Kindling the Native Spirit: Sacred Practices for Everyday Life - Denise Linn 2015

Your Spirit Animals
The Gateway: Hearing Messages from Beyond

My Cherokee grandfather used to tie himself to large trees during tornadoes in Oklahoma; he loved the exhilaration of experiencing it all . . . but didn’t want to blow away. This was dangerous and luckily he lived through those storms. Other family members thought he was crazy, but I secretly thought it was really cool. When everyone else would run for cover during a storm, like my grandfather, I would race out to watch the dramatic shards of lightning explode through the sky. With the wind whipping my hair, I would stand with my arms up to the heavens. It seemed to me that some kind of secret gateway opened, and I could hear the voices of the Thunder Beings.

Thunderstorms are not the only time that gateways open; there are many sacred entryways waiting for us to step through them to receive our spirit messages. We just don’t always know how to find them. Ancient native people knew how to discover these portals. They knew how to hear messages from every tree, flower, bird, animal, and cloud. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to travel through these gateways to hear the whispers of the universe. You’ll discover how embedded in each message is the understanding that we’re a part of the web of life; we’re not separate from the whole. You’ll learn ways to listen to the secret messages around you, as well as how to understand what specific animal, plant, and mineral spirits are aligned with you and how to make use of their potent spirit power.

Your Spirit Animals

You have a specific animal energy that is aligned with you. These kinds of animal energies are sometimes called totem animals, power animals, spirit animals, animal guides, or animal allies. Connecting to your spirit animal can activate certain qualities within you, and it can also act as your protector.

As I mentioned earlier, before the Aboriginal elder Nundjan Djiridjarkan could begin teaching me, he needed to make sure that we were from the same clan. When he came to pick me up one day, he was in an old truck that noisily announced its arrival. I wrenched open the rusty door and climbed over the kangaroo skins layered on the torn seat. Their odor was pungent in the morning heat as we bounced along the dusty road. When we arrived at the tribal bushland, the air was stifling, and the sunbaked earth radiated the climbing temperature.

“The spirits are very strong. Only Aborigines can be here without harm. But we have come to find your clan, so we’re going to fool them into thinking you’re Aborigine.

“First, we have to disguise your odor. White fellas stink, and the spirits can smell ’em. The first time I smelled a white fella, I thought it was the worst thing I ever smelled,” he confessed.

I thought of the ripe odors of the kangaroo skins in the cab of his dilapidated truck and smiled to myself. What smells good and bad to us is often culturally inspired. He then unceremoniously reached under his arms and cupped his sweat into his hands for me to spread over my clothes and on my face and hair. It was strong and musky.

To further my disguise for the spirits, the elder told me to rub red and yellow ochre dust over my skin. He reached into the earth and gave me a handful of the red dust. Then he gave me yellow dust, and I completely covered myself with it. He looked at me. My hair, face, arms, feet, and clothes were coated in yellow and red dust. He then sniffed all around me to make sure I didn’t smell “white” and announced that it was safe for me to venture farther into the land; the spirits wouldn’t hurt me. I’m sure I didn’t look Aboriginal, but somehow he seemed to think that my “disguise” was good enough.

“I’m going to hide in some bushes, and you go to that tree over there,” he said as he pointed to a large eucalyptus a distance away. “Sit with your back against it and wait to see what animal approaches you. The spirits will decide which clan you are and will send a representative to approach you.”

I leaned up against the eucalyptus tree, as instructed, and waited. I was aware of my own sweat rolling down over my ochre-covered body and making long, thin streams on my skin. I hoped that I wouldn’t perspire so much that the spirits would recognize that I wasn’t an Aborigine. Flies dive-bombed my head, but I tried hard not to move, as I’d been instructed.

Nundjan Djiridjarkan didn’t tell me what his clan was, so I didn’t even know what kind of animal or bird I was waiting for. Hours passed. Periodically his black face would appear from behind the bushes, as he looked from side to side to see if any animals were approaching me. I was tired and hot, and getting nervous that nothing would come, when a large crow came hopping toward me. I sat still so as to not disturb him. He hopped closer and closer—seemingly unaware of me—until I could have reached out and touched him.

Suddenly the elder jumped up in delight and ran over to me, as the bird noisily flapped away.

“That’s it! You’re crow clan! I’m also crow clan. I can now teach you.”

From that point forward, crows began to play a significant role in my life. For example, if I hear a crow, I look to see which direction the caw is coming from. Each direction has meaning (refer back to Chapter 1 for the list), and I know the crow’s caw contains a message for me. If the crow is flying from the east, then I know that it’s time to start something anew.

On a later trip to Australia, the elders stressed to me the importance of finding one’s Australian individual spirit animal, as well one’s clan animal. In indigenous cultures the use of animal allies is a well-documented and long-standing tradition throughout the world. For example, in the Native American tradition (as in Aborigine tradition), the people in one village might all belong to the Bear Clan. However, each person might have a different spirit animal, such as a deer, badger, or fox.

