Real Talk!

I love animals. I always have. I was recently reminded by a former high school classmate that my grade 9 year book proclaims that I imagine a future living in the country with my husband, a dog and other assorted creatures.

In that measure, I suppose I am a success... but I digress...

My regular blog readers (more regular than my blogs, it seems)... will note that I also have a great interest in the mysteries of the universe... and one of the things into which I have often delved is my connection with the other creatures with whom I share this planet.

I have animals that visit me and I see as a sign and others that are simply dear to my heart. My friends, relatives and real estate clients can attest to my connection with nature and wildlife. In fact, I have always been most at home, in the forest. I have spent many contemplative hours, quiet, in the forest and there have been many occasions during which I have been joined by a wandering critter, or two.

These have been some of my most treasured moments in life.

I thought I’d share a bit of the history and teaching about the oneness of nature and , in particular, my own spirit/animal guides, totems and messengers. Curiously, I decided to look up a few definitions to start...

ani•mal•ism (an′i məl iz′əm)
The doctrine that human beings are purely animals in nature and lack soul or spirit.
Animalism is a versatile Discipline that gives its user the ability to communicate and control animals.

Genesis 1:
{1:24} God also said, “Let the land produce living souls in their kind: cattle, and animals, and wild beasts of the earth, according to their species.” And so it became.
{1:25} And God made the wild beasts of the earth according to their species, and the cattle, and every animal on the land, according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
{1:26} And he said: “Let us make Man to our image and likeness. And let him rule over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and the wild beasts, and the entire earth, and every animal that moves on the earth.”

God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

The Talmud interprets "dominion" as the privilege of using animals for labor only.

"The Dominion Principle All animals everywhere belong to God. 'For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills" (Ps. 50:10). 'All things were created by him [Christ], and for him' (Col. 1:16). We cannot own what belongs to God; we're only caretakers.

In Genesis 1 Christ gave us dominion over animals, not ownership.

Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama), Indian (India) founder of Buddhism religion and philosophy - "When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble."

Animals and people have always shared a special relationship with each other. With the increase of information concerning animals and their ability to heal people psychologically, spiritually and physically, we are becoming more aware of our relationship with all animals in our society. More and more studies confirm that animal/human interaction fosters well-being.

We have all heard that owning a pet can reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol; lower triglyceride levels; lessen stress; result in fewer doctor visits; and alleviate depression. Infants who live in a household with dogs are less likely to develop allergies later in life, not only to animals but also to other common allergens.

Evidence suggests that dogs can detect bladder cancer and predict the onset of seizures. Dolphins have been found to sense disabilities in some people and they will adjust their behavior accordingly. For instance, they'll reduce the speed and power of a 'dorsal pull' to accommodate the swimmer's condition. Horses have been engaged in treating emotionally disturbed teens.

There are many forms of animal-assisted therapy... and I could go on and on and on... but there’s more... there are many stories, legends, religions, teachings and disciplines to confirm that our spiritual lives are somehow linked with our relationship with animals. Animal lovers believe that animals possess souls, consciousness and extraordinary powers.

Some cultures have honoured animals for having a spiritual life similar to their own and imagine that the spirit of the animal exists after death. Shamanic practice honours and acknowledges the life and wisdom that exists in all things. Everything is believed to have something to teach you and animals are thought to have a wealth of wisdom and protection to offer you. Some refer to these as power animals, animal guides, totems or spirit guides (that just happen to be animals)- something akin to guardian angels. They may be animals we have known in life (such as a deceased pet) or they may be personal symbols that represent the qualities of an animal.

Our native cultures believe an animal's spirit enters into a person, at birth. You do not choose a Spirit Guide as your personal spirit guide. The Spirit chooses you and they decide to whom they will reveal themselves and make their friend. Its duties are to keep each person strong and wise as well as to excel in matters of attributes given to that Animal. They perceive these Spirit Guides or totems as powerful guardians of the land or spirits of living animals. Some psychologists conjecture that a vision or message from a Spirit Guide may be certain aspects of the human psyche resurfacing from the pre-conscious ancient human mind.

A spirit guide is a teacher with something to teach you. A totem animal is often a protector, a mate to travel the Inner Worlds with who knows its way around and can get you in, to your destination and out again safely.

The knowledge and power of animal guides can be effectively used to improve our lives. If you feel drawn to a particular creature or if perchance a particular creature comes, calling on you, you might want to Google “animal medicine” and check on the correlation!

The meaning and lessons an animal guide brings will differ according to the type of guide it may be. Learning the difference between the types will help in your understanding of the relevance of that particular animal to you.

