Animal Spirit of Cardinal for Help?
When you need help from your Spirit Guide, try carrying a totem of it with you or asking it directly. The best way to get in touch with your guide is through visualization and meditation. For some, the concept of visualization as a form of connection is difficult. Try imagining being in the presence of a cardinal, observe how it behaves and what it is trying to tell you. If you are having troubles visualizing and meditating – ask the universe or your guide for a sign. You can ask for a specific way for it to make itself known. It can send you a specific signal in real life to guide you if you need that. Your spirit animal is here for you and will do its best to cooperate in the communication. In other words – ask and you shall recieve!
How Does an Animal Spirit Make Itself Known?
The Spirit Guide Cardinal will send us information from other spiritual realms. It carries sacred knowledge that will help you enhance your life and come closer to your purpose. However, some of its messages may go unnoticed – because we are not used to noticing them as anything special. We can learn to see them and decode them.
As a beginning, you can try to keep track of when and where you see this animal. Then when you ask yourself the right questions, it will help you understand the divine timing of its appearance in your life.
The Spirit Animal Cardinal can make itself known in your dreams, visions, and real-life situations. Here are some proposals: somewhere on the internet, seeing it in art or on clothes, reading about it, hearing about it on the news, tv shows, or from a random conversation, a person randomly mentioning it, or receiving a figure of them as a totem. The Spirit Guides know use divine timing to deliver their information – notice what steals your attention or pops up randomly – and trust your intuition.
How to Understand Your Spirit Animal’s Message
Each message is specifically designed for the receiver. The most accurate way to understand yours – is to ask yourself what it truly means for you. Yes, it is easier and faster to rely on universal symbolism, but nothing will come close to your own intuition. Your spirit guide sends you messages according to your thoughts, memories, experiences, and beliefs. That is why no one but you can fully understand their depth.
A good tip is to take some time with the details of the message and to ask follow-up questions. Keep in mind the qualities your guide represents for you and then connect it to the place it made itself known. By reading the message as a multifaceted code you will decipher its true meaning and improve your life.
Meaning of Cardinal in Dreams
Our minds and bodies react the same way to dreams as to reality. Not only that, they react to thoughts the same way as they would be currently experiencing them in reality. Therefore, decoding messages follows the same logic. The meaning of dreams and visualizations varies between people – only you can understand yours. Therefore the most accurate tools are intuition and observation once again.
Here are some examples of what a dream might mean:
Cardinals are active and energetic birds. Seeing them in dreams suggests that you are going to experience positive spurts of energy in the future.
You might see a cardinal flying in your dreams. This has a positive connotation and is usually seen as a sign of contentment. You are at a point in your life where you’re satisfied with your career and social life.
If you see two cardinals it might be an indicator to focus on your family.
A cardinal on your window may be trying to remind you to set some clear boundaries.
You can dream of a different colored cardinal, although it doesn’t exist. Try to find a general meaning for the color itself.
Always remember that the truest meaning is the one you find for yourself! Don’t be afraid to dig deep into your subconscious if you want to understand messages. Follow your intuition and pay attention to your emotions and thoughts!
Meaning of Cardinal in Various Mythologies
Red cardinal symbolism is closely related to the phoenix.
According to the Greek’s – the phoenix or the Cardinal were the birds of the sun. When they would sing their song, even the sun would stop to listen to the beautiful melody.
The Cherokee also associated the red Cardinal with the sun and considered it a good omen. One Cherokee myth describes the first red bird as the sun’s daughter. In this story, the land once went dark after she was slain.
In a Choctaw legend, the cardinal bird is seen as a matchmaker between two lonely people. It leads one guy to a woman and watches them fall in love.
For the Pueblo, the cardinal is a directional guardian associated with the south.
Native Americans see the cardinal symbolizes abundance and good luck.
The Aikimel O’odham (Pima) associate cardinals with lightning, and believe that they can predict rain.
A common opinion is that the presence of a red cardinal represents God or a messenger from God. However, the word cardinal is not specifically used in the Bible. Cardinals are not native to the Mediterranean area, the setting for most of the books of Scripture.
