The Jaguar as Animal Symbol of Power

The jaguar

picture by Mike Van den Bos.

The jaguar is, along with the spider monkey, the black caiman, the pink dolphin, and the green anaconda, one of the characteristic animals of this side of the earth. It is considered by many the largest feline in America. It is an excellent swimmer with a jaw and teeth strong enough to break the skull of a crocodile. Both characteristics make it a mighty and wild hunter.

The jaguar is part of multiple myths among American indigenous communities before colonization, being seen among different indigenous cultures as a destructive deity, as an incarnation of Mother Earth to protect fields and sacred sites, and as a holy animal that should by many to be revered and protected. It is today, in addition to being threatened by the loss of territories due to humans, a key species to maintain in the ecosystem.

Its name comes from the Tupi-Guarani word "yaguara" which we can translate as 'wild beast that jumps' or 'wild hunter that jumps.'

The jaguar as a person

Those who embody the spirit of the jaguar are people of strong character and independence. They look life in the face and have enormous self-confidence. At the same time, the jaguar can be so adventurous that they quickly lose their way in the middle of their processes and do not realize when they hurt others to get what they want.

The jaguar as power animal

Jaguar is invoked through talismans, figures, and drawings that represent him to channel strength, intuition against danger, protection against the unknown, and to help and inspire us in situations requiring brute force and physical resistance.

The jaguar is among the indigenous communities of the Amazon. It is considered a protective spirit of femininity and representative of the universal feminine-creative principle, mainly because jaguars are attentive and overprotective of their young.

The spirit of the jaguar is considered one of the most aggressive spirits of the Amazon rainforest, and they are considered, along with the green anaconda, guardian of sacred sites and locations consecrated to specific aboriginal deities.

Jaguar in dreams

Dreaming about jaguars implies danger, a warning; it is an unequivocal announcement that you are approaching forbidden knowledge or must remain secret and that it is not in your best interest to know. Dreaming about a jaguar is never considered a good omen, but rather a sign that we are doing wrong, disobeying the rules to take care of us, or interfering in complex situations beyond our understanding.

• Read More: Animal Spirits of the Amazon
• Order my book "Dream Witchery: Folk Magic, Recipes & Spells from South America for Witches & Brujas" HERE and HERE.