All guides are powerful.

An Animal Totem is an important symbolic object used by a person to get in touch with specific qualities found within an animal which the person needs, connects with, or feels a deep affinity toward. Generally, a totem is an entity that watches over or assists a group of people, such as a family, clan, or tribe. Although the term is of Ojibwe origin in North America, totemistic beliefs are not limited to Native Americans. Similar totem-like beliefs are present throughout much of the world, including Africa, Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the Arctic polar region. The elders of almost every indigenous tribe on earth believe that we are all a part of a great dream that the Creator envisioned. A big dream where man and animal would live together connected, serving each other in the balance of life.

The Nine Totems

Each person has nine animal essences or totems that walk through life with them, teaching and guiding them and in some cases, protecting them. Your totems are found in 7 directions around your spirit: East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Within. The last two animals are walking beside you at all times; your Right Side (male) and your Left Side (feminine).

EAST:
Your totem animal in the East guides you to your greatest spiritual challenges and guards you while you are on that path of illumination.
WEST:
Your totem animal in the West leads you to your personal truth. He helps you find the answers you already have buried deep within.
SOUTH:
Your totem animal in the South brings you trust, balance, and innocence. He protects your inner child.
NORTH:
Your totem animal in the North is very wise. He helps you to discern when to listen and when to speak. He also reminds you of all the blessings that have been bestowed upon you.
ABOVE:
Your totem animal from above connects you to the Great Star Nation, the Universe, and reminds you that you came from the stars and so shall return someday. This totem also brings you the dreams you experience in the Dream Time, helping you connect to other dimensions other than just this one.
BELOW:
Your totem animal from Below brings lessons about Mother Earth and how to stay grounded and
Balanced, while here in the Earth Walk.
WITHIN:
Your totem animal from within brings you your heart's desire and gives you the strength to be true to your dreams and Walk your Talk.
RIGHT SIDE:
Your totem animal on your Right Side protects you like a father. He is your protector as well as the one who gives you your courage and spirit to fight when necessary.
LEFT SIDE:
Your totem animal on your Left Side protects you like a mother. He teaches nurturing yourself as well as others. He teaches how to experience and have loving relationships.

MESSENGER GUIDES:
While sometimes the living animal is around you, most often they are only the essence of the animal.

At different times in your life, you may also have Special Helpers and/or Special Protectors. These stay with you for a limited period of time, depending on the challenges that you must face. They usually appear in person, in dreams or during meditation.

A Messenger Guide quickly comes into your life and then leaves once a message is understood. The time a Message Guide stays in your psychic is relative to you seeing and accepting the message. The message itself can be spiritual in nature, or it can be a warning. The message may deal with a seemingly mundane aspect of your life or it may be a wake-up call for some important action you must make. Sometimes the animal messenger will come during an unusual event and make a powerful statement and others come on the wind as a whisper. A messenger guide can cause you delays or some unforeseen help in your life. They can be both negative and positive in nature for they are totally impartial.

SHADOW GUIDES:
A Shadow Animal Guide is one that invades you with fear.Its purpose it to teach a lesson you have not learned from repeated mistakes because of anger, avarice, greed, insecurity, or other negative thoughts. A Shadow Guide will return again and again bearing strong feelings of fear until its message is acted upon or a change in lifestyle or actions are incorporated into your life. The Shadow Guide is powerful. It can help you to overcome fear by bringing truth and turning fear into a helper animal guide or spirit animal guide. However, if ignored the Shadow Guide can become dangerous and its powers will have a negative effect on your life. The Shadow Guide lives in the spirit world and usually arrives during a time of testing.

JOURNEY GUIDES:
A Journey Animal Guide appears at the fork in the road of your life. When a decision is made to follow a certain path in life, the Journey Guide is there to serve as a guide along the way. It represents a path that may take months or years to complete. It can be a friendly traveling companion if the path is right. If you become lost along the way, the Journey Guide is there help lead the way back. Unlike a Messenger Guide who comes and leaves quickly, the Journey Guide remains at your side until the current cycle in your life has changed. A journey guide appears at the fork in the road of your life. When a decision is made to follow a certain path in life, the Journey Guide is there to serve as a guide along the way. It represents a path that may take months or years to complete. It can be a friendly traveling companion if the path is right. If you become lost along the way, the Journey Guide is there help lead the way back. Unlike a Messenger Guide who comes and leaves quickly, the Journey Guide remains at your side until the current cycle in your life has changed.

