Tag: Animal Rights

The Symbolism of your Animal Totem

The Symbolism of your Animal Totem
 
Both the Ancient Native Americans and the Ancient Celts believed that all animals had lessons to teach man and that they held healing or inspirational powers. In the Native American Tradition, one of the Animal totems that one has, is the animal that is significant for your birth month. I.e. in my case, since I was born in September, the month known as the Harvest Moon, this totem, or maybe I should refer to it as my Native American astrological sign, is the Brown Bear. To find your own animal totem you can go on a vision quest to find your totem. In one of the earlier episodes of Star Trek Voyager, you may have seen Captain Katherine Janeway’s vision quest to find her animal totem while Commander Chakotay explained her how to find her totem.
 
So how do you go about finding your animal totem?
Close your eyes, relax your body and visualize yourself in a sanctuary, this can be any place that you see before your mind’s eye or some place that you’ve always found calming, soothing or a place that you hold fond memories of… You feel calm and serene, and you are anxious to start your journey to find your animal totem. Look around and you will see a large stone in the middle of a field, you walk over to sit down on this stone and while you look around you, you will encounter your animal totem… this is the first animal you encounter… you can proceed by asking your animal totem questions… When you are ready you will return to your sanctuary and return to your every day world.
Of course there are more techniques to encounter your animal totems, but I have found this one to be very useful!
…
 

Text © copyright Branwynn Annwn. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. No portion of this issue may be reproduced and/or disclosed publicly in any way, shape or form without the written permission of the editor/author Branwynn Annwn. Feel free to share with a friend.TheWiccanStoneDailyUpdate:thewiccanstonedailyupdate-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

DO YOU KNOW YOUR ANIMAL TOTEMS?

DO YOU KNOW YOUR ANIMAL TOTEMS?
The following is from Animal Speak by Ted Andrews

Begin the process of discovering your animal totems by examining the animals you have been most interested in & the times of your life that interest was piqued. Use the following questions to help determine which animals are probably totems to you in your life.

1. Which animal or bird has always fascinated you? (We are drawn to that which most resonates with us. Those animals which fascinate us have something to teach us.)

2. When you visit the zoo, which animal do you wish to visit the most or first?(esp. children)

3. What animal(s) do you see most frequently when you are out in nature? Have you had encounters with animals in the wild? (The animals we encounter, in their city environments or in the wild, have significance for us. We can learn from them, even if only about survival within that environment.)

4. Of all the animals in the world, which are you most interested in now? (Our interests in animals change. Yes, we usually have one or two that are lifetime, power animals, but others become prominent when there is something importance or specific to teach us.)

5. What animal most frightens you? (That which we fear the most is often
something we must learn to come to terms with. When we do that, it then becomes a power. Some shamans believe that fears will take the shape of animals, and only when we confront them without fear do their powers/medicine work for us instead of against us. Such an animal become a shadow totem.)

6. Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal? (Historically, if a
shaman survived an attack, it was believed that the animal was the shaman’s
spirit totem and the attack was the totem’s way of testing the shaman’s ability to handle the power.)

7. Do you have dreams with animals in them or are there animal dreams you have never forgotten? (This is especially important if the dreams are recurring or if at least the animal image in the dream is a recurring one. Children often dream of animals, & attention should be given to these animals. They will often reflect specific spirit totems of the child.)

CONSULTING YOUR ANIMAL

CONSULTING YOUR ANIMAL

The Power Animal can be consulted in order to obtain advise on problems. This is
commonly called “divination”. To do this, simply journey to the Lowerworld to
see your animal. Your Power Animal is usually quite close by and you won’t have
to journey far before you see it. Quite often it is at the end of the tunnel.

When you see your Power Animal, silently greet it and pose your question. Most
often the Power Animal will provide the answer by moving it’s body in an unusual
way. However, sometimes it may lead you on a journey. The experiences of the
journey will be relevant to your answer.

The first few times you do this, it is best to keep your answers simple so that
they may be answered in a “yes” or “no” form. When you become more experienced
in understanding the animal’s language, the questions can be more complicated.

You should keep some form of diary in which to record your shamanistic
experiences. These you should record as soon as you finish a journey so that the
memory is still clear.

You need not wait until you have a problem before you undertake a journey to see
your animal guardian. It is beneficial to visit without posing a question. You
will find positive things happening in your life around such visits.

CALLING YOUR POWER ANIMAL

CALLING YOUR POWER ANIMAL

There are different names for this exercise in different cultures. It is a way
for a person to get in touch with their animal aspects through dance. Keep in
mind that a Guardian Spirit can appear in animal or human form.

Undertake this exercise in a quiet, half darkened room which is free from
furniture that can hamper your movements. It is helpful if you have the use of
one or two rattles, but these are not necessary.

There are two parts to this exercise, 1- The Starting Dance, and 2- Dancing your
animal. In both dances, you loudly shake a rattle in each hand and dance in time
to the rattle. In all dancing, you keep your eyes half closed. This allows you
to cut down on the light and at the same time enables you to know where you are
in the room.

The Starting Dance
Standing still and erect, face east and shake one rattle very rapidly four
times. This is the signal that you are starting, ending or making an important
transition in serious shamanistic work. Think of the rising Sun and the power it
brings to all living things.

Still standing in place, start shaking one rattle at a steady pace of about 50
beats per second. Do this for about half a minute in each cardinal direction
while thinking of the element or power animals of that direction. For example,
you can think of an Eagle in the East, a Lion in the South, a Serpent or Dolphin
in the West, and a Bull in the North. Move clockwise.