Your individual animal ally can provide you with guidance and protection, just as your angels, spirit guides, clan animal, and ancestors do. You may have an animal totem that stays with you for a lifetime, or you may have one for a while, and then another for a different period in your life. It’s also possible to have more than one. Sometimes one ally helps with one aspect of your life, such as your relationships, and another might be a protector, or another may be with you for creativity. Though you can have more than one totem animal, usually there will be one that is predominant at any given time.

To discover my individual Aboriginal animal ally, clan members took me deep into a cave that went straight down into the earth. While in the bright Australian sunshine, I’d been excited by the prospect of discovering my spirit animal . . . but as I started my climb down into the darkness, my pulse quickened. It was difficult to maneuver through the narrow crevices, and I was afraid of falling as the rocks crumbled beneath my feet. As I descended the steep cliff into even darker blackness, the air became cold, damp, and musty.

Once I reached the flat bottom of the cave, I was given a belt of tightly braided Aboriginal hair of my clan members to wear around my waist for protection. (Their tradition dictates that whenever one travels to the inner realms, it’s prudent to wear some kind of talisman to protect against the other forces that may enter the body during the journey.) I was then instructed to get down on the ground and stretch my body out on a flat rock.

As I lay on my back on the cold stone slab, I began to shiver. I could make out the faint glow of light from the opening high overhead, but down in the bowels of the cave, it was so dark that it was difficult to see anything or anyone around me.

Without my sense of sight to give me perspective, I had a heightened awareness of the haunting sounds coming from the didgeridoo that the elders began to play. Its eerie music echoed through the icy air around me. At first the sound seemed to linger lightly on my skin, but then it began to steadily penetrate inside of me, the way water seeps through sand. This hypnotic resonance made me sleepier and sleepier . . . at some point I dozed off and drifted into a dream state.

I found myself on a sunny rock where everything was bright green, and I didn’t know where I was. I felt much smaller than usual, yet it didn’t seem abnormal that I wasn’t my usual size; in fact, none of what surrounded me seemed unfamiliar. As I looked up at a large leaf above me, I realized that the sunlight shining through it was bathing everything underneath—including my tiny body—in a greenish light. I then peered down at my feet and observed that they’d transformed into claws; when I examined my arms, they appeared to be full of scales. Yet none of this seemed strange to me. I pushed up and down a few times on my forelegs, feeling alert and focused. Cocking my head from side to side, I surveyed my surroundings and enjoyed the feeling of warmth radiating from the rock below me.

In a remote part of my mind, I remember thinking, Wow! Cool—I’m a lizard! It all seemed so real. As a lizard, I experienced the world from a different mind-set; altering my shape had shifted my perspective. I saw things in terms of heat and cold and felt very happy simply because I was soaking up the sun on a warm rock.

I don’t know how long I was “dreaming.” When the didgeridoo unexpectedly ceased, I opened my eyes and returned to my own body. I was lying on the ground and felt even colder than before I’d “fallen asleep”—in fact, my body was shaking uncontrollably from the chill. The sun’s position above must have changed slightly while I was traveling in my mind’s eye because a ray of sun had encroached upon the darkness, creating an amber glow on the ceiling of the upper cave. I could barely make out faint shapes as I sat up and looked around, and I felt dizzy and unwell.

The elders surrounded me and asked what animal I became. I shakily answered, “I was some kind of lizard.” They asked questions about the color and shape of the lizard until they could determine exactly what kind I’d become. (I later found out that a lizard spirit is the keeper of the dreamtime.) Although the lizard is my totem in Australia, when I returned to North American, the totem animal that I normally work with reemerged. You can have more than one animal ally, and sometimes different ones will come in various locations, such as when I was in Australia.

Animal totems (this includes birds, fish, reptiles, and even insects) play a significant role in all indigenous cultures. Each spirit animal brings its own “medicine” (or healing power) and will often appear in dreams as one goes through transitions in life.

Anyone from any culture can benefit from accessing his or her totem animal. A great benefit of working with an animal ally is that it will help you be aware of what’s really occurring around you. Most animals are highly instinctive, and when you access your animal allies, you’ll find that your instincts and intuition intensify. Even if you’re not consciously aware of the energy undercurrents in people, places, and situations, your instincts about them will be good, and you’ll find yourself more and more often in the right place at the right time.

FINDING YOUR ANIMAL ALLY

In many native traditions, finding one’s animal ally often involved a vision quest in nature. However, as we don’t always have the opportunity to go on a quest, there are a number of other ways that you can find your spirit animal:

· Think about what animal you are drawn to: You may find your power animal by noticing the animals to which you feel irresistibly drawn. It could be your favorite animal since childhood. Perhaps you’ve loved stories about cats and have always felt aligned with them—this might indicate that some kind of cat is your ally.

· Watch your dreams: A totem may also appear repeatedly in a dream. Before you go to sleep, ask that your spirit animal appear in your dreams. Consider keeping a journal next to your bed so that you can record your dreams as soon as you awake.