LIFE GUIDE:
A Life Animal Guide is also called a Spirit Guide or Master Guide as it remains a part of you throughout life and reflects your inner-spiritual self. You may have more than one Life Guide and new ones may come during an expected time. Usually a Life Guide does not move away or disappear but remains an integral part of your life, however, there are instances when a particular Life Guide is no longer needed and is replaced with a new one. Its powers are always there for you and serve as a constant reminder of your inner powers and oneness with nature. If for example your Life Guide is Bear, you should be a person who is a solitary dweller, a seeker of knowledge and well grounded. A Life Guide will often call upon other animal guides found within its domain to assist in giving you special messages from time to time.

Animal wisdom is something we can all understand. It is based on the characteristics of the animal. It makes sense, intrinsically. At least it always has, to me.

Some of my own personal animal guides:

The bear. I was born with this connection. You can imagine my delight when I discovered that my 7th-great grandmother (on my paternal side) had been adopted into the Bear Clan! Also, a few years ago, when at a retreat with a native sensitive, she mentioned seeing a bear with me... behind me... she commented on its great size and the enormity of my bear medicine. I have always kept a bear at my door.

My bear is light coloured. Polar. Arctic totems are superb survivalists. Living in a cold climate and harsh environment demands stamina and determination to survive. Arctic totems teach the ability to thrive under the direst of circumstances.

Bears in general teach us to slow down and reserve our energies. Bear medicine also has to do with awakening from within. Bear teaches us that life's answers are no further than your own subconscious. There is no need to look outside of self when bear is nearby. Bears are also climbers and can teach us to reach new heights. Bears love honey and teach us to appreciate the sweetness life offers.

Polar bears are known for their fearlessness and aggressiveness. Polar bears are good hunters and strong swimmers. Humans are their only predator. Because Polar bears are so high up on the food chain it is understandable why they are so fearless. When polar appears you will want to evaluate your fears by looking at the things that make you reactive or act out. Or, you may need to strengthen areas of personal weakness.

The Polar bear is a good provider for his family, anyone with Polar bear as his totem bears the honourable responsibility to provide for others. It is right for the strongest to care for the weakest. Polar bear totem asks that any aggressive behaviours you display are for defensive purposes and not meant to bully.

Birds are another strong guide for me. Birds in general are survivalists. They will first choose flight over fight. They instinctively know that fighting is a dangerous endeavour. Whereas flight is avoiding trouble: possible injury or death. Birds have superb reflexes. They teach us awareness and adaptability. Birds represent the air element and are also teachers of proper breathing.

I have dreams and recollections of a white bird that comes to me and visits. I won’t go into immense detail about this bird... it is my own. I have not been able to find any image that perfectly depicts it, although it is not a particular showy or spectacular looking creature. It is simply smooth and white, fast flying and gentle.

Herons have surrounded me, always. Even when I lived in suburbia, there was a Heron that visited my backyard, daily! I have seen a heron in flight during most every successful real estate showing tour. All of my herons are called Harry. I was once dozing in a paddleboat at dawn, when I heard a horrible growl close by, I turned and was eye to eye with Herry... I could practically see his feathers move as I breathed! He eventually flew off... it was almost a prehistoric feeling!

Dolphin: Dolphin medicine represents the sacredness of all life and the abundance of the primordial sea. They are the gatekeepers to other realms and may teach us how to pass freely between this world and others. Dolphins carry this ability because they are mammals that live in the sea. They live in two worlds, the world of air and the world of water.

Dolphin’s qualities are life force energy, manna, inner child and Universal Consciousness.

When I was 13, I asked my uncle Frank to design a house for me... it was to be rooms surrounding a swimming pool, in which I would raise dolphins!

Dolphin teaches you the sacred ways of breath, how to release the old and bring in a new life force energy. Dolphin is playful, sensual and communicates love and compassion through its eyes. Other animals connect with Dolphin type people. Dolphins treat all life forms with love, gentleness and compassion. All life is sacred in their eyes. These people are connected to the universal awareness. They have strong psychic gifts.

Lioness: regal, majestic, powerful and strong, yet nurturing, devoted, playful and calm. As a totem, you will find yourself commanding this same respect from those around you, but not for no reason – you will have earned it, as Lion teaches leadership amidst cooperation. Just as lions live in groups called prides, so you may find yourself placed in uncommon situations of leadership or at the very least as an integral part of a group endeavor.

The next lesson with Lion that you can count on receiving is one of cooperation and how best to work with others. Within the pride, it is the female who does most of the hunting. But by hunting alone she would not do quite as well, and so she relies on her mate to do his part. He sits and roars, scaring the prey toward her. She then takes the lead and brings down dinner.

