Ancient civilizations believed in a duality between humans and nature, where people could embody the traits of spiritually connected animals. This is seen in Egyptian cats, Canadian totems, and Sioux and Apache traditions. In Zapotec culture, each person had a guardian animal called a toná, revealed at birth. The father drew a lime and mezcal circle at the entrance of the home, attracting animal spirits overnight. The next morning, the animal’s tracks revealed the child’s lifelong toná.
