Spirit Guide of the day is Hyena! It may be time to ask the help of your friends or family in your future endeavors as well as individual bonding time with any of your children. You may have doubts about how much you can handle, but you have the resources and skills available to you to push yourself. Be attentive to your words, though, for anything you may say in this upcoming time will have more strength and weight than you may mean. Use your intuition and trust your gut. Make sure to take the time to have some fun, though, and do something silly with your time to lighten your mood. The hyena was often connected with witchcraft in African lore. It was believed that some witches could turn themselves into Hyenas, akin to the connections of black cats to witches. This lore is so strong that myths of were-hyenas have strong links in many cultures. Hyenas were said to be able to call victims by name due to their human-like laugh. They were seen as wise and clever with their vast knowledge including that of the earth, the profane, divination, and associated with deviant behavior. On the other hand, they were also known for their connections to lightheartedness and playful, social behaviors. People who connect with Hyena are strong survivors who may have been through a difficult childhood before finding their stride in adulthood. These individuals have a preference for living in more arid, land-based environments and have an extended friend group that is like family to them. They would rather spend their time with this group than on their own and have a strong connection to their personal instincts to decide on who to trust or what to do next.

Hyenas, Crocuta Crocuta, are omnivorous mammals that can live up to 25 years in the wild. These dog-like animals are actually not related to dogs, but rather, belong to their own taxonomic family called Hyenidae which branches off of the suborder Feliformia or cat-like carnivores. There are four known species of Hyena: the spotted hyena, striped hyena, brown hyena, and the aardwolf. All four species have longer front legs which gives them a hunched, bear-like appearance. Three of the species possess a striped mane on their backs that stands up when the hyena is frightened. Only the spotted hyena does not have this mane. The mane of a spotted hyena is much shorter and constantly stands on end. The largest of the species is the Spotted Hyena. Hyenas used to live all across Africa as well as parts of Asia and Europe, but are now found primarily in the African Savannah. It is only the striped hyena that can sometimes be found in the jungles of western Asia and India. They prefer habitats of grasslands and open savanna plains. Hyenas are scavengers which means that they will often steal other predators meals or eat leftover carcasses rather than hunt their own prey. They will, however, hunt at times and will hunt prey such as monkeys, birds, and wildebeest. These fast predators can run long distances without tiring and a pack will work together to isolate a herd animal to chase it until exhaustion takes it down. Overall, however, they will eat whatever they can to survive and will gorge themselves at every meal just in case they cannot find food in the future. The jaw of a hyena is the strongest of all land mammals and is able to exert pressures of up to 800 pounds per square inch. These powerful jaws are able to completely grind down bones which makes these opportunistic eaters a wonderful clean-up crew for the savanna. These vocal creatures are also known for their loud, cackling laugh. This is thought to be used to alert other hyenas to a source of food and can be heard for up to three miles away. While the striped hyena is relatively silent, only making howls and laughs, the spotted hyena possess a wide range of noises including whoops, grunts, giggles, groans, whines, and more. Hyenas will live in packs led by females, deferring dominance to their matriarch. Spotted hyena young are born fully developed with open eyes and quickly growing teeth, although they lack their adult markings. In contrast, striped hyena cubs are born with closed eyes and all of their adult markings.