Coyote Spirit Animal: What Does a Coyote Symbolize?

The coyote is a common and familiar animal that is found throughout much of North America, and coyotes also feature prominently in the folklore and traditions of many Native American tribes.

As a result, they are highly symbolic animals with deep spiritual meaning – and in this post, we have all the info you need about the coyote spirit animal to help you understand if the coyote is the right choice for you.

Coyote Symbolism

Like the wolf, the coyote is a well-known and easily recognized animal wherever it ranges, and among the people who live alongside it, the coyote has acquired a rich and diverse symbolism – so let’s start by looking at this now.

1. Resourcefulness and adaptability

The coyote is seen as an intelligent creature with the ability to take advantage of whatever it has available to it.

For example, like foxes, some coyotes have made themselves at home in our modern urban environments, learning to survive and even thrive in completely new surroundings.

As a result, they can be seen as a symbol of resourcefulness and adaptability due to the way they can always make do with whatever comes their way.

2. Cunning

Also like the fox, the coyote is seen as a cunning and sometimes sly animal. In many folklore tales, the coyote uses its wit and intelligence to its advantage or to escape from difficult situations, which is why coyotes symbolize cunning.

3. Trickster

Something that goes hand in hand with the cunning and slyness of the coyote is his role as the trickster according to various folk traditions.

In many stories, the coyote tricks people, either for personal gain or simply as a prank – which is why the coyote is also a well-known symbol of the trickster character.

4. Independence and freedom

As wild animals that can wander where they please, coyotes can also be seen as powerful symbols of independence and freedom.

5. Tenacity

Coyotes are rarely the top predators in the areas they inhabit, so they need to display a certain amount of determination to survive however they can. They will hunt, but they are also not above scavenging, displaying the tenacious nature that has seen them become so widespread.

6. Sociability

Although they are not as sociable as wolves, coyotes also live in family groups or packs of unrelated individuals, and as such, they are symbolic of sociability and social bonds.

7. Military might

Coyotes are often an unwelcome and sometimes even despised animal, but according to some old Mesoamerican beliefs, the coyote was highly regarded as a symbol of military might.

Coyote Spiritual Meaning

As well as being a highly symbolic animal, the coyote also has deep spiritual significance, so let’s talk about this next.

1. Being in touch with the spirit realm

Like wolves and dogs, coyotes have keen senses, which makes them a metaphor for being in touch with the spirit world.

Coyotes have larger ears than wolves, and they also have a powerful sense of smell, allowing them to hear or smell things that are beyond the perception of humans.

As such, they teach us that if we strive to become more attuned to the spirit world, we will also learn to hear and see things that are beyond our usual powers of perception.

2. Magic, mystery and spirituality

Coyotes are known for their eerie howling, and since they usually howl at dawn and dusk, this gives them a strong connection to the spirit world.

Dawn and dusk, those ethereal moments between night and day, are seen as the times when magic, spirituality and mysterious forces are at their most powerful, and the howl of the coyote can help focus our minds on connecting with the spirit realm.

3. Death and rebirth

For reasons also connected to the coyote’s tendency to howl at dusk and dawn, this animal is seen as being connected to death and rebirth.

In spiritual terms, death and rebirth are usually considered positive since they often represent the “death” of a negative part of your personality and the birth of a new, more positive version of yourself.

4. Spiritual healing

In some cultures, coyotes are regarded as being connected with healing, and in a spiritual sense, this can be taken as meaning spiritual healing.

We all face challenges and difficult periods in our lives, and sometimes we need to take the time to heal mentally and spiritually after traumatic events.

If we don’t heal but instead repress our negative emotions, it can lead to problems further down the line, and the coyote can be seen as a spiritual healer that can help you face up to past negative events and find the spiritual resolution you require.

5. Spending time alone for spiritual development

Coyotes prefer to live in packs, but they can also sometimes live solitary lives, and this time spent alone in the wild represents taking time to be alone for reflection and meditation to pursue spiritual growth and development.

In our modern hectic lives, it’s too easy to become too focused on our duties and responsibilities while neglecting the spiritual side of our existence.

As such, the coyote can help remind us to find enough alone time for spiritual practices.

How Do You Know if the Coyote is Your Spirit Animal?

The coyote spirit animal can be a clever, cunning ally and a useful spiritual guide, but how do you know if the coyote is your spirit animal? Let’s consider this next.

1. Sociable

Coyotes prefer to live with others, and people who have the coyote as their spirit animal are also likely to be similarly gregarious.

Are you an outgoing person who is usually happiest when surrounded by friends and family? Then it’s possible that the coyote is the right spirit animal for you.

