What is a different term for the idea of a "spirit animal"

January 4, 2022 6:26 PM

Recently I was asked to not use the term "spirit animal" as it is offensive to when used by non Indigenous people. Which is totally fine, I was ignorant of that offensiveness. Can y'all suggest a non-offensive replacement for that phrase that can be used by non indigenous people??

For background I used the term in the following manner: "such and such is my spirit animal"

posted by Brandon Blatcher to Writing & Language (41 answers total)

But what do you actually mean by saying that? Do you just mean that you like said animal? That you feel a kinship? That that animal tends to serve as your guide or protector?
posted by Flock of Cynthiabirds at 6:28 PM on January 4, 2022 [6 favorites]

Fursona
posted by theodolite at 6:30 PM on January 4, 2022 [25 favorites]

I am watching this with great interest, because I have for a while now been a proponent of using the term patronus in its place. Harry Potter references are now frowned upon in my circles, which I’m completely in accordance with, so what to do when we want to discuss animals that aren’t quite fursonas and aren’t quite heraldic?
posted by Mizu at 6:31 PM on January 4, 2022

there's lots online on the subject, here's a few discussions/articles with suggestions. https://www.reddit.com/r/WitchesVsPatriarchy/comments/o8z21o/the_term_spirit_animal_and_better_alternatives/

https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/please-stop-using-the-term-spirit-animal

https://betterallies.medium.com/think-patronus-instead-of-spirit-animal-and-other-actions-for-allies-685918e135b1
posted by stray at 6:32 PM on January 4, 2022

For a long time, people used Patronus instead but uh, yeah, not anymore.

In witch circles I've heard animal patron and mascot - the thread linked above from r/WitchesVsPatriarchy covers some others.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:34 PM on January 4, 2022 [5 favorites]

Patronus is what I use. I Don't find it problematic to use, as I don't see it as an endorsement of JKR or her disgusting TERFdum. Of course if a person is not comfortable using any Harry Potter references anymore I would never tried to convince them otherwise. YMMV
posted by supermedusa at 6:34 PM on January 4, 2022 [4 favorites]

The problem with the term, as it's commonly used for LOLs or just to show any kind of affinity with something, is that as in all cultural appropriation the phrase nods towards actual metaphysical practice rooted in specific tradition and actual community, then takes the phrase out of its cultural/religious context to mean whatever anyone might want it to mean -- especially these days in a trivializing or ironic way.
So decide what you actually mean by this phrase when you say something is your spirit animal. And then say what you mean. It's probably not that an animal represents and guides you or your culture. But it might be that you have an affinity for something. Or that you identify with something an animal seems to express. Or that you are metaphorically a (whatever) in a funny way, if you're trying to be humorous.
posted by nantucket at 6:35 PM on January 4, 2022 [10 favorites]

Depending on the details of your situation, familiar could be an appropriate substitute.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:35 PM on January 4, 2022 [17 favorites]

Familiar
posted by brujita at 6:36 PM on January 4, 2022 [6 favorites]

On the other hand, if you're not thinking of this in spiritual terms, you could just say, "I'm really into xxx Animal."

I'm really into dogs.

I'm a cat person.

I'm all about foxes.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:38 PM on January 4, 2022 [5 favorites]

Daemon, as per Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.
posted by bunderful at 6:41 PM on January 4, 2022 [21 favorites]

Best answer: Inspiration, familiar (if you're ok with pagan/witchy terminology), spark, impetus, driving force, motivation, animus, copilot, emotional twin/kin (or just twin/kin), guardian, "my jam," I worship at the alter of insertwhateverhere...
posted by erst at 6:46 PM on January 4, 2022 [10 favorites]

Came here to say Daemon as well.
posted by sillysally at 6:49 PM on January 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I'd suggest figuring out what you actually mean by using that phrase as shorthand, and say that thing. Maybe it's "I really relate to X" or "The great bobtailed Y inspires me" or "I try to embody Z trait and the red-winged Q reminds me to do so like they do" or "people say I'm like W in this way."

I don't like going to the fantasy novel well for this, personally - I've found that to be alienating to people who have no idea what those terms mean.

Mascot isn't bad if you really want a short snappy version.
posted by Stacey at 6:50 PM on January 4, 2022 [5 favorites]

Best answer: I think erst has a good one in "copilot".
posted by aramaic at 6:50 PM on January 4, 2022 [3 favorites]

I feel like most of these don't cover the situation that I hear people use "spirit animal" for, which is not to say that you're into the animal, or consider the animal your companion, but that you identify with the animal. I guess "I identify with" would work, for example:

"I used to think tortoises were stupid. Now I realize that they are actually extremely intelligent, but get themselves into ridiculous situations out of pure stubbornness. [They're basically my spirit animal/I totally identify with them]."