Lion is a strong spirit, and one of the most influential of all animal totems. Even the physical symbols associated with the lion suggest this is true, and they are; the Sun, the precious metal Gold, the god Mithras, and a king’s throne to name a very few.

Lions, though fiercely independent, can be extremely jealous and protective of their mates, and those with Lion Totem may find themselves exhibiting this same trait. Lion Spirit is not totally all about pomp and power. There is a marked softer and gentler side to this totem. Playfulness and the understanding that there should be a balance between a time for work and a time for rest is another totem message from Lion. In fact, lions revel in a very calm, almost lazy life, basking and preening and frolicking for many hours in the shade of the vast lands they inhabit.

Sensual, graceful, charismatic and passionate are all adjectives that also aptly describe Lion.

Wolf: the wolf is a powerful spiritual symbol. They are considered to be teachers or pathfinders. Wolf is the Grand teacher. Wolf is the sage, who after many winters upon the sacred path and seeking the ways of wisdom, returns to share new knowledge with the tribe. Wolf is both the radical and the traditional in the same breath.

Wolf Medicine brings a high sense of loyalty and strength, especially to family & children.

Great social skills, friendly, and gregarious. Ability of incredible strength, stamina, & communication both in physical & Spiritual realms. Naturally creative, noble, passionate, with the ability of profound understanding.

Jaguar: (a black panther) Some of the most powerful Shamans carry Jaguar energy, they have the ability to move into realms and realities where others cannot follow. Jaguar invites one to experience more of the "great beyond", to develop further one's intuition, bonding more deeply with guides and totems through meditation and action upon guidance received. In the Native American Culture, the Black Panther symbolizes "Embracing the Unknown." The Black Panther's medicine allows us to face our fears and darkest behaviors, exploring the hidden shadowy aspects of the human soul.

The color black is respected and honored by the red race. Darkness is a place to heal, to uncover the truth, to seek and find answers. Through dreams, the Black Panther teaches us to look inside of ourselves into those places that need healing, to embrace uncomfortable territory through self-discovery and courageously face the unknown.

Panthers are quiet and very sensitive. They have good vision and hearing and are very much at ease with being alone. Trusting your own thoughts and instincts, paying attention to the senses and using care are all part of the Panther's medicine.

Foliage... Yup, plants, trees, shrubs... call all be totems, too! They remind us that not all of life's mysteries have logical solutions. We must be open to magical opportunities, spirit allies, and unconventional paths. Plant life reminds us to celebrate our connection to all things growing on earth.

A blue star or blue flame... hmmmmmm
Flame/Star.... Twin flames were created together and share a destiny. They may spend many lives together and some apart but their paths are always connected.

Twin flames, although separate beings and often many miles apart tend to have similar experiences in their lives so that they are able to learn the same lessons.

Whenever they are together they appear to make up a whole, they are completely relaxed with each other and often have a type of telepathy or understanding of each other. They will be drawn together straight the way upon meeting.

Sometimes your twin soul may choose to remain in spirit whilst you are reincarnated and they will act as your spirit guide.

Sylph: Air spirits- a faux-mythological entity... an elemental being . Their element has the highest vibratory rate. They are said to live on the tops of mountains.

They often assume human form but only for short periods of time and they are said to be the most beautiful of all the elementals. They are usually seen with wings, looking like cherubs or fairies. They are said to leave beautiful green rings in meadows and fields caused by bending the dewy grass caused by their dancing in circles. Because of their connection to air, which is associated with the mental aspect, one of their functions is to help humans receive inspiration.

Sylphs are drawn to those who use their minds, particularly those in creative arts.

Sylphs are usually sympathetic of human endeavours and for the most part their actions towards them are kindly and thoughtful. The Sylphs can have a profound and powerful influence on the human mental body and thought, and, they are responsible for being the primary impetus behind both inspirational art and inventions.

As you can see, Spirit guides generally don't have a physical form; they reside on higher vibrational planes (dimensions), unhindered by the physical lower-vibration body. They work from these planes (the world of spirit) and move into our reality (3rd dimension) occasionally to offer guidance, assistance and insight.

Spirit guides will approach us in a form that is most comfortable and acceptable to us. For most people this is probably in something resembling a human form, though some might be seen in the form of a colour or shape, etc. I understand that we mustn’t confuse these with Angels- Angels function on a higher vibration than spirit guides, and in a higher dimension than spirit guides. Angels are of the stars and guides are of the earth. Animal totems, Animal guides or Power Animals can be a little of both.