In the shamanic belief every thing is alive and
carries with it power and wisdom. Power animals are an essential
component of shamanic practice. They are the helping spirit which add to
the power of the shaman and are essential for success in any venture undertaken
by the shaman.
Shamans believe that everyone has power animals
- animal spirits which reside with each individual adding to their power and
protecting them from illness, acting similarly to a guardian angel. Each
power animal that you have increases your power so that illnesses or negative
energy cannot enter your body. The spirit also lends you the wisdom of
its kind. A hawk spirit will give you hawk wisdom, and lend you some of
the attributes of hawk.
Everyone is thought to have a few of these
guardian power animals or it is thought that the individual could not survive
childhood. Over the course of her or his life the person may have
several.
If a power animal leaves and one does not come to take its place the
individual is considered, by the shaman, to be disempowered and therefore vulnerable to
illness and bad luck.
Power animals do not
have to be mammals and can be reptiles, insects or sea creatures. Any
living creature can serve as a power animal. (Plants and trees can serve
as plant spirit guides.) Domesticated animals are generally not considered
power animals because they
already in service to human beings. It is possible to have a
domesticated animal, but it is more likely to have a wild untamed animal serve
in the capacity of a power animal.
The gifts that a particular animal is
thought to give an individual varies depending on the culture. Although
there are certain consistencies for certain animals. A particular power
animal can come to help you with an issue that is very specific for you.
It
is important not to lock each animal into a category, and be open to the
gifts it may be coming to share with you. If you are looking for a book
on power animals Animal Speak by Ted Andrews is very popular. A
popular website:
http://www.animalspirits.com
It
is important to honor your power animal. In many western cultures we are
not taught to value animals or the gifts that they add to our life and the world
around us. In shamanic work the power animal is essential, for a shaman
who has no power - is not going to have very good results. On a personal
level by honoring your power animal you let it know that its assistance is
appreciated. The spirit of the animal is giving up its mobility in order
to spend its time with you and assist you with your life. Also, by honoring the
power animal we make a deeper connection with it. Honoring it can be as
simple a saying a thank you inside yourself, or getting an object which
represents it and putting it where you can see it as you go about your day.
Shamanic practice honors 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.
If you would like to find out who your power
animal is, consulting a shamanic practitioner is an option. But to
discover this on you own, you can ask for a dream and see if anything comes
up. You can ask the power animal to show itself to you and if you start seeing
one or another animal frequently that would be its way of revealing itself to
you. For instance you are flipping through the channels and see an elk
on a nature program, then later you hear someone talking about going to Elk
Grove Village to visit their cousin. You see a sign for an elks lodge.
It is believed that the animal guide can communicate with you by drawing your
attention to things around you, and a repetition such as that would be a way
of communication.
Power
Animals