#PowerAnimal丨Reprinted Chapter 2 of “Message from the Animal Kingdom”
This content is reproduced from Ted Andrews’ book “Messages from the Animal Kingdom”. This book is reproduced to allow those who have found their own power animals to better connect with their own power animals.
Chapter 2: Awakening your spiritual totem
In many religious beliefs, there is mention of the existence of spiritual power and its help in the earthly body. The Greeks spoke to the Holy Spirit and gods through oracles; the Bushmen in Africa developed rituals and myths from the movements and activities of animals (such as antelopes and mantises); and the Native Americans established connections with the spiritual world through dances and rituals that imitated animals. This belief in spiritual power and the various images it manifests is universal, and in many societies the most common idea is that gods often use animals or animal totems to communicate their purpose and role to humans.
In our rational modern society, such a possibility is always dismissed. But spirits—whether in the form of saints, angels, ancestors, fairies, elves, demons, or even animal totems—fill our ancient myths and texts. If a belief is so universal, then we’d better give it a little faith.
From the relevant narratives, we can find that the diversity of gods is just like the thousands of people we meet every day, and each performs its own duties. They help us understand our innate abilities, allowing us to master and protect ourselves, while their energy helps to heal, inspire and grow.
Gods often appear in the form of animals. Many ancient civilizations tried to understand the supernatural world by studying nature. Gods are often depicted in the form of animals. In this book, we will examine how nature, in the form of animals, connects the secular and spiritual worlds. We will examine the symbolic and mysterious meanings of animals and understand what they are whispering to us.
A totem can be any natural object, animal, or any phenomenon or energy that you feel is closely related to your life. In this book, we focus on spiritual totems in the form of animals. If you want to understand how the spiritual realm manifests itself in your natural life, then you must study animal totems.
We can understand ourselves and the invisible world through animal totems or their images. We do not need to identify these images or totems as any great intelligence, but there is indeed a primitive power behind them, watching over us or appearing in us through these creatures. This primal force has its own qualities and characteristics, and is expressed through the behavior and activities of animals.
Shamans use animal totems to reconnect secular human life with nature and gods. Animal graphics help wizards transcend sensory awareness, making it easier to synchronize with the ethereal world. Explore, study, and learn how to become one with your animal totem so that you can call upon its energy when needed. You will connect with specific ancient forces through the animal and gain a more effective understanding of your life. When you honor a totem, you are actually honoring the spirit behind it—that is, a specific force or specific deity that communicates to you through the totem and image of the animal.
Ancient priests used animal totems to help them communicate face-to-face with the spiritual world. They would imitate animals through postures, costumes and dances, and create rituals accordingly to awaken and share the energy that exists in this world through animals. Animals thus become a totem—a power or magic, but also a symbol of a certain energy, and when they are awakened and glorified through the totem, that primal energy is released into life.
You can also learn how to access this energy, and through this, you can begin to learn the language of nature and discover its secrets. First you have to find out what your animal totem is. There are some techniques to help find your own animal totem. These techniques are basically very simple. They only require concentration and imagination.
Many people think that imagination represents unrealism and that only facts have value and meaning. But in fact, imagination is the ability of the mind to create and process images, and it is this ability that allows us to explore other fields, help us perform spiritual healing, discover lost knowledge, open up more profound visions, and even make prophecies.
Through creative imagination, we begin to see a spiritual energy surrounding and influencing the secular world. We believe that imagination is a real form that transcends the ordinary sensory world. We can use creative ideas to create a new perception, a completely different color and type of experience, which will trigger higher-level inspiration and intuition, allowing us to further understand our own lives and the spiritual energy that affects our lives. Imagination is a tool to connect with the spiritual and creative world. It can help you find your own spiritual totem and awaken this energy in your life.
When you begin to find and identify with your animal totem, you will be able to understand your life more effectively, you will be able to discover your own uniqueness, and you will be able to see the real world from a new perspective. You will find yourself filled with a new kind of inspiration and become more creative in your life. The better you understand your totems, the better you will understand yourself.
By studying and interpreting the animals, birds, fish, insects, reptiles, etc. you encounter, you can better understand the situations you encounter, gain more knowledge about the energy you may encounter, and apply it in your daily life. You will also learn how to use this energy more effectively when dealing with your own life.
