Animal Guides Again

I saw that there is already an animal guide thread but I get bizarre error messages when I tried to reply to it so I thought I'd try this. It looks like that thread is pretty dusty anyway. I'm always into the lessons nature has to teach us but recently that interest level is at an all time high. Here's what I tried to post on the earlier thread:

Here is how I met my animal guide. I don't really get the difference between a totem animal and a spirit animal. I call them all animal guides. One stays with you for your life and the rest come and go as you need the lessons they have to give. This is about how I discovered my lifelong guide.

I was sent this meditation in brief by a friend who is a shaman and I followed it pretty exactly.
First, do whatever relaxing, grounding, and centering meditation is most effective for you.
Then, imagine you stand up and walk out of your house. You see a tree in the distance and walk toward it. As you get closer you can make out some kind of opening or door in the tree. You enter and discover that it passes all the way through the tree. On the other side is a spirit realm. Look around. What does it look like? What does it feel like? Are there smells or sounds? Create a strong sense of the space for yourself, and then begin walking. As you walk, put into the space the message that you are looking for your animal guide. Be observant and open. You will know.

So, that's what I did. On the other side of my tree was a short grassy hill with woods at the bottom. I went into the woods. A lot of animals started appearing right away, in really friendly ways. A raccoon actually jumped right onto my shoulder. In retrospect, most of theseanimals have shown up at some point in my life as temporary guides. I asked each one of they were my spirit guide but they said no and left. The woods subsided into dunes and then a beach. In the shallows was a seal. Ones super excited because I adore seals. He said he wasn't my spirit guide but y'all, I tried so hard to make myself feel that he was. I had to laugh at myself even as I was doing it, and the seal laughed too, in a compassionate way. I was sad when he left but I felt I would see him again. I swam into the sea (spirit world, right, so I could swing like a fish and breath and talk and sea and move underwater just fine) and was met by a humpback whale in the vasty deep. I felt very connected to her and though she must be my spirit guide. She said, no though. She said I wasn't ready for her lessons yet and she was just there to guide me across the sea. I saw a lot of other sea creatures but didn't interact with any. I. The other of the water were immense grassy plains. Almost as soon as I was fully onto the plains from the sandy beach dunes, a huge bison approached me. He just stood silently next to me. He lowered his head and I rested my palm on his forehead, where his third eye would be. I didn't even ask my question but he answered yes, somehow both booming and silent. I didn't understand why Bison chose me. I was kind of unhappy about it, to be honest, because I didn't really feel connected to bison in general though I did always stop for a long time at my state zoo to watch their herd for some reason I could never explain. The feeling was undeniable, though: Bison it is.

Later when I did some research about Bison, I realized it is a perfect match. Of course.

Interessante ideeën, personally and almost reaching my fifties sometimes is hard for me to think that animal/nature has something to say/teach me, but specifically as if it had a consciousness. I love trees but they never send me a msg to me as a nature guide entity. I wished that when i was young because could be fantastic.
I understand the message --that it is convenient for me and humanity to take care of Nature--, using less plastics and oil, stop buying cars and using the bicycle, eating less junk food, abandoning the consumption of toxins ... In short, seeking balance and harmony in many ways, but I couldn't imagine an entity of a friendly dog could talk to me.

You mention that one animal stays with me and another is somehow: recurring. According to my "needs or sufferings." The subconscious and symbolic thinking lead me to think of Carl Jung and how I can use metaphors to develop my own awareness of: what I do or not do, what I consider a danger or not: according to my symbolic processing and my limiting beliefs.
Developing wisdom comes in many ways and sometimes I like to use symbols, I like to draw, and that reminds me that sometimes children sleep better when they draw "their protective symbolic shield" and put it under the pillow.

