There are many animals throughout history that embody a certain type of energy. The following list includes animals that cater more toward women.
Whether the association started as good or bad, these animals have since been claimed to house more feminine energy, lending themselves as fitting companions of women.
Felines
Felines have been associated with women throughout history.
In ancient Egypt, cats were considered holy, viewed as deities or reflections of the gods. They were tied to the goddess Bastet, responsible for the home, joy, fertility and the protection of women and children. Additionally, mummified cats were used in sacred rituals, offered as gifts to the gods.
Cats were considered the messengers between life and death, representing themes of protection, divinity, fertility and grace.
Today, cats are tied closely to women through the crazy cat lady trope. The archetype first started in medieval times when the Catholic Church demonized feminine symbols of power (such as the cat-affiliated goddess Bastet). Women (often unmarried or living alone) who kept cats were looked down upon, catalysing the idea of cats being “familiars” to witches.
It didn’t help when, in the 18th century, a pattern started to form between “old maids” (usually women spinsters who lived alone) and owning cats.
Fast forward to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where critics of women’s rights movements would use cats to mock activists, deeming them eccentric—“crazy.”
Much of the association between felines and women originated in misogyny and a need to shame independent women. Despite this, women have reclaimed cats as honorable animals.
Ravens
These creatures embody more of an eldritch take for feminism, representing wisdom, prophecy and the rawer authority of goddesses.
Ravens appear more in Irish, Welsh, and Scottish folklore, associated with mythical figures like the Morrigan, Rhiannon, and the Cailleach, respectively. These figures were symbols for fate and sovereignty.
Although often associated with death, much like crows, they also represent the in-between, and the guardians for new beginnings that come from endings.
Overall, they represent the darker, more hidden aspects of femininity.
Snakes
Because of their typical pattern of shedding old skin, snakes are often used as symbolism for rebirth, healing and cyclical processes. They were closely associated with nature, specifically the earth, underground waters and lunar phases—mirroring menstruation and the reproductive body of women.
Ultimately they are protectors and guardians, representatives for deep female instinct and intuition.
And of course, we can’t ignore the most famous association: Medusa. Though villanized, her hair is a protective means, coupled with her stone gaze.
Horses
The horse girl stereotype has commonly been used to describe a girl whose personality revolves around horses and farm life. Though in a broader scope, the label was really used to mock a girl unashamed about her likes.
Much like how cats represented women ‘unfit’ for society by mocking their independent lifestyle, considered to be outside of the norm of what is proper, horses represented a more raw power adjacent to a wild, unclimbable energy, a polar contrast to what a ‘good girl’ was considered to be in the 1800s (demure, obedient, and polite).
The archetype originated with novels like Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty and other media such as The Saddle Club—plotlines and deep connections that didn’t revolve around men.
What started as mockery has since been reclaimed as an honorable title to describe a girl that favors a more wild nature over pure demure attitude.
Swan
Last but not least, we’ll switch over to the other side. The listed animals so far combat typical feminine traits—unlike what is associated with the swan.
While it’s important to use animals to show that females can be just as powerful and knowledgeable as their male counterparts, animals like the swan shouldn’t be discredited.
Representing grace and a connection to natural elements like the water and moon, swans symbolize their own type of internal power through a softer type of knowing.
They often accompany goddesses like Aphrodite (or Venus) and Artemis in Greek mythology as well as Brighid in Celtic lore.