Spirit Animal Manifestation. Has it happened to you?

There are many ways to go on a vision quest. In ancient times, people would go into the deep recesses of caves where darkness is supreme and the eyes can see nothing but blackness, but their minds would play tricks on them, showing colours and shapes through their 'minds eye'. If the person stayed in that silent darkness for a significant length of time, the sensory deprivation would eventually cause more and more intricate hallucinations which, in effect, would become the new reality.

Add to that process the tiring of the body, through lack of food and continuous dancing to a drumbeat, and the stresses would cause the brain to release the chemicals which make the hallucination a 'reality within a dreamstate'.

As the dream has now become the reality, we find within our minds those things which are most important to us. Often, the living things we 'meet' are of the animal kingdom.

When we have visions of meeting or becoming a mouse or a deer, a tree or a stone...it is because somewhere in our psychological make-up, we associate ourselves with this animal or object. If we meet up with it regularly, we can then take it as being our spirit guide.

So...how do we relate this into our waking state?

As we go through our daily routines, we see the animal (for instance, a raven) which most often comes to us in our dreams. Because we are now aware that the raven is our spirit guide, we stop in our routine to take note of its behaviour. Is it noticing us and does it seem to be trying to communicate through its actions? We become a little bit more sensitive to what we are doing and where we are going. Was it a warning us to be careful or was it an affirmation of our intentions?

On a side note to this idea, I have a friend who is a Chippewa healer and his spirit guide is the hummingbird. One day I was sitting on a bench in my back yard, soaking up the morning sunshine and very pleased with myself, when a hummingbird flew to within inches of my face and stopped for several seconds. This beautiful small bird looked me straight in the eyes and I immediately thought of my friend, deciding to contact him right away.

So...as we begin to notice different animals, we find a new way to communicate between our friends...through the third party spirit guides.

Vision quests need not be in caves, nor do they need drugs (which are 'shortcuts' that do more to confuse us than anything). We need to 'step aside' from our daily routines and allow our subjective mind to take over from our objective thinking processes. Meditation, fasting, solitude and quiet refection are the best paths to the vision quest.



[edit on 7-7-2006 by masqua]

Originally posted by masqua


Vision quests need not be in caves, nor do they need drugs (which are 'shortcuts' that do more to confuse us than anything). We need to 'step aside' from our daily routines and allow our subjective mind to take over from our objective thinking processes. Meditation, fasting, solitude and quiet refection are the best paths to the vision quest.



[edit on 7-7-2006 by masqua]

Ah, but you see even archaic indigenous shamen used psychoactive or "sacred plants" not only in their apprentanceships, but also to access deeper realms of the "other" in order to heal, find somthing lost, or give direction to the tribe. There is a very deep connection between man and the vegatative matrix on this planet.

Indeed, for many these sacred tools are used in the wrong mindset and do cause confusion.

I agree that intense states of enlightenment can be had through fasting (it can push one's physical body to near-death-states of mind)...even with meditation the Guru's and Lamas have seen what I have seen/know to be correct at the most subtle levels of human awareness.

Having that said however, I have also say that these types of practices are more of what one would do daily to enhance themsleves in between their sacred plant useage...thus making them more adept at navigating the other realms. I doubt that the Tibetan monk is nervous about his upcomming meditation session, whereas even the most skilled and learned amazonian shaman might be a little aprehensive about his upcoming journey involving a psychotropic compound. The diffrence comes in the tangibillity of the felt experience. . .

Perhaps it is not so much a "shortcut" for some, but rather a "reminder" of the so far, yet so close goal. . . Keeping the Way or the Path true for oneself.

But for those brave enough, those that want to "put it all on the line" and really see the full scope of human potential; these plant substances are invaluable.

I cannot stress enough our horrible distopia we have created for humanity. We have totally lost our ballance with the ecosystem. We wouldn't have evolved the way/how we did without plants--and they wouldn't be as widespread around the globe if it wasn't for us mamals spreading their seeds in our fecces and fur...

We know plants came first on this plannet...so did the plants help bring mamalian life into being?

