In this week’s blog, I will be taking a closer look at Animal Spirits – our spiritual guides when we journey into the Lower World. This week, I’ll be focussing on what Animal Spirits are and how you can find one. Next week, I’ll look at what we can do with our Animal Spirits and explain how they can help us in our everyday lives.
How can I get an Animal Spirit of my own?
The easiest method is to go on a shamanic journey – set your intention to meet with an Animal Spirit and descend into the Lower World (see my previous blog, Journeying for Newbies, for more precise details of how to do this, if you are new to shamanic journeying). When an animal presents itself to you, simply ask it if it is your Animal Spirit and keep looking if they respond negatively, or they scurry away.
Are they the spirits of animals?
No. They are, essentially, human spirits in animal form – people who have passed over from our world, or who are awaiting re-birth into it, and who are now part of an infinite consciousness. These entities may have a particular affinity with the animal they appear to us as, or they may be reflecting a trait in that animal, which is lacking in our own life.
Can it be any animal?
Yes, indeed, even a prehistoric or mythical creature. My partner, Daniel, works primarily with a Griffin and I know other shamans who work with a Dragon and a Phoenix. It is best not to have a specific animal in mind, when you first journey, but rather to keep an open mind and to marvel at just what appears to you in the Lower World.
Do you have an Animal Spirit?
Yes, I have a few but I am particularly close to two. If you wondered why there were a lot of photographs of wolves in my book, Journeying Through The Munay-Ki, or why my logo incorporates a wolf into the design, then you will not be surprised to learn that my primary spiritual ally is a Wolf. I also have an Artic Fox who offers me an extra level of psychic protection, if I require it (e.g. when I’m working as a psychopomp).
So, I can have more than one Animal Spirit?
Yes, indeed. When you journey, you might well find that different Animal Spirits appear to you, depending on the question you are asking, or the specifics of the healing you require. More than likely, however, you will develop a special rapport with one or two Animal Spirits in particular. As you grow and strengthen your friendship with these spirits, the gifts of the Lower World will become clearer.
Which Animal Spirit is your Spirit Guide?
Spirit Guide is a term most often employed by Spiritualists and the concept of a key ally in the spirit world is certainly similar. I do not really like the term Spirit Guide, however, simply because you are going to find that your key ally in the Lower World is so much more than just a mere ‘guide’.
How do you communicate with your Animal Spirit?
When I first journeyed, my Wolf was silent and showed me images when I asked a question. As we worked together, I hardly noticed that he had begun to speak to me – in fact, he had to point it out to me! This development, during the course of my first Medicine Wheel training, allowed his answers to my questions to become much more specific. Sometimes, however, Wolf will still show me images, particularly if there is something I need to figure out for myself, rather than simply be informed. Generally, however, it is just like having a conversation with a friend who, at least in Wolf’s case, is pretty blunt!
Isn’t that schizophrenia, if you talk to yourself?
You’re not talking to yourself, you are on a shamanic journey (a tried and tested method for gaining insight and healing, of many centuries standing) and talking to an Animal Spirit.
Nonetheless, it is true that some neurologists and psychologists have argued that communing with spirits is a form of this mental illness. The American neuroendrocrinologist, Professor Robert Sapolsky, for instance, has argued that shamanism is practiced by schizotypal individuals.
If you don’t believe that speaking with an Animal Spirit is a communion with a supernatural entity, then I invite you to imagine it more as a tapping into your subconscious, than a mental aberration. Although, in my view, shamanic journeying is more accurately like crossing a bridge to the superconscious.
Is an Animal Spirit a Power Animal?
Whilst the phrase was coined by Michael Harner, in his book, The Way of the Shaman, the use of the term Power Animal has come to be regarded in recent years as a cultural appropriation by some Native American tribes. Thus, out of respect for this sentiment, I now try to avoid using this particular term. In essence, the concept of a totemic animal with which you have a particular affinity is similar, although not precisely the same.
Can an Animal Spirit cross over into our world?
As you build up a rapport with your Animal Spirit, you’ll find them a comforting presence in ordinary reality too. In fact, when you first find them, you will marvel at how often you will be reminded of them in your everyday existence. If the particular animal they manifest is unlikely to appear in your garden (e.g. if it is mythical, prehistoric, or not native to your country), you will see its representatives in all sorts of media, gently reminding you of their presence. Take notice of such things and revel in your new connection.