My nephews loved to imagine these animal guides/power issues, they drew what appeared in their mind. Still, last year, I remember their favorite moment was using their imagination before sleeping with their animals guides. They "asked them for advice" to solve problems. I remember that one of my nephews asked his animal of power for a true worldwide vaccine for covid, but his father put the spoon in and the paradox arose that God had a plan and that we should wait for his will, he also added that we should not play with those things because they dont exist and could be bad spirits. :silly: He didnt notice his own paradox and I did not want to get into their beliefs, but I also noticed the sadness in my nephew because one of his friends died from the consequences of the covid. My little niece liked to think that her animal friend/guide, was a unicorn, you know, funny, colored and fluorescent, the whole package. But she gave up on the idea because she never received protection from the critics/assaults of some bullies.

In some people on this planet, I think that fear and despair could lead them to lose contact with reality and develop "delusions", it is not necessary to have a mental illness to go to extremes and let metaphysics govern the decision-making process.
Obviously, there are people who know the difference between: using a philosophical technique or thinking that an animal guide/power is desperate because we did not understand its message or subtle intention.

I think that totems, simbols or animals guides, could: reactivate our serenity, patience, our interpretation of danger, and inner wisdom of each person. Also could/can/might be a resource to reactivate creativity to solve problems.

Right now, using my imagination, my animal guide could be
a dragon that can turn into water
or other animals at Will,
it could be a white-blue wolf howling,
it could be a purple ant building a castle to serve as
protection for its "beloved" companions.
I'll finish with another nested metaphor:
ants rebuild something every day,
they preserve something to live, maybe harmony and of course internal power because
they never throw themselves on the couch to
watch Netflix with coffee, beer or pizza every day.

When I say that animals and nature speak to me or that we have conversations, I don't mean literally with words. I mean more that a feeling passes between us, and the feeling carries information. Perhaps it's all just my self talking to myself using the metaphor of an imagined animal. But isn't that what it would be anyway, on the level of the Force, even if my dog were to look up at me and literally say "hey, River, you've got to get it together on letting go of the past, man"?

To take your example of trees, they reach me so much! Trees teach me, with their knots and burls, that the most unique and sought after beauty is formed from wounds and illness. Their roots teach me to connect to the earth. Their seasonal cycles remind me that I too will have ups and downs, good times and bad times, and they will all cycle back around. They teach me to find my way to the source of light in even the most unlikely places, that sometimes you have to split open to truly grow.... I could go on and on.

My spirit animal, Bison, is largely about abundance. Bison reminds me that the Force is benevolent and has my and everything else's best interests at heart. Bison tells me that however much I don't have, I do have even more. I will always be provided for, even if it's in ways I don't understand.

As I said, maybe it's all just my self talking to my self in a strange little game. But isn't that kind of all this life is anyway?

Heel goed, ReallyRiver, I like your fluency.
If The Force includes bisons, volcanoes, all music, love, storms, fruit and all beliefs and planets ... I keep thinking about the wisdom and the grandchildren who will inherit customs and beliefs, I like your inspiration, I like the idea that the feeling can pass among the living beings, because that makes me think of the respect and harmony that can be created when each person contributes with positive actions to their environment; either his/her own evolution, giving encouragement to others, etc.

Vriendelijke groeten

pd. I found a photo for your day, maybe you like it:

Thank you!
For both the bison pic and the compliment.
I think we get messages from things all the time, on the level of the Force. I suppose maybe it's on the subatomic level if you think of it scientifically. After all, we're constantly exchanging particles with everything near us. That means we're always giving out information too, which I suppose is why it's so important to make sure we are as in tune with the Force and right thought, feeling, and action as possible.

(smile) Yes. That is the same meditation I used for my totem animal.
We can have more than one totem, and they can change over the course of our lives as we grow. They are with us as long as we need them.

My current totem is a rabbit, and it's only a year old. For the longest time I was accompanied by a panther.

I bet we learned the meditation from the same foxy lady, so to speak.

I'll have to think about the idea of animal guides changing. Like I said above, I'd always thought there was one sort of permanent one and then others come as they're needed for as long as they're needed.

