A Compendium of Shaman Animals Read online

  Mole

  "This week, farmer, you need to return to connecting with the energies of the Earth," stated Mole.

  "How should I do that, Mole?" asked the farmer.

  "Sit down on the grass and feel the bounty of all of nature around you. The touch of the grass, the wind on your skin, the vibration of the earth as it spins, all will culminate in your understanding of the universal energy, farmer."

  "How will this help me?"

  "Connecting with the inner energies of the Earth is how we find our way through the soil, blind to the light and dark, but still finding the light. We know this way of finding the divine love expressed in nature, will help you to find your light. Try seeking it this way this week."

  Mouse

  "A fellow farmer is being overrun with mice. What are they trying to teach her?" asked the farmer.

  "All she needs to do is to sit quietly like a mouse and understand the details. Doubtless, she is not carefully examining life's lessons. She is not seeing the double meaning in things," replied Mouse.

  "Such as?" asked the farmer.

  "Perhaps she is not seeing the gift in her husband's illness. Not realizing that in forcing them to change their lives, they are rediscovering happiness together. She is still caught up in illusions rather than following the new spiritual path that they are meant to walk together. Sometimes trauma can give us the gift of discovery, of discernment, of the unseen hand of God at work, if we still still enough to see it. Tell her, farmer, to pay attention."

  "Funny, that is exactly what her husband is always telling her," said the farmer.

  Octopus

  "Sometimes the best strategy is to evade your enemies, farmer," said Octopus.

  "Indeed, I feel beset by an enemy right now, or perhaps better described as a 'frenemy', as she pretends to be my friend, while doing me harm," said the farmer.

  "The worst, most dangerous sorts of enemies are those who feign friendship as they lull us into false security. Or we begin to doubt ourselves and our own truth. Be very careful around this person, farmer. Stay connected to your own sense of truth."

  "How may I best do that, Octopus?"

  "I find it best to sit very still in the depths, listening to the water. You might find that meditation difficult to do, but another meditation technique would be useful. If you are clear on what she is doing, you can then take action."

  "What sort of action should I take?"

  "In these circumstances, you should first try to move away from her rapidly. The more distance you put between you the better. If that fails, our tried and true technique is to put up ink or smoke screens in front of their eyes. In your case, you would need to convince her that you are moving in a direction opposite of the path you intend to take. Do not worry about not being a truth-speaker to such a person. If she is working against you, you need to protect yourself. Take care this week, farmer. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself. It is a most important lesson."

  Orca

  "I have come, farmer, to teach you how to free your soul from its physical body," said Orca.

  "I hope that does not mean you plan on eating me," said the farmer.

  "Orcas do not eat people. In fact, we are sworn to protect people as part of our karmic death, rendered to us from our very creation. Once upon a time, a hunter created the first of our tribe from a piece of cedar and commanded us to kill his wicked family. Once we completed our task, we were commanded to never kill another human, and instead to protect and guide you."

  "Why do I need to learn to free my soul from my body, Orca?" asked the farmer.

  "It is the best way for you to find your soul's song, its unique vibration that can help you heal, and help you manifest what you need to do in this lifetime. Once you know it, you can retrieve vital insights from your soul's memory and also heal yourself from injury and illness."

  "How do I learn this, Orca?"

  "The easiest way we know is to sit by the ocean, letting the waves guide your inhalation and exhalation of breathe, while you let your soul rise above and fly high above the waves. Once you reach that place, listen carefully as your unique vibration will be all around you, the music of nature, and from it you can derive your soul song."

  Osprey

  "Calling all fellow risk takers, farmer," cried Osprey.

  "I do not think of myself as a risk taker. I am a simple farmer."

  "Anyone who leaps after their heart's desire takes a risk, farmer. It is not just meant for people who leap out of planes. In fact, this sort of risk usually feels scarier than any daredevil stunt, as it involves keeping steady while in the throes of emotional turmoil."

  "Why are you calling for risk takers, Osprey?"

  "My mission, for those who are ready, is to help take them up into the clouds, far beyond where they have already climbed, so they can foresee the full potential without the veil of illusion, so often clouding the world. Illusions such as power, money, fame, can often sidetrack us. Even the illusion of freedom. Instead, I help you to focus completely on the limitless potential of your heart's desire in the purest form. What your soul can realize in touching others in this life. If you will take the risk and fly with me. So what do you say, farmer, will you fly with me today and find out the summit of your potential?"

  "Yes."

  Ostrich

  "The Goddess has sent me, farmer, to teach you some particular wisdom this week," said Ostrich.

  "That is very kind of both of you," said the farmer. "I am eager to learn."

  "As you should already know, farmer, our feathers stand for truth and justice."

  "Yes, I know of these ancient associations with your feathers, Ostrich. I use one of the feathers your dropped dipped in ink to write my most important prayers, dedicated to the Goddess."