Perhaps we owe even our meager iceberg lettuce a little bit more respect



[edit on 7-7-2006 by MystikMushroom]

Wow! Thanks everyone for all your input. I can see all points of view and respect them. You all have been truely awesome. I can tell all of us so far love animals. You are all awesome because you understand that animals are not some lifeform that is not as smart as us cuz they can't build a computer and do surgery.

I can't wait to go into a sweatlodge sometime and maybe more will be revealed. There were so many great things by you all that I don't know how to respond to them all.

One thing that sticks in my mind is the person that said is in the city and questioned if that was a disadvantage. First I want to say I am by no means any expert at this, but if you can't get out into nature maybe research online on how to meditate what your animal is cuz it seems like you want to know. Maybe the other people on this post can give him better advice. I don't know the traditional way, it just happened to me and I KNEW WITHOUT A DOUBT what it meant. I think that is the key, YOU KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT.

One other comment about someone who said what about a spirit plant. I've never thought of it that way, great thought. One thing that I have told my wife is First you passt the test of human, then you become and animal, then you become a plant. Don't know why I beleive that I just do. I think animals are the best. When I become a plant, I would like to be something that makes people happy(If you know what I mean, use your imagination)

As for this post, quoth the Raven-Nevermore

E.A. Poe..."Life is but a dream within a dream"...

Imagine the two facing mirror effect of "infinity". Imagine if they were each a diffrent dream, from every perspective that ever was or ever is...even the experiences of stars, plants, plannets, rocks, molecules and sub-atomic particles. . .all their perspectives and experiences are in there too--remember it's "infinity"!

Maybe Poe was on, or onto somthing with that quote...meheheheh

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
E.A. Poe..."Life is but a dream within a dream"...

Imagine the two facing mirror effect of "infinity". Imagine if they were each a diffrent dream, from every perspective that ever was or ever is...even the experiences of stars, plants, plannets, rocks, molecules and sub-atomic particles. . .all their perspectives and experiences are in there too--remember it's "infinity"!

Maybe Poe was on, or onto somthing with that quote...meheheheh

That makes tons of sense because one of the main symbols of the Raven is Death and then Rebirth. Hence the 2 mirrors. I always loved Poe. even when I was a little kid. I have a complete book of his works. He was "enlightened" and I see nothing wrong with that. Animals will save the world.

I can't wait to go into a sweatlodge sometime and maybe more will be revealed.

Please wait. prepare andknow those with whom you plan to do the sweat. People have died from doing a sweat improperly, improper preperation. A word of warning, If
you are the slightest bit claustrophobic or have any type of breathing problems think
long and hard before entering a sweat lodge. You might try extended periods in a sauna
the heavy air,high heat, and closed in feeling ade the closest to a sweat lodge I can think of.

One thing that sticks in my mind is the person that said is in the city and questioned if that was a disadvantage

IMO one of the greatest Medicine People of our time was Iron Eyes Cody. He was
a Yuwipi Medicine man and regularly conducted ceremonies and sweats in the livingroom and bathroom of his LA Apartment. I should think if he could do it anyone else with a little practice could.

One other comment about someone who said what about a spirit plant.

In my beliefs as in many others there is noy only a plant association but also a
mineral, a rock ,seasonal and an elemental association

One thing that I have told my wife is First you passt the test of human, then you become and animal, then you become a plant

I would disagree . All are elements of the same whole. Perhaps a better explanation
would be the Wheel of Life. You pass through each in your journey around the wheel, and more than once through out your life.

Originally posted by stalkingwolf

I can't wait to go into a sweatlodge sometime and maybe more will be revealed.

Please wait. prepare andknow those with whom you plan to do the sweat. People have died from doing a sweat improperly, improper preperation. A word of warning, If
you are the slightest bit claustrophobic or have any type of breathing problems think
long and hard before entering a sweat lodge. You might try extended periods in a sauna
the heavy air,high heat, and closed in feeling ade the closest to a sweat lodge I can think of.