Yay for new ideas!

Glad to see people walking around and finding things for themselves. Glad to see you around again friend. If you look up the definitions you will find these two ...
Definition of totem. 1a : an object (such as an animal or plant) serving as the emblem of a family or clan and often as a reminder of its ancestry also : a usually carved or painted representation of such an object. b : a family or clan identified by a common totemic object.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totem

In certain spiritual traditions or cultures, spirit animal refers to a spirit which helps guide or protect a person on a journey and whose characteristics that person shares or embodies. It is also metaphor, often humorous, for someone or something a person relates to or admires.

https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/spirit-animal/



Now, back when there was no Religion or any organized anything, before books, there was nature. Before myth there was the nature of animals. Some people and clans and "peoples" used Totems to guide their actions like a good idea or a great form to remember. It was given usually by ritual or by proses or even by time. This is what was set before the world was so neatly organized by pen and paper.
A word of caution to finding animal totems and animal sprits with out guidance. Don't feed every thing that comes to you to eat. Be wise and be smart. Do some research if you can. IN THIS CASE ASK THOSE WHO ARE FAMILIAR and FREQUENT THIS IDEA. Ask those who have them and who learn with them and incorporate them. Taking on "some one else totem or animal" is rarely a good thing. Choosing the cooler or more popular one is even much more of a harm than others think.

I have a Totem given to me by some one else. One thing to remember is that you cannot choose your totem spirit, rather it chooses or has already chosen you. The Spirit chooses you and they decide to whom they will reveal themselves. Much of the process of identifying your spirit animal is paying attention to both your past and your present.

Or so I have been told.

A spirit animal is characterized as a teacher or messenger that comes in the form of an animal and has a personal relationship to an individual. Other names might be animal guides, spirit helpers, spirit allies, power animals, or animal helpers. It is believed that you do not choose the animal, rather it chooses, or has already chosen you.


In both instances, we are rarely the ones to make that choice and it is some one else who gives us or grants us the connection. Given or earned or bestowed.

My totem was given to me by my mentor. Yes, before you ask it is tattooed to me. It was done the old fashion way by stick and ink and pin. Yes, it did get infected and yes, I did need medicine. The reality is without these actual connections, I could not stand today with them.

These are not new ideas by any means but older ones. I love my spirit animals. I don't pray but I do meditate and ask the "spirit "of things to often help me. Animals included.

When we are chosen, its pretty obvious to us only and that individual granting the Totem. May the Force we share and many more, be with you Really River and may it bless your seek!

Ive been reading lately Reynard the Fox and I have to say ... The TYPE of animals we are or attached to or get our lead from as well ,can play just as an important part as who and what we listen to. Again, character comes into play with spirit animals and Totems big time. There are jerks in the animal world as there are good and beneficial. Not every animal is kind. Not every trick is bad.
Pastor Carlos

Happy seeking again and may the Force keep you safe.

I'm afraid I'm still not understanding the differences in the terms spirit animal, totem animal, and animals guide. I think I'm too stuck in the idea that some are forever and some are temporary and there are different words for those, and I can't let go of that enough to figure out what people are actually saying.

But lemme try.

So, spiritual versions of animals can come to us, however we perceive that, at any time. Sometimes it's to bring us a teaching, or to guide us through a difficult time, or whatever. For some reason we need a quality that they have or a journey they can take us on. Those are animal spirits or animal guides.

And sometimes there are animals we just identify with. We have similar traits, either in a deep and spiritual way or a more superficial way, and we form a connection to them. We can also learn from them and they can guide us but the original connection is based on mutual traits. These are totems.

Does that sound at all accurate?

The terms all mean the same thing. Different people call it different things.

We have totems that are with us as guides. But we also have totems that come to us with messages to pay attention to for the present moment, or about a specific thing that we want to know about.

Do you know about how to ask questions and get answers from the animals you see throughout the day (online and in your environment)?