Spirit Animals: HER MAJESTY, THE COUGAR

I stayed at camp, alone, to journal and spend time by the low-flowing Gila river. The sapling cottonwoods I sat cross-legged underneath were failing to provide shade as the sun steadily moved across the sky. The round gravel of the riverbank was growing hot, and the grackles carried on in an otherwise quiet bosque. In a pause between written sentences I stared blankly off across the river and into the forest. The mosaic of green was strangely interrupted by the movement of a large beige animal. I scrambled to decipher what it may be. I ran out of time. A mountain lion walked out of the brush heading straight towards me.

How she didn’t see me I can only guess. All I know was that she had no idea I was there. Maybe she was in her own mind like I had just been, not really seeing what was in front of her. Somehow she was coming, step-by-step, closer to me. I realized she was approaching the river to get a drink of water. If she got to the river she would be just a few leaps from me. How was it that she didn’t see me? How was it that we had been brought together in this time and space?

I realized that I didn’t need to answer these questions. I needed to act. Calmly I focused on her and announced my presence. All I could think to say that would keep me from inviting any panic was, “Hey kitty, kitty I see you.” I absolutely knew she would turn and run once she heard my voice. Then the unthinkable happened. She came out of her mind, saw me , and came to a leisurely pause. That was strange.

I took in and let out a steady breath knowing that the choice I was about to make could mean life or death. The big cat was also deciding what to do about me. She was contemplating whether or not I was a meal. Her ears were forward, eyes bright and, most importantly, the absolute tip of her tail twitched thoughtfully from side to side.

“Hey kitty, kitty it’s time to go now.”

Twitch, twitch, and not a single flinch.

My focus, unwavering  remained on turning any adrenaline I might have into an intense power. Now was the time to get big and summon all courage. I rose, literally, to the occasion with stones in my hand. I was sizing her up and readying myself for a fight. Welling within me was the desire to take her head-on, but I was unconvinced I should be the one to break the tension. I knew that this was no fight I would win. Now at my full 5’2” with my arms boldly swinging out and above my head, I gave her one more opportunity to know how human I was, “Hey kitty, kitty it’s time to go now.” Mere seconds before rocks started flying from my hands, she turned and casually sauntered back into the forest.

What Does Cougar Mean?

For years I contemplated this encounter utterly unsure of what to make of it. I read about the meaning of cougar spirit animal over and over again in Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson to absolutely no avail. “Leadership” sounded like it should make sense to me then, but on a deep, deep level I knew it didn’t.

For years, I have worked with her eminence in dreams and in journeys. Cougar spirit animal’s presence has been a constant companionship and limitless strength for me. I stopped asking what she was here to teach me and have learned to bask in gratitude of her support. Always when I remember my spiritual quest, I remember her call and I respond all over again.

 

Find your spirit animal workshop. Painting of red-tailed hawk.

How Leadership Relates to the Meaning of Cougar

Her majesty, the mountain lion is the authority of my soul. I have come to know this now, twelve years later. We so want the answers fast, but are we willing to wait for truth even if it takes an entire lifetime of listening? Are we willing to let others pose theories while our truth still eludes words? This is the essence of her grace, to hold us captive in her intense, predatory stare that strips away all thought. This is the truth of the fierce desire in our souls to live purposeful lives.

Cougars are solitary animals. The meaning of cougar teaches us that “leadership” is not out there, but in here.

Who is in charge of your actions? Your soul or your ego? Do the people you work with, your family members, and friends determine what you do? What I really mean is, are you living your life according to what they might think? Is your ego vying for attention at every turn feeding into the fear that you won’t be loved and accepted?

These are the kinds of questions you should ask yourself if cougar spirit animal has shown up in your life. Her majesty stalks her prey before she strikes. It is time to start observing yourself, not those you lead or those you follow. Now is the time to look at who you are giving your power to. Blaming others is an obstacle to your own authenticity. Feeling guilty or ashamed will also trip up the path.

