Animal Soul
I saw some discourse the other day about the fact using the term “spirit animal” is cultural appropriation, even if it isn’t, it is DEFINITELY culturally insensitive to throw around casually by calling random things you relate to your “spirit animal”. I would like to propose an alternative term:
Animal Soul.
The term is rooted in “western” philosophy. Namely, Plato. Plato essentially believed everything had a soul, and there were three components: The Vegetal Soul, the Animal Soul, and the Rational Soul. Each responsible for different parts of existence. The vegetal soul is in charge of essentially existing and is found in any living thing; plants, animals, people. The Animal Soul controls our basest urges; such as hunger or the desire to fuck. It is present in animals and people. The Rational Soul is what does all the high level things and is present only in humans.
In practice you could probably call something your ‘animal soul’ or your ‘vegetal soul’ depending on what has resonated with you. So for example: that raccoon you found in your knocked over garbage cans rifling through your trash for dinner and got its head stuck in a french fry container? Not your spirit animal, it’s your animal soul! That cactus on your mantle that is really cute and round but painful to touch, that’s your vegetal soul! Etc.
Have fun!
