What is your power / totem animal?

[celticnoodle]

Well, not long before this I got up to use the bathroom, & there was a HUGE tropical swallowtail moth in the kitchen! It's a rare thing. Started flying all over the place as soon as I switched on the light. It was NOT attracted to the light! I was fascinated by its wings, but couldn't help freaking out when it started flying at me. If only it would stay still so I could admire those wings!

Local folklore says that this is a dead grandparent visiting. Oh I don't know...

oooh! while having something like that in my home would also upset me and especially if it kept flying at me-- it sounds like a really cool thing to have happened! As for it being a grandparent--now THAT really intrigues me even more! But, I wonder why your grandparent wouldn't just come to you in the form that you would know them? When my deceased family members come to me--they appear to me in a way that I know them, (tho sometimes younger from when I knew them!) and/or if I can't 'see' them--then with an aroma that would help to identify them.

Like my dad comes smelling of cigarette smoke--as he was a smoker. My uncle, comes with his pipe smell, and my mother in law--of her favorite perfume. that sort of thing.

Do you have any idea which grandparent it may have been?

Since we're on that topic and speaking recommendations, I'd also want to drop a few suggestions. I really enjoy listening to Gerry Starnes on youtube speaking about shamanism. He is very clear and practical. I've also come across some lectures by Hachumak - very few, unfortunately, but the information is well worth the listen.

And recently I bought "Animal Speak" - quite detailed and enlightening. Definitely recommended to anyone who's interested in the subject of animal medicine.

Oh thank you! I'll have to check this out!

This is something new that has started to interest me only recently. If we go with what animals I see, I've seen butterflies as prints and pictures everywhere. They pop out to me from surprising corners and I've also just realised that the most recent shirt and scarf I bought have butterfly prints on them. However, I take this to mean I'm currently undergoing a transformation and butterflies herald that more than being a totem animal.

I haven't been able to see any animals in meditation, even though I normally see vivid and vibrant visions, like videos. However, I feel affinity for foxes. Coincidentally, once I had my hair done and the supposedly blond highlights turned out fox-fur colour by accident and I loved it Anybody has any more knowledge about a fox as a totem animal? I've read it's about wits and intelligent, but I don't connect with the associated slyness or deceptiveness at all.

I don't really know of anything on foxes or butterflies, but would recommend you google "fox power animal" and see what comes up.

It was very cool! And is! I'm still researching the animal I wonder how you know when it is done guiding you?

yes, that was an interesting experience. I wish you more happy researching on your animal, and perhaps some just as exciting visits from them!

For me, the animal just stops showing up. There was a time I kept hearing and noticing orioles. Now that's stopped, & I am in a new phase of my journey.

I would suspect this is the clue. Just like with guides. I had a guide, whom I miss terribly, that I named "Joe". He never told me his name, but I asked if I could call him "Joe". Anyway, he is no longer with me, because apparently his job was done with me and I now have a new guide. I do miss Joe. Actually, I have had him come to me briefly a few times since the new guide came into my life--but its always very short visits and often times only a viewing of him, smiling at me. I miss him terribly!

As for the power animal--I have many memories of the black panther being with me on astral travels that I've done and some shamanic journeys too. I wish everyone could experience visits like these with their guides--both spiritual guides and power animal guides. There is truly nothing that can compare to it!

 

[yannie]

oooh! while having something like that in my home would also upset me and especially if it kept flying at me-- it sounds like a really cool thing to have happened! As for it being a grandparent--now THAT really intrigues me even more! But, I wonder why your grandparent wouldn't just come to you in the form that you would know them? When my deceased family members come to me--they appear to me in a way that I know them, (tho sometimes younger from when I knew them!) and/or if I can't 'see' them--then with an aroma that would help to identify them.

Like my dad comes smelling of cigarette smoke--as he was a smoker. My uncle, comes with his pipe smell, and my mother in law--of her favorite perfume. that sort of thing.

Do you have any idea which grandparent it may have been?

Well, if it was a grandparent... I have a paternal grandmother who apparently really doted on me until her death when I was about 3-years-old. I have only vague, very vague memories of being in her presence, but don't really know what she looks like... So coming as a big giant moth would make sense I guess.

