Animal Spirit Guides
I want to share with you how I’m given things to speak on. Yesterday, I had a topic that I was going to discuss with you. I usually write up a few notes in the evening the night before. During the day I was in my office and had some time so I wrote the dialogue I was going to present. I printed it out and all of a sudden I felt I should speak about manifesting, so I gathered some quick notes and thought I’d change it. This isn’t the normal process. And then when I went to bed I glanced over at what book to read and I was drawn to Steven D. Farmer’s, PH.D book “Animal Spirit Guides”. All of a sudden I could visualize myself speaking on this topic the next day. So I grabbed my pen and paper and the words just came. Normally, I would not have 3 different topic to speak about but when I think about them, they all connect. The first topic was on being/feeling alone and how to work through this emotion, then manifesting and finally Animal Spirit Guides. The reality of feeling alone is something of the physical world. The spiritual realm is constantly around us. We are not alone. We have God, Angelic Guides, our loved ones, Archangels, Spirit Guides and Spirit Animals around us. I know it may sound a bit woo woo but I ask you to be open to the possibility of Animal Spirit Guides.
I’d like you to think back to your childhood. Did you have a particular animal you were drawn to? A collection of sort? Were they frogs, turtles, penguins? Did you collect teddy bears or piggy banks? A collection of dogs or cats? Was there an animal you had a special connection to that made you feel safe or was your prized collection? Could that have been an animal spirit guide? I’d like to think so. As you grew a little older were you drawn to cardinals, butterflies, dragons, flamingos or dragons? Try to pinpoint what was happening in your life when your animal changed. Maybe, you have had certain experiences with the same animal crossing your path and you sense a certain message or feeling about the “sign” it gave you. Perhaps you have an emotional connection to eagles, crows or owls. A symbolic message when you see them. It may not make sense to others but deep inside you, a sense of peace comes over you align with the message. Understanding Animal Totems comes in a variety of books. You can google the meanings to see if it aligns with what you instinctively feel. This will be your thought process that helps you heal, succeed, move on and transition into a higher meaning or feeling. It can be emotional, spiritual or physical at the time of the sightings. It can signify a time of change, possibly a weakness in yourself that needs to come to light. Are you open to the possibilities that already surround you in your thoughts?
When I question dream sightings or physical sightings I reference my Medicine Deck that I use during private readings. The Medicine card I pull for my client gives me insight of what they are going through. I also use a book called “Animal Spirit Guides” written by Steven D. Farmer, PH.D. The bio on the back of the book says, “Steven provides concise relevant details about the significance of more than 200 animals that may come to you in physical or symbolic forms as guides and teachers.” It goes on to say that “Steven is a Shamanic practitioner, ordained minister, psychotherapist and former college professor with over 30 years experience as a professional healer and teacher.” He sounds like the right person to read the research he has formulated. I totally stand by what I have said for years. Read as many books as possible about the subject that interests you. Also, be aware that if you read 10 book on 1 subject, you will receive 10 different answers. This is where your intuition comes in. Which of these answers resonates with you enough to brings clarity to your questions?
