Minor annoyance: Can we please stop lumping Shamans in with Druids/Rangers?

[GodBeastX]

The exact form of the spirit guide is chosen by the spirit
shaman at 1st level, usually for the qualities it represents,
as shown above. The exact form of a spirit guide is purely
personal preference, and confers no special advantages or
disadvantages.

So you can pick one of the animals and then say it appears as your ancestors.

[Doubtful]

I want to make an urban druid now...

Go for it.

I love the city character angle and have a total soft spot for city based characters and adventures (My dream server would be entirely urban) blame living in London for years along with Neil Gaiman, China Mieville, Ben Aaronovitch and a host of other authors and screenwriters and the 90s rave scene.

There's just so much untapped potential when it comes to city based stuff.

Well, nothing about the quoted lore prevents you from gaining power from ancestor spirits.

The Complete Divine lists a bunch of spirits with associated aspects that you're encouraged to choose from, all of them are animals. However, it's also pretty clear that they're simply some of the usual choices and doesn't rule out taking other non animal based sprirt companions. This is where the Cool factor wins out, and the whole description thing is pretty clear that the exact nature of the spirit guide is up to the player. Animal totems, ancestor spirits, whatever. Rock on.

Spirit Guide:
All spirit shamans have a spirit guide, a personification of the spirit world. In some sense a spirit shaman and her guide are one being, both knowing andseeing and experiencing the same things. Unlike a familiar, a spirit guide is not a separate entity from a spirit shaman. She is the only one who can perceive or interact with herguide. It exists only inside her own mind and soul.

The spirit shaman's spirit guide confers greater awareness of her surroundings, and grants her the Alertness feat. The spirit guide grants additional abilities at 5th and 10th level

*table of animals and qualities*

The exact form of the spirit guide is chosen by the spirit shaman at 1st level, usually for the qualities it represents, as shown above. The exact form of a spirit guide is purely personal preference, and confers no special advantages or disadvantages.

[Thief Of Navarre]

Insightful stuff Doubt. Agree with what you said about the cool factor winning out when it comes to spirit guides. People do it all the time: talk to themselves!