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Throughout the time we have valued and feared nature’s impact on our lives. That is why – in various ancient civilizations, people have believed in gods that embodied the natural forces. They were aware of the importance they held in our lives and tried to live in harmony with them. With time, we have forgotten about them – we learned that we could bend them according to our will and have forgotten the impact nature has on our well-being. Nevertheless, there are a few people who have preserved this sacred information – and because of that – have been living in flow with the natural rules. This long-forgotten knowledge is now finding its way back into our lives. Many of us have already started looking for ways to reconnect to nature: through the forces, the animals, and the plants. There are many ways to start – whatever you feel drawn to is a good beginning.
This article focuses on the Spirit Animal Raccoon, its symbolism, personality traits, ways to reconnect with it, and more.
Raccoons are adaptable, resourceful, clever, and cunning animals. These animals are the bandits of the animal kingdom – similar to how we see crows – deceitful. However, many characteristics are worthy of our respect – very few animals can make the best out of a bad situation. Raccoons have adapted to the human-dominated world like no other animal. They have kept their freedom with trickery and resourcefulness. It seems like whenever they set their mind on a task – nothing can stop them.
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 Raccoon as Spirit Animal
If you relate to the Spirit Guide Raccoon – you are most likely goal-driven, treacherous, adaptable, resourceful, good at disguise, and easily trainable. That wouldn’t mean that you deceit people for the fun of the act – you have a set goal and will use anything at hand to achieve it. These animals are creative with their actions because the main focus is on the end goal itself – not the process.
To some people, Raccoons might seem like naïve creatures that get into unnecessary troubles all the time. However, to understand their full potential and symbolism – you need to look beyond this preset image. Here are some facts about these animals that may surprise you and help you see the whole picture of their character. Raccoons are tribe-oriented animals – they will always encourage you to put your loved ones first. They will teach you not to be selfish, to spread your good fortune, and that true happiness in life is always shared. Raccoons are surprisingly good judges and symbolize discernment. They help you assess every situation, like the masterminds they are – they can see some hidden points you might have missed. These animals are great at planning and judging situations. They will help you create the best with the resources at hand.
The Raccoon – evolutionary speaking – has always lived on the land. It embodies the Element Earth and Air – it is resilient, goal-goal oriented, stable, practical, protective, adaptable, clever, and coraugeous. The connection of these two elements creates the raccoon’s mastermind personality. It can fixate on one task while adapting constantly to meet the requirements. That is why this animal is considered clever, cunning, and stealthy. The combination of these elements creates the only worthy opponent of the crow.
Characteristics and Personality
The Spirit Animal Raccoon is the most perfectly adapted help you can get. These animals are too resourceful not to get the job done. They will assess the situation like no other and help you make the best out of it. This animal has chaotic energy, the type that brings in a lot of movement into your life.
However, the first step of this spirit guide helping you is to set clear priorities. When you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve – this animal will step up and show you the way to achieve them. The Spirit Guide Raccoon is here to teach you that everything you need is already here.
Most of us think that to achieve our goals, a set of other events need to happen. However, this is most likely not true. It has been scientifically proven that we process a very small portion of the information our brain receives from our senses. In other words – we only acknowledge that what we set our mind. Therefore, if we consciously look for something – we will find it – the Universe is an abundant place.
Raccoons are here to teach us that we can find whatever we need in a very close reach. However, we should always try to work in a team and share joy with others. Shared happiness is always more meaningful. Try to remember that we need to move forward together as a society and not only as individuals. Take the time to bring others with you.
These animals represent:
- Disguise
- Trickery
- Adaptability
- Resourcefulness
- Cleverness
- Courage
- Stealth
- Bravery
Raccoon Spirit Animal Positive Powers
Adaptability: Raccoons have learned to survive and thrive in the human-dominated world. They may prefer to live in forests – near rivers and lakes, but they can also survive in agricultural areas, suburbs, and cities. Raccoons have adapted to any environment and to any species already living there. These animals have a wide range of skills – they can climb, swim, do complex tasks, and camouflage.