The Power of Cougar Symbolism

Her eminence is extremely powerful, but she does not use her power to command a pack like the wolves do. Cougar spirit animal does not use her power to gain attention like the bison do. The meaning of cougar brings power as she moves through the world unseen, taking only what she needs, and silently marking territory so conflicts won’t be necessary. She is a ghost of the woods just like your soul is. Your soul does not thrive on accolades. Your soul thrives on silence. Your soul is not confused into thinking that community is everything. Your soul understands that ultimately we are alone in our experience, alone with Spirit.

At the time in my life that I encountered that beautiful big cat, I was right. It was not a fight I could win. I didn’t have the tools to live in my authentic self or to allow my soul to dress me in the morning. The path of cougar symbolism is not a short one with ticker-tape parades. It is a tumultuous and long path wrought with suffering and heartache, disappointment and doubt.

My ego, who ruled my kingdom then, thought the meaning of cougar’s appearance meant I was gifted and I was destined to do big things. I could never seem to define these “gifts” and “big things”. What I didn’t understand was that the validation I so longed for in her presence would not fulfill the desire of my soul. Luckily, her grace always patrolled the territory of my desire and informed my way to a greater love than my small mind could imagine.

 

 

Stacey Couch

About Author, Stacey L. L. Couch

Stacey Couch is a Spiritual Advisor who supports creative seekers learning as they go on the spiritual path. She serves beginner and life-long students of the soul. Her compassionate and collaborative approach honors the humanity and value of each person. Wisdom found in story, mysticism, and nature provide guidance and healing in her work. Through meeting with Stacey, lost souls find refuge. Connection to the Divine is realized. Belonging comes. She is the author of Gracious Wild: A Shamanic Journey with Hawks. Learn About working with Stacey
41 replies
  1. Teanna
    Teanna says:

    Good insights. I have dreamed Cougar, still not sure what she’s telling me, but this is useful info.

    A wildlife rehabber I worked with was a Leo and always had a lion. Also one cougar in an enclosure that included one room in a vast farmhouse, as well as a window that led to a two story outdoor enclosure with various platforms to leap around. My friend did an interview once and was amused that this great cat lets out a plaintive mew like a much smaller cat. It is not in panthera like leopards, lions and tigers, but felis, and purrs.

    A group touring the rehabber’s facility stopped at dusk in front of the cougar’s cage. She eyed us curiously, dropped down, paused… then crouched and stalked to the front of the wire. We realized she was staring at the two small children sandwiched in between the adults.

    I have a deep respect for this denizen of our wilderness (which may or may not be in PA)(the game commission won’t admit to it even though there have been sightings) and will probably continue to hike accompanied by large dogs and pepper spray. Hope she expands her range and continues to offer us guidance into the true nature of the wild.

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Teanna, I carry the same hope for cougar. With increasing encroachment of human development into the cougar’s territory there are a lot of challenges ahead. I appreciate your speaking up as an advocate for cougars. And, you are right, cougars are the largest species in the subfamily Felinae, which are the small cats. Cougars can purr but can’t roar. I myself live in cougar country in the woods where I walk every day. There was a cougar spotted on our property years ago before we lived here, and we saw the tracks of one who tried to break into our chicken house last year. Oddly enough, I don’t think about the danger too often. Only when I’m out at late dusk do I remind myself to keep an eye out. For me it is reassuring to know that there are still places in the world where the type of wild that cougar brings still exists. There is something at once humbling and awe-inspiring about that. Many Blessings to You, Stacey

      Reply
  2. Kat
    Kat says:

    Sited one from my jeep. She was waiting, in road, turned while retreating into hillside and looked at me in my jeep. I have read wild wolf women. Any wild cougar women, lol?

    Reply
  3. Cori
    Cori says:

    20160706 – dream of cougars (Florida Panthers in Tennessee)I had an interesting dream with two cougars last night – actually Florida panthers, with which I’ve always had an affinity, having interacted with a couple up close and personal from Big Cat Rescue in Tampa; though the dream took place here in Middle Tennessee, where I am living now.

