Leopards are some of the most elusive predators on the planet. Despite being one of the big cats, and being one of the most common at that, it is also one of the most elusive on the planet.
Very much like their sister species, the jaguar, they are masters of disguise and evasion. Often, when they are stalking prey, they can get within just meters of their target.
If you see a leopard out in the wild while it’s hunting you, chances are that your minutes are number and the leopard is going to see to that.
Because of this, leopards are decisive when they choose to strike. They are almost impossible to find when they choose to avoid attention.
This elusiveness is reflected in the fur of the creature as well, prized across the world and throughout history.
But despite how iconic this fur is, and how much it might stand out in a zoo, in the wild, it becomes a cloak of invisibility for them.
And given their great senses, being able to see and smell at levels much greater than any human. No wonder that the Leopard is revered in the lands where it lives.
Many people become enraptured with the Leopard, looking to it for it to be their spiritual guide.
Given how majestic and beautiful they are, you could blame them? If you are looking for the leopard to be your spirit animal, here are some of the things you should be aware of.
The leopard is often seen as a creature that those seeking council will look for.
You should seek out the leopard firstly, if you have had a time of great strife in your life. Secondly, iff you have lost a loved one. Lastly, if your world has been irrevocably changed by something.
That is if the leopard hasn’t already found you first. These spiritual creatures are famous healers of the mind and the soul.
They will assure you that, even at this moment of weakness, you have all the tools you need. So, pick yourself up and keep moving forward.
That’s not the only thing that leopards remind us of. The eyes of a leopard are piercing, even when we’re just talking about the physical animal.
In their spirit forms, their gaze can cut through the facades we’ve made for ourselves. A leopard, as a spirit animal, can read our souls and see us for what we are.
Leopards can see parts of us that even we often miss, seeing aspects of ourselves that are immutably ours. Something that cannot be changed or hidden.
The leopard is something you might feel calling to you if you feel you have gone astray in your life.
If you feel there is something of your you have lost. Whatever that may be if it was something the leopard will find it within you
Leopard – Totem Animal
If the leopard is your totem, then you are something of an enigma to those who only see you from afar. Even those that know you sometimes lose track of you.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. You are comfortable the way you are, and you know what you want.
If a person takes issue with that, then that’s their issue, not yours.
You also know how to make this elusiveness work in your favor in other ways too.
When facing something new in your life, you’re excellent at assessing it without drawing too much attention to yourself.
While others will ask the loud questions, draw attention to themselves, for better or for worse, you are still there. You’re letting it all soak in, making a decision when you have as much knowledge as possible.
That way, the choice you make is decisive and gets results as quickly as you can.
Don’t let this avoidance of confrontation get the better of you. If left unchecked, this realistic cautious approach can turn into avoidance if you’re not careful.
Make sure that, if you are keeping your distance, it is for a good reason. Not just a force of habit.
A symbol of beauty, grace, and power, the leopard is something you should call upon. Especially, if you are about to face a great challenge that is ahead of you.
You may feel that whatever is to come will be something that you are not used to doing. Further, it might reveal a weakness in you, the leopard will help you conceal that from others.
Remember, the leopard is both a master of elusiveness and a creature of great power itself. It is one of the big cats, after all. It has to be both, or it will suffer if it is not balanced in both aspects.
The power of the leopard will help you balance that fine line within yourself. Staying poised and strong enough to weather whatever is coming.
Not only that, but the spirit of the leopard is also a means of strengthening your spirit. Mostly in those difficult moments where it would be difficult to do so otherwise.
Leopard is a creature that is unflinching in its spirit and goals. There’s no trying to change their mind once they have decided what course of action they need to take.
They are committed to their heart’s desire. And sometimes, we all need to be able to plant our feet. Bared our teeth, and say to those who would want us to move, ‘no’.
Leopard – Dream
Dreams are almost always unique to the individual. Acollection of various subconscious thoughts that reflect the person that is seeing them. So, they will often vary on their exact meaning.
However, if a leopard has appeared to you, then it could mean that you feel that there is something amiss.
Leopards can be some of the most dangerous animals in the world. So, seeing one can often bring terror to the hearts of many people.
Think about what you were feeling when you first saw a leopard in your dreams. Did you feel scared? Unprepared?
Perhaps there is a task that you have been putting off. It is finally starting to catch up with you, and you don’t know what to do.
Did you feel a sense of frustration when you spotted the leopard? Envious, perhaps? If that’s the case, you might be jealous of the leopard’s autonomy over its own fate.
It is a free creature that can go where it chooses, without having to live in fear of consequences? Is this something that is perhaps lacking in your life?
Alternatively, it is often impossible to just see a leopard when it is in the wild. When a leopard is spotted, it almost always wants to be seen, or doesn’t mind being seen at least.
If one allows itself to be seen in your dreams, perhaps you have been through a rough period. Such rough period, you have survived, and want to show the world that.
You have made it through a tough time, but that won’t stop you from going on.
Leopards are a popular animal to be seen in many tattoo designs across the world.
They are regularly in use to convey the idea of self-reliance, being able to take care of yourself even in the toughest situations.
