Seal Spiritual Meaning & Symbolism

Many creatures spend time on land, others in the water, but seals are one of the few animals who need both environments to thrive.

That means their bodies are designed to hold things together in two very different ways. Just like seals can hold themselves up out of water, they can also blend intuition and stability in ways others can't.

They also have a talent for laughter. Spend some time near a group of seals and you'll find out that the clumsiest seals are usually the funniest ones.

Underwater, those clever whiskers point straight outwards so they can sense even tiny vibrations as they swim around and hunt for fish. Seals also have excellent hearing underwater. But it's even more impressive if you consider how hard it is for most creatures to hear at all underwater.

Their thick layer of fat insulates them against cold weather or anything else that might make life difficult.

True seals don't look like they're having a good time when they shed their outer coat — but then again, change isn't always pretty while it's happening. Other species do things differently so it isn't just seals who have this trait.

When a seal shows up, listen to that sly one. First of all, it's making a point about all the chatter and advice that's swarming your life right now. The louder these voices get, the more certain you need to be about what you want.

This animal also represents the times when you can't control what's happening. All you can do is let the currents drift around you and see where they carry you. If it's a creative block that has you sitting on your hands, listen to the water underneath: Where will it pull you next? What images swim up from the deep?

Finally, this creature connects two worlds: earth and water. The connections between people are made of both trust and strong bones beneath; if there's ever trouble between two people, think Seal when figuring out how to move forward.

Born with Seal as a totem, you carry an adaptable, quiet, unshakeable inner strength and an easygoing, friendly nature that can put any strange situation at ease. You tend to build toward your dreams and keep a lighthearted sense of humor about yourself.

Keeping a logical balance with your emotions helps you stay on course through rough times. Small setbacks tugging at your mood are reminders of your bond with water energy; you can reconnect with solid ground by breathing and then diving back in.

Whenever work and obligations overtake your life, call on Seal to help you ease up. Seal can swim through stressful situations because it's aware of how living like that affects your mood and emotions. The spirit of Seal can take you from one place to another, replacing heavier thoughts with lighter ones.

This energy will bring back the child inside you, who knows how to have fun, no matter what happens. Call on Seal whenever you're afraid because its energy soothes anxious energy with steady optimism, allowing you to move forward instead of staying stuck in place.

If Seal is your power animal, then it's there to remind you that every day can be a new beginning.

Seals in dreams vary widely in meaning. Whether you are meeting just one seal or a whole pack, the tone and behavior are important to understanding what they mean.

When you see a single, calm seal, it may be a sign that your business or finances are doing well. A few seals together suggest that you may be receiving financial or career help from others. A sick or struggling seal can represent worry and feelings that aren't being properly communicated. If you see a white seal, it could signify upcoming marriage, family bonds, or good news among friends.

Happy, playful seals can mean that there will be an adventure on the horizon, or that something positive is going to happen.

If a seal is swimming away from you, it may mean that an opportunity has slipped by because you didn't seize it. A biting or aggressive seal may indicate that some resentment or jealousy is building up in a relationship.

Seal can show you how to balance opposites — how to keep your feet on the ground while your spirit soars, or stay soft without being vulnerable. It's a reminder to be as playful as possible, to trust that delight is a good thing, not just a reward for work well done.

Seal has protection built into its thick skin.

A seal can float and dive beneath the surface at the same time; it's a reminder that you can be down-to-earth and ready for adventure without giving up one in favor of the other.

Long before the Selkie, Seal had its own place in Greek myth. Proteus, Poseidon's herdsman, was a shape-shifter with a talent for slipping away from trouble — a gift he put to use as the "Old Man of the Sea," sneaking off each noon to sleep among his flocks of seals on the shore. In The Odyssey, stranded and unmoored at sea, the hero Menelaus finds that his only way home is by wrestling shape-shifting proteus into telling the truth — a trick that wouldn't have worked if it weren't for Seal's power to change into every possible form.

This lesson of waiting out Proteus's cycles — holding steady as he ran through lion, serpent, panther, boar and more until he grew weary enough to simply state his prophecy and be done with it — seems in keeping with Seal's modern message: Sit with discomfort instead of trying to dodge it.

Though Norse legend doesn't often feature seals, one popular myth places a fight over Freya's jewelry in the form of Seals. In the now-lost poem called Húsdrápa, Loki and Heimdall duel over Brísingamen at a rock called Singasteinn. Each takes Seal's shape during the battle before Heimdall wins it back. It seems even gods found in Seal an excellent way to settle their differences.