    The first, a smallish male, approached and befriended me in the woods on our place, and a few days later brought a larger female with him . . . and yes, I know that males are usually the larger ones. The female was initially more reticent, but ultimately, after seeing me interact with the male, approached me as well, and also befriended me. Meanwhile, while wondering what I would do if she decided to crunch down on my skull, I was wondering what the heck I was doing befriending two big cats that could pose a danger to our own animals.

    So perhaps I’m to befriend my own power?

    Interestingly, although I grew up in L.A., and camped and traipsed all around the Desert Southwest, I never managed to spot a cougar in the wild. While living in Florida, however, I did manage to spot a couple of Florida panthers, including one investigating the trash cans in front of a house in Yeehaw Junction, right on Hwy. 60; and another that ran across I-75 at around 2 AM ahead of my car, near the Georgia border, where there aren’t supposed to be any.

    My husband, before we met, was camping in North Florida with his family, when a Florida panther crossed his path in the dark when he was on his way to the bathroom. It merely continued on its way as though he wasn’t even there, but obviously, he never forgot the encounter.

    Of course, here in Tennessee cougars are reported to have been extirpated, but a few months back, on my way home from dropping my husband at the Nashville airport, I got a good look at a large one off to the right on the side of I-40, that had obviously been hit by a vehicle.

    A friend about an hour north of me, near the Kentucky border, has spotted an adult cougar in her neighborhood a few times in the past several years, and I’ve spoken to numerous hunters who have seen them in Tennessee, though none in our immediate vicinity. So they do seem to be slowly reclaiming some of their traditional territory.

    Our place includes about twelve acres of woods, bordering a mostly-wild river, so it would be pretty easy for them to come and go without being spotted.

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Thank you Cori for sharing your dream and sightings of Cougars. Could the small male in your dream have been a young cat? Maybe the female’s cub? They could also be a representation of your anima/animus – your masculine and feminine sides – and befriending both of your sides at once. This is a great indicator of an integration going on within you, bringing you into wholeness. What a beautiful thing! I look forward to staying in touch. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
      • Cori
        Cori says:

        Thanks, Stacey –

        I like that interpretation, and it fits, as my husband and I have been doing a lot of integrative work in the past several years.

        It had occurred to me as well that the small male may have been the female’s adolescent cub, which would explain at least in part why he was more wiling to approach, and she was more reticent. I’ve found that in other species as well – once, on a dive trip to Mexico, we were approached by a yearling grey whale, that swam with us for about half an hour. He was accompanied by two adults, presumably both females, though he was the only who came close enough for us to determine gender. As young as he was, we were all struck by his gentleness, and the obvious care he took with his movements, so as not to send us tumbling in his wake. Pretty cool!

        Reply
  4. MG
    MG says:

    I saw a cougar today, outside my bedroom window! I live in the woods in northern California.  I appreciate you sharing your insights. Whenever l see animals I don’t see often, I’m eager to look up spiritual significance beyond what l sense – to understand what other people experience too. I will patiently explore! :)Thank you !

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      You are most welcome Melissa. What a wonderful thing to live in a place where you have cougars in your backyard… as long as you are safe inside your house watching!

      Reply
  5. Brittany
    Brittany says:

    A male mountain lion made himself known to me on my drive home from work the other night. I caught the reflection of his eyes in my headlights and with no thought pulled over and watched his silhouette become his beautiful beige body, he didn’t break eye contact with me this entire time. I was overwhelmed by an empowering sensation and I didn’t feel threatened even though our canyons biggest predator was only feet away. He was so big and beautiful. I have never felt that sensation he is my spirit animal, the sighting changed my outlook and my demeanor in this life, I have always been a pushover but I find myself strong and confident in fear I may let him down, I am so happy to hear other people have had similiar experiences.

