A Little Bit of Shamanism: An Introduction to Shamanic Journeying - Sandra Kynes 2019

Honoring your Power Animals

WHEN MY STUDENTS ENCOUNTER THEIR POWER animals for the first time, some are surprised to find them to be quite impatient! Our power animals have been with us all along, often unacknowledged for years, and some are very eager to get to work once we finally establish contact with them. One of my students actually had her power animal exclaim “Finally!” on her first journey. Once you have taken this first step, it is very important to keep honoring and acknowledging them. If we develop a regular practice of communicating, honoring, and thanking them, we can enrich our lives with their guidance and blessings. On the other hand, think of instances in your life when you might have felt less than generous toward someone who did not appreciate your efforts. The most important way to honor your power animals is by taking their wisdom and guidance to heart and implementing it in your life. But beyond that, they do like to be thanked and honored in other ways, too. That said, you are not obligated to follow every piece of advice your power animals give you. There is room for respectful disagreement in these relationships. There are also other ways to thank and honor your power animals.

A great way to honor your power animal is through song and dance. This can be as simple as moving your body as your animal would, which is referred to as “dancing your power animal.” Do they move slowly or quickly? Do they move in large, bounding leaps, or smaller, calculated steps? Try to embody their movements. Allow yourself to become completely immersed in the experience. Mimic their sounds and mannerisms. Sometimes our power animals will dance or perform for us during a journey. If they do, pay close attention, because they are providing you with a gift. You can mimic the dance they showed you as a way to strengthen your connection with them, honor them, and increase your personal power. Make a regular practice of singing and dancing for your power animal, as it will keep strengthening your relationship.

You can also honor them by setting up an altar in their honor in your home and filling it with special objects and images. There is no single way to set up an altar. Altars can be huge and elaborate, or small and minimalist. Your altar can be as simple as a representation of your animal, such as a picture or figurine, and a small offering. If you cannot have a visible altar in your home, it can take the form of a small box or a dresser drawer that you can fill with power objects. If you are creatively inclined, consider painting, drawing, or sculpting the image yourself. I do recommend having offerings on your altar, which can be a favorite food of your power animal, seasonal flowers, or anything that feels meaningful. If you are feeling unsure, next time you journey you can ask your power animal or animals how they would like to be honored. You may even find that their preferences change over the years.

We want the energies of our power animals to be present in our lives. The more we make space for them, the more their healing energy will permeate all aspects of our lives. In addition to setting up an altar for them, we can carry their images on our persons as we move through daily life. We might not be able to dance our power animals before walking into an important meeting at work (though if you have a private space to do so, try it!), but having a necklace or key chain with their image will help you connect with them and feel supported. If you do not wear jewelry, carrying a small figurine in your pocket works, too. Some of us also choose to honor our power animal through impermanent and permanent markings on our bodies. You can paint ritual markings on your body before ceremony to help you embody your power animal. There are some practitioners who choose to have a images of their power animals tattooed on their bodies. While this is not a decision to be made lightly, ritual tattooing is seen in many spiritual practices across the globe.

As you become more experienced, you will develop your own knowledge of the best way to honor your power animals. The suggestions I have provided here are by no means exhaustive, so I encourage you to get creative. As long as you approach this process with sincerity, your power animals will appreciate your efforts.