I remember hearing about spirit animals a couple years ago. Is there any way you can find out what your spirit animal really is? Lately I have become more obsessed than usual with all things wolf. In fact, I have been going back to Amazon to look at a really beautiful wolf necklace I'm saving up for... heck, even the 'desktop image' on my iPod is that of wolves howling at a moon. I dunno... I've just been wondering lately why I've become so much more attached to wolves, I guess. :| Any thoughts? :?
Its possible it could be your spirit animal. I think if I were attached to an animal, we can bond with the nature of the animal whether its our totem or not. Probably more so if your a compassionate person, connected to the earth, and creative. I know two or three days after reading part of a book called animal speak by Ted Andrews some guy came up to me at work and said Quack Quack your a duck. The only thing I was doing differently than I was before reading the book, was trying to be observant for signs that would show a connection to a totem I was naturally connected too. I was excited, I had the desire for it to happen, The intention to find my totem, and practicing some awareness throughout the day. Those things in themselves can work miracles. Ask the wolf to speak to you, maybe pray a respectful prayer before falling a sleep asking the animal if there's anything it would like to reveal to you at this time.
Some people get more into it, I know for shamans and Natives drumming is a popular option for contact.
You go into a relaxed trance like state, listening to a basic rhythm with basic visualizations to help lead you to your totems. I haven't done it yet but there's nothing complicated about it. I would also say animal totems are one of the safest spirits to work with. You can get cd's for this as well. An excellent book for this is Shamanism As a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life. Its an enjoyable and easy read and you can learn quite a bit from it. It has some other basic practices within Shamanism but its main focus is on the animal totems. If you'd like a good dictionary of the totems with basic meditations, rituals and tools, Animal Speak is a good book. It would probably be ideal to allow the animal to speak to you through the journeys. This could take some time (depending on the person) to perfect, and a dictionary from someone experienced in the topic can be a useful alternative. Using the dictionary was a kind of divination for me. Just allow some time for the animal to work with you also if you use a dictionary.
This is something I have recently acheived and it was an experiance, though like most people new to this I am leaving with doubts on the validility - though I am puitting this down to inexperiance.
I used a Book Called Power Animal by Steven D Farmer - it comes with a CD with 4 tracks on. 1 track is a guided Journey to retreiving your animal,2 is a guided journey to seek advice and the last 2 are just simple drumming and rattle so you can take a journey by yourself.
I don't get it? You become an animal and run around and eat other animals, or what do you do for fun? :lol:
Haha; no, Kurt! :lol: Spirit Animals are like Spirit Guides. You know how you have certain Spirit Guides in your life who help you with different aspects of it but don't make themselves known to you unless you ask them to? Well, Spirit Animals... er, animal totems... are just the same. Got it now? XD
I know this is an old post but I want to give my latest experience.
Today subconsciously I knew I needed to shutup.
I put in Drumming to Journey by.
Its a cd with 9 tracks of various lengths and its kinda hypnotic.
I was using an open mind and a subtle image of a sting ray came up to me.
I felt an electromagnetic charge on my tongue, a few seconds later I figured it out.
My thoughts have been much more focused today.
Quote from: Enix on May 31, 2010, 20:43:43
I know this is an old post but I want to give my latest experience.
Today subconsciously I knew I needed to shutup.
I put in Drumming to Journey by.
Its a cd with 9 tracks of various lengths and its kinda hypnotic.
I was using an open mind and a subtle image of a sting ray came up to me.
I felt an electromagnetic charge on my tongue, a few seconds later I figured it out.
My thoughts have been much more focused today.
that's what it has to do with spirit animals.
The way to find your power animal is really simple, it's very close to what people do in phasing with visualization.
You essentially move into a visualization (not as far as astral projection).
Here's what I did......
(Using a drumming cd)
I induced trance and visualized a trip into the inner realms. A good way to do this is by visualizing yourself walking to a tree and seeing a hole at it's base that you can crawl into. You crawl through it and come to an opening at the other end. This opening takes you into your inner realm. On the other side visualize a landscape that you really like. I saw a deciduous forest.
Begin walking through your landscape and be aware of any animals you see cross your path. You'll probably see multiple animals, but the first one to cross your path 3 times is your first spirit animal candidate. After that animal crosses your path the 3rd time, walk up to it and ask if it will be your power animal. If it's meant to be s/he will accept and you can begin speaking to them.
This will be an ally for as long as you need eachother. One thing that is important to know is that it's the energy of the entire species that is your ally and you should respect and advocate for that species in your visualizations as well as in your physical life.
