Opossum Spirit Animal, Dreams and Symbolism

The opossum is a fascinating animal that has symbolic meaning in many cultures. This guide will explore the origins, cultural significance, and common interpretations of opossum symbolism. We’ll cover examples from mythology, literature, art, and more to provide a comprehensive look at this unique animal’s rich symbolic meanings.

What is an Opossum?

Before diving into symbolism, let’s look at some key facts about the opossum itself.

Opossums are marsupials native to the Americas. They are about the size of small cats and are known for their long snouts, grayish fur, hairless tails, and large ears. Opossums have 50 sharp teeth, more than any other North American land mammal. They are omnivores who feast on insects, snails, rodents, carrion, and plants.

A notable fact about opossums is that they are immune to snake venom and rabies. When threatened, they play dead and emit a foul stench from their anal glands to deter predators. This tactic led to the expression “playing possum.”

Opossums are solitary, nocturnal creatures who live 2-4 years. They typically give birth to litters of 4-8 babies that crawl into their mother’s pouch after birth.

Now let’s explore why this unique animal has so much symbolic meaning.

Origin of Opossum Symbolism

Selective of big-eared opossum (Didelphis aurita) from green leaves

Opossum symbolism seems to originate from indigenous cultures in the Americas. Native American tribes revered the opossum for its immunity to snake bites and other admirable traits.

For example, the Algonquin and Ojibwe considered the opossum a teacher animal and honored it for strategies like playing dead, diversion, and stealth. They saw the opossum as an expert in harnessing skills and resources to survive against threats.

Other tribes like the Cherokee associated opossums with shamans or ceremonial leaders. One myth tells of a time when souls were aimless before birth. Opossum went to the soul village and guided new souls on their journey from the spirit world into earthly bodies.

In Central and South America, ancient Mayans depicted opossums in art and literature. They saw the animal as a symbol of the Milky Way due to its white face and habit of carrying offspring on its back.

Opossum Symbolism Across Cultures

Opossum symbolism varies slightly across cultures, but common themes emerge:

Deception and diversion – Playing dead to deceive predators is perhaps the opossum’s most famous trait. Hence, they often symbolize deception, diversions, sneaking, and pretending.

Ingenuity and resourcefulness – Opossums utilize clever strategies like playing dead to survive. So they’re associated with adaptability, ingenuity, and thinking on one’s feet.

Cunning – For their deceptive nature, opossums can represent cunning, trickery, or even manipulation. Their immunity to snakes equates them with danger and evil in some contexts.

Parenthood – Female opossums carrying babies on their backs symbolize nurturing, protectiveness, and devotion as parents.

Death and the underworld – Since they play dead, opossums can signify entering the underworld or crossing into the spirit realm. They may serve as spirit guides from life into death.

Rebirth – Playing dead and revived symbolizes resurrection, reincarnation, and new beginnings.

Need to withdraw – Playing dead represents withdrawing and laying low in the face of threats. Opossum symbolism can signal a time for retreat.

Shyness – For their reclusive, nighttime habits, opossums may symbolize timidness, introversion, or wallflower personalities.

Hypocrisy – In some Native American lore, the opossum represents hypocrisy or presenting a false self to the world.

Opossum Symbolism in Mythology

Let’s look at a few examples of how opossum symbolism arises in myths:

Greek mythology – In the story of Ares and Aphrodite, the god Hephaestus catches the illicit lovers in a clever metal trap. He ensnares them while they sleep, much like a “playing possum” tactic.

Algonquin legend – In one legend, Nanabozho, the great cultural hero, kills a spirit opossum whose ghost haunts him until he ritually restores it to life. This story illustrates the opossum’s shamantic power to cross into death and return.

Cherokee folklore – The Cherokee tale of “How the Opossum Got a Bald Tail” traces back to a time when the opossum had a luxurious long tail. After losing a race to the terrapin due to vanity over his tail, the possum demonstrates his cunning abilities to trim his own tail and outsmart larger predators like the fox.

Maya myths – The Maya Popol Vuh describes the opossum or “utz” as one of the first four animals created on Earth. As a creature of the night, it helped establish the order of day and night cycles.

Opossum Symbolism in Literature

Opossum symbolism creeps up in influential works of literature:

In Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, the hypocrites in the eighth circle of Hell are depicted wearing heavy lead cloaks that resemble the opossum’s defensive tactic of playing dead when threatened.
In Eudora Welty’s short story “Why I Live at the P.O.”, the main character is nicknamed “Sister” and described as constantly scheming like the “sham-playing opossum.” This symbolizes her deceptiveness.
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World uses the name Opossum for a district of the World State meant to symbolize backwardness and less advanced social classes who live like the primitive marsupial.
Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The Beginning of the Armadilloes” describes how the armadillo’s shell originated from an opossum who tried to deceive others by covering himself until his lies became part of him.