Return to the East and shake the rattle above your head at the same rate for
about half a minute. Think of the sun, moon, starts and the entire universe
above. Now shake the rattle towards the ground and think of the earth, our home
and the gifts she gives to us.

Still facing the East, begin shaking both rattles at the same rate and dancing
along with the beat as if you were jogging in place. In this starting dance, you
are giving proof of your sincerity to the power animals wherever they may be, by
making a sacrifice to them of your own energy in the form of dance. Dancing is a
form of praying and evoking the sympathy of the Guardian Spirit.

Stop dancing and stand still. Shake one rattle four times to signal that you are
about to make an important transition.

Start shaking your tattles loudly, but in a slow tempo of about 60 beats per
minute. Start dancing around the room in time to the rattle. Move slowly and in
a free form. Try to pick up the feeling of some kind of mammal, bird, fish,
reptile or a combination of these. Once you feel the sense of something,
concentrate on it and slowly move your body in accordance with the creature. Be
open to the experience and emotion of the creature.

Don’t hesitate to make noises or cries. By keeping your eyes half closed, you
might be able to see the non-ordinary environment in which the animal is living.
You may even be able to see the animal. Do this for about 5 minutes. Without
pausing, shift to a higher state of rattle shaking and movement. Do this for
about 4 minutes. Another shift to a still faster pace of rattle and body
movements. Do this for about 4 minutes.

Stop dancing and mentally welcome the animal into your body. To do this, shake
the rattle four times and draw it and the animal towards your solar plexes.

Face the East and shake the rattle four times, while standing still. This is the
signal that your work has ended.

Once you have successfully gained your power animal, make it content enough to
say with you. This is done through exercising your animal through dancing and
singing songs of the animal.

Guardian animals usually only stay with a person for a few years, and then
depart. So in the course of a life long shamanistic practice, a person will have
a number of animals.

How to Discover Your Guide:

How to Discover Your Guide:

One way of starting to discover your animal guides by examining the animals you
have been most interested in and the times of your life that interest was
piqued. Also examine the animals that have appeared in your dreams or in your
everyday life, especially the ones that have appeared over and over and at odd
times. The following questions can help you determine which animals might be
guides in your life. Has a specific creature or specific creatures, be it
animal, bird, reptile, Amphibian, insect or mythological beast, always
fascinated you? We are drawn to that which most resonates with us. Those
animals, which fascinate us or the ones that we fear the most, have something to
teach us. Animal guides are not always those that we have the most similarities
with. Often they are in our lives to help us learn what we are lacking. When you
visit the zoo, which animal do you wish to visit first? This is especially true
with children and this question is easy for them to answer since they are often
more receptive than teens or adults. What animal or animals do you see most
frequently when you are out in nature? The animals we encounter in their city or
wild environments have significance for us. We can learn from them about
survival within their environment and often much more. Of all the creatures,
which are you most interested in now? Our interests in animals change. Yes, we
usually have one or two that are lifetime power animals, but others become
prominent in our lives when there is something of importance to learn from them.
Do any animals frighten you? That which we fear is often something we must learn
to come to terms with. When we do that, the fears then become power. Some
Shamans believe that fears will take the shape of animals, and only when we
confront them without fear do their powers/medicine work for us instead of
against us. Such an animal then becomes a shadow totem. Have you ever been
attacked or badly wounded by an animal? Historically, if a Shaman survived
an attack, it was believed that the animal was the Shaman’s spirit totem and the
attack was the totem’s way of testing the Shaman’s ability to understand and
handle its power. Do you have dreams with animals in them or are there animal
dreams you have never forgotten? This is especially important if the dreams are
recurring or if a specific animal image keeps popping up in your dreams.
Children often dream of animals and attention should be given to these animals.
They will often reflect specific animal guides of the child or areas of weakness
where the parents can help in their child’s growth.

ANIMAL GUIDES

ANIMAL GUIDES

Do I Have an Animal Guide? Some believe that each person has one and possibly
more (one guide being the most commonly held belief), personal animal guides
that they can rely on. Most also believe that they can access other animal
guides for help in areas where their personal guide(s) are not as strong.
However there are also some who believe that anyone can access guides for help,
but each person does not have a specific one. Believe whatever feels right to
you. Before you decide that this is a wonderful idea and that you should have
365 personal animal guides, one for each and every day of the year, and want to
run out and meet them all, think about this. I was once told that those who meet
many personal animal guides in their life are not to be envied for they are the
ones who need the most protection and guidance. However that does not mean that
you cannot call on different guides for help when you need the specific type of
help they can offer you. It also does not mean you can can’t have more than one
personal guide. I just wanted to throw in a word of warning; too much candy can
make you sick after all. So if you suddenly find a flock of animal guides at
your side at all times, look at what you are doing and where you are going in
your life. Perhaps you have some decisions to make.

Your Animal Spirit for August 1st is The Cardinal

Your Animal Spirit for Today
August 1, 2011
your daily animal spirit for today

Cardinal

Wake up! Cardinal is chirping at you—bringing a message of personal power. Stop shrinking from your destiny. Stop pretending that you are less than. If you are unsure of your path, ask Cardinal to fly with you—it’s certain he will help you focus, gain clarity, formulate a plan, become self-assured, and step out into the world with the confidence befitting a person of your power.

Your Animal Spirit for April 26 is The Cardinal

our Animal Spirit for Today
April 26, 2011 
 
your daily animal spirit for today

Cardinal

Wake up! Cardinal is chirping at you—bringing a message of personal power. Stop shrinking from your destiny. Stop pretending that you are less than. If you are unsure of your path, ask Cardinal to fly with you—it’s certain he will help you focus, gain clarity, formulate a plan, become self-assured, and step out into the world with the confidence befitting a person of your power.