Nature has endowed its inhabitants with innate adaptability, which allows animals to live in specific ways and in specific places. Adaptation can be divided into physical and behavioral adaptations. The most basic example is that some animals grow thick fur to protect themselves from the cold, while some animals adapt to cold climates by migrating. Animals such as goats have the dynamic adaptability to survive in mountainous environments. Their legs evolved for this reason, allowing them to grip the ground more powerfully and reliably; they also have more red blood cells, allowing them to survive in mountainous areas with lower temperatures. By learning how these totems adapt to survival, it helps us apply these same principles in our lives. This book has five purposes:
Help you find your natural totem.
Help you learn how to more effectively honor, coordinate and awaken their power in your life.
Help you discover your own hidden power and specialness through the reflection of the totem.
Help you apply totem skills and adaptability to your own life environment.
Help you learn the language of nature (physical, spiritual and magical), interpret it through symbols and omens, and apply the maxims expressed in it in your life, thereby developing reverence and respect for all life and higher powers, and taking life into your own hands.
True shamans and nature observers strive to reconnect mundane human life with nature and spirituality through totems and rituals. Animal totems and natural signs help us transcend ordinary, waking consciousness so that we can more easily attune to surreal realms and beings. The first step is to understand that all phantoms and images originating from nature or the inner psyche are, to some extent, real.
For most people, the most troublesome thing is interpreting what they see and hear inside themselves or in nature. Interpreting, studying, and learning about what you see and hear helps to engage with it. Rather than automatically accepting a natural totem, you need to undergo a process of validation, and you will learn how to do this in the following chapters of this book.
Don’t discard a totem just because it doesn’t seem as attractive or powerful as you think. In fact, this totem may allow you to control your life more appropriately. Sometimes only by studying and exploring a particular totem can the special qualities of it be revealed. Remember, seeking out what is special about nature’s symbols is one of the ways you can honor it.
Humanity has lost its connection with the rhythms and patterns of nature, and as a result, the magic of reality has slowly withered. Nature is always trying to tell us that all forms of life have something to learn from. As long as we learn to listen to nature, we can get rid of our original outdated concepts. We will find that everything has a magical creativity as the driving force of life, and this is the true meaning that nature wants to teach us.
What is your animal totem?
(Explore your animal totem by starting with which animal you are most interested in and when that interest began. Use the following questionnaire to help you find out which animal your totem might be.)
Have you always been particularly fascinated by some kind of animal or bird? (We are attracted to the animals that resonate most with us, and those animals that fascinate us must have something we can learn from them.)
When you go to the zoo, which animal do you most want to see, or what do you want to see first? (This is especially important for children, who are more open-minded and therefore more able to identify with animals that are important to them.)
When you are in nature, which animal do you see most often? Have you ever encountered an animal in the wild? (Whether in the city or in the wild, the animals we encounter are of special significance. At least we can learn from them how to survive in that environment.)
Which animal in the world are you most interested in right now? (Our interest in animals will change. Usually we will have one or two favorite animals in our lives, but when you need to learn certain characteristics of certain animals, these animals will suddenly become particularly important.)
Which animal are you most afraid of? (Basically, we have to learn to deal with the things we fear, and when we do, it becomes our strength. Some wizards believe that fear takes the form of animals, and only if we are willing to face it bravely can we transform their power (magic) from resistance into assistance. Such animals can be said to be a kind of shadow totem.)
6.Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal? (From past examples, if a wizard survives an attack by an animal, the animal is considered the wizard’s spiritual totem, and the attack is intended to test the wizard’s ability to manipulate the animal’s power.)
- Have you ever dreamed about animals, or are there some animal dreams that you can’t forget? (It is very important if such dreams occur repeatedly, or if the animals that appear in the dreams are the same. Children often have animal dreams, and we should pay more attention to them, because this usually reflects the child’s specific spiritual totem.)
Basic knowledge about animal totems
Animal totems have various names, including spirit animals, power animals, totem helpers, etc. No matter what one calls it, there must be certain beliefs:
Every animal has strong spiritual power.
This spirit may come from the animals themselves, or some “beings” use the image of animals to convey messages to the human world.
Each animal has its own strengths, and studying these different strengths will show you what kind of magic, magic, and power you can develop in your life. Remember, each animal has its own advantages.