Another key quality to their survival is that they’re scavengers and omnivores. Therefore, they are not exactly picky eaters. In fact, raccoons have a remarkably balanced diet: anything from fruit to nuts, acorns, insects, rodents, frogs, fish, eggs, and human garbage.That is one of the reasons we see them as flexible, therefore, the raccoon is a symbol of adaptability.
If you have a Raccoon as a spirit guide – you make the best of any situation you find yourself in. You are the type of person that will thrive in a new setting. Whether it is a new country, restaurant, friend group, or work.
This spirit guide is teaching you to be open to trying new things, meeting new people, switching up your routine, going to new places, or expanding your skillset.
Resourcefulness: An old Aesop’s fable tells us about a thirsty crow who finds a pitcher full of water in the desert. Its beak is too short – making it impossible to reach the water. However, that doesn’t stop the clever crow! It decides to put pebbles in the water to raise the level. Because of this innovation, the water rises to a high enough level for the crow to drink.This fable is an example of the intelligence of the crow.
The raccoon demonstrates similar resourcefulness and adaptability. There have been many experiments done with this animal. That is why we are aware of its complex problem-solving skills. It doesn’t wait for the ideal conditions. Instead, the raccoon makes the best out of the resources it has at hand.
You have what you need to succeed! Use your imagination and your intelligence to achieve your goals. This Spirit Guide helps you improve your adaptive thinking.
Trickery: Along with the coyote and the crow, the raccoon is a trickster in Native American mythology. However, the animal would probably argue that they are not tricksters at heart; they are more resourceful than other animals and are trying to achieve their goals with everything at hand.
This spirit guide teaches you to have fun while you go through life. There is a need of trickery when it comes to business or communication with people. However, don’t forget that too much trickery is seen as manipulation. Once you get a bad reputation and people catch on your behavior it will be hard to earn their trust again. therefore, try to use your full skillset only when necessarry.
Stealth: As a master of disguise, the raccoon reminds us that sometimes we have to put on a facade – in some matters we should be discreet. In the spirit of adaptability – this animal reminds us that our appearances need to be fluid. We have to meet the need of the situation while remaining true to our inner selves. Sometimes it may be hard to change our mannerisms according to the people around us – but as true masters of disguise – we should learn to play many different roles.
Raccoon Spirit Animal Negative Powers
Manipulation: Most people engage in periodic manipulation. For example, saying you feel “fine” when you are depressed is, technically, a form of manipulation because it controls your acquaintance’s perceptions of and reactions to you.
People who manipulate others often do so because they feel the need to control their environment and surroundings, an urge that often stems from deep-seated fear or anxiety. People who need to be in control of every situation can change their environment to meet their idea of it. However, we need to learn that not every occasion needs alteration. Try practicing acceptance and letting go if you work with this animal.
Fraudulent: Fraud involves the false representation of facts, whether by intentionally withholding important information or providing false statements to another party for the specific purpose of gaining something that may not have been provided without the deception. Raccoons have a mischievous nature. There are willing to go to any extent to achieve their goal – nothing is off the table or immoral. We should remember that the means are just as important as the goal.
Raccoon as an Animal Totem
A Raccoon totem reminds you to be: creative, adaptive, to remember that there is always a solution, to be flexible, and to trust yourself. When you need to call upon some of the traits that this animal represents – keep a symbol of it nearby. It can be in the form of jewelry, art, symbols, written words, or anything you associate with this animal. Any object that reminds you of it can be a totem of it.
Keeping a raccoon totem in your home will bring new ideas, protection, creativity, excitement, new opportunities, luck, and critical thinking to you. Keeping it somewhere you look at often will help you become more resourceful.
How to Call the Animal Spirit of Raccoon for Help?
Raccoons embody the element of earth and air. You could visit any place that lets you connect to nature. The most effective way to communicate with your spirit guide is through visualization and listening to your intuition. However, if you want to do it from the comfort of your home, you can find a simple guided meditation written below.
Simple ways to reconnect with the Animal Spirit Raccoon:
Firstly, we need to look for the Earth element within ourselves. It is in everything solid and resistant, everything physical. Picture yourself in a wild field – feel every emotion in your body, the different physical sensations, how your body communicates with nature. Practice mindful observation. How does it feel to be alive right now – how does being in the field feel – how do they interact? Feel your emotions. Appreciate what your body is doing to keep you alive. Be grateful for all of the sensors you have developed because of its hard work. Through them, you can experience the World fully. Notice how the air is entering your body, how t inflates your chest, and how it feels. Become one with the field, be as stable and as wild.