2. Independent

While coyotes are sociable animals that like to be around others, they are also content to live alone due to their independent nature.

Similarly, while coyote people are happy to be around others and enjoy social gatherings, they also have a fiercely independent side to their character and will often insist on doing things their own way rather than following the crowd.

Is this something that resonates with you? Then it’s possible that you are being guided by the coyote spirit animal.

3. Clever

People with the coyote spirit animal tend to be clever, using their intelligence, wits and cunning to resolve issues and avoid problems.

Are you the kind of person who prefers to think their way out of trouble rather than fighting their way out? Then this is a sign that the coyote spirit animal may be influencing your actions.

4. Adaptable

We’ve already mentioned how adaptable and resourceful coyotes can be, and if the coyote is your spirit animal, you probably demonstrate a similar kind of resourcefulness.

Coyote people are the kind of people who prefer to make do with whatever they have available to them rather than complaining about what they don’t have, and this kind of outlook is another sign that the coyote could be your spirit animal.

Coyote Totem

As such an intelligent and resourceful creature, there’s much the coyote can teach us, so now let’s look at the lessons we can take from the coyote totem.

1. Use intelligence and cunning rather than brute force

Sometimes when we are faced with a difficult situation or backed into a corner, it can be tempting just to try to use force and fight our way out of trouble.

However, the coyote totem reminds us to use our intelligence, wits and cunning instead to find a better, safer way to proceed.

The coyote is not a big, powerful animal, and if he tried to fight every time, he wouldn’t be so successful – although sometimes he has no choice.

This means you can also turn to the coyote totem when you’re not sure about when to fight and when to use cunning and guile.

2. Express yourself

Coyotes are free spirits, and the coyote totem can help you express yourself more freely.

Sometimes you may be afraid to show who you truly are, preferring to hide yourself behind the mask you show to the world.

However, if you turn to the coyote totem, it can help you find the courage to live as who you are rather than pretending to be somebody you aren’t for the benefit of others.

3. Make use of the resources or opportunities you have

Life rarely deals us the perfect hand of cards, so the secret to success is often learning how to play the cards you receive well.

Don’t complain about what you don’t have but focus on using what you have – and always look for solutions rather than spending your time finding problems.

These are valuable lessons in life, and they are lessons the coyote totem is there to help you learn.

4. Don’t forget to have fun

As the perennial trickster, the coyote always remembers to enjoy himself from time to time, and this is another important lesson the coyote totem can teach us.

While it’s important to focus on your job and your other responsibilities, never forget to take the time to let your hair down and enjoy yourself. You need to find the right balance, and this is something the coyote totem can help you understand.

Coyote Omens

Finally, let’s have a look at some of the ways to interpret the omens if coyotes start appearing to you, either in real life or in your dreams.

1. You yearn for more freedom

If you see a coyote in your dream, perhaps a lone coyote out in the wilderness, it could be a message related to your yearning for more freedom or independence.

If you have a dream like this and you think it could be connected to a desire for more freedom, you should take the time to analyze the dream through deep thought and introspection.

Why do you feel you aren’t free? Is it because you feel trapped in an unfulfilling job? Or perhaps you are in an oppressive relationship where your partner doesn’t let you do the things you want to do.

Once you spend time working out where the feelings of a lack of freedom are coming from, you will then be able to work out the steps you need to take to rectify the situation.

2. Use your intelligence and guile to solve a problem

As we’ve mentioned, the coyote prefers to think his way out of trouble, and if you are facing some kind of difficulty, the coyote may appear to you to remind you to use your brain.

The message from the coyote is one telling you to think about the problem rationally and to look at it from all angles rather than just worrying about it – because if you use your intelligence, the best solution is more likely to present itself.

3. Do things your way

Another message the coyote can bring is that you should do things your way rather than following everybody else.

Perhaps you are under pressure from other people to conform and do things the way everyone else does them – but this visitation from the coyote tells you to have confidence in yourself and do things your way because you’re the one who knows best.

4. Get in touch with your spiritual side

As a being that reminds us to keep in touch with the spirit world, another common way to interpret a visitation from a coyote is that it’s telling you to get more in touch with your spiritual side.

To lead a happy and fulfilled existence, we need to balance our physical and spiritual lives, and this is something a visit from the coyote can help us remember.

A useful ally and guide in both the physical and the spiritual realm

The coyote represents traits like intelligence, cunning, resourcefulness and adaptability, and these are qualities the coyote spirit animal brings, making him a useful ally and guide in both the physical and the spiritual realm.

If the coyote is your spirit animal, he will help you think your way out of trouble and learn to use your wits to your advantage – all while remembering when to have a laugh and a joke when appropriate because we shouldn’t be too serious all of the time.