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Brittany, I agree – just one encounter with this gorgeous beast has the power to change everything! I’m so delighted that you’re having the chance to benefit from the power of cougar spirit animal. Blessings to You, Stacey

      Reply
  6. Karol Heinen
    Karol Heinen says:

    Morning, I had a cougar dream last night and before she showed up I was with a group of church ladies in a retired home collecting ladies items, but the homes were abandoned. So we walked home to home, a lady an myself walked to one home and the beautiful shiny silky coated cougar showed up standing on a slight hill, sun hitting it. We stood there and my friend said, ” Do not run, make eye contact and command it to leave you alone!” She then raised her huge paw up at me, it’s like I can feel it in my hand… She then ran towards my friend and looked at her. I woke up!! I normally do not dream but I have lately had a dream of a snake and a long horn!? I woke up thinking what is going on!?? I never even remember my dreams either so what are they telling me!? Thank you for you time, Karol

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Karol, It sounds like you’ve entered through a new door in your awareness with the coming of these dreams. We go through ebbs and flows with mystical experiences of any kind, including dreams, and it sounds like you are in a particularly rich time. Each dream is a window. I sometimes spend as long as a month working with a single dream. There are as many ways to interpret a dream as there are facets on a crystal and the catch is that all of the interpretations are “correct”. So rather than look for a single answer, I recommend you look for numerous answers. A starting point is to consider that every character in your dream is an aspect of yourself. It sounds like the friend could be the part of you that follows convention (i.e. your ego), but of course this is just one perspective! Another tidbit that might help is that houses are often symbolic of the mind. Are you abandoning your mind for more intuitive, soulful ways of living? Keep following the clues and working these dreams. There is so much for you to discover. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
  7. Nathan
    Nathan says:

    You are completely right, let me share my mountain lion experience… The night was warm the stars..bright.. the moon was full but it was DARK at the same time since we were in the country… Me and a friend were on the bleachers of the summer camp we worked at smoking a cigarette and contemplating life then all of a sudden..step…silence…step… I could feel the vibrations in my very being and hear the gravel part under the footsteps.. I called out the camp directors name thinking maybe it was him coming to join our burning of the midnight oil but only silence came silence that filled the space in the night where the stars didn’t show. Seconds upon seconds of silence..maybe an eternity I don’t know, all I know is that’s when the adrenaline kicked in… I turn around and turn on my flashlight with knife in hand.. and friend beside me.. to see the most beautiful and one of the last purely free animals on earth…which was terrifying and peaceful all at the same time but unlike the story above..this was a fight that she couldn’t win and I knew it as we stared at eachother through the void of space and time we both realized that she thoughtt she was hunting us it was really us who was hunting her. I felt that a battle was imminent and necessary. I couldnt let anything threaten my livelihood or more importantly that of a personal great friend.. in my eyes she decided to stalk us, so she had to die. Still gazing into each others eyes I take 2 steps forward.. she takes 2 steps forward.. I take one step forward.. she follows suit neither of us was giving an inch we are about 7-8 feet away at this point (my knife was concealed in my hand behind my back at this point) and As I let out a roar so fierce it would make moufassa jealous and pull out my knife from behind my back and attempt to close the distance between us (due to the fact they have superior reach) she scampered back into the woods into a camp trail. We proceeded carefully due to the respect the animal deserves and watch the glowing yellow eyes illuminate the darkness if only for a moment before she made her way back home.

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      That’s incredible Nathan. Thank you for taking the time to write and share this story in such detail. Just reading it leaves an impression on me. That was a bold, warrior move you made to stand up to the mountain lion. She gifted you with the opportunity to wield your power in an authentic way. That is a beautiful thing. With Gratitude, Stacey

      Reply
  8. Kathleen
    Kathleen says:

    I sincerely appreciate the process you have been through to come to this level of understanding. Your insight is very helpful. I had a cougar appear in my dream last night. I was in the dark, walking on a mountain with my cell phone flashlight and heard a sound on my right. I moved my light around to see the cougar’s eyes reflecting the light, simply observing me. Then I awoke. I am meditating on this message. ????

