If you chose this page to read first, you're probably wondering: What is a dæmon? Well let me start out by assuring you it has nothing to do with 'demons' and their curved horns, red eyes, and skewers. The dæmon, though pronounced the same way, is something much different. Plainly put, your dæmon is you. Everyone has one. The consensus used to be that a dæmon was simply a reflection of a person's soul, but over time the community has come to see them more as a part of the subconscious assigned a gender, name, and a symbolic animal form. So it might be more accurate to say the part of us that's the dæmon is what makes us capable of having a soul; they aren't our soul in its entirety, but a necessary half. Take away what constitutes the dæmon, and you lose your self-awareness, your rationale, your voice of conscience, and your creativity. That spark of life would be extinguished. It's because we have a soul that we're able to contemplate our dæmon.

So this makes the dæmon more a useful mental construct: a link to the subconscious, your internal companion, and many things more. For most of us the dæmon doesn't fit snuggly into any one definition but is a mélange of many. The dæmon is part of your consciousness - that part of your psyche that makes you different from the animals. Some would say the dæmon represents our ability to be truly self-aware, that higher consciousness that animals do not possess. Everyone knows their dæmon on a subconscious level. You have likely 'heard' your dæmon many times before without thinking anything of it. They're the voice in your head that chides when you do wrong ("How could you be so friggin' stupid?"), is rational when you're lost ("Okay, calm down, just calm down"), laughs when you do something silly, or spills out your honest emotions while we stand silent (such as mentally yelling "I hate you" or "I love you"). They're the part of you that'll agree when you're being level-headed and play Devil's advocate when you're too biased. Knowing your dæmon results in getting more in touch with that part of yourself and becoming more aware of that once silent voice. It means getting to know yourself better, appreciate yourself, and accept who you are.

Let me assure the skeptic straight away that knowing your dæmon doesn't require a 'belief' in anything, per se. The dæmon is an aspect of you, and you exist. Your mind exists. Your soul exists, if you believe in them. The only faith dæmons require is that they are able to settle into a fitting animal form without your direct input, and people have found ways to explain this, too. The brain is a powerful tool, and it's possible we're able to recognize and analyze the right animal form on some unconscious level. If anything, dæmonism is a concept and a philosophy. They are not an outside force within you, but an essential part of your personhood. There is nothing "other worldly" about these dæmons.


Dæmons are often visualized in the form of animals, with very few exceptions. Reasons for why would likely include the sense of balance it engenders. The purity of our inner nature may feel better shown through a rabbit than a chain smoker, lawyer, or construction worker. But more importantly the animal form allows for symbolism and representation. The purpose of the dæmon's settled form is to reflect the personality you've settled into and will likely have for the rest of your life. Not your hobbies, interests, and favorites, because those often change, but who you are deep down, and who others see. The form will often be able to represent everything from your temperament, way of dealing with new situations, work habits, speech, odd quirks, level of sociability, and the list goes on. The form is your perfect match. For example, someone with a wolf dæmon would be sociable, shy, prefer working in groups, respectful to superiors, possess stamina, would be unlikely to risk confrontation, etc. Someone who dislikes company, on the other hand, could not have a wolf dæmon, because in no way can you analyze a wolf to see it as a solitary animal. It just isn't. Human forms are commonly viewed as impossible settled forms because of how redundant it would be. The dæmon helps describe what kind of person you are. Having a human dæmon that blends with the masses would negate this.

But the dæmon is not instantly settled. As the term implies, beforehand there is an unsettled period, during which the dæmon can take any form imaginable. The younger you are, the less likely it is your dæmon is settled. For a good description of why this happens I'd like to quote a community member named Jalada: "My theory on why your dæmon doesn't settle until you reach puberty is this; when you are a small child, you do not know how your personality is going to be, it is still being influenced by things that happen around you. Obviously when you are older you can still be influenced, but not as much as when you are first young. Therefore your dæmon can change, and when you are young you don't want it to stop changing - you want to continue exploring different personalities and different ideas. As you grow up, it changes less and less, eventually settling - your true personality has formed. As I said, you can still be influenced when you are older, but your brain is not making quite as many connections as when you were first born, therefore you are more fixed in your ways."

The common settling age ranges from 14-17, but some settle before and others after. Before settling, experimentation with different animals is analogous to a teen trying out different cliques and personas to see what fits. But ultimately you let go of these juvenile tendencies and come to accept yourself for who you are. Sometimes the experimental forms are much more superfluous than that. The dæmon may change to reflect your current mood or emotion, such as a mouse hiding in your jacket because you're scared, or a growling wolf because you're angry, or a giddy ferret to reflect the joy you feel. If you're feeling shy, they might become a beautiful snow leopard to give you confidence, but can't help twitching their tail from anxiety. The dæmon may take on a form just for the "cool" factor. Whatever reasons govern the changing, the dæmon will change.

Many people feel like they never want their dæmon to settle, but just continue changing into all these wonderful forms forever. But in time everyone feels that pressure to mature - to know themselves. The final form is unlikely to be your favorite animal, for how often are we our own ideal? Who among us views ourself as perfect? But with time you will come to love the animal if you don't already. We may not be perfect, but it's only human to regard oneself well.

