The Gazelle is part of the species of antelopes, and relatively rare in the world of spirit animals. Capable of running around 60 mile an hour, a Gazelle is a symbol of speed and agility. This is an adaptation to their harsh environment, where their inherent vulnerability is often exploited by carnivorous hunters like the cheetah.
Hence, the Gazelle is also a symbol of rising against adversity with the use of talents that are inherent to you. Each creature under the sun has its own adaptation against the dangers around it, and it is up to us to find ours.
Gazelle Symbolism Facts & Meaning: A Totem, Spirit & Power Animal
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Gazelle Symbolism & Meaning
The Gazelle is a symbol of agility and alacrity, of alertness and consciousness. It is also worthwhile to recognize that the Gazelle, even in flight, exudes beauty and elegance. Hence, it is also a symbol of grace under pressure.
Furthermore, the Gazelle is an example of efficiency. The cheetah, its chief predator, is known as the fastest land animal. And yet the Gazelle is capable of outrunning the cheetah simply because its movements are more efficient. While their enemies charge along in a straight line, the Gazelle knows how to use the terrain with its zigzagging motion to confuse and defeat its pursuers.
The Gazelle is also rare in that apart from being an example it also symbolizes a warning. The only chance a cheetah has of capturing a Gazelle is when the latter turns back to assess the distance between its predator and itself. While doing this is sometimes prudent in real life, excessively doing so can only give room for our problems to catch up to us.
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Gazelle Spirit Animal
When the Gazelle comes as your spirit animal, it is time to look at the world with more optimistic eyes. The Gazelle ushers in sunshine and light, and despite having only one mode of defense in its arsenal, it does not look down and pity itself for its harsh life. Rather, it strives to live each day fully —- even if it means having to encounter danger every now and then.
At the same time, call on the Gazelle if you need to say some more “can do” in your life, or when you need some more stability in your life. A Gazelle cannot be swayed when it starts directing your life, allowing you to steer with your gut instead of having to listen to the opinions of others.
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Gazelle Power Animal
Call on the Gazelle as your power animal when you’re down to the last stretch and you need to exert all your effort to achieve an objective. The Gazelle helps you navigate your current terrain, finding all available opportunities, and opening them up to you. As a power animal, it also provides spiritual encouragement so you do not lose steam just when you can’t afford to.
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Gazelle Totem Animal
People with the Gazelle as their totem animal have a great deal of self-awareness. They know their strengths and weaknesses, and they know how to make the most use of the resources available to them. They are gifted with amazing insight, which they can also use to help others when needed.
Because of their nature, Gazelle people are not easily discouraged, and they can also make decisions on the fly.
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Gazelle Native American Symbolism
While the Native Americans did not encounter Gazelles in their daily lives, they did have antelopes in their culture. The antelope symbolizes the same grace and elegance, with the resistance born of maximizing the use of their talents. As such, the antelopes were hailed as clan animals for some tribes, especially for those that originated from South America.
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Gazelle Celtic Symbolism
The Celtic also did not encounter the Gazelle in their culture, but in terms of symbolism the closest we could get to is the famed unicorn. To the Celts, this mythical creature symbolized beauty and perseverance even despite its limitations.
However, the unicorn has the added attribute of being ferocious in terms of keeping its freedom. It was fabled to prefer jumping off a cliff rather than being caught! While this isn’t a characteristic inherent to the Gazelle, it can be likened to the Gazelle’s free spirit and strong attitude.
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Gazelle Far Eastern Symbolism
In the far east, the antelope is only present in Indian symbolism as it is connected to Vayu, the Lord of the Wind. This pays homage to the speed of the Gazelle. It is also connected to the deity Ishvara, who is sometimes celebrated with a dance called “mudra mrigashirsha” (translating to “Gazelle’s head”). It is also the symbol for the element of air in Indian Tantrism.
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Gazelle in Dreams
Gazelles may appear in dreams when you need to exert more effort to evade an impending danger. This may be through becoming more alert, observing your surroundings keenly. This may also be through doubling down on whatever efforts you are doing at the moment.
When you see the Gazelle being caught by its predator in your dreams, don’t be discouraged. This is merely a warning that you shouldn’t let your ideals be destroyed by your unconscious mind, which may in turn be clouded by concerns of everyday life.
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Gazelle Encounters / Gazelle Omens
When you encounter a Gazelle, it is inviting you to enjoy life in a way that only you would know how. We know there are always problems around, but we have what it takes to surmount them. All we have to do is to look deep within ourselves, and not let our minds be blinded by concern and doubt.
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Gazelle Mythology and Folklore
According to Buddhism, the Buddha’s first sermon was adorned with the sight of Gazelles kneeling beside the throne. This was a homage to the creature’s simplicity, beauty, and innate wisdom. The Bible and the Muslim tradition have likewise compared the Gazelle’s eyes to things of beauty, or have praised beautiful people by claiming that they have eyes (or other qualities) of the Gazelle. Here, the Gazelle with its keen and observant eyes is an example to the faithful that one should be keen and observant to avoid the pitfalls of life.