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Kathleen, I’m glad this insight has helped you come further into the energy of cougar symbolism. It sounds like cougar definitely has stalked her way into your life! What a powerful dream! I encourage you to remember that there is more than one meaning to this dream and the layers will unfold over time too. I love that you’re mediating on the experience. That investment will help your understanding immensely! Even though the mountain is an obvious place to meet cougar, I still think the dream symbolism of a mountain is worth considering here. What mountains are you climbing in your life? Are you near the top? Also, the right side of the body is associated with the masculine qualities of action and logical thought. Cougar’s feminine energy can definitely help balance your masculine side. Many blessings to you, Stacey

      Reply
  9. Stormwise
    Stormwise says:

    Stacey, thank you for sharing your experiences and insights … it’s wonderful to read from someone who understands the Mountain Ghost this way! I received a vision sometime ago, that I have recently decided to return to; thus I have been reading and meditating on Cougar quite a lot, and looking through the experiences of others to strengthen my own thoughts or inform me of what I may have so far missed.

    I hiked along the Gila once, when I was a teenager … truly magical country!

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Stormwise, It is good to meet you! You are most welcome for sharing. It is so fun to connect with kindred spirits especially when it comes to cougar medicine. I wish you all the very best on your journey deeper into the symbolism of this most awesome and powerful cat. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
      • Stacie
        Stacie says:

        I like spending a lot of time in the forest recently. The last 3 years has been an enormous adventure for me. I am 56 and have lived in this area my whole life. I witness seeing a bobcat in the wild for the very first time in my life. At that point I felt so gifted that I got the opportunity to witness a rare occasion that most people don’t get to see. We have them in the area we live but they like to stay hidden. I was so in awe with the beautiful cat and amazed at the power of her back honches as it’s ability to go straight up a bank at a 90 degree angle like it was easy. Very impressive.
        My real experience was in. Sept. 2019 of last year. It was the very first day of camp. We had just got finished setting up camp and we were sitting in lawn chairs at dusk. Omg this feeling came over me so over whelming that it made me sick to my stomach. I asked my man if I could see the binoculars. Handing them over to me I started to explain that this feeling I was having was the yuckiest I had ever felt. I asked him if ever felt like the hunted? I told him I know why this feeling is bothering me because I was lead to believe man was the ultimate predator in the world. I figured out that, that was definitely not so. I was in the mother’s territory. Interrupting the huge area of multiple elk she had been feeding her babies with.
        I had just come out of the hospital not even a year now in ICU for 30 days. Where I was life flighted. 15 days in a coma. Waking up to find out I had lost a kidney, my liver was damaged, my heart working at 30 percent and they were pretty sure I wasn’t going to make it. We had been going to the mountains walking in higher elevation so I could strengthen my body. Well, let’s just say, the whole 4 days there I saw her through the binoculars multiple times a day. And since I interrupted her feeding area for her kids she was going to make sure she hunted the weakest thing in the forest and she new it was me. My man would go out hunting everyday for Elk. I stayed back close to camp because I knew I didn’t have the strength to keep up with him. On my way back to camp my man asked me to take a small road cause some noise so I could flush them out. I never made it down that road. Looked through the lenses and there she was again. And she was definitely in a stalking stance. Scrunched down ears slightly back, frozen, graze locked directly at me. I told my man that she was there again. He started thinking I was imagining things. So he took off. Not even checking my story or trying to see if he saw it too. Nope left me standing there alone with no protection and thinking I’m seeing things… When Greg was out of sight I lifted the lenses again. I searched the hill side and was having trouble locating her. She had come much closer as I was watching Greg walk off. I immediately tried to get my wits about me before I bolted off running without a thought. I knew I needed to get back to camp and lock myself in the car. At a normal pace without causing her to do the chase. So walking briskly and turning around every second to make sure she wasn’t closer wasn’t working out. The last time I put the lens up to look, her whole face showed up in my lenses. Just the face. She was pretty much catty corner of the road from me and that last 50 feet to the car felt like forever. Locked myself in the car. Not seconds away she walked behind the car. Then around it a few times. Smelled around the tent. And I was memorized by her. When Greg came back he was floored at the size of tracked around our camp. They were the size of the palm of his hand and he’s 6 feet tall. No little mommy she was. It was the weirdest feeling I’ve ever had wash over me. For 4 days I spotted her watching all day long. I’m not sure If she was just found me interesting or not? But I’m sure it was the latter. I was the weakest damn thing in the forest. I would have been an easy catch for her kids. I was so moved by this experience in my life. Learning that I needed to respect her area. It belong to her, it was her home. And at that time I was the hunted, man is not the top of the food chain like he’d like to believe. We can all be hunted.
        This experience was scary, exciting and filled with a mother and her kids watching my steps for four days. They literly followed me around for 4 days observing me. She was probably teaching her kids to hunt. Lol
        Loved the experience and wouldn’t change it for the world. Can you give me insight on this?