In case it's not obvious, you don't inherit your dæmon's settled form from your parents. Your soul is entirely your own, and the past or personalities of those who brought you into the world don't determine it. For example, my mom's dæmon is a raccoon dog, and my dad's a hedgehog, and mine is... a black coyote. Obviously I didn't get that from either.


It's most common for the dæmon to be the opposite gender of its human. This seems to work much like the priciple of Yin-Yang. The two temperaments compliment one another nicely and maybe fill in the gaps the other possesses. A tentative female can be guided by a confident male, or an aggressive young man be mentored by a tranquil female. But dæmon gender is not always as simple as male or female, as some identify as androgynous, and male dæmons can act feminine, etc. (There's a tendency for the male dæmons of gays or bisexuals to identify as feminine.) Some people may also have dæmons the same gender as themselves. There doesn't seem to be any one reason why this occurs. For some it reflects their sexuality, for others they are just more comfortable with the same sex, others still might not have any clue why their dæmon is this way - they just are. The dæmian community believes it all comes down to what you need in a dæmon. If your dæmon being the same sex is most beneficial to you (you may only recognize this subconsciously), that's what they'll be.


The dæmon's personality isn't necessarily like yours. You may find that theirs counters yours in some ways -- if you're highly dependent on others, your dæmon is going to strive to show you your independent side. And if you're doubting yourself, your dæmon will hopefully tell you how well you're going to succeed, whether it's true or not. The dæmon, unlike us, does not have to worry about consequences for speaking their mind. They are not what the world demands of them, but just themselves. While nurture plays some part in human nature, it does less so for your dæmon, nestled in your mind as a constant observer. But how much so varies. There are dæmons that seem to share very little personality traits with their human, and others where they hardly deviate at all.

Your dæmon loves you unconditionally, and they care about you more than you could possibly imagine. For most of them, loving anyone else doesn't come easily. For your very core to truly love someone besides you, that individual must have made a deep, sentimental impression on you. This doesn't happen too often. Most dæmons are guarded and not eager to form relations with other people. This may reflect our desire to keep our inner thoughts private. Giving people insight on our dæmon is letting people view something very personal and special. Not just anyone can earn the rights to know that part of us. For some it's fear of people seeing who they really are; it's easier to only let them see what you want them to see. But the dæmon is the real you, and not everyone cares to expose that.

You can always turn to your dæmon to know what you really think about something, deep down. And they'll always tell you what they believe is the truth. Your dæmon wants to help you above all else, and has no reason to lie to the one they share a mind with. They know what will make you feel better, what you fear, what makes your heart sing, and everything else inside you. Remember, you dæmon has always been with you, because you're one and the same. You can't hide anything from them. My own dæmon knows to yell at people I'm mad at, and act proud to be mine when I'm nervous, and keep a sympathetic countenance when comforting me after a cry. Because of dæmons, no one is truly alone. People talk to their dæmons on a regular basis, even if they don't see their form or think of them as separate. If you ask yourself a question, the voice that answers in your head is your dæmon. Even something as simple as the whisper of a quiz answer right before you circle it is often what we consider the dæmon. Nearly every internal dialogue you engage yourself in is between you and the dæmon. So it isn't weird to talk to yours; it's normal and helpful.

Your dæmon's feelings towards you reflects your true feelings for yourself. For example, if your dæmon is yelling at you, you must be angry with yourself. And if it's congratulating you on a job well done, you must agree that you did well. Most dæmons are also very forgiving. As your relationship develops you'll come to know this internal companion inside and out. Since they've always been a part of you, most are completely comfortable with their dæmon in no time at all. Having this sympathetic ear to always turn to - a constant friend throughout this life - can be life changing. In other cases, it simply makes life more enjoyable, and one's thoughts more organized.


There's one thing people commonly ask me in emails, and I suppose it would be helpful if I talked about it here: Your dæmon's name. People will often tell me, "I don't even know what his name is yet." And my answer is, "Well.. dæmons don't naturally have a name." Just like anyone else brought into life, they are given a name - so you and your dæmon must decide on this together. (Sometimes we wonder if names are predestined, since some just see a name in text and know instantly it's right.) I warn people to make sure that the dæmon agrees to and likes the name, and note that it's rarely a common human one like Robert or Krissy. All human names are alike in their own way to our ears - probably because they're so familiar to us. They've lost their meaning. As community members have discussed, the dæmon's name is a way to express your individuality. The name is personal and special to you. To snag a line from my friend Kate: "Dæmons are a beautiful, complex piece of us. It only seems fitting that they usually have beautiful, complex names." The beautiful, complex part is often referred to as the 'formal name.' But most people do not feel the need to address their heart this way; the relationship with one's dæmon is anything but formal. So most dæmons go by a shorter nickname. It's analogous to a full name and a nickname like most people have. For example, my dæmon's name is Rannock, but the vast majority of the time I call him Rookie or Rook.

If you have further questions, please visit the FAQ.