Squirrels are one of the most popular animals and are a joy to watch and interact with. Ambitious, hardworking, passionate, and playful, we have a lot to learn from them.
Life is all about giving and taking and being part of a community. Squirrels understand that and teach us that work and play go hand in hand. In addition, they understand the importance of putting something away for a rainy day!
Symbolism
Balanced
Chatty
Curious
Distracted
Fun
Motivated
Nervous
Playful
Prepared
Quirky
Resourceful
Tenacious
Core Meanings & Symbolism
• Foresight and Planning: The squirrel gathers and stores food for winter, encouraging you to organize your own stores, finances, and prepare for the future wisely.
• Balance Work and Play: Squirrels work hard but they also enjoy lively play. They have a lot of energy and remind us not to get so caught up in responsibilities that you forget to laugh, love, and enjoy life.
• Letting Go and Trust: Every spring new trees sprout because squirrels forget where they bury some of their nuts. They support the ecosystem and help diversify forests. This teaches us to do our best to plan but trust in the cycle of life.
Floki, one of my rehabilitated and released squirrels. Photo by Ame
Squirrels In Pagan Paths
Celtic
Goddess Queen Medb is a Celtic goddess with feminine powers, pride, and war. She is often represented with a squirrel (earth)and a bird (sky) sitting on her shoulders. Linked with The Morrigan. The squirrel acts as a messenger between the earth and the sky, symbolizing Medb's deep connection to nature, vitality, and sovereignty.
Check out my article Birds And Divination: Ancient Roman Augury And Greek Ornithomancy
Native American
Native American cultures have several stories about the trickery of squirrels. Squirrels are seen as mischievous and resourceful. They have the ability to weather any storm, literally and figuratively.
The Abenaki story of how the chipmunk got his stripes tells of a ground squirrel who taunted a bear. I have a family video of me reading this with two young squirrels at my environmental center and will link that below.
Norse
Ratatoskr, a red squirrel, is a Messenger for the Norse deities. Like squirrels around the world he is a trickster and trouble maker. He runs up and down Yggdrasil, the tree of life, scampering up the trunk and leaping from branch to branch. At the top of Yggdrasil sits the majestic and wise eagle. Ratatoskr carries insults between the eagle and the serpent Níðhöggr, among the roots. Níðhöggr symbolizes decay and chaos threatening the cosmic order. Up to no good like many squirrels, Ratatoskr's perpetual gossip and lies keeps the eagle and the serpent in constant anger and frustration fueling their hatred and conflict.
We don't have much documentation on Ratatoskr but he does appear in this sentence in chapter 16 of the Prose Edda.
“An eagle sits at the top of the ash, and it has knowledge of many things. Between its eyes sits the hawk called Vedrfolnir [...]. The squirrel called Ratatosk [...] runs up and down the ash. He tells slanderous gossip, provoking the eagle and Nidhogg”
What Do Squirrels Teach Us
Focus on the future - prepare for the future but also reminds us to still stay in the present and live our lives. Squirrels help us to examine what we want out of life and make those goals a reality.
Squirrels are playful and curious. They remind us to laugh and enjoy life.
Connects us to the element of earth and the Root Chakra, reminding us to remain grounded and strive towards our goals.
Socializing and building a community. Squirrels live and work in close proximity to each other.
Balance - work hard, play hard, and look to the future but stay in the present. Squirrels are positive and help us see the “light at the end of the tunnel”.
Flying squirrel symbolizes new emergence from your subconscious and learning to rely on your Intuition. Trust yourself and others. Flying squirrels have a connection to angels.
Value of saving. Financial experts teach us the value of saving money. Well so do squirrels! If you are having financial troubles a squirrel may enter your life. Squirrels teach us many financial lessons including budgeting and putting something aside for a rainy day!
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Speaking to Us in Dreams
A squirrel may come to you in a dream. Seeing a squirrel often means you need to focus on the task at hand. They can also mean your life needs balance and you need to examine your priorities.
If you dream of squirrels playing together it may mean you need to get out and socialize!
Dreaming of a squirrel jumping from branch to branch is a good omen and means you will have success in your endeavors.
What Careers Do People With Squirrel Do Well In?
Squirrel people are fun-loving, easy-going, and social but you can also be strong-willed. You are good at multi-tasking however you need to work on following through and finishing what you start.
Squirrels are resourceful and make good team members.
Squirrel people are often collectors and enjoy dealing in antiques and artwork. The flip side is that they must be careful not to hoard things!
Communication and media work are areas in which squirrels excel. Social Media Influencers, journalists, or actors are jobs you might pursue.
Banking and investing. Squirrels do well in financial and economic positions.
Natural History
Squirrels are rodents. They may live in trees or on the ground. Chipmunks and prairie dogs are part of the squirrel family.
Squirrels are native to the Americas, Europe, and Africa and are famous for caching their food. They gather food to store for times when it is not available. This makes them an ecologically important species because they rejuvenate the forest.
You can read more about squirrels on my environmental website. THE INDUSTRIOUS SQUIRREL
Squirrels are wonderful climbers and can go up and down trees with ease. This is because they are able to turn their ankles 180 degrees which allows them to grip the bark of the tree.
Squirrel Conservation
Squirrels are frequent animals in wildlife rehabilitation programs because they live in close proximity to humans. I have a book on Squirrel Rehabilitation if you are interested.
Below is a video I made introducing some baby squirrels I was rehabilitating and reading a Native American story with them. The baby squirrel segment starts at 9.00 minutes. Its a flashback to 2019!
Author, Ame, is the founder of Celebrate Pagan Holidays, a science teacher and wildlife rehabilitator. You can read more about us here.
As pagans, witches, and shamans, we connect with animals in many ways, both living and in the spirit world. We connect with animals through our heredity and family structures. We also have close relationships with our pets and even the wildlife we observe in our backyards.