        Thank you,
        Love you website
        Stacie Agidius

        Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Kay, That’s not weird at all! Oftentimes spirit animals speak to us through body language, symbols, images, empathy or telepathy. Words can actually be a fairly limiting form of communication for them. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
  10. Andrew
    Andrew says:

    Last night I saw what looked to be like a wandering spirit of a cougar outside my house I was behind my black curtains with a little opening but it somehow notice my presence and looked up to me but when I directly looked into his eyes I started to see his golden-whitish aura swirling around him I realized he meant no harm to me or my people then he walked down the road and disappeared like mist being pushed away by wind

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Andrew, What a beautiful vision. I wonder if inviting the cougar spirit animal into your daily life will be possible after this? Either way, I encourage you to explore different and new ways to relate with this spirit. There is definitely potential here for a mutual and lasting connection. Regardless if you ever see him or not again he lives on in your memory and your heart, and can provide guidance from there. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
  11. Kim
    Kim says:

    Ego is a cage that I have built around me for the last 15 years. It has finally paralyzed my calling that has given me so much. In the open desert, I asked for help finding a way out.
    I dreamed I saved a cougar from my captor even as I was caged. She ate what I offered her as she lay helpless, and I hope she will guide me out of the trap I unknowingly made about myself.
    Today, I make changes, but letting go is hard.

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Kim, What a beautiful telling of a challenging time. I trust the spirit of the cougar is in you and you are in her. You have the strength of spirit needed to see your way through. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
  12. Mari
    Mari says:

    Dream involving a cougar a few weeks ago. I was standing on a dock, looking out over a large river…grey water and grey skies. Movement to my left caught my attention. A cougar leaped down from the trusses of a large bridge and attacked a woman in a boat below the bridge. All but one of the others in the boat took refuge on the bridge trusses. The other person tried to stop the cougar from its attack by using a pocketknife. It had limited effectiveness. I felt that the woman was scared, but may not have been hurt, that the cougar too was not hurt badly. Nevertheless, I stood on the dock not able to watch the woman being attacked, nor the cougar being stabbed with the pocketknife. I turned my head, and the dream faded.
    Any thoughts?!

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Mari, You may want to consider what inner conflicts you might have about embarking on a new journey (either literally or figuratively). The cougar, the woman, and the rescuer can all be viewed as different sides of you. The cougar could be your inner authority or intuition coming strong and relentless about how to proceed. The woman may be the passenger, the part of you that lets life pass by. And the rescuer may be the part of you that tries to keep the status quo and not rock the boat. The largely ineffective pocketknife could be the inability to prevent the inner knowing that points you in a direction that requires uncomfortable change. These are all ideas of course. Please run them through your inner compass to see if anything resonates or leads you down a new path of exploration. Good luck to you. It does sound like you are on the verge of a breakthrough. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
      • Mari
        Mari says:

        Thank you Stacey. This is wonderful and does resonate with me. I found myself in a miasma of emotion and confusion at the time I wrote here of the dream. That fog has cleared and I have become stronger, a more authentic me than I have been in a quite awhile and heading down an unfamiliar and yet welcome new road. Thank you for your insights. I will reflect on these thoughts further.

