Neolithic Shamanism: Spirit Work in the Norse Tradition - Raven Kaldera 2012

Squirrel
The Brown World: Animals

Raven: My wife works with Squirrel energy. She scurries about, hoarding things for future use and rainy days, and is vigilant for possible ways we could be attacked. (All right, there’s a tiny bit of paranoia with any prey-animal totem, but that’s life.) I watch her alternate between periods of frenzied working and periods of flopping down in front of the TV, and I learn about Squirrel. When I lose things, I can often ask her to find them, and she knows where they are.

Galina: I have experienced Squirrel energy only from a distance, as it is not one of the animal spirits with which I work. I am constantly amazed, however, at the unfailing kinetic energy inherent in this animal. There is a very focused industry that never falters or drops the proverbial ball. Squirrel is an animal who can teach you to manage many projects and always stay one step ahead, but this gift comes through hard, frenetic, ongoing work. Squirrel’s wisdom is about work and preparation, and always looking out for shifts and changes, oncoming dangers and opportunities. It’s a very interesting animal spirit to encounter. The gift of Squirrel is about minding the little thing, and, by doing so, rendering the big things harmless. It’s also an animal who can easily navigate between the worlds safely and quickly. It’s unassuming and can go where other animal friends might not be welcome. It’s a powerful form to take, if you have its blessing, because you can creep in almost anywhere. In this way, Squirrel is a messenger, and the ease with which he can slip in and out of the most inhospitable realms is truly remarkable. It’s a talent a shaman might envy!

Why did we start with Squirrel? First, Squirrel is a sacred animal in Norse mythology. The great World Tree, Yggdrasil, is managed by three great animal spirits: an Eagle at the top, a Dragon at the bottom, and in the middle a Squirrel named Ratatosk, whose job is to run messages (and, one supposes, occasional insults) between the Eagle, the Dragon, and many of the other denizens of the Nine Worlds. Ratatosk knows all the nooks and crannies of the World Tree, all the paths from one world to another, all the hidden places . . . and, most likely, where all the bodies are buried, literally and figuratively. This is one aspect of the energy of Grandfather Squirrel: he notices things. Squirrel watches out of the corner of his eye, hypervigilant as are all creatures who know that they are prey animals at the lower end of the food chain. In fact, hyper-vigilance combined with an uncanny ability to avoid trouble is one of Squirrel’s most powerful talents.

Squirrel is an excellent guide for those who are just learning to journey with their energy bodies to other places, because Squirrel doesn’t encourage people to go blundering in, announcing themselves. Squirrel’s modus operandi for moving between worlds is the same as that for moving between trees: keep your head down, don’t draw attention to yourself, be discreet and hide when necessary, always keep your eyes open and watch your surroundings, and if something seems potentially dangerous, just freeze and blend in to the surroundings. Because the energy of many cosmologies translates naturally into that of a World Tree (with an Underworld at the roots, an Upper World at the topmost branches, and a variety of other worlds in between), Squirrel is a natural guide for people learning to walk between worlds. He’s not going to encourage you to do something stupid, because he knows that when you’re in a new place, it’s best to assume that you’re more likely to be on the prey end of the equation.

Exercise: Borrowing the Nerves of Squirrel

First, contact Squirrel spirit. Leave him offerings of nuts, fruit, and other edibles. This means putting them in a place where actual squirrels come and go. (This is another reason to begin with a common and easily accessible animal spirit.) If you can, sit and observe the squirrels from a distance. Do not attempt to come closer to them than they are comfortable with or to interact with them if they don’t seem to be happy with your presence. Remember that they are vigilant prey animals, and you are a large predator.

Then do some quiet utiseta in a squirrel-friendly place, and wait to see if Squirrel spirit comes to you. He is wary, so it may take a few attempts at coaxing. (Remember that if a particular spirit chooses not to deal with you, it’s not personal—spirits have their own reasons, which may have little to do with human lives. Just move on after a few attempts and try someone else.) If he does come, ask him what he wants for a gift, and come to some accord on that. Then ask him if you can borrow his high-strung reflexes and agility for a short time. If he agrees, go somewhere you can work with him in private (preferably outside) and follow his lead in the matter.

Borrowing a quality from a spirit is a tricky thing, and the process may vary depending on the spirit in question. Raven has generally found that the most common method is that you make eye contact with the animal spirit, and something passes from that spirit into you. Some animal spirits, however, don’t like direct eye contact, and they may bounce or press against you for a moment to pass on the gift. When it comes to borrowing the reflexes of Squirrel (or some other small, fast, agile prey animal), it feels like a net of electricity settles over you, shooting through your nerves. Visualize grabbing it and holding on to it, not with hands but with your whole body. Visualize your own network of nerves sucking in and holding that electric net, holding on to it hard. (You might want to practice this visualization as a dry run a few times, before even contacting Squirrel spirit. Try it sitting down and concentrating, and then try it while doing dishes or some other distracting activity.) The idea is to be able to hold it to the relevant part of your energy body, where it will affect your physical body, while doing something else at the same time.

Breathe. Hold the network of Squirrel nerves in place for a moment or two. Then try to move and keep it in place. Your body will want to move fast, perhaps a little jerkily. Try some simple movements, such as running about in a circle or skipping or jumping from foot to foot. Then try something like climbing a tree, which requires more brain power. Do not become overconfident and try something that is entirely beyond your physical abilities, at least not on the first—or fifth—time. While altering the energy body has some effect on the physical, it’s not a magic placebo, and it won’t give you superpowers. In addition, you could lose your hold on the Squirrel energy at any moment, so don’t do something that would result in a problem if you were to stop suddenly in the middle.

You probably won’t be able to concentrate on holding the Squirrel energy in place and also climbing trees and such for more than a few minutes, but that’s all right. This sort of thing is done in emergency situations, not for fun or for long periods of time. When you can’t hold on any longer, let go and thank Squirrel. Give him his gift; be respectful and friendly. Give him a few days before you bother him again or—even better—let him set the pace and decide when to come to you. Be sure to thoroughly ground afterward, as it will help you come back into “human” head and body space again.

Write down your impressions of what it felt like to borrow Squirrel’s reflexes and nervous system. Take note, also, of other sensations that might have come with those reflexes—urges to eat or do specific things, hypervigilance, fears or paranoias. Spirits can’t be sectioned out like grapefruits; every temporary gift will be accompanied by other essences of that animal, for better or worse. As time goes on and you craft a deeper relationship with that spirit, you might be allowed to borrow other things—senses, for example. You’ll notice, though, as you read through the next several sections, that no animal is lending you its heart. That’s because lending the heart is a very serious commitment, somewhere in the region of swearing eternal fealty and getting married when it comes to seriousness. That’s something that is offered only in rare cases, only after many years of relationship, and indicates that they will basically be your primary spirit ally for the rest of your life. So don’t ask, and you won’t get rejected.