  "That is already a good step, farmer, in your development as an emissary of truth in the world. Now, you must take truth telling even further. You must use it to connect the truths of the living and the dead. It is important to hear the truths of the dead, just as it is important to seek truth and discern it among the living. Is that clear, farmer?"

  "A bit scary but clear, Ostrich. I have yearned to learn the truth from a family member who passed on a while ago, I guess it is time to work on understanding. How am I best to reach that truth?"

  "Meditate under the light of the next full moon and ask the Goddess to help connect you to the Spirit you seek in the afterlife. Pose your question and look for an answer to be revealed overnight."

  Otter

  "Learning the purpose of play is an important lesson on your spiritual healing journey," giggled Otter. "When is the last time you played?"

  "I never have time to play," said the farmer. "I am always working. So much to do. So many seeds to plant. So many furrows to till."

  "You have much to learn, farmer, about your recovery on your own spiritual healing journey. Perhaps this is one of the hardest lessons for you. Play is not a waste of your time. Play does not just revitalize your spirit giving you energy. Play is the universe's gift of discovery. Discover new sources of inspiration. Play opens up your psychic awareness to allow new guidance into your life. And best yet, it is just great fun. Give yourself a day off and a play date with yourself and watch magic unfold."

  Owl

  "It is time for you to hear messages from the unseen world, farmer," said Owl.

  "I am not sure I am ready for that," said the farmer. "I thought Owls only carried messages from the unseen world for shamans?"

  "There are legends about our tribe across every culture of humans. In Africa, we are known to carry specific messages and omens for shamans. The Hopis believe we are the protectors of the underworld. The ancient Greeks know we are the familiar of Athena, chosen for our wisdom. Owls may appear to anyone who is ready to become comfortable with his or her shadow self."

  "Why is that important for me to learn?"

  "Only when you have reached a place of comfort with your shadow self, may you experi
ence the freedom of true choice, using your free will to choose your path and forge your own destiny. Most people remain stuck in the traps of their own creation, held back from flight by their trauma, or family opinions or worse yet the 'concern of what others might think'. People who are free choose whatever calls to their spirit even if it makes no sense to anyone else. You are ready at last to show you have mastered that lesson farmer. Now, go and prove it."

  Oyster

  "I came this week to help you deal with everything that is swirling around you this week," said Oyster.

  "I am so grateful Oyster, for your help. It feels like everything around me in my life if up in the air all at once," said the farmer.

  "You may know that we filter everything we need from the water around us. All of our nutrients and energy are sifted out and taken in; while we let go of everything that is not useful to us. So we want you to do with all of the energy swirling around you. Sometimes you need to conscientiously filter out some of the energy around you just be focusing and controlling your reactions to people and events. Sometimes, you need to actively close a door - the way we shut our shells to protect us when contaminants are in the water; so you may need to close out a relationship that has become toxic to you or draining you. Learning to keep your own boundaries intact will protect you. As will choosing which energies you allow into your life."

  Parrot

  "Think before you speak, farmer," said Parrot.

  "I seem to forget this lesson a lot," said the farmer, despairingly. "Sometimes the wrong thing just comes out of my mouth and I say something hurtful I do not mean."

  "The use of language is one of the most important gifts that are given to humans and parrots. We gave you that gift to allow you to bond more closely to one another, not to waste it on mockery and hurt. The adage 'if you cannot say something nice, don't say anything at all' is true for every minute of your life. If you need to, ask for guidance and wisdom before speaking. Or listen more, and say less."

  We have all said something we regret the moment it leaves our mouths. If you have ever done this, can you take a week to listen better to others and say nothing hurtful?

  Peacock

  "We all need to rise out of the ashes of whatever is holding us back from our spiritual journey," said Peacock.

  "It is so challenging sometimes," said the farmer. "How can we transcend our trauma?"

  "Start with finding the beauty in ourselves. Sometimes we forget our inner beauty.

  Ground yourself in that beauty this week and watch, as it unfolds around you, just as unfurling feathers. Soon, you will feel more confidence flowing through you and a sense of your own dignity return."

  Pig

  "The Crone Goddess sent me to find you this week, farmer," said Pig. "She felt you needed some deep earth magick to help you."

  "I do not know why I even need this sort of help, Pig," said the farmer.

  "Sometimes, Crone warns us of danger. Often, she wants to help us discern and root out the truth. The truth about someone around us who may not have good intentions towards us perhaps or the truth that we are keeping from ourselves about what we really want in life. In any case, this is a time where it is important to listen to your own past life knowledge and inner wisdom."

  "How do I do that?" asked the farmer.

  "Make a protective circle in a safe place. Plan a sacred meditation under the light of the moon. Place a small bowl of water in front of you, so that it catches the moonlight. Ask the Crone Goddess to reveal the truth to you. See what happens during your meditation and plan to follow the truth you see revealed."