        Reply
  13. Beth
    Beth says:

    My home is nestled in the forest in Northern California and I had an amazing encounter with a mountain lion. It was in the wee hours of the morning, around 4 am. I had just fed my animals and settled on the couch to read my book when I heard a faint noise that managed to roust my dog out of her house. Thinking it was a raccoon swooping in to finish off the dog food I had just put outside, I quietly leaped from the couch and opened the sliding screen door. My dog rushed in and I hit the light to witness a glowing amber image approaching from about 30 feet away. From the screen door to the top of the steps it’s about 15 feet and it wasn’t until the image got that close, the realization hit me that I was face to face with a mountain lion! I slammed the sliding glass door and watched as she paused and turned her magnificent sleek body slowly so that I would have the confirmation that this was in fact a mountain lion. The enormous length of the tail left no doubt that this was in fact what I had the privilege of witnessing. She walked slowly into the forest and when my husband got home we looked at further confirmation, viewing the image on our trail cam. It truly was an awesome experience that I frequently reflect on. In the moment I had no fear just awe at what I was witnessing. My sister introduced me to spirit animals and told me to search for meaning in my encounters, as I have many different animal experiences living in the forest. This particular experience happened about 2 years ago and I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to research its meaning. Very powerful insights and I appreciate reading about other people’s experiences. Just curious as to your thoughts on my experience? Thank you Stacey

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Beth, What a stunning encounter with a mountain lion indeed. These visits never seem to leave our memory, staying fresh and ready for a revisit at any time. How lucky we are for that! The fact she came out of the darkness and into the light, speaks of your own inner authority coming forward to greet you. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
  14. Lori
    Lori says:

    I came across your site/blog after having a very vivid dream last night about an encounter with a mountain lion/puma…at first I was startled, then I came to realize it wanted to be with me and was there to guide and protect me. I believe it is my spirit animal and like you so many explanations didn’t make sense – for example like you the leadership issue has come up several times when drawing cards for readings. Curious, as i am hardly the forceful, extroverted leadership type – so what you wrote really resonated with me as well…

    Reply
    • Stacey Couch
      Stacey Couch says:

      Hello Lori, I am glad you found some helpful insight here and that you are finding your way to the power of cougar spirit animal in your life. Many Blessings, Stacey

      Reply
  15. April
    April says:

    Almost 20 years ago as a 19 year old I did a vision quest in south eastern Missouri. On my 3rd day as I sat quietly in my prayer circle having had no food & little water, a mountain lion approached quietly. The moment I noticed her my heart opened & my reaction was that I wanted her to come closer. Our eyes locked for several seconds then she ran off & I didn’t see her again…now I am at a time in my life of change & started thinking of her again & what it meant.

    Reply
  16. Theo Angelini
    Theo Angelini says:

    My gazing into her eyes has changed my life.
    Thank you all for your comments here. I am
    just now beginning my journey.

    Reply
    • Colleen
      Colleen says:

      “Luckily her grace always patrolled the territory of my desire and informed my way to a greater love than my small mind could imagine.” Thank you!!! So beautiful! I dreamed last night that a big mountain lion approached my lounge chair, I was feeling some fear but the big beautiful cat just sat next to me and then climbed on my chair and embraced me. I was straddling fear and awe but felt the power of this felines love. Looking in the eyes of an image of a mountain lion this morning fills me with such profound love.

      Reply
  17. Skylar
    Skylar says:

    Words cannot express how much this post meant to me. I have had many experiences with mountain Lion and all the “leadership” symbolism did not hold true for me, but this post spoke to my very soul. Thank you does not do justice. <3

    Reply

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