The one big way she showed her love for me, when she was alive, was in the Chinese name she gave me - it's apparently so unique that it's now turning out to function like a prophecy... & I only discovered this very recently! I'm from an English-speaking background so my Chinese is VERY poor, & I grew up not knowing what my name meant (my grannie is an educated Chinese migrant though). So I was always puzzled when Chinese people told me, "Wow, you have a really BEAUTIFUL name!" Back then, I hadn't arrived at the point needed to appreciate its significance. I didn't like how my Chinese name sounded, TBH. & my parents never appreciated its meaning either.

But now, I really thank her... I mentioned my name to an older Chinese woman recently, told her how I got it, and she said, "Your grandmother must've really treasured you. That is a very beautiful, unique name, that she must've spent a lot of time and effort choosing." Right down to the stroke count I heard I wasn't named until 2 weeks after my birth. It's a name I will guard with my English name, now that I know what it means

It's like she gave me that name to protect me (probably consulted a fortune teller)...& also that I would know what she felt for me even when she's not around, because she was nearing the end of her life. I've had a very turbulent past & am at a turning point in my life now, so this could be a sign that she's still watching over me, I dunno...

ETA - oh, that moth showed up 2 days after the full moon. I feel this has some significance but I can't quite put my finger on what...

& why moths & not in the form we know them... It's a superstition for those who can't see/hear/smell ghosts I guess...

 

[RiverRunsDeep]

My first attempt at finding my totem animal was a very non-spiritual approach; I took an online quiz. The quiz is here. The results showed that my totem is the Owl, which makes perfect sense based on my personality. Actually, I found and participated in a few more online quizzes with the same result....Owl!!!

I also had a friend (who is a hypnotherapist) lead me in a guided meditation, which revealed my totem animal as a Deer. I'm ashamed to admit I was disappointed. I guess I was hoping for a "stronger" totem, yet further research led me to discover how much strength lies behind the surface gentleness of the Deer.

So now I embrace both the Owl and the Deer as my totem animals.

Maybe OT, but has anyone heard of animals having their own totem animal? My sweet dog, Penny (now deceased), used to attract butterflies! They often fluttered around her, and would even land on her back or on her head. She would stand perfectly still until they flew away. I wish I had taken pictures of that!

 

[re-pete-a]

Bit of a long story behind it ...Eagle is it...

Was also presented with an Eagle's flight feather...as well as others from an indigenous person ...Plus ,also notice Eagles just prior to things happening that will require a large dose of courage to weather it...

Many eye to eye contacts with them...

 

[celticnoodle]

Yannie, what a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing that with us.

 

[celticnoodle]

My first attempt at finding my totem animal was a very non-spiritual approach; I took an online quiz.

The results showed that my totem is the Owl, which makes perfect sense based on my personality. Actually, I found and participated in a few more online quizzes with the same result....Owl!!!

I also had a friend (who is a hypnotherapist) lead me in a guided meditation, which revealed my totem animal as a Deer. I'm ashamed to admit I was disappointed. I guess I was hoping for a "stronger" totem, yet further research led me to discover how much strength lies behind the surface gentleness of the Deer.

So now I embrace both the Owl and the Deer as my totem animals.

Maybe OT, but has anyone heard of animals having their own totem animal? My sweet dog, Penny (now deceased), used to attract butterflies! They often fluttered around her, and would even land on her back or on her head. She would stand perfectly still until they flew away. I wish I had taken pictures of that!

cool, RRD. And, yes, deer is a very STRONG animal to have. I imagine really all totem/power animals are very strong in their own way. There are many different ways of showing strength. I think its really cool with deer is their ability to be so graceful - even when fleeing a dangerous situation.

It reminds me when one day I was looking out our window at our vacation home--over the river and on the other side is a hiking path. I saw a deer running down this path! It was the coolest thing, as I just never expected to see a deer running down there. We often see people walking, running or riding their bikes down the path, but NEVER a deer!

So, I watched it and this beautiful animal was just running - very fast - down the path and it was truly graceful and beautiful! I couldn't take my eyes off it and watched it for as long as I could see it. there is a very sweet gentle and innocence to the deer, yet, don't take that to mean they aren't strong. I've seen deer fight as well. they are just amazing and interesting creatures.

