According to the shamanic comprehension every huamn being has one or more special guardians who protect or invigorate it.
The shamanic guardians of humans - so-called power animals - occur in animal appearence mostly, but also can appear in human form. The task of a power animal is to preserve health of its protege - physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally - by providing leadership, protection and support. These animal spirits resemble in their funciton the totems of the Native Americans, the guardian angels of Christianity or the teddy bears and stuffed animals to which young children build a relationship - and which are much more than simple toys.
Many of us remember an (to our parents) invisible spiritual companion with whom we indeed had complicated conversation, to whom we confided our concerns and whose advice we followed. These "childlike fantasies" should be taken seriously as manifestations of spiritual help.
From a shamanic point of view, an animal spirit concerns not the spirit of a single creature but the essence of the entire species. Hence our power animal isn't the spirit of a certain horse, hawk or deer, but the essence of all cougars, owls, elefants and so on. All power animals are identical in their power, no matter if lion or mouse. But each animal has another important characteristics and teaches different lessions.