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Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 1:13 pm
by Raven At Heart
I've noticed alot of people asking for protection, healing, abundance, and work. Even love here or there.

I am a Shaman whose power animal is the raven. I'll start by explaining the difference between a power animal and an animal spirit guide, just in case people do not know. A power animal is the animal reflection of your own soul. This is (in my experience, but I don't claim it to be the only possible truth) where a person's base intuition and drive stem from, as well as their potential and talents. Just because 2 people both have the same power animal does not make this potential the exact same. Power animals can be as different from their own kin as 2 golden retrievers can be from each other, or 2 cockatiels.

Next is the animal totem. Like your power animal, it is always with you. It's not you, though, it's more of a guardian of sorts. While it can affect your intuition, your potential, and your drives, it is not the source of them.

This being said, the next thing I will bring up is animal spirit guides or animal spirits. These are temporary spirits that one can call on when they need help. Always ask, not command them. Most of them are willing to help. To call upon one, simply close your eyes and visualize the animal, then either mentally or by voice, ask it for help with your need/desire. When it leaves, if you need help again, you can always call another one.

Certain spirit animals are helpful for certain things, which brings me back to the start of this post. For protection of yourself, your family, and your territory, both spiritually and physically, the wolf can be a great and friendly protector. Calling a wolf acts like a ward, except it travels with you. Even if you forget it is there, it will protect you. It can also you set boundaries with people. For breaking away from people who are negative or harmful emotionally or physically, the feral cat is your best bet. If breaking away from them seems too extreme, the arctic fox will help shield you from negativity or criticism.

For healing, of yourself or others, physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally, the raven is the way to go. They are friendly, but not mischievous creatures. Raven spirits are powerful healers and also aid in communication with spirits. In fact, they are the best spirit when it comes to healing people far away from you. For calming anxiety, the bat is your best friend. For abundance and having faith that you will get what you need, buffalo or white tail deer are assets. For resource management and the like, place your faith in squirrel. If it's about getting more money, look to the crane. When it comes to love, the swan will help you find your true love, and the flamingo will help you flirt, court, be romantic, and have confidence. As far as things of a more sensual nature, the dove would help with that. For fertility and having children, the duck, mouse, rat, or rabbit may have what you need. There are many more animal spirits you can call on who can help you in many ways. These are just a few of them.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:43 pm
by SpiritTalker
This is a helpful explanation. Thanks for sharing it.

Can you suggest other assistants for dispelling anxiety besides brother bat? I have an unfortunate aversion to bats stemming from childhood, so their presence raises my anxiety significantly. I like domestic cats...and find their purring calming. Can one substitute animal helpers effectively in such a instance? I'm guessing a relationship has to be built, and ... Bats? no.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:54 pm
by Raven At Heart
Yes, I can suggest a few. The Squirrel, the Polar Bear, the Snake and the Kite. Often, more than one helper can assist with the same problem.

I understand the aversion to bats, I was mostly naming the ones I personally prefer. But I'd be more than happy to name substitutes for other things if you or anyone else is uncomfortable calling upon any of the ones I have named. I know not every animal fits everyone. I myself, have a hesitance towards fish.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 7:54 pm
by SpiritTalker
Thanks. I have good feelings for squirrels, and make them popcorn at Yule.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 8:01 pm
by Raven At Heart
That sounds really cute for some reason. Squirrels eating pop corn. Reminds me of how my parrot loves fried potatoes.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 8:19 pm
by ZippyZoo
I agree and also found that really cute. Yeeee.
Out of curiosity, have you had any experience with bear? I'm not quite sure whether bear would qualify as a totem, temporary guide, or a power animal, though I'm inclined to say the latter (though that might be out of the wanting a steady friend and my attachment). I've had experiences that are rather unique and for the past year and a half have had persistent bear dreams.
My other question would be do you "feed" your animal guides or provide offerings?

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 10:11 pm
by Raven At Heart
Offerings vary depending on the totem. There is no sense in making an offering to your power animal though, as your making an offering to yourself. offering to guides can be kept simple, and can be done in a few ways. Leave food for the physical animal, or pour it onto the ground. A song can also be an offering as can a ritual.

Offerings to totems are more important as that totem is more dedicated to you.

I'll message you about something in private message about bear.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:34 pm
by Bychan Wulf
How can you make the difference between the three types of animals? For example,I have a very strong connection with wolfes:I live by their social rules (I only read about that after I had been acting like that for a long time),I ask protection from the wolf,which apparently also appears in my dreams to rise my self esteem or warn me. I also get power from the wolf...and it feels pretty much like in the picture below.
Can a wolf be both the reflection of your soul and the protector? Does that make any sense?

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 4:52 pm
by SnowCat
Yes. I have that with the great cats.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 6:56 pm
by Yex
I think it's worth pointing out that the terminology here is not universal, and meaning will vary depending on whom you ask. In the lineage I've learned from, "power animal", "animal totem", and "animal [sic] guide" would all be used pretty interchangeably (although the term totem would generally be avoided, for reasons related to cultural appropriation).

I also want to voice my opinion that the original post seems a little misleading, in that it seems to present a picture of picking and choosing animal guides based on your own whims, or at least what you feel you need. In my experience, animal spirits are more often drawn to you, rather than the other way around. I mean, it could be a chicken and the egg sort of things, and certainly it can be the case that you feel an innate draw to animal(s) that turn out to be your power animal(s) - though this is not at all necessarily so - but at any rate, there's a sense of kismet to meeting your animals, rather than randomly selecting them.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 10:23 pm
by SnowCat
I think sometimes, we have something a particular animal spirit needs. And I think in most cases, the relationship is symbiotic.

Snow

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:09 am
by SapphireRoad
SpiritTalker wrote: Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:43 pm This is a helpful explanation. Thanks for sharing it.

Can you suggest other assistants for dispelling anxiety besides brother bat? I have an unfortunate aversion to bats stemming from childhood, so their presence raises my anxiety significantly.
Bears introduced themselves to me recently and I think that might be just a thing for you.

Bears are paradoxical, aren't they? Would protect their privacy, yet require some leadership?
I'm totally new to bears that I neglected up till now, so I'm just asking those who have experience with them.

Re: Calling upon animal spirits.

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 10:10 am
by SpiritTalker
I’ve always loved bears. Their sense of humor is contagious, so yea, that fits.