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Do animals inexplicably show up and watch you?
Do they chatter outside your window until you look out and acknowledge them?
Do you feel they are trying to tell you something?
As you go through your day, pay attention to the animals (including insects) attracting your attention. Note the circumstances - what you are doing, thinking, looking at, wearing, feeling - at the point your attention is drawn to the animal.
Then, looking through these pages, find the animal which appeared to you, and see what message that animal spirit was trying to impart. The information in these pages may only give you concepts. You will then need to look at the circumstances surrounding the event to determine details of the lesson the animal graced your company to present!
As you become aware of animal spirits in your life, you may be surprised by the connection they forge between Mother Earth, you and the role you play on this planet.
ANT --PATIENCE AND SELF-SACRIFICE--
ANTEATER --NOSY GOSSIP--
ANTELOPE --ACTION--
ARMADILLO --BOUNDARIES--
BADGER --AGGRESSION--
BAT --REINCARNATION AND REBIRTH--
BEAR --INTROSPECTION--
BEAVER --PLANNER, BUILDER AND HOME--
BEE --LABOR REWARDED--
BLUE JAY --TERRITORIALITY--
BUFFALO --PRAYER AND ABUNDANCE--
BUTTERFLY --TRANSFORMATION--
CAMEL (See HORSE and ELK)
CARDINAL --SELF-ACKNOWLEDGEMENT--
CARIBOU (See BUFFALO)
CAT, DOMESTICATED --ARROGANCE AND "PERSON"-ALITY--
CORMORANT (See CRANE)
COYOTE --TRICKSTER--
CRAB --CRANKINESS--
CRANE --FOCUS--
CROW --LAW AND ILLUSION--
DEER --PEACE, GENTLENESS AND COMPASSION--
DOG --LOYALTY, SERVICE AND PROTECTION--
DOLPHIN --BREATH AND MANNA--
DRAGON --WISE MAGIC KEPT SEQUESTERED--
DRAGONFLY --ILLUSION--
DUCK --SEASONAL CHANGE--
EAGLE --THE GREAT SPIRIT--
ELEPHANT --PONDERING--
ELK --STAMINA--
FLY --RECYCLING--
FOX --INFORMATION COLLECTION AND CAMOUFLAGE--
FROG --CLEANSING--
GOOSE --FIDELITY--
GROUSE --REINCARNATION, THE SACRED SPIRAL AND MOTION--
HAWK --MESSENGER OF GODS--
HORSE --POWER--
HUMMINGBIRD --JOY--
LIZARD --DREAMS--
LYNX --KNOWER OF SECRETS--
MOOSE --WISDOM AND SELF-ESTEEM--
MOSQUITO --GREED--
MOUNTAIN LION --LEADERSHIP AND TRUTH--
MOUSE --CLOSE EXAMINATION, ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND PARANOIA--
MUSKRAT --COVETOUS--
OPOSSUM --DIVERSION--
OTTER --FEMALE MEDICINE--
OWL --SEEING THROUGH DECEPTION--
PENGUIN --STRENGTH UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS--
PIG (WILD) (See BADGER)
PORCUPINE --INNOCENCE--
RABBIT --FEAR AND TIMIDITY--
RACCOON --POSSESSIONS ABOVE ALL--
RAT --TERRITORY--
RAVEN --MAGIC--
ROBIN --CARE--
SALMON --DETERMINATION--
SEAL --MOTHER'S CARE--
SHEEP (See SEAL)
SKUNK --REPUTATION AND RESPECT--
SLOTH --PERSISTENCE--
SNAKE --TRANSMUTATION AND EQUALITY--
SPIDER --WEAVING AND SELF ENTRAPMENT--
SQUIRREL --GATHERING VERSUS HOARDING--
SWAN --ACCEPTANCE AND GRACE--
TOAD --FREEDOM--
TURKEY --GIVE-AWAY--
TURTLE --GROUNDING, MOTHER EARTH AND PROTECTION--
WALRUS (See SEAL)
WASP --SPITE--
WEASEL --CUNNING AND STEALTH--
WHALE --RECORD KEEPER--
WOLF --TEACHER--
WOODPECKER --RHYTHYM--
Most so-called "primitive" people believe Animals guide and teach us. Each animal is thought to have a "medicine" which can heal, soothe, educate, strengthen, and so on. Some of the more enlightened, modern cultures, during their transition from being primitive, remained aware enough to keep this knowledge within their cultures. However, many "civilized" societies educate their people away from such beliefs, because "we have evolved beyond THAT...", "we are separate from animals...", "we are better than animals...", "we are not animals...", "we were created in xyz's image...", or whatever.
Suddenly, ever more frequently, modern societies have resumed studying animals, trying to understand where and why humans evolved similar behaviors - witness PBS, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Jane Goodal, et al.
Why do I say "resumed"? Because some cultures never stopped!
Might the "primitives" be advantaged for having not forgotten what "civilized man" is trying to remember?
Does it interest anyone that the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church made public the Church's acceptance and support of the theory of evolution at the end of October, 1996? If evolution exists, we may be descendants of animals uninhabited by souls/spirits or we may have inhabited other animal forms before Homo Sapien came along. If we are descendants of such animals, what ties do we retain to them? Is it possible somewhere deep in our genes, traced back to the first slime in the mud puddle, we retain communications with all species?
Is it tradition only that we attribute slyness to a fox, industriousness to a beaver, loyalty to a dog? Or deep inside do we recognize these characteristics in the animals to which the adjectives are applied?
Native Americans, Australians, Eskimo, Maori, Yanomamo, etc.... all have legends, myths and folklore attributing characteristics to the animals known to their forefathers. Many of these attributes are said to come from the Dreamtimes, the times before man reached self-awareness, and are natures assigned by the Great Spirit at the time of the species creation. (In terms of modern science, it could be said, these are the characteristics to which the protocreatures were predisposed by the combinations of their DNA, and which they honed through time...)
Why would these attributes have been noticed by our forefathers, and why would the association continue in legend? Might there be more behind all of this lore than simple chance?
These are questions to make you think and for which you may happen upon your own answers.
© George P. Butler, '96 - '08Different cultures assign different natures to each animal. The attributes described in these pages are drawn primarily from native North and Central American lore.
If you are aware of different cultural interpretations, have definitions for animals not included here, or know of source material for additional details, I would gladly consider incorporating your input into these pages with future changes. If you would care to write me, click ==> georgepb@alltel.net
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