One thing that sticks in my mind is the person that said is in the city and questioned if that was a disadvantage

IMO one of the greatest Medicine People of our time was Iron Eyes Cody. He was
a Yuwipi Medicine man and regularly conducted ceremonies and sweats in the livingroom and bathroom of his LA Apartment. I should think if he could do it anyone else with a little practice could.

One other comment about someone who said what about a spirit plant.

In my beliefs as in many others there is noy only a plant association but also a
mineral, a rock ,seasonal and an elemental association

One thing that I have told my wife is First you passt the test of human, then you become and animal, then you become a plant

I would disagree . All are elements of the same whole. Perhaps a better explanation
would be the Wheel of Life. You pass through each in your journey around the wheel, and more than once through out your life.

Thanks stalkingwolf, I will definitely make sure I am ready before I go into a sweatlodge. I agree with the things you said above. My thought about the human to animal to plant thing was just a weird opinion of mine.

I don't know if you knew this but the Native American tribes of the Northwest have 2 clans, the Raven and the Wolf. Supposedly the Raven shows the wolf where the prey is and then when the wolf kills it the Raven gets to have a meal too. Pretty cool since you are stalkingwolf. Animals are the link to the other world. If I see some prey I'll let you know. Thanks everyone.

It sure sounds like Stalkingwolf knows what happens in a sweatlodge because he's right.

I'm going to try to describe my first experience as best I can so that when faced with the opportunity, you'll know what to expect.

First and foremost, it is a ritual and because of that, certain rules must be followed. I won't get into the ritual preparations nor the continued rituals throughout and after the sweat because it is complicated and would take a lot of explanation. But I will tell you this...

It was a cold, wintry November night just after the full moon. I was naked, except for a towel wrapped around my waist, standing in front of a huge bed of coals to my right. Before me lay a bed of cedar boughs which made a path from the firepit to the sweatlodge a low round structure covered with cedar and canvas). Within the coals lay a number of heavy stones which had been heated to such a degree that they seemed translucent.

I stood there for what seemed forever as the healer and the shaman performed the preperatory rituals. Snow, falling lightly on my cold shoulders, no longer melted quite as fast as it did when I first disrobed. Now and then, Joe, the shaman, would look me in the eye and I wondered if he was perhaps testing me a bit because I must have been turning blue. But I stood there determined not to show my discomfort, wanting to be seen as willing to withstand whatever they deemed necessary. After all, they were nearly naked themselves, even though they were both working the stones in the pit with a large pitchfork and clearing the ashes away.

Then the healer threw aside the flap of the lodge and motioned me to follow and take my place sitting on cedar branches opposite the entrance. The shaman then brought the stones into the center of the lodge, slowly, one by one and in a reverential fashion until all had been removed from the firepit and now glowed with a pale white light in the center.

I was still cold, clutching my knees as I sat naked in front of that dim light, feeling a little selfconscious while the shaman entered, sitting opposite of the healer near the flap which he pulled closed. Now we were in a darker place as the light from the firepit was blocked.

It was soon after that when I could feel the first bit of heat emanating from the fading stones. I could see Joe take a small bunch of cedar boughs and dip them into a bucket of water, which he then slapped onto the stones.

Almost immediately, the steam rose from those white-hot stones in a hissing cloud, darkening the rocks and plunging the space into total darkness. Successive slaps of wet boughs punctuated ritual chanting. The steam itself was sweet from cedar oil, the hot stones bringing it out of the boughs.

The more he slapped, the hotter it got and soon my lungs were full of the hot steam/cedar oil mixture. It entirely took over in that dense blackness where NOTHING could be seen.

It was extremely hot after only a short time, but we stayed in the lodge for over an hour...more like two hours and the amount of sweating I did was amazing...I couldn't taste the salty sweat though, all I could smell was cedar oil, all I could taste was cedar oil. Cedar oil penetrated every pore of my body, every organ.

It felt wonderful.

