Apantomancy

Apantomancy is divination by seeing animals. The diviner works him/herself into a state of trance until a vision of an animal or animals appears. The interpretation of the vision is based on what animal(s) appear. Mexico City is said to have been founded where Aztec soothsayers saw an eagle flying from a cactus carrying a live snake.

It should be noted that in there are large differences between cultures in their assignment of characteristics to animals. For instance, Europeans will call a fox sly and cunning, while in Inuit culture the fox is usually an heroic character.