Opossum Symbolism in Art, Film, Music

Opossums appear in more contemporary cultural works with symbolic meaning:

Artist Frida Kahlo identified with the opossum for its endurance and depicted it in several self-portraits. Her painting Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot includes an opossum which likely represented her stoic strength.
Walt Disney’s “Possums”, characters in the film Silly Symphonies, portray the sneaky animals stealing pies and using their playing dead strategy to avoid consequences. This exemplifies the opossum’s trickster symbolism.
The horror films Squirm and Psycho Goreman use killer opossums as creepy symbols tapping into the animal’s association with death and the underworld.
Heavy metal band Dethklok’s mascot is an opossum named Facebones who represents the group’s brutality and tough image.
Rapper Young Thug’s album “Punk” heavily features opossum imagery to signify the reinventing of self and defiance of critics attempting to box him in.

Symbolic Meanings of Opossums in Dreams

As a powerful symbol in myth and culture, the opossum also surfaces in dreams with potent meanings:

Seeing an opossum in a dream often represents deceit or false perceptions. Something or someone may be trying to deceive you by distraction and trickery.
An opossum playing dead can signify that you or someone else is pretending in some area of life instead of being authentic. There may be avoidance of truth or necessary action.
A dream opossum may suggest the need to withdraw and lay low for a time instead of actively confronting problems. Let issues play out.
If the opossum is aggressive or snarling in a dream, this can indicate that a negative or evil force is out to get you. Protect yourself.
Spotting a mother opossum with babies on her back can mean you need to be more nurturing or protective of those who rely on you.
Interacting with or becoming an opossum in dreams points to embracing your own cunning, finding unconventional solutions, or undergoing inner transformation.

Opossum Tattoos and Their Meanings

The distinctive image of the opossum has become popular in tattoo art with symbolic significance:

An opossum playing dead represents overcoming adversity, laying low through tough times, resurrection, or an ability to rise again after falling.
A mother opossum with babies on her back symbolizes nurturing, protecting loved ones, and close family ties.
An opossum making a snarling or hissing face indicates fighting against threats, expressing your fierce side, or serving as a spirit protector.
An opossum skeleton, skull, or skin can represent one’s dark side, embracing the shadow self, or interest in morbid themes.
Cartoon-style opossums display a playful spirit, the ability to distract and entertain, or affinity for the scavenger’s eccentric lifestyle.
Realistic opossum tattoos exemplify connection with the natural world or respect for misunderstood and resilient creatures.

Opossum Symbolism in Shamanism

Traditional shamans and modern practitioners honor the opossum as a spirit guide:

Opossum medicine teaches the wisdom of strategic defense instead of aggressive offense. Pick your battles wisely.
The opossum signals a time to withdraw when situations are dangerous or threatening rather than risk harm.
Shamans work with opossum energy to become invisible through obscuring their true intentions and power or slipping into the shadows when needed.
Opossum symbolism indicates a ritual death and rebirth is necessary to shed old ways and emerge renewed.
The opossum spirit can guide shamans in traversing the boundary between life and death and serve as a messenger from the spirit realm.

Opossum Meanings in Dreams vs Native American Folklore

In dreams:

Represents deception, false appearances, hypocrisy
Indicates times to withdraw and lay low
Suggests one needs to be nurturing and protective
Symbol of playing dead, resurrection, and rebirth

In Native American folklore:

Seen as a teacher animal, survivor against threats
Helper guide who led souls from the spirit world into earthly life
Represents shamanic power to cross into death and return
Symbol of adaptability, ingenuity, diversion tactics
Sometimes depicts those who present a false self to the world

Conclusion

In summary, the opossum is a fascinating symbol of deception and diversion tactics, cunning and resilience, death and rebirth, protectiveness, and unconventional approaches to survival. This humble marsupial has meaningful symbolic relevance in the myths and cultures of indigenous peoples across the Americas as well as literature, film, music, tattoos, and spiritual traditions. The opossum demonstrates the power of intelligently playing dead in the face of adversity – laying low and waiting for the opportune moment to rise again. Whether in real life or dreams, this creative creature asks us to reflect on when to retreat, when to survive by any means, and when simply playing ‘possum can see us through danger.

FAQ:

Q: What is the origin of opossum symbolism?

A: Opossum symbolism seems to originate from indigenous cultures like the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Cherokee, and ancient Mayans who saw the animal as a teacher, guide, and survivor. Its ability to play dead was an early source of symbolic meaning.

Q: How did the opossum get some of its symbolic meanings like deceit and hypocrisy?

A: Playing dead to deceive predators is the opossum’s most famous behavior. This survival strategy led to them symbolizing deception, trickery, presenting false appearances, and hypocrisy across various myths and folktales.

Q: Why does the opossum represent rebirth or resurrection in symbolism?

A: By playing dead then reviving, the opossum came to signify resurrection and rebirth. To play dead is to metaphorically enter the underworld or afterlife before being restored to the living.

Q: What does an opossum symbolize on a spiritual level?

A: Spiritually the opossum symbolizes cunning defense tactics, retreat and introspection in threatening times, traversing life and death, and ritual death for rebirth of the self. Shamans work with opossum medicine to master these concepts.

Q: What does an opossum tattoo symbolize?

A: Opossum tattoos carry meanings like overcoming adversity, laying low through tough times, fighting fierce battles, embracing one’s morbid side, or depicting nurturing protective family bonds.