Animal Wisdom Speaks - Month of the Badger

The Badger is a spirit, mentor and fierce no fairweather friend who teaches us about going deep within and how to unearth, what is hidden within the depths of your soul and heart.

​Badgers are fearless and not to mess with. They prefer peaceful solitude, but if a predator crosses their boundaries and threatens their world, they will defend themselves without mercy. The Badger does not know the meaning of giving up and backing down is not an option for them. 

Do not run from your emotions, but dig deep and follow their root system to the seed, the cause, they sprouted from. While journeying into the depths, tend to the roots you find, mend, heal and cut, feel, sense and experience your emotions to the fullest. Sit with them in the outskirts of the storm, its midst, the eye and then feel the first ray of the new sun on your face, while the clouds are dispersing. The storm has to run its course, so it can end.

The Badger is a friend who will walk through any storm – be it rain, hail, snow, thunder or fire  – with you and who will either hold space for you, while you are feeling and experiencing your emotions to the fullest, accompany you, while you are digging to find the root cause of them and sit calmly by your side, while you are expressing your feelings and tending to what you have found buried deep in your abyss or stand their ground – and up to you! – telling you what needs to be said with an open heart. 

Badgers are fossorial animals that are used to digging and foraging both above and underground. They are natural architects whose vast setts and burrows are built, maintained and enlarged over generations. They navigate their burrow system relying on their sense of smell and hearing, as they have poor eyesight. They rarely bring food into their homes, as a result of preferring to keep their setts clean, but they will tolerate that other animals like foxes, whom they are sharing the outer parts of their burrows with, will.

"White Badger Cub", white pastels & crayons, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2025, Hotel, Café & Konditorei Hecher & Marco Polo Eiscafé, Wolfsberg, Carinthia)

​Being omnivores, they prefer an instinctive approach in terms of eating and remind us to listen to our bodies and intuition, when we decide, what to take in and what not to consume – be it food, words or the opinions of others. ​

They invite us to dig deep, take a look beneath the surface of all people and things - and ourselves - and go to the root of any emotion that might come up. 

​The Badger says, “Do not run from your emotions, but dig deep and follow their root system to the seed, the cause, they sprouted from. While journeying into the depths, tend to the roots you find, mend, heal and cut, feel, sense and experience your emotions to the fullest. Sit with them in the outskirts of the storm, its midst, the eye and then feel the first ray of the new sun on your face, while the clouds are dispersing. The storm has to run its course, so it can end.”
​
Kristin Raphaela Otti

"White Badger Cub", white pastels & crayons, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2025, Hotel, Café & Konditorei Hecher & Marco Polo Eiscafé, Wolfsberg, Carinthia)

„White Dreaming Badger“, white pastels, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2023)

"White Badger Smiling", white pastels & crayons, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2025, Hotel, Café & Konditorei Hecher, Wolfsberg, Carinthia)

"White American Badger", white pastels & crayons, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2026, Hotel, Café & Konditorei Hecher, Wolfsberg, Carinthia)