 

[suk]

I am sorry it took me so long--and I don't even have many books to recommend to you at this point, but I have a few that are fantastic.

First of all, I think Ted Andrews is HANDS DOWN the author to read about the Totem Animals. I do have this book of his:Animal Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small

he (Ted Andrews) actually has many books on various spiritual subjects, and I also have this book of his, that I also like: "the Healers Manual".

Sandra Ingerman is another great author on Shamanic Books--and I have a few of her books. Some that I can give you the title of right now are:

"Shamanic Journeying: A Beginners Guide".
Awakening to the Spirit World
Walking in Light
Speaking with Nature: Awakening to the Deep Wisdom of the Earth

I have many books by Alberto Villoldo. I absolutely LOVE his books and highly recommend him and Sandra Ingerman and Ted Andrews as well.

I know I have other books by other authors, but most of them must be at our other home.
But, these 3 authors write well and their books are fantastic. I'll try to come up with more later.

Thank you so much. I'm checking these out, and they look like really great reading!

 

[Falcor]

A very strongly residing power animal in my life lately is a snake(it just came to me <3). It's a very strong ally who is both intriguing and scary(yes, I was little terrified/fascinated by it, couldn't decide what's stronger). It fits all the transformations I am going trough the last year or so, connected to healing and is just amazing.

Sadly I can't see it, only to feel it there on energetic level. I really hope it'll stay for me because I find it's presence comforting.

 

[Dee Ell]

Funny story relating to someone's earlier question about whether animals can have animal spirit guides:

I decided to just type up the names of a wide variety of animals from all over the world with different significations and cut them out and put them in a little box. I ended up with 141 little slips of paper. Then I meditated and drew slips according to the spread I found online from Medicine Cards by Jamie Sans (more on those discoveries in another post).

What's funny though is that my boyfriend asked me what I'd been doing and he said "I wonder what Monkey's would be?" (our adorable black cat is named Monkey). So I shook up the box and put it in front of her and she pawed around in it and then pulled Snow Leopard out with her teeth.

Well, my boyfriend thought it was hilarious that she pulled a cat so he said, "Let's have her do another! Monkey, if you pull a monkey out I'll give you a treat"

And of course, she stuck her face in and pulled out monkey (remember, there are 141 animals she could have pulled!)

Conclusion: animals are their own spirit guides hehehe

ps - I have mentioned before I felt a connection with the black panther and this mini one made her way into our lives unexpectedly last year, so I feel like I'm around one every day

 

[Calayvie]

Funny story relating to someone's earlier question about whether animals can have animal spirit guides:

I decided to just type up the names of a wide variety of animals from all over the world with different significations and cut them out and put them in a little box. I ended up with 141 little slips of paper. Then I meditated and drew slips according to the spread I found online from Medicine Cards by Jamie Sans (more on those discoveries in another post).

What's funny though is that my boyfriend asked me what I'd been doing and he said "I wonder what Monkey's would be?" (our adorable black cat is named Monkey). So I shook up the box and put it in front of her and she pawed around in it and then pulled Snow Leopard out with her teeth.

Well, my boyfriend thought it was hilarious that she pulled a cat so he said, "Let's have her do another! Monkey, if you pull a monkey out I'll give you a treat"

And of course, she stuck her face in and pulled out monkey (remember, there are 141 animals she could have pulled!)

Conclusion: animals are their own spirit guides hehehe

ps - I have mentioned before I felt a connection with the black panther and this mini one made her way into our lives unexpectedly last year, so I feel like I'm around one every day

What a great story!!

I was thinking about spirit guides for pets yesterday because my cat has a sore eye and I wanted to ask for healing help for him.
So I just asked my spirit guides, and Archangel Michael.
This cat is practically a spirit guide himself, for me, he's awesome! so I agree with you there, they are their own spirit guides and they are ours

There is so much I'm constantly learning or being reminded of by my cats, like to live with patience, tolerance, calmness, unconditional love, non-resistance, acceptance, stillness, the list goes on ...

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