· Pay attention to the signs: Ask the Creator to give you a sign in regard to your totem. If an animal appears a number of times, especially in unusual ways, this most likely is one of your allies. For example, you receive a card with a horse on it in the mail. Then you begin seeing horses on posters and billboards. There’s a song playing on the radio about a horse, as you’re driving by a field full of horses. If everywhere you turn, you see horses, there’s a good chance that the horse is your totem.

· Take the inward journey: One of the most powerful ways to find your spirit animal is to go on an inner journey (meditation). Imagine yourself in a mist, and picture yourself reaching into the mist to touch your spirit animal. Imagine the mist thinning and “see” what animal has appeared. You can even communicate with the animal to understand why it has come forward as your totem.

· Spend time in nature: The traditional way to discover your totem is to spend time in solitude in nature and then notice the animals that show up. You can also watch the images in the clouds and even discern the patterns in the bark on the trees to get clues as to your totem.

DISCOVERING THE QUALITIES OF YOUR ANIMAL ALLY

Different cultures assign varying meanings to totems. Trust your intuition to find the significance of yours. There are many books that list power animals and what they represent. Although these can be very useful, it’s important to remember that this is only one person’s or one culture’s interpretation. Read the definition of your animal ally in the book and see if it feels right to you. Your own sense of what a particular spirit animal means is unique and is more valid than anyone else’s opinion.

The owl is a good example of these varying definitions. When I was in Western Australia discussing totems with Aboriginal elders, I was told that men feared the owl, for it was a woman’s totem and represented the darkness and the unknown. They said that as men were afraid of the power of women, they also feared the owl. In New Zealand, I discussed animal allies with members of the Maori and asked about the owl. I was told that it was a sacred bird to the Maoris. It was so sacred that its name was never spoken. In my own Native American culture, some tribes revere the owl, saying that it represents deep wisdom, yet other tribes consider it the harbinger of death and darkness. The meaning for each ally can vary dramatically; therefore, it’s crucial that you find the meaning of your ally for yourself.

Another way to discover what your totem represents is to read wildlife books, nature magazines, and encyclopedias. Research the habits and habitat of the animals with which you feel a special kinship. For example, if you feel that the wolf is your ally, by researching their habits in the wild, you’ll discover that they have a strong sense of family. Thus, having a wolf for your ally may increase your connection to your family.

Here is a brief list of animal totems and just some of the many meanings with which they’re sometimes associated:

Alligator—formidable strength, power

Ape—primitive power, intelligence

Bat—ancient wisdom, perception, direction

Bear—mother earth, healing

Beaver—hard work, prosperity through your own efforts

Buffalo—abundance, harvest, and plenty

Bull—great strength, force, power

Camel—endurance, getting through adversity

Canary—harmony

Cat—intuition, feminine essence

Chameleon—adaptability, flexibility

Cobra—life-force energy

Deer—fertility, grace, joy

Dog—faithfulness, loyalty, friendship

Dolphin—playfulness, spontaneity, intelligence

Dove—peace, freedom

Eagle—spirituality, farsightedness

Elephant—power, mindfulness

Elk—power, beauty, dignity

Fish—emotional flow, feminine energy

Fox—intelligence, physical attraction

Frog—abundance, prosperity

Horse—freedom, movement, beauty

Leopard—prowess, sensuality

Lion—majesty, power, bravery, leadership

Otter—capriciousness, playfulness

Owl—wisdom, feminine power, transformation

Panther—ancient mysteries, silent power

Peacock—confidence, celebration, pride in oneself

Polar bear—healing, strength

Rabbit—prosperity, abundance, fertility

Ram—masculine strength, pioneering spirit

Raven—wisdom from unseen realms

Rhinoceros—male sexuality, courage

Robin—harbinger of good tidings, new beginnings

Salmon—being in the flow, moving ahead against all odds

Seal—grace, emotional balance, curiosity

Snake—healing, spiritual awakening

Swan—beauty, strength, gliding to new heights

Tiger—prowess, power, strength

Turtle—security, abundance

Vulture—ancient goddess, purification

Whale—emotional perception, intuition, power

Wolf—community, social connection, family support

ANIMAL MESSENGERS

In addition to receiving messages from your spirit animal ally, you can also gain wisdom from animals in nature. I am fortunate to live in the country, in an area with abundant wildlife. When I take the time to be still and listen, I can hear the messages from the animals. For example, last spring coyotes were constantly playing in the meadow. In the early morning and late evening, we would see coyote families tumbling and prancing, and we could hear them howling late into the evening. When I listened to what the spirit of the coyote had to tell me, I “heard” the message that I needed to play more and have more fun. This was a message that I took to heart, and I began to be less serious and more playful.

Recently, a very large bobcat has come close and sits as still as Buddha on the green hills right behind our home. He just looks down at me. It’s quite amazing to see him so close and seemingly so serene. It has been a busy time in my life, and I haven’t really stopped much to rest and unwind. Every day as I look at the bobcat—whom I call Bob—he seems to say, “Denise, be still. Slow down.” So I’m taking his advice and taking time to relax.