Jackalope Symbolism & Meaning

Looking for something to inspire you? Having trouble avoiding temptation? Jackalope, as a Spirit, Totem, and Power Animal, can help! Jackalope shows you how to tap into your inner well of creativity, all while showing you how to keep your wits about you when something tantalizing tests your mettle. Delve deeply into Jackalope symbolism and meaning to find out how this Animal Spirit Guide can inform, inspire, and awaken you!

Jackalope Table of Contents

Jackalope Symbolism & Meaning

Straight from modern North American folktales comes the creature humorously called the Jackalope. The creature’s name is a portmanteau merging the words “Jackrabbit” and “Antelope” to form the title “Jackalope.” The Animal Ally’s physical presence is such that it is among the modern-day chimeras, merging the features of two distinct beings in one body. In some stories, the Jackalope is the merging of a Killer Hare and a Pygmy Deer. As such, the symbolism and meaning of the Rabbit, Antelope, and the Deer may offer additional insight into the meaning of Jackalope when it appears as a Spirit Animal Guide.

Tales depict the Jackalope as being swift, highly intelligent, and cunning. The Animal is one of many creatures in the constellation of creatures considered tricksterish. The Trickster association is likely due to the origins of Jackalope stories, which can be attributed to Doug Herrick and his brother, both professional taxidermists, who created a horned Rabbit and, after mounting it on a plaque, were successful in selling the stuffed creature. Stories and sightings of horned rabbits precede the Herricks’ creation, however. Here, Jackalope symbolizes pranksterish behaviors, hoaxes, and falsehoods, but always in the name of good fun.

As early as the 13th century, there are writings of a horned rabbit appearing in Persian works, depicting a rabbit with a single horn like that of a Unicorn. Similar stories appear in Medieval, and Renaissance works, particularly tales describing the Bavarian Wolpertinger: A mammal with fangs that also features the wings and legs of a Pheasant, a Deer’s antlers, a Squirrel’s body, and a Rabbit’s head. A similar creature appears in Germanic tales of the Rasselback or Raspelbock: A creature residing in the Harz Mountains and Thuringian Forest. The Rasselback has a Deer’s antler’s, Rabbit’s head, and Canine teeth; the creature’s young are Waldrasslinge. In Austria, the same animal is called the Ravraki. The Swedish Skvader is also like the Jackalope in some sense, but it has the European Hare’s hind legs and a female Wood Grouse’s tail and wings.

From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, people believed the Lupus Cornutus, or Horned Rabbit was a real-world creature. However, scientists have debunked the assertion after discovering the sightings of Rabbits with horns were Animals infected with the Shope papillomavirus, which causes cancerous growths. The tumors sometimes take on the appearance of horns. Here, Jackalope symbolizes erroneous perceptions and the ever-changing nature of physical appearances.

Legend has it the Jackalope has an affinity for whiskey. Hunters were suspicious of the shy and elusive creature as it was considered dangerous. The beast allegedly gored hunters, and those it was threatened by and made a quick attack by lunging at the legs of those it perceives as a threat. According to lore, hunters prepared to find the Jackalope by wearing stovepipes on their legs to prevent the creature’s horns from penetrating their flesh.

Some tales suggest in the Wild West when Cowboys found themselves singing around the campfire; they could hear the Jackalope sing along with them as the creature can mimic the human voice. Lore suggests the creature’s breeding ritual is unusual as it only mates when lightning strikes. Some tales even suggest the Jackalope’s horns made it challenging to mate at all; in reality, the cancerous tumors on Rabbits often make it difficult for the creature to eat.

Like the Cadmean Vixen in Greek Myth, the Jackalope always escapes those that hunt it. The creature is not only cunning and crafty but swift and fleeting. It prefers isolation and remaining elusive, but it is in the stillness the animal can observe others with considerable care. As such, Jackalope represents elusively, secretiveness, isolation, contemplation, and movement when conditions are safe.

Jackalope Spirit Animal

Jackalope may hop into your life when you find it difficult to trust other people or the environment. If you feel uncertain and can’t quite put your finger on what it is that’s making you feel insecure; Jackalope arrives to remind you to use your God or Goddess given talents to evaluate the situation. Jackalope is observant, patient, and sits still and quiet as it listens to its inner voice for guidance. Jackalope’s message is, “To truly listen, you must master silence.”

As an Animal Ally, Jackalope arrives in your life when you are about to experience a major epiphany, or there’s something that will inspire you in a life-altering way. Remember, the creature only breeds when lightning strikes. Ancient Sky Gods like Zeus or Jupiter stir up storm clouds, thunder, and lightning: They are deities who send you “thunderous thoughts” or “lightning strikes of inspiration,” which will contribute to your greater well-being, growth, and expansion of the mind.

The Jackalope’s one flaw is its love for whiskey. If the creature arrives in your life as a Spirit Animal Guide, its message may be a warning not to allow a temptation to override common sense. Just as whiskey befuddles the mind, tantalizing conditions may cause you to throw caution to the wind when it’s far better to resist what tempts you.

Jackalope Totem Animal

If you have Jackalope as a Birth Totem, you aren’t one to jump on every social opportunity that comes your way, preferring solitude and the comfort of being alone. It doesn’t mean you don’t interact with people, however. When you find yourself in a social setting, you’re quiet, reflective, and you have your ears and eyes wide open as you take in all the information floating in the air around you. You are one who enjoys observing the behaviors of others and reading between the lines. Others find it eerie when you are so insightful about human behavior.

Just because you are timid, it doesn’t mean you won’t stand up for yourself. With Jackalope as a Totem, you’ll face any threat without fear. You’ll use your cunning and brilliance to defend yourself with words. You may be one who enjoys practical jokes, and you have a playful spirit, but you mean no harm.

With Jackalope as a Totem, you likely have a beautiful singing voice, and you can impersonate others, which may serve you well if you’re an entertainer. Since you mimic the sound and talking style of others, you learn how to appeal to others by talking in a way they understand or “speaking to them in their language.”

Jackalope Power Animal

Call on the Jackalope as a Power Animal when you’re involved in situations requiring fast thinking or action. The Jackalope makes on-the-fly decisions in its effort to escape predators and survive. It is this same skill you can use when you want to jump on upcoming opportunities in haste. Jackalope lends you the energies you need when trying to achieve your dreams and when you’ve got to remain clear-headed amid chaotic conditions.

Invoke Jackalope when you want to tap into your psychic abilities. The antlers on Jackalope’s head are akin to antennae, which help you connect with the Divine, the Universe, and to tap into the psychic realm. Whether you want to sharpen your clairvoyance, or you want to “sense” energetic conditions in the physical realm, Jackalope lends you the help you require when trying to tune into your innate abilities.

Jackalope Dreams

When Jackalope hops into your Dreamtime narratives, you may receive messages from Angels, Devas, Spirits, Ancestors, or the Universe. Look at the horns of Jackalope as a means for tuning into higher vibrations and frequencies. If you see the creature scurrying about, you’ll likely face a situation where you’ll have to make fast choices, or you’ll lose out on a potential opportunity.

To see the Jackalope on the run, you may feel as if you are chasing an impossible dream or spinning your wheels and getting nowhere fast. To see the creature hiding in the woods signals a necessary time of isolation to regain your ground, recoup your energy, and to observe your surroundings.

Jackalope Symbolic Meanings Key

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  • Cunning
  • Elusiveness
  • Enigma
  • Inspiration
  • Intellect
  • Mimicry
  • Paradox
  • Psychic Abilities
  • Solitude
  • Swift

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