  Platypus

  "I remember you as a child, farmer," said Platypus. "You always exclaimed when you saw me that I was your favorite animal."

  "That is true," said the farmer. "I loved you and I cannot even explain why?"

  "Well perhaps as you were someone young who needed to be reared differently than other children - as you needed a connection to the ancient wisdom of the animals to become the unique farmer you are. You always walked to the beat of a different drummer, farmer, even as a child. In some ways we all do. It is in our ability to find what is unique within ourselves and remain true to it, that we find what we were really meant to do in this lifetime. So many people try to conform; they buy the clothes and act as the 'should' and in doing so, lose the value of who they really are, and even worse, the value of who they might become. I have always been one of your particular special totem animals, farmer, and so I have appeared this week to remind you, that being different and unique is the gift you most need to remember to call upon. No need to do what other people think will work. Follow your heart."

  We all have something unique about ourselves. What if you shared that unique gift with the world?

  Polar Bear

  "I know you feel overcome with emotion right now, farmer. I have come to help you find your way back from the brink."

  "Thank you Polar Bear. I feel overwhelmed and alone right now since my friend has died."

  "Polar Bears are the most powerful, dangerous shamans, as our spirits can be interchanged with those who also take human guise. We Polar Bears are often shape shifters in disguise. Maybe your friend is now one of us?"

  "I wish that he were here no matter in what form," murmured the farmer.

  "You can always communicate with your friend. All spirits are part of the cycle of death and rebirth. They hover where they can be contacted in your dreams. Your dreams are more important that you realize, farmer. All of us can access mystical visions and communicate with those we need. No matter how great your sorrow or your troubles seem, you can always reach out for help. Call on the spirit you need tonight and find the answers you seek."

  Porcupine

  "You are ready to receive the secret wisdom of Porcupines, farmer."

  "I could use it now for certain. You Porcupines know how to defend yourself when threatened - all of those thorny spines," said the farmer.

  "Indeed, we used our spines to create a protective boundary but that is not our only gift," said Porcupine.

  "What are your other gifts, Porcupine?" asked the farmer.

  "We also teach you to live with the wounds, caused by the quill. All close relationships leave some hurts, but we teach how to learn through them."

  "What else may I learn from you, Wise Porcupine?"

  "In throwing up our spines, we also guide people to a different direction, which is often their true path. Sometimes, we help even our enemies, as that is part of our total trust in the Great Spirit. Each of us, even our enemies, have a path to trod. If we can help our enemy, and love our enemy, putting him on his spiritual path, we achieve the wonder of the world, and the eternal thanks of the Great Spirit."

  "I will try to help everyone in need, even my enemies, to find their true spiritual purpose. Thank you Porcupine."

  Quail

  "It was very brave of you, farmer, to exit that relationship which was making you unhappy," said Quail.

  "Thanks for that support, Quail," said the farmer. "I still feel fragile and somewhat in danger."

  "Sometimes that sense of danger is useful intuition; sometimes it is a holdover from prior trauma. It is important to know the difference."

  "How can I tell?" asked the farmer. "How do I move forward?"

  "It is important to first get grounded in reality. We, quail, live very close to the earth, blending in so well to the foliage that often people do not know we are there. They do not realize we are often so very still as we are meditating. We are letting earth's wisdom calm us and also provide a peaceful solution to danger. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself if you feel you are in danger, is to sit very still for as long as it takes to feel calm again. Let Mother Earth soothe you and give you the courage to face whatever it is with truth. Often, you may find that no other solution is needed. Once you have found peace again inside yourself, there is very little that anyone can do to harm you."

  Rabbit

 
"I see you are still afraid, farmer," said Rabbit. "I am here to help you this week to move through your fear. First, it would help me if you could better articulate what is your real fear inside your heart."

  "It's true, Rabbit. I am afraid. It is a combination of the fear of change and the fear of failure. I risked so much to follow my dream. I always am afraid it won't work. Or that people will laugh at me."

  "So many people get caught up in worrying what other people think. Or afraid to do what they want. Or afraid to walk out of the woods into the field where some wild animal might catch them. All of the fears of what might happen can paralyze us from action and yet inaction, is what will actually hurt us the most. If we trust our intuition and follow our heart, what we most want to do can be achieved. You would be amazed at the cunning ways the world works to help us if only we let ourselves listen to our heart wisdom instead of fear. I have learned to live by my wits, and no wild animals ate me; no one laughed at me; and I have lived my dream life as a Rabbit. I started out as a mere stuffed animal and through love became Real. I was afraid too at first but wanted to be real so much, to run in the fields that I let go of the fear of wild animals. You might want to try what love can do in your life, farmer. But for this week, just focus on the hidden intuitive teachings that will help your dream manifest."

  Rhinoceros

  "You called out to me in loneliness, farmer. I have come to help you," said the Rhinoceros.