The power animals that follow you throughout your life are wild, not domesticated animals. There are some exceptions, but even these exceptions are usually just connections to real power animals. For example, people may think of dogs or cats as totems, each with their own special magic and power, but domestic animals are often just milder versions of wild animals compared to them. Dogs may be linked to wolves, coyotes, or any wild canine; cats may be linked to wild cats, such as panthers, lions, tigers, etc. For many people, starting with a totem in a domesticated form is actually a way to build a foundation so that one day in the future, they can master and use its true power more effectively.
Animals choose people, not people choose animals. Many people believe that they can pick and choose the animals they want to talk to, and that’s just human ego at play. People will choose the animal they find most charming and powerful rather than the animal that aligns with them, and the results are futile and often frustrating. No one animal is superior, each animal’s magic is unique. It is much better to use the full power of the mouse than to manipulate the power of the eagle clumsily and ineffectively. You will find the secret to success in the animals that come into your life.
When I was about four years old, the wolf spirit came to me. At that time, I slept in the same room with my two older brothers and a younger brother who was two years younger than me. That night, my dad took his two brothers to watch a football game, while my brother and I slept alone in the room.
I was lying on my bed and saw a light appear on the wall. In the haze, an old woman and a wolf walked into the room. I started screaming and yelling, and my mother was so scared that she ran all the way from the corridor into the room. And when I told her about the wolf and the old woman, she just smiled, tucked me in the blanket, and said I just had a nightmare.
But I knew it wasn’t a dream because the old woman and the wolf were standing three inches behind my mother. She asked me to calm down, told me to go back to sleep as she didn’t want to wake my brother Tom, and then she left.
As soon as her front foot left, the old woman and the wolf came closer. Although they all looked kind and smiling, it didn’t matter to me whether they were smiling or not. I yelled for my mom again and she opened the door and again tried to tell me that no one was in the room and that I was just dreaming. This time she asked me to sleep on her bed and told me, “They can’t catch you there.
But her words had no effect at all, because the old woman and the wolf followed us into mother’s bedroom! I could only pull the quilt over my head and try to pretend they didn’t exist.
Since then, I have often seen the wolf and occasionally the old woman, who said she was my grandma. Later, I became more and more accustomed to their presence, but never mentioned it to others because I knew no one would believe me. It wasn’t until many years later that I was able to piece it all together and finally understand who and what they were.
To this day I still encounter that wolf, not just in my dreams, but sometimes as a spiritual being that surrounds me, and I often encounter wild wolves in the wild.
You must develop a relationship with the totem. Communicating with them requires respect. You must understand their point of view. Animals will not become familiar with you immediately. They must first know that they can trust you and where your limits are: and you must learn to trust them and know where their limits are. It all takes time, patience and practice.
If you want to take effective control of your life, you must honor the magic of the totem. The more you honor them and value them in your life, the more powerful they will become. There are ways you can honor them and make them more integrated into your life, such as:
·Hang their pictures
·Draw their portraits
·Read or learn everything you can about them
·Buy graphics, statues or small coins with your totem and give them as gifts to friends. These little things can remind you of the power and spirit of your totem animal.
·Contribute time and money to wildlife organizations.
· Honoring your totem through dance is also a powerful way to connect. You can learn and imitate its behavior. If your totem is a turtle, learn to crawl slowly like a bird; if it is a lion, learn to lie down like a lion; if it is a flying bird, imitate its jumping or flying. Most importantly, let the animal live in your imagination, use the totem’s qualities when you need to, and see yourself as the totem animal. Remember, your imagination is your true connection with your totem.
Once you learn to control the magic of power animals, you can open a door to the world of other animals. A person doesn’t just have one totem. Each totem can teach you or add some special elements to your life. Interacting with your power animal can help you form alliances with other totems. If you need more power, you can summon the image of a bear and gain its power; if you need speed, you can connect with the energy of a cheetah. Through your power animal, you can learn to connect with, or transform into, other animals and spirits.
Although there may be one or several totems in your life that are particularly powerful and stay with you throughout your life, other totems also have their importance. You can change a different totem every day, or use a specific totem to help you get through difficult times in life.
Some totems may appear suddenly and stay with you for several years; others may only appear when you are creative. You will most likely have different totems in different areas of your life. Although there is no limit to the number of totems, the key is that you must maintain comprehensive and close contact with at least one totem. This can expand your thoughts and make it easier for you to connect with other totems.
