Elephant Spirit Animal: What Does An Elephant Symbolize?

Elephants had been present in many different cultures and societies. The elephant had been a symbol of prosperity, wisdom, and strength. Even among animals, elephants might not be the king of the beasts, but they are well respected.

They do not rule the savannah or forest, they do not feast on other animals, but they have the kind of strength that makes them able to strut around. The significance of elephants goes beyond the savannah and the wilderness.

In some religions, they are regarded as a messenger from gods. They carry behind their backs gods and kings and soldiers. Elephants had played a huge part in ancient wars. There is so much about elephants and their influence on religion, culture, and society and we will dig deeper into that in this article.

Elephant Symbolism and Meaning

Elephants have a different brain structure than other animals and their brain is also bigger than others. This is the reason why they are believed to have deeper thoughts and higher wisdom. Elephants had been a symbol of intelligence, wisdom, and deeper thinking. Elephants are also believed to have emotions.

This had been apparent in how they deal with their children and how protective they are. The sense of direction of elephants is also one of the best among beasts in the savannah. They can locate water holes even at a great distance. Their resilience is something that humans can learn from.

They are believed to bring in positive chakra and block the chakra points that bring in loneliness and other negative energy that hinders happiness, wealth, and prosperity.

In every culture and society, the elephant has different symbols and meanings. In some of these cultures, elephants are revered as gods. In others, they are a symbol of strength. Just how Alexander the Great had expanded his empire with the strength of elephants, it was seen as the symbol of power and might.

Elephant Native American Symbolism

Elephants did not exist in the North American continent, but the Native Americans had hunted animals that are similar to the elephants, the mammoths. Mammoths are symbols of luck and wealth in ancient times. How they can dominate the earth makes them symbols of strength.

Capturing a mammoth takes coordination among the hunters. Even the strongest of hunters may not be able to capture or kill one. It takes intelligence and strategy to capture a mammoth. With how the mammoths show off their strength over the entire village.

Native Americans fear them but also revere them. Mammoths are essential to the survival of ancient Native American civilizations. Their meat, skin, and tusks are used by them. The meat is necessary for surviving the harsh winter. It is processed and used in the long winter months when hunting and planting are almost impossible.

The hairy skin of the mammoth is used as protection in the winter months. Mammoth can be destructive, but it had helped the ancient civilizations survive. This is why they might be feared but the usefulness of the mammoths had been significant in their culture that they still refer to the mammoth as the symbol of luck and wealth.

Their destructive power of a mammoth had the Native Americans in awe of its strength and power. When they became instinct, the bonds and tusks of mammoths were used as accessories. These accessories are believed to give protection to the person wearing them. Women would also wear it believing that it is good for fertility.

Elephant Eastern Symbolism

In Hinduism, elephants have significant symbols. Ganesha which happens to be the favorite god in Hinduism is the god who removes obstacles, he is the god of luck, wealth, and prosperity. Ganesha is also the protector of homes and people who worship him.

There are several temples dedicated to him. Not only can the statue of Ganesha be found in temples but it is also found in almost every home and vehicle of Hindus. In other eastern cultures like the Chinese, elephants are symbols of luck and happiness. Chinese believes in Feng Shui so the placement and position of elephants matter.

Elephant statues when placed in front of the door, facing each other, is believed to protect homes. They protect homes, especially from natural elements such as fire. They also attract wealth when the elephants whose trunks are upwards. When the trunk is down, then it is a symbol of fertility.

Elephants are also symbols of royal power. In Eastern Culture, most royals are carried by the back of elephants, not by horses. They are a symbol of royalty and they are paid the respect that is due to a king. Most royal palaces have elephants in them as they are the protector of the royals.

The elephants who are known for their wisdom and gentleness are what a royal is expected to be. In Asian culture, royals should be brave against their enemies but they must show compassion towards their subordinates. How elephants had been treated in Asia had raised controversies in recent years.

Elephants nowadays are attracting tourism and they carry tourists behind their backs. Animal rights activists are raising concerns about how these gentle giants are being treated. Despite the treatment of elephants, they are still treated as a purveyor of good fortune, good health, and wisdom.

Elephant Christianity Symbolism

In Christianity, elephants are symbols of chastity. Elephants show no passion so it is a symbol of purity and chastity. Elephants are very patient. So it is depicted to be the symbol of patience and temperance. In the early teaching of Christianity, elephants were the animals that were always shown as an example of how humans should be.

After falling into sin they should practice virtues so they can again enter heaven. Elephants are symbols of men who fall into sin. In the ancient teaching of Christian Religion, they are thought to be without joints. This is a punishment for being sinful. The male elephants were thought to be Adam and the female ones were Eve.