When I finally emerged into that freezing cold once more, the snow lay thick on my clothes which draped over a log. I was wise enough to plug my shoes with my socks, but they were all covered as well. But none of that mattered...I imagine I could have walked 10 miles through the forest naked as a Jaybird and it wouldn't have chilled me, I was warm and sweating.

Thats what it was like.

Remember, though, I left SO Much out of my story, because it would exceed my character limit three times over to tell it all. Besides, that is the part which should remain a mystery until you have your own sweat.

I've never regretted doing that first one, it wasn't my last, and the next I hope to experience will be at the gathering in Maniwaki, Quebec, on August 6,7 and 8.

I encourage anyone who is willing to try this...if it's too much, there is nothing to stop you from exiting the lodge...you need not be afraid or ashamed in cutting it short.

But I would discourage anyone who wished to do a sweat 'for a lark'. The ceremony is a serious ritual of great importance to the Native Americans. I remember being at one where a man asked if he could take his camera in.

Not a smart move, for the camera (steam).

.

edit for speeling

[edit on 8-7-2006 by masqua]

How do you figure out which animal is your spirit animal? I don't believe native americans were exposed to every animal here on earth, like an elephant or tiger or colossal squid.

Originally posted by masqua
It sure sounds like Stalkingwolf knows what happens in a sweatlodge because he's right.

I'm going to try to describe my first experience as best I can so that when faced with the opportunity, you'll know what to expect.

First and foremost, it is a ritual and because of that, certain rules must be followed. I won't get into the ritual preparations nor the continued rituals throughout and after the sweat because it is complicated and would take a lot of explanation. But I will tell you this...

It was a cold, wintry November night just after the full moon. I was naked, except for a towel wrapped around my waist, standing in front of a huge bed of coals to my right. Before me lay a bed of cedar boughs which made a path from the firepit to the sweatlodge a low round structure covered with cedar and canvas). Within the coals lay a number of heavy stones which had been heated to such a degree that they seemed translucent.

I stood there for what seemed forever as the healer and the shaman performed the preperatory rituals. Snow, falling lightly on my cold shoulders, no longer melted quite as fast as it did when I first disrobed. Now and then, Joe, the shaman, would look me in the eye and I wondered if he was perhaps testing me a bit because I must have been turning blue. But I stood there determined not to show my discomfort, wanting to be seen as willing to withstand whatever they deemed necessary. After all, they were nearly naked themselves, even though they were both working the stones in the pit with a large pitchfork and clearing the ashes away.

Then the healer threw aside the flap of the lodge and motioned me to follow and take my place sitting on cedar branches opposite the entrance. The shaman then brought the stones into the center of the lodge, slowly, one by one and in a reverential fashion until all had been removed from the firepit and now glowed with a pale white light in the center.

I was still cold, clutching my knees as I sat naked in front of that dim light, feeling a little selfconscious while the shaman entered, sitting opposite of the healer near the flap which he pulled closed. Now we were in a darker place as the light from the firepit was blocked.

It was soon after that when I could feel the first bit of heat emanating from the fading stones. I could see Joe take a small bunch of cedar boughs and dip them into a bucket of water, which he then slapped onto the stones.

Almost immediately, the steam rose from those white-hot stones in a hissing cloud, darkening the rocks and plunging the space into total darkness. Successive slaps of wet boughs punctuated ritual chanting. The steam itself was sweet from cedar oil, the hot stones bringing it out of the boughs.

The more he slapped, the hotter it got and soon my lungs were full of the hot steam/cedar oil mixture. It entirely took over in that dense blackness where NOTHING could be seen.

It was extremely hot after only a short time, but we stayed in the lodge for over an hour...more like two hours and the amount of sweating I did was amazing...I couldn't taste the salty sweat though, all I could smell was cedar oil, all I could taste was cedar oil. Cedar oil penetrated every pore of my body, every organ.

It felt wonderful.

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. I will make sure that I am prepared thanks to you guys.

Originally posted by laiguana
How do you figure out which animal is your spirit animal? I don't believe native americans were exposed to every animal here on earth, like an elephant or tiger or colossal squid.