If they are shown in or around water in the tattoo, they can also be shown as a symbol of tranquility and calmness, often a trait people wished to have if they want to seem friendly to other people.
It can also be seen as being adaptable, another great trait if you are a people-person looking to meet new people, who might be very different from those you regularly hang out with.
Alternatively, many people also choose to have only a part of a leopard as a tattoo on their body, to symbolize that particular trait.
For example, a leopard eye might be useful to demonstrate vision in some way, perhaps the clarity to see our goals clearly or to see the intent of others.
If a leopard’s mouth is tattooed onto a person, that might mean that they hope to embody the ferocity of a leopard.
If someone has a patch of their body that has a leopard’s fur pattern on them, that might embody either the dazzling patterns to garner attention or the hope of being inconspicuous when you want to be. Perhaps even both.
Leopard – Spiritual Meaning
Leopards are often considered symbols of hidden strength by those that revered and respected them. They are typically the smallest of the big cats but are pound-for-pound one of the strongest out there.
Because of this, they are very much the underestimated underdogs of the big cat world.
Whilst lions, tigers, and jaguars are usually much larger in the areas where they live and are considered the kings of those lands, the leopard still lives with the strongest of them, holding its own against these titans of nature, able to carve out its niche when other predators would normally drive them out.
This is the strength of the leopard: the power of spirit and will to look a larger beast in their open, roaring jaws and, rather than turning and running, stand their ground, open their mouth, and roar back.
Not only that, but leopards are probably some of the most agile and athletic of the big cats, too.
Whilst Lions and cheetahs usually rely on their speed and strength to run down their prey, leopards have agility on their side.
They’re able to jump their prey in the blink of an eye, without giving their target the chance to even react, much less fight back.
Their climbing ability is also iconic, with pictures of leopards often being taken whilst they are lounging on a tree branch, some 15 to 20 feet above anyone’s head.
And their love of the water puts them in stark contrast to many other cats around the world, as they will cross rivers and waterways to find their prey and homes.
In this way, leopards are shown to be the definition of adapting to the flow of their lives, moving when needed, and finding their place wherever they are.
Those with the Zodiac sign of Aquarius, and were born in the Chinese year of the Dragon, will have the sign of the leopard, according to primal astrology.
Now, those of us who are leopards may find themselves at the center of attention, whether they like it or not.
The silent strength that they typically carry themselves with often means that when people notice them, they tend to fill a room with their natural ability to assert themselves in a situation, even if they might prefer to try and hang back and gauge a room.
They just have too much personality for that approach at times.
Now, this can be a good thing in many cases. Being able to place yourself in everyone’s attention, and being heard, is a great quality to have if you want to lead others, without having to jostle for that position with others.
People know that you want to be heard, and that’s just what they’ll do.
However, this can work against you too. If you are feeling like you are in a dark place, that magnetic personality soon brings with it toxic energy that can infect an entire room.
If you are feeling down in a situation, it might be best to withdraw as best you can from it, until you are feeling like yourself again. You don’t want to bring the mood down, do you?
You should also make sure to temper your ego if you find yourself in the center of attention.
That influence and power can often go to your head, which may lead you down a path you never intended to trek in the first place.
Leopard – Greek Mythology
Leopards covered a much larger range of land than they do in today’s world and would have inhabited many of the places an empire such as Ancient Greece would have visited and conquered.
Like lions, they would have been an incredible sight for these ancient people, who had no real equivalent in mainland Europe.
Leopards, very much like panthers and bulls, were regularly associated with the Greek god Dionysus, god of wine, freedom, and insanity, when the deity was widely worshiped.
The panther’s association with freedom in Europe dates back as far as even this god, whose tales from Ancient Greek culture and mythology are legendary, and often tied into ideas of unpredictability, and primal, carnal nature.
This may be one of the reasons why he is depicted with many animals foreign to Greece, such as lions, tigers, and panthers, which would include leopards.
Even before industrialization and hunting drove down their numbers, leopards weren’t typically seen in mainland Greece, so would have been a sight to behold for the Greeks.
Given that many stories of Dionysus describe him coming from a distant land, this theme is only further tied to that idea.
Not only that, but Dionysus, before he became part of the core Olympian pantheon, was typically, and still was to some extent, a patron deity of outsiders to the mainstream, a protector of those who were not accepted by polite society.
Given the leopard’s own solitary temperament, as well as the independence and freedom that its agility affords it, the connections only become stronger.
So, given the many aspects of the leopard we have covered in this guide, here are just some of the meanings that are attached to these majestic creatures:
The leopard, as we have clearly discussed, is a powerful spiritual image that has resonated with millions of people, for thousands of years.
Its beauty, its power, its grace, its decisiveness, are all qualities to be admired, and a great source of spiritual strength if you feel you have nowhere else to turn to.
We hope that we’ve helped you understand some of these qualities and that you will look to these amazing animals for guidance in the future!
Diane has always been interested in spirituality and self-improvement. She is a happy and outgoing person. She started her spiritual journey with Chandra while looking for tools to bring positivity to their lives. She boosts her mind with self-care and affirmations. However, she also knows what crystals to wear based on her feelings. She also practices the law of attraction.