The elephant is also a symbol of strength in power. This originated in the story of Noah’s Ark. When the elephant was running around the ark and the ark tipped on the other end, Noah prayed to God. In Noah’s dream, God told him to tickle the hyena. This had resulted in an event where the mouse had to hide inside the cabbage.

When the elephant is about to eat the cabbage he was threatened by the mouse. This made the elephant run around the ark and the balance was restored. This is how the faith of a Christian should be, strong, unwilling to give up, and resilient. The story of the elephant is the symbol of the unwavering Christian faith.

Even when inside the sinking boat, when you have nothing to eat, you have to trust God. He will always be there to answer your prayers. You just have to hold on to your faith.

Elephant African Symbolism

Elephants are the pride of the African savannah. They move in packs, or hundreds, even thousands before they were poached. Their ivory trunks were sold for thousands of dollars and are one of the most coveted African resources that need not be mined.

Even before the poachers came for the ivory trunks of elephants, they are already poached by the Africans themselves. The trunks were used as ornaments and even used as horns that were used during celebrations and ceremonies. Elephants have spiritual value to the Africans. Seeing an elephant before going to war is a symbol of triumph.

It gives hope to those who were struggling for a long time. The resilience of elephants when there is no rain in the savannah for years always encourages those who live with them that they too can wait for the rain or migrate and look for water holes.

They are known to settle disputes among animals, and since they do not eat other animals they foster love instead of fear. The kind of respect they get from other animals is different from the fear that they feel from the lions who rule the savannah with fear.

Elephant Medicine

Elephant medicine can be seen as the bringer of good luck. When you are starting a new job or new business venture, you can call on the power of the elephant to bless you with good luck and good fortune. Meditating on an image of the elephant brings calm. Even the image of an elephant could bring the presence of mind.

Meditating to the elephant medicine brings positivity. This shows you the road to enlightenment. The kind of calm that it brings to the troubled soul. When you are calm, there is wisdom that will guide you to the path. The sound of the primordial trunk attracts health positivity and good luck.

The kind of calm that elephant brings to the person enables them to relax and it heals the soul. This is what elephants can do to a person. It can help improve the human body because of the vibration it sends on the human nerves.

Elephant in Dreams

Dreaming elephants could have different meanings depending on what the elephant is doing in your dreams. Dreaming and elephant can mean power, wisdom, and luck. Generally, it means something huge is coming to your life and it will have a huge impact on your life. This change can change the course of your life and the effect is huge.

This could mean that this change could affect your relationship with your colleagues and family. This change will be positive and lead towards calm and peace of mind. Dreaming of elephants is like an assurance that you are confident with what you are or with yourself.

It can also mean that you know yourself well and you do not let others dictate who you are. When an elephant is chasing you in your dreams, that could mean that a huge task is coming your way. It is either you will get promoted and have more responsibilities or it can also mean that you will be heading a project.

All these have positive meanings but when an elephant dies in your dream, the head of the family could die. In ancient times, when someone dreams of the death of an elephant the chief of the village could potentially die. Elephants are symbols of good things happening in life.

Dreaming about them can serve as a warning. When dreaming about a baby elephant, means that you should not let your problems or troubles stop you from making the progress that you want. When you dream of a herd of elephants this means prosperity.

This is overcoming the difficulties you are currently facing for you to prosper and have more luck in your endeavors. These dreams about elephants are encouraging and it tells you to continue striving in life no matter the difficulty.

Elephant Encounters and Omens

When going to war and you encounter an elephant it means you are going to win the war. This also means triumph over the challenges you are facing in your life. Whatever challenges you are facing, when you see an elephant, it encourages you to go on in life.

If it can survive walking for miles to see the water hole, you can also survive the problems that you are facing. When elephants neigh, that means that there is good fortune coming your way.

Good fortune and wealth is something that this animal brings and since seldom does it neigh, means that there is something good or amazing that is happening and they are telling you to wait for it. When meeting an injured elephant, someone might die or will fall ill from an incurable disease.

Elephant Mythology and Folklore

Elephants had appeared in various mythology and folklore. They can be a spiritual representation. Like in the Hindu religion, elephants are like gods. The reason for this is that Ganesh, the god of good fortune and protection, wears the head of an elephant.

It is believed that having an elephant in your house could mean that you are protected and you are attracting good fortune. Another folklore says that the elephant was once a woman and she was tricked by her husband to turn into an animal so he could find another wife to replace her.

This folklore had been told differently as others told this folklore that a man stole the skin of an elephant and made her his wife. There is another folklore about the fight between an elephant and crocodile and the crocodile fought the elephant too hard that his tusk became very long.