Not snappy, but....
posted by LadyOscar at 6:56 PM on January 4, 2022 [3 favorites]

My aspirational animal? My animal inspiration?
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:07 PM on January 4, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I typically just say "I identify with x on a spiritual level."
posted by brook horse at 7:08 PM on January 4, 2022 [24 favorites]

Muse!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:09 PM on January 4, 2022 [7 favorites]

Role model can be funny, especially for non human things. “Cheese is my role model”

“Employee of the month” can be fun as long as it doesn’t sound like implied ownership of another person (power gradient matters)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:11 PM on January 4, 2022 [3 favorites]

“I’m trying to get myself declared an honorary ________”
posted by Gygesringtone at 7:11 PM on January 4, 2022 [8 favorites]

If you're looking to use some term in place of "spirit animal" the way my crowd used to use it (before we realized it was cultural appropriation and stopped) (back when we were dumb kids) -- mean, it's not going to work, is it? It was amusing for specific reasons having to do with the specific terms in it. Like if you said "pizza is my spirit animal!" it was only funny because a) pizza is super mundane, not spiritual and b) pizza is pizza, not an animal. And maybe also a little bit c) spirit animal sounds cool and exotic. So, just saying "I really like pizza" or "pizza is my jam" is never going to be amusing in that specific way. You can't really replace it; you just have to retire it, because it's hurtful to the people we stole it from.

But look on the bright side - that particular usage was already dated, way before most white people realized it was also culturally appropriative. You'll be saving yourself from the disdain of Gen Z by leaving it behind.
posted by invincible summer at 7:22 PM on January 4, 2022 [12 favorites]

Mascot.
posted by Grandysaur at 7:33 PM on January 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I think Daemon is great; I’ve noticed it gaining traction in fantasy novels, too. It might make some stripes of Christian uncomfortable, however, and it probably should, since a non-material animal companion/avatar is hard to reconcile with Christianity.
posted by jamjam at 7:40 PM on January 4, 2022

I use “patron saint.”
posted by holborne at 8:17 PM on January 4, 2022 [7 favorites]

Best answer: For an inanimate object, maybe “pizza is my soul mate” or “cheese is my true purpose”?

If it’s a celebrity or fictional character, possibly “my secret wife/husband/bestie”

For an actual animal, “honey badger is my true form” or “a sloth is my final evolution”
posted by pocams at 8:24 PM on January 4, 2022 [35 favorites]

If you're a fan of the Owl House, you could use Palisman
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:29 PM on January 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I’d go super old school and go with “if you were an animal, which one would you be?” Channelling my second grade self here.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:21 AM on January 5, 2022 [1 favorite]

"i want to be a gecko when I grow up" ( identify with and "what animal would you be?" Aim at the same meaning but this has the element of playfulness too).
posted by Lady Li at 12:29 AM on January 5, 2022 [5 favorites]

Daemon comes closest to the way my crowd used to use it (an animal that represents some aspect of my personality). Some people might hear "demon" which could be funny in its own right, but then you get to introduce them to a wonderful book series, so win win!
posted by basalganglia at 1:38 AM on January 5, 2022

Best answer: Kindred spirit?
posted by elphaba at 6:38 AM on January 5, 2022

Backlash for misappropriating this kind of language was a plot point in the Apple TV series The Morning Show (Fanfare on the episode in question)
posted by emelenjr at 7:21 AM on January 5, 2022

Also here to suggest Daemon. It's what I, a person of Indigenous descent, use as an "I identify with/this represents me" kind of thing.
posted by aclevername at 8:07 AM on January 5, 2022

There are some good suggestions above for sure. But I’d also ask yourself what you’re trying to express when you say it, because sometimes stock phrases like that one become just verbal placeholders or tics, Things You Say, without much actual meaning behind them. Even if the phrase “spirit animal” was totally unproblematic, in what situations would you actually NEED to say it?
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:16 AM on January 5, 2022 [1 favorite]

In Nordic paganism, the animal aspect of the human soul is called the "fetch" or "fylgja".

Promoting this instead of "spirit animal" or "patronus" also has the added bonus of allowing you to tell people that you're "trying to make fetch happen".
posted by darchildre at 9:32 AM on January 5, 2022 [7 favorites]

Dolphins ride or die.
posted by jasondigitized at 9:50 AM on January 5, 2022

Fursona is obviously the best answer, but "I identify deeply with ___" is what I would use if I had a hangup on that. I feel like even adding "on a spiritual level" kinda rides a bit close; it's the sort of phrasing that obviously seems to suggest the original phrasing while not specifically invoking it.
posted by Aleyn at 3:16 PM on January 5, 2022

"I'm mostly a (whatever animal)."
posted by lauranesson at 9:14 PM on January 5, 2022

Animals are often used on family crests; you say that an owl is you heraldic symbol. Or just Owls have special meaning to me.
posted by theora55 at 11:31 AM on January 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oh, this one is probably going to be dated soon, but, “X is such a mood” would also work.
posted by brook horse at 12:19 PM on January 6, 2022

I've been known to say "I'm a cat." No one has ever asked, "Literally?" But if they ever do, I am prepared to say "Yes."
posted by aws17576 at 9:15 PM on January 6, 2022