The raccoon is teaching us how to be more grounded yet flexible. Firstly you need stability to motivate you to go after your wildest desires and goals. After having this foundation – you can begin the path to becoming authentic. You need to be self-assured to let the raccoon lead you. The ways of these animals are only suited for the bold and brave. Therefore, you need to ground yourself before you begin working with them. The raccoon will help you with every goal, but you need to be brave enough to let it guide you.
How Does an Animal Spirit Make Itself Known?
Spirit Guides bring us information from other spiritual realms. That makes it more complicated to put into words or physical signs accurately. That is why we may miss some of their messages – we are not used to encountering or noticing them. However, when we can distinguish them – we will decode them. All it takes is some practice and mindful observation.
Here is a way to start, for example – you can pay attention to when and where you see this animal. That will help you decode the message faster because of its divine timing.
The Spirit Animal Raccoon can make itself known in three ways: to appear in your dreams, visions, and real-life situations. Here are some examples of ways it can make itself known: seeing it in art, reading about it, hearing about it on the news or from a random conversation, seeing this animal on clothes, a person randomly mentioning it, or receiving a totem of them. Your Spirit Guide knows the perfect way and time to deliver its messages – when you learn to observe.
How to Understand Your Spirit Animal’s Message
How do you decipher the message? That is the most important question! It may be easier and faster to rely on universal symbolism, but in the end, nothing can compare to intuition. You are the only person that can accurately decode your divine messages. Your spirit guide will send you messages that are specifically for you – according to your thoughts, memories, experiences, and beliefs.
Therefore, to understand them – ask yourself questions that will help you clarify. How do I feel about it? What could it mean? Why do I see it right now? There are many more. Take some time with the details of the message and work out what it means for you. You can be sure you understood the message only after you have cleared up every detail in your head.
Meaning of Raccoon in Dreams
Our minds and bodies react the same way to dreams and reality. Therefore, in either state, we decode the messages in the same way. The meaning of dreams varies from one person to the other – and only you can fully understand yours. Therefore we need to rely on intuition and observation once again. The emotions during the dream and after it will decipher the message. Keeping a journal might help you reflect on them and keep track. Some dreams are warnings from your guides – if you keep track of events you will find the pattern.
Here are some examples of what a dream might mean:
When a raccoon appears represents adaptability, curiosity, and creativity. It could either suggest that you need to acquire these qualities, or you already possess them and have to use them.
A raccoon in your dream may come to warn you of deceit and treachery. That can be your treason or someone present in your life.
If you see one in a work-related situation it indicates success.
A dream in which a raccoon is digging through your trash points towards the fact that you need to be more resourceful.
Meaning of Raccoon in Various Mythologies
A Tanuki (or Japanese Raccoon Dog) is a real animal with a reputation for magic and mischief. These little fur-balls rarely cause serious harm to humans—some might say this is because they aren’t clever enough to fabricate truly dangerous plots—but they are still full of pranks and surprises.
Azeban is a raccoon, the Abenaki trickster figure. This Native American tribe has a lot of tales about this animal.
For the Winnebago, the raccoon was a shapeshifter animal who was associated with the water. In fact, in a number of Winnebago legends, the raccoon shapeshifts into a fish and back. Thus they saw the raccoon as both a forest and water spirit.
Some people may wonder about what the raccoon means in the Bible. Raccoons are actually not mentioned in the Bible. This is most likely because raccoons did not exist in the Middle East at the time the Bible was written, from around 1200 BC – 1 AD.
Raccoons are also used as clan animals in some Native American cultures. Tribes with Raccoon Clans include the Muskogee Creek (whose Raccoon Clan is named Wotkalgi or Wotkvlke,) the Chippewa (whose Raccoon Clan and its totem are called Esiban,) the Chickasaw, the Shawnee, and the Menominee. Some eastern tribes, like the Lenape, Shawnee, and Iroquois, also have a Raccoon Dance among their tribal dance traditions.