The origin of the elephant was explained in Kenyan folklore where a poor man was amazed by the success of Ivonya-Ngia and so he traveled far to ask her how she was successful When he arrived in her palace.

Ivonya-Ngia offered her hundreds of sheep and cattle but the poor man declined to say that he want the secret to her success instead. She gave him an ointment and told him to rub it on his wife’s canine teeth. When he arrived home he did exactly as he was told. His wife’s canine grow and the husband pulled it out and sold it.

Later that night he repeated it but his wife refused the canine to be pulled out. Her skin then turned grey and she became an elephant. The husband left his wife in the forest to wander and later she gave birth to the first elephants.

Elephant Spirit Animal

Elephants are the spirit animal for harmony and connectedness. When you are having trouble with your relationship with the people around you, and an elephant blows its trumpet, this means that you need to reconnect with those you severed ties with.

Being with the people who are important to you, making your bond stronger, or reconnecting that broken bond is an important message from the elephant spirit animal.
Elephants value their family members. They do not leave anybody behind.

The selflessness of a mother elephant in times of drought is the message it wants to send to those who had been abandoning the needs of their family. Helping those who are in need, providing motherly care is what the elephant spirit animal is trying to tell you.

They guide you towards those who need you. The elephants also appear to help when you are sexually frustrated. Elephants can help to guide you when you are having trouble in school or other academic areas. Elephants are full of wisdom and are highly intelligent creatures that are the spirit animals needed by those in the academic fields.

They also help trust and loyalty grow with those who are in the process of nurturing their relationship. For those who just started their relationship, you can implore the elephant’s spirit animal to guide you towards a healthy relationship.

Elephant Totem Animal

When you are born with an animal totem, you are given the responsibility to care for and lead your tribe. In a family, you are the decision-maker. You are the one who provides for your family and settles down disputes. You are the like what the king of the jungle. You look for water and lead not only the herd of elephants but all the animals as well.

When among your friends, you are the one they run to when they need advice on some major decisions in their lives. Choosing an elephant as your totem animal means that you are protected.

You will also be able to go through the difficulties and challenges you are facing in life. When you are in need to provide for your family, the totem will help you find the bread you will be providing for those that you are helping. This is the power of the elephant totem animal, it enables you to protect and provide when it matters.

The different meanings of an elephant tattoo

An elephant shows strength, loyalty, and family bonding. Although this is the overall perception of elephants, the different tattoos of elephants represent different meanings.

• Elephant with trunk up in Chinese belief represents good luck
  
• Elephant trunk down represents fertility and storing energy for upcoming problems
  
• Elephant with moon represents the passage of time
  
• Hamsa elephant represents confidence in facing any challenges
  
• Elephant in the family represents family bonding and love
  
• Elephant mom and baby represents the link and bonding between mother and child
  
• Elephant with lotus flower represents enlightenment and great wisdom
  
• Elephant and butterfly combination represents strength in happiness
  
• Elephant and octopus combination represents smart and creative
  
• Elephant and lion combination represents strength, durability, and the winner of all the challenges
  
• Elephant with heart represents the love you have for someone is strong
  
• Elephant with balloon represents the desire to lift up in any problems
  
• Ganesha is a Hindu god that represents wisdom and intelligence
  
• Japanese elephant or Baku represents preventive measures against illness
  
• Rose clock elephant represents love as the solution for all problems
  
• The baby elephant represents innocence and love for the children
  
• Tribal elephant from Polynesian culture represents tradition, belief, and family values
  
• Elephant with crown represents royalty and loyalty

Elephant Power Animal: Strength and Magnificence

The diverse cultures of the American continent, Asia and Africa grant animals a powerful meaning that directly influences each individual. They are called Power Animals or Totem Animals and have the virtue of accompanying us throughout our lives. Elephant power animal is a wonderful spiritual entity to have as a personal totem.

This animal symbolizes good luck in all areas of life. The elephant prioritizes loyalty above all, which it projects to its family, friends, and social environment.

If your personal totem is the elephant, you will surely face many obstacles and you feel insecure in these. The strength of this animal will help you overcome the problems you have and you will achieve your goals. If you cultivate patience and diplomacy, you will be able to resolve any issue.

Elephant power animal is related to the feminine energy of each individual, family, and ancestor. Be inspired by the wisdom of the Elephant and your life will flow in harmony.

Conclusion

Elephants had appeared in different cultures and societies and their significance to art and religion is huge. It has a great influence that this spirit animal had been one of the most protected species in the world.

There were movements not only to protect its ivory tusks but to protect them as they roam in the wild. The gentleness and toughness of this animal had left generations in awe of its power. Some even had it engraved in their skin in form of a tattoo to show how they revered this animal.