No, this isn't the blog homework from a few weeks ago. This is about a belief that a lot of people have (a lot of times shamans, though I am a pagan and I know quite a few others that have it as well), that each of us has a spirit animal, also known sometimes as a totem.
(Before we begin, I heard someone once tell me that it was offensive to indigenous cultures around the world that I am white and have adopted a practice native to them. Personally, I don't give a good gods damn if someone else finds my beliefs offensive, since they are my beliefs and not theirs; the only people I have to answer to, as it were, are the Gods - and since they've never expressed their anger about my beliefs, I will keep on doing what I'm doing.)
Anyway, this is more than just "Oh, elephants are my favorite animal" or "I have always really loved frogs" though that is a small part of it. I will use myself as a reference, since that is my M.O. Since I was a kid, I have always identified with dogs. Unless the dog has been abused or driven crazy by their owner (saw that once, and yes the owner was one crazy bitch), they treat me like pack the minute they meet me. If I go to a party and they have a dog, chances are you will find me playing with it or petting it instead of talking to guests. Dogs love me.
And, it's not just that. If you think about the traits of a dog, I seem to identify with them. I am fiercely loyal, I am very defensive of my pack (friends and family), I can be stubborn as all get out and unless I want to learn something I won't learn it. I see very well in the dark, and I have a great sense of smell. I am very giving and kind-hearted, and children really like me. Finally, I have a good sense for people and places, and if something is off about a person or place I will sense it right away and it makes me uncomfortable. These are all traits that dogs have.
Now, some of you may say that those are traits that other animals possess as well. This may be true; but to me, they are traits that define and identify someone as being like Dog. My ex-GF had Fox as her spirit animal, and it really defined her and who she was as well. And, you don't have to have met the animal in question to have it as your spirit animal. I've known people who have never met an elephant or rat in real life, yet they identify with those animals as their spirit animals and certainly seem to possess characteristics of those animals.
So there you have it, a little more insight into what makes me tick. And those of you who may say, "Shane, nobody wanted to know that," that may be true as well, but it's my blog and I can write what I want. :D