Native American Indians believe power
animals can guide us with a special energy
Animal Totems - How to Find
Your Special Animal Guides
by Anne Marie Bennett
Native Americans believe
that each animal carries its own special energies and gifts, and
that each animal has a gift to give each of us. Do you know what
animals are guiding you on your individual journey? Are you aware of
the gifts they are offering you?
Imaginary Guides
You can think of your Animal
Totems as imaginary guides on your life journey. You might also
think of them as Power Animals because each one imparts a special
energy, or power, to your life.
By observing how each animal
lived, found mates, located food and protected itself, Native
Americans were able to define the animal's particular strengths and
weaknesses. For example, bears hibernated during the winter, so it
was said that they possessed the magic of dreams. They were also
formidable foes, so Bear Energy was also about physical power and
strength.
It's fascinating to note
that different cultures (not just Native Americans) came up with
similar interpretations for all individual animals.
Spiritual Energies
Native Americans as well as
other cultures used Shamans to help them connect with the Earth
around them, and with the power of the animals. Using dreams and
visions, these Shamans would connect with the "manitou" of the
animals. The manitou of an animal is its primal spiritual energy-
wolfness, deerness, foxness...etc.
It was believed that every
human being had a particular manitou (or several) which they were
especially attuned to. These were their personal animal totems. They
discovered their totems through vision quests, although sometimes
the totem made themselves known in other ways. For example, if you
were attacked by a wild animal, it was believed that that particular
animal totem had chosen you itself.
Physical and Spiritual
Qualities
Each animal that exists has
several qualities, both physical and spiritual. The qualities in
your personal Animal Totems are qualities that you might connect
with, feel a deep affinity towards, or simply need more of in your
life.
Here are some brief
descriptions of the qualities of a few animals. Read carefully. One
of them just might be one of your Animal Totems.
-
Skunk: Self-confidence,
self-esteem, self-respect, creative energy, paying attention to
intuition and inner knowings
-
Alligator: Power to
survive, keeper of ancient wisdom, clairvoyance
-
Cat: Magic, mystery,
curiosity, independence, healing, unpredictability, inner balance,
moving through fears
-
Frog: Seeing in all
directions, physical and emotional cleansing, metamorphosis,
creative power
-
Shark: Peace, solitude,
emotional transformation, power of protection
Your Animal Totems instruct
and protect you throughout your life's journey. When you discover an
animal that speaks strongly to you, an animal you feel you must draw
more deeply into your life, try surrounding yourself with images of
this animal. This will let the animal know it is welcome in your
space.
Finding Your Animal Totems
One way to "meet" one of
your Animal Totems is to do a guided visualization. This one is
adapted from the book
SOULCOLLAGE, by Seena Frost.
Create Sacred Space by using
music, a candle, incense, or a smudge stick. Sit quietly and very
slowly scan your body, paying particular attention to each of the
seven chakras. Then choose one chakra to return to and focus your
attention there. Ask the animal who resides there to make its nature
known to you. Wait. Listen. Watch.
Remember to be patient.
Don't give up. You might not "see" anything the first time you do
this. Sometimes your Animal Totem is nearby, just out of your sight,
watching you to see if you're serious about connecting with it.
Continue to do this guided visualization until one of your animals
makes itself known to you.
During your meditation, when
you do "meet" one of your Animal Totems, look it in the eye and
remember to greet it with affection and curiosity. Ask it how it's
feeling today. Ask it its name.
Remember that this encounter
is totally in your imagination; therefore it is in your control.
There is nothing to fear.
At some point, move from
your body into the body of the animal. Look at yourself from the
eyes of this sacred animal and notice what you see. After a while,
return to your own body and continue your conversation with it.
Ask your Animal Guide the
following questions, so that you can learn more about its meaning
for you and its place on your journey:
Who are you? What do you
have to give me? What do you want from me? How will I remember what
you have taught me? Be sure to give it ample time to respond, and
expect to be surprised!
You might be pleasantly or
unpleasantly surprised by an animal that makes itself known to you.
Try to accept the animal who wants to be with you rather than
forcing a different one to be there.
Trust the process- My
Summer of Skunks
It is generally believed
that an Animal Totem chooses you, and not vice versa. The animals
you love just might be your totems but then again, they might not!
The animals which come to you when you are open and accepting are
the ones you need to work with. They will have the strengths and
weaknesses that you already posses, and they will have lessons for
you to learn.
A few years ago, I was
continually seeing skunks in our front yard, even in broad daylight.
This is highly unusual skunk behavior, I assure you! A few times I
also glimpsed a white skunk with a black stripe!
Later, I learned that skunks
are really about self-respect, self-esteem, and inner protection
through intuition. And I was seeing them at a season of my life when
I felt completely powerless and unprotected regarding some difficult
family situations which directly affected my self-respect and
self-esteem.
Coincidence? I think not! I
haven't seen them brazenly walk across my front yard since that
summer several years ago. I believe that Skunk had a message for me
that year, and I believe that if I need him again, he will be there.
Honor Your Animal Guides
with SoulCollage®
SoulCollage® is a personal
growth tool that is a mystical magical blend of intuitive art and
imaginative play. It was created by Seena Frost in 1989 as she
worked with clients in her therapy practice in California.
One of the suits in the
SoulCollage® deck is Companions, where you can create unique
collaged cards to honor your special animal guides. Making a card
like this, and working with it within the SoulCollage® process is an
excellent way to honor these special animal energies, and to get to
know your animal totems in a creative, imaginative way.
Anne Marie Bennett is a
freelance writer, SoulCollage® facilitator, and self-taught artist
who has learned about animal totems through her extensive work with
SoulCollage®. She lives in Beverly with her husband Jeff and two
highly cherished (and spoiled) feline companions named Sasha and
Scooter. You can learn more about using SoulCollage® with your
animal totems at
www.kaleidosoul.com.
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