What the Cougar Taught Me About Self-Reliance, Wild Feminine Leadership, and Trusting My Intuition

Cougar Spirit Animal Meaning

Here’s an example of how life gives us a choice:

To take a situation as something against us—or to harness it for growth, empowerment, and feminine leadership.

A few nights ago, I had one of those moments, right here at my home in the Alberta wilderness, when I heard a strange, guttural sound.

We're currently staying in our cozy log cabin down by the river, not far from our house, because we had found black mold throughout our house. It's been utterly deconstructive for myself and my entire life. Not in a bad way, but intensely challenging.

That night, I just brought my children to bed then I heard a wild and primal call in the darkness, repeatedly.

I couldn’t place it at first. It stirred something instinctive in me. I recorded it with my phone and called the cats inside. And as soon as the animal heard my voice, it was silent and I heard it leaving.

Later, my husband and I looked it up.

What do cougars sound like?

Well, exactly like that.

It was a cougar, calling for a mate. And it had been right outside our home.

Now, we know cougars live in these forests. But it’s one thing to know they’re out there—and another to hear one calling right outside your door. I never thought we'd get to experience one so close to home.

At first, I spiraled into fear and guilt—the kind that’s so familiar to mothers.

How can I let my children play outside now? What if something happens? Am I being irresponsible?

It took me a while to fall asleep... just to wake up from a sound on our roof. Something landed on our roof, right above our heads. We don't know definitively, but for sure it felt like a cougar...

It was unsettling.

That story of "I'm doing something wrong" and that "we have to be more careful" was right there.

But then, I shared it with a friend. And she said, “Let’s look up the meaning of cougar as a spirit animal.”

What an empowering perspective! Maybe this animal came as an empowering messenger to me...

Here's the Meaning of the Spirit Animal Cougar

Cougars symbolize feminine power, intuition, and the capacity to walk through life with quiet strength. As a spirit guide, the cougar invites us into deeper self-reliance and the courage to overcome obstacles when the terraine is rough.

It’s about embodied leadership—not showy or performative—but rooted, instinctual, wild.

Qualities like:

• Patience – the kind that knows when to wait and when to pounce

• Courage & Strength – to overcome obstacles

• Adaptability – to thrive in diverse environments and find opportunities in unexpected places

• Mysticism & the Wild – tapping into one's inner wildness and intuition

• Leadership – leader / warrior with the ability to guide and protect others

Reading those qualities, I felt seen.

I realized: this wasn’t just a close encounter. It was a message. A moment of wild feminine awakening. A reminder to reclaim my inner strength, and to lead with my truth—even when the path feels uncertain or lonely.

From Fear to Power

It would have been easy to stay in the realm of fear, guilt, and spiraling “what-ifs.”

To see it through the lens of "life is against me".

But by looking at it from what I know about this being "FOR me", I found empowerment.

I saw how this experience was asking me to rise. To trust myself.

I felt supported and confirmed in developing the qualities of the cougar in me.

Through choosing a higher perspective I felt ignited instead of paralyzed by fear.

And this is the work I do with women.

Helping them shift their perspective. Helping them reclaim their intuition, their courage, and their real power.

So I ask you:

Where in your life are you facing something difficult, uncertain, or intimidating?

Can you choose to see it differently?

Can you let it be a mirror—a message—a confirmation that you are already becoming the woman you’re meant to be?

If you’ve had a moment like this, I’d love to hear it.

Drop me a comment or reach out. Let’s keep this wild conversation alive.