I have just looked in my animal guides book for Wolf......................
Characteristics and behaviours that no longer serve your spiritual purpose are being culled from your consiousness. Make cooperation a priority over competition. Valuable insights, ideas, and new teachings are coming your way so pay close attention.
Its important to maintain your self-esteem and integrity and deeply trust in your inner knowing, even when you feel misunderstood or misaligned.
You're being spiritually and physically protected at all times.
Dont know if that helps at all?
Quote from: Athymari on February 18, 2010, 03:51:12
I used a Book Called Power Animal by Steven D Farmer - it comes with a CD with 4 tracks on. 1 track is a guided Journey to retreiving your animal,2 is a guided journey to seek advice and the last 2 are just simple drumming and rattle so you can take a journey by yourself.
I didn't read this, but that's the book and cd i have and used.
(Wow, sorry I've kept you guys without any responses. I thought this topic had been done with so I stopped checking on it. Sorry guys. :oops: )
Enix: Thanks for sharing your experience. I might or might not try out that CD though... lately I have been trying to induce my spiritual practices (i.e. meditation and such) without the use of aides... that way I can induce them anywhere without being held back by some inconvenience other than time and interruption :wink:
Personalreality: Neat. I might try that visualization soon as I can find time on my flight (see signature for detail). Thanks. :-)
xxSaffronxx: I guess it might help? Part of a guide's objective is to protect their charge... so that could be the context of that definition... thanks for that, Saffron.
happy journeys
What about creatures that do not exist on earth? During one of my dreams I came across this dog/cat sort of creature that was about the size of a great dane. It had no ears, no nose and no whiskers and I don't think it had a tale either. It had big round eyes that where a grayish green. It did not have fur. Its skin was chartreuse with a yellow and brown stripe pattern wrapping around its body, sort of like a tiger or snake. It was a very friendly looking creature.
The very moment I saw it, it saw me. We looked into each others eyes. My first impulse was to pet it. As I reached out to pet its head the creature pulled back as if nervous and unsure of me. As it moved back I noticed how big and flexible this creature was. It moved almost as if it had extra joints in its legs, almost human like. It's movement was quit shocking. At that moment I realized I was looking at something very extraordinary and became a little nervous myself. Because the creature was nervous I feared it may attack and I certainly didn't want this thing attacking me. So I backed away and left.
A couple of months later the creature is in my dream again. This time I was petting it behind its head where its neck becomes its back. It has a lot of excess skin. The strange thing was that while I petting the creature it was singing to me in a human female voice. This time I could see inside its mouth as it was singing, which looked very much like a cats with sharp teeth and little tongue.
The circumstances in which this creature appeared is interesting. During that time I was having recurring dreams of a spirit in my house. The first few dreams I would wake up in my bed and would hear banging sounds in the house. This was disturbing for me. I am a Buddhist and have a shrine set up. During the dream I looked over to my shrine to help overcome my fear and I hear a voice say "that's not going to help". After another similar dream I have another where I actually see the spirit. This dream was very hazy and there was minimal visual imagery. I was sitting in a chair, though I couldnt see the chair or the room. All I could see was the spirit darting around the room in the form of a white streak with a vague shape of a head and shoulders. The spirit would leap on top of me and kind of hit me on my arm and I couldn't move. It was very frustrating and annoying. I actually woke up yelling at the thing "just relax!".
After that dream I decided to try make peace with it. I made an offering of milk, honey and rice and spoke aloud to it. I told it that I have a right to be here, that I don't mind sharing my space, I have no negative intentions toward it and to stop disturbing me. A couple of days later I have one more dream of the spirit and it is the dream that the odd creature appeared in. Right after I backed away from the creature I make contact with the spirit. I am sitting on a park bench by a pond and the spirit is sitting next to me, though I can't see him. Then I follow him to a bar. As we are walking he has a male human form, though I don't look directly at him. We go inside the bar and sit down. Once inside I look at him. He is a middle age man, tall with a strong build, blond hair and full beard. He says to me "too bad nobody can see us, otherwise we could order a drink". And that was the end of the dreams. I don't even know if the spirit was real or not. It did feel real, so I treated the situation as if it where. I'm not sure what the connection is, if any between the spirit and the creature. Just wanted to share that experience.
It can be any creature you can imagine.
The Wolf is my totem animal. I love that.
Quote from: personalreality on November 18, 2010, 13:36:15
It can be any creature you can imagine.
Wow I haven't thought of that yet! Just kidding. I lean towards it being a little more than that.