Guest Author - Susan Hopf
Animals have been an integral part of hominid life since the first Homo Sapien stood erect. Whether to draw a community together for a hunt or to carry our ancestor’s burdens, animals have allowed people to travel further, stay warm and nourished, which eventually led to our advanced mental capacity. These very animals are still with us, if only in the wind and lightening, as some Native Americans believe, but many have moved too far away from the touch and inherit wisdom of the old souls contained with in the various furred, feathered and scaly creatures with which we share the earth.
Many cultures still revere animals as spiritual guides and messengers. Animals help us to stay connected to the earth. A recent reawakening to this connection and what it means for all species that share our worlds, both corporeal and spiritual, has shown that without such connectedness we grow spiritually empty.
There are many ways to stay connected to the earth. Animals can guide us both literally and spiritually. Walk in the woods and look for signs of life – tracks, scat, a fallen wing, a shed snakeskin, a glistening web, or a rare glimpse of the whole animal. Feel the presence, feel the heat of the sun or the coolness of the shade – experience all the earth has to offer and let the sensations take the place of stress, worries, the rushing of today’s busy world. Accept the timelessness of nature and keep it close.
As you lose yourself in the natural world you will encounter and notice more of everything each time you venture out. You will begin to hear the birds, the bugs, the snorts of deer, the high-pitched squeaks of a chipmunk, and the howl of the coyote or wolf. You will smell the musk of the fox den, the scat of a bear, the blossoms of the wild rose and the richly scented moss under your feet. As you become more open and familiar with what is always around you creatures and sensations that are not so common will start to find their way to you – a new sight, a new sound and a new scent. Each and everything you encounter may be trying to connect with you, tell you something, assist your journey or direct you to a new path. Take notice, take heart and most of all allow all in – you never know in what direction you might find yourself turning.
There are also tools or totems associated with animal messengers that may augment your experiences. Animal card sets, along the lines of Tarot, can be purchased at many spiritual shops. Once purchased you must take them home and claim them as your own. Touch them, become familiar with the cards, wrap them in your favorite fabric (natural fibers only), place them under your pillow and learn what each deck has to offer. Once you and your cards have become acquainted learn the various layouts in which your deck can be arranged. There are many sorts of cards and decks and each are designed for different specific purposes but all are there to help you in your day-to-day path.
Recently I have been visited by a juvenile red tail hawk. Alighting atop the fence posts he/she accompanies me down the lane as I walk the dogs. I do not yet know what this great bird has to tell me. Hawks as totems generally mean to allow oneself the freedom to soar above – something – I remain unsure but I have little doubt the answer will reveal itself when ready.
Today my animal card is the mighty Rhino. This animal card was sent to tell me to find some quiet time – “to still the chatter within.” The Rhino is a solitary animal – a behemoth that needs no other. This tells me that once I manage to quiet all the noise in my head that the Rhino will give me courage to follow my own plans and dreams. I am glad for the Rhino’s help today as many of life's little questions lie before me – time to quiet the storm within so my path will clear the way for a peaceful solution.
Namaste friends.
