Furnishings and décor featuring animal prints, patterns, and textures have always been popular accoutrements for one’s abode. While many of us prefer one animal or pattern over the next (I’m a leopard gal), most of us have no idea why we’re drawn to that one animal, print, or pattern in particular. So what, if anything, do our animal instincts reveal about our innermost needs?
Discover your wild side here, and see if it says something about you that you may not have known before or offers some insight into what you may need to incorporate for better balance …
THE CHEETAH
If you’re a cheetah fan, you may have a tendency to try and blend in because you feel a bit different from the crowd. When you do step out into the spotlight, however, you’re a sight to be seen – unique, focused, and charismatic. You empathize well with others (you’re keenly aware of so many of your own struggles – symbolized by the cheetah’s “tears”) and are quick to help but are very selective about those you choose to keep close.
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If cheetah has more recently been drawn into your life, it may be time to reevaluate your goals and take a more active approach to attaining them. You may either be purpose-driven or searching for your purpose. Adding the element of cheetah to your environment may keep you on track and help you make your next move toward your special destiny. Expand your perspective, stray from your safety zone, and hit the ground running!
THE GIRAFFE
If this majestic, exotic animal speaks to you, it may be because you’re meant to speak to others. Making connections of all types is what giraffe people do best, and entertaining or connecting with others in your home may be a priority. Your foresight and vision are two of your greatest gifts, along with your gentle, graceful way with yourself and others. You stretch to see what’s next and act as a messenger, networking with all of those around you to communicate what you see.
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Giraffe’s height is suggestive of a need for balance between the ideas and vision of an airy personality and the grounded nature of an earthy personality – the latter of which ensures your great ideas are rooted in reality. This balance allows giraffes to have a steady energy – something you may appreciate in your home. Add some of the giraffe’s maze-like patterning to your environment to help you maintain your graceful, sure-footed balance and vision on your journey through life.
THE LEOPARD
If you’re a leopard person, you may realize a deep need for patience and persistence when it comes to achieving your life’s goals. If you’re drawn to leopard, it may be beneficial to adorn your home with a few items that showcase the leopard’s signature look to remind you of your own inner courage and power. More often than not, leopard people have had their fair share of struggles (perhaps a smidge more) and are working to regain their balance and direction in life. You have a great host of innate talents available to you – you’re intuitive, artistically inclined, and, perhaps, spiritual with a fondness for mysticism. Your need for privacy, in order to explore these facets, may intrigue others, adding to your already mysterious allure.
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Leopard may help you harness all of the power available to you, easing your fears of the unknown while aiding in the finding or developing of your passions. Leopard people sometimes need to be reminded that, in order to move forward, you must heal and resolve those things that have hurt you in the past. This is where all of your inner resources come into play. Add some leopard energy to your home as a reminder that your personal power belongs to you – own your spots, persevere, and know that you have the ability to do whatever your heart desires.
THE TIGER
If tiger print is calling your name, you’re fiercely persistent in your pursuit of your goals, and you require interaction with nature intermixed with periods of solitude to best harness your passions. You don’t fall short in the areas of strength and willpower, so never let procrastination get in your way – you have too much driven energy that needs an outlet!
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People are drawn to your quiet magnetism, but you’re so in tune with your world’s rhythms and motions, you’re not easily swayed by others or their agendas. Adding more tiger print and presence to your space may make it easier to find the courage to let go of what’s expected and do what you need to do for you. Create a space that’s uniquely comforting for you – a place dedicated to your need for a serene escape from which you can quietly watch and plan your next move.
THE ZEBRA
Known as an ancient nomad on a search for experience and knowledge, the zebra is a symbol of duality – a reminder that balance is necessary in order for our world to exist. The zebra is both black and white, and acts as symbol of such necessary contrast. If you’re a zebra person, you either know, or are in the process of learning, that there’s always more than one perspective for every experience; you’re open to new ideas and are always up for working to achieve fairness in a way that recognizes your unique ideas as well as those of the people around you.
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Working zebra print into your home may inspire you to embrace your individuality yet also encourage you seek others like you for support and camaraderie, as zebras do in their herd. Zebras may be born with their stripes – each pattern is unique – but zebra energy can also help you earn yours, so to speak. Aside from marking their individuality, a zebra’s stripes repel unwanted nuisances and camouflage them against predators – which, in your case, could mean unwanted energy or influences from others outside your chosen group. If zebra print speaks to you, use it in your home as a reminder of your need to be a free spirit, to be yourself around others like you, and to accept the dualities you may find in yourself and others.
What do your instincts tell you? Which animal do you relate to most? Which animal do you feel you could use a bit more of in your life? Share with us in the comments below!
—Kelly, senior editor
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