I don't know the answer to that really, I was lucky and the animal told me. I have heard that the animal chooses you. Maybe do some meditation or speak with a Native American shaman. Sorry that is the best advice I could give. Good luck, it will happen.

I don't wanna go out naked into the wilderness is there an easier method of finding your spirit animal? I think mine's an iguana though, because ever since I adopted my baby...life has been wonderful. But I don't think the natives of north america knew much about iguanas...except maybe the desert iguana in the southwest.

Originally posted by laiguana
I don't wanna go out naked into the wilderness is there an easier method of finding your spirit animal? I think mine's an iguana though, because ever since I adopted my baby...life has been wonderful. But I don't think the natives of north america knew much about iguanas...except maybe the desert iguana in the southwest.

I found some websites that might help you. There is a lot of information about this is you do a search. Good luck!

www.animaltotem.com...

www.manataka.org...

www.whiterosepath.com...

a couple years ago i read the clan of the cave bear books. they talk alot about finding their anmimal totems/ guides. i was really interested in learning what mine was and the books talked about paying attention to your dreams as well as any unusuall objects that you come across, that these will tell you your totem. i tried it and began having these dreams about killer whales. i dreamed that this huge killer whale came out of the ocean onto the beach to say hello to me. it also had a special knome type thing that worked for it and it told me that the whale wanted to give me this special abaolne shell that it kept under its right hand fin. then a couple hights later i dreamed eith thid narrator telling me i had to go to japan ( which was really in argentina on my dream map) to save the killer whales because the sand was leaving the oceans. when i gor there 3 baby killer whales came out of the ocean to greet me. i have never had a thing for killer whales before, if anything i always thought my totem would be a cat, but now im certain its a killer whale. this both inspires and terrififies me at the same time.
does anyone know what a killer whale guide means?

I was deep in meditation and decided I was ready to met my spirit animal. And there he was, waiting for me, brother wolf. Now, my experiences are rather bizarre because I feel him around me all the time, even laying on my bed. Our communication is quite strong, that I can contact him rather quickly in meditation.

As other said, in the earlier stages of this thread (four years ago!), I've heard brother wolf speak and the language is rather peculiar. At first, I thought it was English but it's extremely fractured and hard to understand.

Yes, I see animal souls and communicate with animals a lot- cats are the most talkative, which blows my mind b.c dogs seem a lot more sociable.
That sounds nuts and I know it

Hello everyone, I read through the thread here and had a few questions of my own concerning spirit animals and animal guides. I'm not unenlightened on these topics, but a few things have happened and I'm wondering if they are linked. I'll give a small outline below and if anyone could help me out that would be great.

I had a living Teacher who shared my spiritual path with me. She passed away several years ago though.

Shortly after her passing a Painted Turtle (like this or this) showed up in my backyard. I took it back to the Marshland nearby. Next day it returned again to my backyard. It has to cross through several properties to get from the Marshland to my backyard.

After returning it to the Marshland again it returned a third time. So I took this as a sign to give it a home. So I built a small habitat in my backyard for it, and it stayed there. I started reading up on Painted Turtles and how to care for them. Was starting to get used to the little gal being there. And then one night she just disappeared. Morning came and the habitat was empty.

I'm not sure what happened to her. But, shortly after that anomalous events started occurring around my house. Objects moved, doors opening and closing. Scents started permeating my room. Small things here and there. However, they all somehow related back to my Teacher. The scents were her perfume, or the candles she used, or her incense sticks scent. These things continue to this day.

Since this has all happened my own spiritual road has opened wide and I'm making progress in various direction (self-spirituality, I've picked up a small group of students, and such).

I'm wondering if this Painted Turtle was maybe my Spirit Animal, and if maybe said Spirit Animal was some kind of link for me back to my Teacher, and if maybe she has now become a sort of Spirit Guide for me.

Any thoughts or opinions?

~ Wandering Scribe

I believe that my spirit animal is the jellyfish. One time I came home from my friend's house and right in front of my bathroom door there was toilet paper in the shape of one. It was very odd.