When I was little, owls often came into my dreams, but by the time I was about twelve, I dreamed of owls less and less, and before I graduated high school, owls stopped coming to my dreams. A few years later, however, I dreamed of the owl again and asked where it had gone. “I can’t stay in a closed heart.” I looked at it in confusion, and I was pretty sure it answered me with a smile: “I will stay quietly by your side. When you open your heart and untie the shackles that bind your heart, I will come back. In the past few years, you need the help of other totems more than you need me.”
Then I saw movement behind the owl, and saw the big cats that had visited me in my dreams so many times since I was a teenager—panthers, cougars, and tigers. Then I saw another sight: my father, and the way he treated us brothers, and I woke up. Years later, the owl would appear again in my dreams—but always from a distance and quietly—and usually in these dreams I was transported back to my childhood.
In 1989, my good friend Guanda Healing Daughter told me something about owls. I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I was filled with images of death and funerals. I knew my father was going to die soon.
Two months later, my father died of cancer, and once again the owl appeared in my dreams.
- Different people can have the same totem. I know many people who have mastered the magic of wolves, and while there are the same elements in how everyone operates, there are also differences. The way the primal power and spirit of the wolf manifests itself in each person is unique, and because each person is unique, the role the totem plays will also vary from person to person.
People in a close relationship may share the same totem, which can therefore serve as a guide to a closer, fulfilling relationship. Although totems will jointly look after your partner, shared totems are not limited to partners. Spiritual healing and meditation groups often have the same totem to look after their activities.
My wife and I both have wolf totems, but it has different uses for both of us on a personal level, and it also has different uses on a partner level. A few years ago, my wife and I took a canoe trip to Northern Ontario for my birthday. In the middle of the night on my birthday, we were awakened by the howling of wolves in the distance.
In fact, it’s rare to hear wolves howling during that time of year. But that night, the howlings continued all night long, and each time the howling came from a different direction. That was one of the best birthday gifts I’ve ever received.
Another time, we went to the Superior National Forest, hoping to get in touch with the wolf totem in person. In the past few years, many people have visited Zhuoyue, but have never encountered a wolf. However, we believe that if the wolf is really our totem, then we should have the confidence to try it. And just as we were about to leave the camp in despair, a beautiful wolf appeared from among the trees and stood about thirty inches away from us. It turned around and stared at us, its eyes lingering on us for a long time. Then we watched it shuttle through the shadows of the trees, and then silently disappeared into the woods again, leaving us surprised and delighted.
*Awaken your animal totem. When awakening this magic, the most important thing is to learn to awaken your animal totem energy through creativity and imagination. *
To be continued
joya joya is the founder of Full Moon Phoenix Society, a cosmic nature witch, Kurak Akuyek (fourth-level Paq’o and wisdom keeper), Misha Carrier, and manifestation coach.
She began studying mysticism in 2012 and has taught mysticism for more than six years. Her systems include pendulum healing, Rune / Runes / Lu’en rune mastery, Rider-Waite and Thoth tarot reading, Lenormand tarot reading, Usui / Holy Fire Reiki teaching, angel healing, angel Reiki teaching, crystal healing, crystal Reiki teaching, Akashic healing, Sub maker subconscious audio production, PGM research, and many other Eastern and Western mystical systems.
She has supported 5000+ cases, specializing in money, abundance, relationships, love, and emotional healing themes, using multiple spiritual healing methods to help clients manifest their wishes.
【Tarot】She studied the modern Golden Dawn Kabbalah tarot system (Rider-Waite / Thoth) with teachers including Lon, and studied Rana-system Lenormand with Rana.
【Reiki】She studied with William, founder of Usui / Holy Fire Reiki, and many international Reiki masters. She has learned nearly one hundred niche Reiki systems, including Shamballa Reiki, Angel Reiki, Crystal Reiki, Money Reiki, Abundance Reiki, Tulip Reiki, and more.
【Shamanism】She studied shamanic healing systems with Alberto Villoldo Ph.D. and Andean traditions. In the Inca tradition, joya is Kurak Akuyek (fourth-level Paq’o and wisdom keeper) and Misha Carrier.
【Witchcraft】She studied many Witch / Wicca courses internationally, and ultimately chose to study modern Witchcraft practice with a senior hereditary American witch with more than 30 years of experience, maintaining regular online exchanges.
【Healing】She has studied many Western body-mind-spirit healing systems, including angel, crystal, Akashic, and pendulum systems.
【Art Aesthetics】She studied KDCA essential oil perfumery, KCCA scented candle, and all-round incense-making courses, and became an instructor. "
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