I used the example of owl but you can do the same with wolves. There are species of wolves beyong grey wolf such as red wolf, and dire wolf which is the ancestor of all wolves. Look at the cultural context of 'wolf' that makes sense to you. Yes, different cultures have different opinions on wolves.
The shaman, you could do the same thing - write down what it is about the shaman that is familiar, not familiar, think about the context in your life, what you were feeling, time of day, etc. As you get an accurate picture, you can begin to sift through what it means to you.
I have found that many meanings such as time of day etc are often taught in English lit classes since many authors use metaphors to convey a point. Rivers meaning life, etc.