I thought I’d take a few animals from his book and give you some information. Be open to seeing how it sits with your spirit and energy. It may give you insight to figure out your guides, your path and when to call on them for help. Is this your power animal? The power animal will be traits that you connect with within yourself. I won’t go into as much detail on the blog as I did on my social media live stream of Tuesday Talks at 10:30, you can always go to the link to listen. https://fb.watch/tdrXKtdVpx/
I think back to what animal (s) were of importance to me and how and when they changed. As as child, the Pegasus and Unicorn were mystical and magical to me. I collected them and still have a necklace I purchased as a teenager. When I went to the book, Unicorn was mentioned by Pegasus was not . Things that stood out to me were, “You’ll notice more signs and visitations from the Nature spirits and elemental kingdom, such as the fairies and sprites.” Interestingly enough, I often said I had Leprechauns. I used to blame the untidiness of my room on them. Now I know I did it in fun to make my mother laugh, but why would I choose leprechauns? It goes on to say, “ Suspend your disbelief and open yourself to perceiving any and all helping spirits from the nonvisible world.” The nonvisible world freaked me out. I was afraid of it. But I also had imaginary goats which I later came to realize where ghosts, I just mispronounced it. Further information is “You’re a parent or caregiver of a child who has extradentary creative gits or talents, especially if they see, hear or feel things from the spirit world.” All 3 of my children are creative and intuitive. So - B I N G O. There is more information but these are the things that stood out to me. I truly believe that the Unicorn and Pegasus were Animal Spirit Guides for me as a child. As I got older, I developed a phobia of bats. I couldn’t even look or think about them. I go back in my mind to when this phobia started. I was in a toxic marriage. When we purchased our second home there were pine trees close to the house with dormers, this gave them easy access to the home. We had several in the house, I’d wake up at night feeling like they were flying around me. I could hear their chirping noise and the breeze of their wings above me. It was terrifying to me. They would circle around the roof outside, swooping down for bugs. It got so intense for me that the mere sight of a bat would give me chills and goose bumps and I would feel nauseous. When I read about the bat several years ago, it gave me insight. Here are some things that resonated with my situation. “Let go of those habits and attachments that no longer serve you, and welcome the changes that are long overdue. The ordeal that you are facing is a necessary part of your transformation and an initiation into a much more spiritual directed life. It is time to confront and conquer your fears, trusting that doing so will bring about dramatic and beneficial changes.” After divorcing and remarrying, I later suffered from PTSD, depression and anxiety attacks. Which takes me to the next part of the bat. “You’re in a transition, where a life that you once lived is dying, and a new cycle is emerging. You’ve been isolating yourself far too long and need to make contact with others. You’re feeling anxious and fearful without knowing why or what your are afraid of.” That is exactly where I was at the time. And then it went on to say, “ You’ve earned your gifts as a visionary and shaman through a series of difficult initiations that have been a significant part of your soul’s path.” Validations galore; change, trauma, leaving things behind and initiations that brought me to this moment in time, a place where I know my path and do my best to follow it on a daily basis.
There are many other Spirit Animals listed in this book, but I thought I would speak of these two and tell you how they feel in my spirit. As much as I don’t want to believe that the Bat is my Totem, it would make perfect sense that it would be. After the understanding of this creature, my fear has subsided quite a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t want them in my home. But the lesson, the initiation, although difficult and traumatic with the things I endured, I made it to the other side.
If you have a particular thing you are facing you reference the book and find out what spirit animal to call on. For instance, if you stumbling with self-acceptance call on the duck, hedgehog or moose. See which one you are more drawn to and look at the meanings behind them. Meditate, visualize and call them in. You are intuitively choosing the one that jumps off the page so to speak. When you call them into meditation and prayer, contemplation or shamanic journeying they may also point out characteristics that you are not only strong in but also those that need cultivating.
Visualize the animal coming into your meditation, dream and daily life to guide you on your path. I heard a quote the other night, “Vision is not what you see when your eyes are open, it is what you see when they are closed.” Intuition grows when you see with your eyes closed. It is that small quiet voice inside of each and every one of us.
It intrigues me to learn about the spirit of the animals. It gives us a glimpse of the old way of thinking. Native Americans have lived off the land and honored the animal spirits. There was a reason they followed and believed. We may not completely understand the full meaning but don’t you agree it is worth looking into. Opening our minds to the a perspective, to help grow in our knowledge, belief, and a path to follow. It helps me release my doubt of thinking I was alone,. I realized this through serving spirit. We have spirit energy of a loved one who has passed, angels, archangels, guides (angelic and animal) with us. We have a whole other realm looking out for us and lighting our path.
You decide if this is something you feel drawn to. If so, get as much information as you can from books, blogs, podcasts or wherever you gather your research. Then sit with it for a while, meditate and call your guide in. Journal about your experiences and see what type of clarity and growth you receive from the answers only they can provide.
Blessings to you on your quest of knowledge.
Stacey
To watch this episode on Facebook click the link https://fb.watch/tdrXKtdVpx/
