The Wolf: A Powerful Spirit Ally

                                          

  

Few animals on Earth evoke more emotion or fear than the wolf.  We have been told tales of their savagery and ruthless killing, how they would steal children from the village, and would stalk any man that wandered too far from the safety of the campfire. 

 

However, in many cultures, the wolf is revered, thought to bring powerful medicine to healers, and is a wonderful ally to those that call upon its sacred energy as a spirit totem.  Animal spirits/ totems can come to us in many ways.  Wolf spirit may appear to you in a dream, as a medicine animal, or as a totem animal.  

 

Witches and Shamans alike have called upon the power of the wolf for centuries.  The wolf is a universal symbol of personal power, freedom, and autonomy. In Romanian lore, the Wolf is the only creature who can see demons no matter how hard they try to conceal themselves. Interestingly enough, wolves have also been observed to have a highly developed “sixth sense”. This natural 6^th sense is known for helping one to heighten their own intuition when they are connected to the Wolf Spirit.  

If Wolf comes to you in a dream, this is more than likely a reminder to you to use your natural abilities and to trust your instincts.  As a highly social animal, Wolf spirit may also be reminding you that you are not alone.  You may need to turn to a specific person such as a partner or parent if you are experiencing difficulty and need support or guidance. The Wolf may also appear when you feel lost, for his howl will help you find your tribe of kindred souls.  A howling Wolf in a dream is a call for action or maybe even a cry for help.  Listen to this powerful spirit.

 

If your physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual being is in need of healing, Wolf spirit may come to you as the Medicine Wolf.  Native Americans look to Wolf medicine as an aid in healing illness and diseases.  When the Wolf spirit reveals itself as a medicine animal, it offers healing through various wolf characteristics and qualities.  These can include healing through empowerment, restorative energies, and guide in spiritual development. Because the Wolf is an incredibly social animal, the Wolf Spirit can help you reduce your social anxiety and become more confident.  Call upon the Wolf and let its song heal you from the inside out.

 

Wolf guides us in the darkness of the underworld on a path to the light of the wisdom of the ages.  Wolf is known for being a teacher and wisdom bringer. The Wolf is an incredible power totem and if this spirit has made itself known to you in this way, it will be your dominant spirit guide throughout your life.  Wolf is resilient and its prowess is legendary.  With Wolf’s determination and stamina, it can teach you how to tap into your highest potential as you rise to meet and conquer the challenges before you.  It will teach you to not live in fear but instead, to be open to change and transformation. 

I have been blessed with Tala, my Wolf power totem.  This is a totem Spirit that I have reincarnated with for many lifetimes. She first came to me in this lifetime when I was a scared little girl.  I somehow knew instinctively that I could trust her and that she was not there to harm me. Maybe at that tender age, I recognized her energy and knew she was there to help protect me. I have relied on her energy in times of need. Maybe this is also the reason that I have loved wolves for as long as I can remember.  I feel that not only have I been blessed with a Wolf totem but also that the Spirit of the Wolf is alive within my own soul.

  

During tumultuous times and situations that challenge you and test your mettle, the Wolf spirit will be there to lend you strength, to help and to guide you.  The Wolf spirit animal carries many messages.  When you pay attention to the many details and nuances of the Wolf spirit, you can decipher the meaning of its message.

 

Rabbit Animal Guide

Rabbit, the iconic symbol of the spring season.  

Rabbits live on every continent except Antarctica, thus appearing in the mythologies and folklore of different cultures around the world. "The Ojibwe and other Algonquin tribes associate the rabbit with their god, Nanabozho. He is a creator deity who named all of the world’s plants and animals. For the Aztecs, the rabbit symbolized fertility, drinking, and parties. The Aztecs told stories about the Centzon Totochtin, which consisted of 400 rabbit gods. Evidence of the ancient Egyptians celebrating springtime in ways that are similar to how many of us celebrate Easter today date back to at least 2300 BC.  The Egyptians depicted hares, eggs, the sunrise, and the resurrection of their god Osiris in the Book of the Dead, other hieroglyphs, and artwork. The Celts also associated rabbits with fairies, believing the two communicated when they were underground. The Celts also believed certain people could shape shift into rabbits, thus they had taboos about killing them.  In some Buddhist stories, Buddha is said to have been a hare in an earlier incarnation." *from UniGuide: Stories and Guides for Nature Lovers and Spiritual Seekers by Kristen M. Stanton 

Rabbits symbolize fertility, sensitivity, gentleness, haste, new beginnings, the moon, prosperity, and good luck. 

Many of us have heard the term "breeding like rabbits".  This is because rabbits reach sexual maturity at a very young age, sometimes as early as 2-3 months old and females can have several litters a year.  If you and your partner need a little extra help with fertility, call on Rabbit to assist you with the magick.  Rabbit can also help with other types of "fertility" such as manifestation or garden witch work to help with soil fertility.  Because of this, Rabbit is also associated with prosperity. 

Rabbits are highly sensitive creatures.  Their large ears help them perceive noises that we cannot along with their large, round eyes that take in everything.  If Rabbit has hopped into your life, they could be telling you that there is an issue you need to be more sensitive about.  If Rabbit is your life animal guide, then you are more than likely a highly sensitive person.

With their quiet, gentle nature, Rabbit reminds us to treat ourselves gently. Stay clear of behaviors that affect you negatively.  They also remind us that others are walking their own soul journey and that we should be kind, empathetic and compassionate.

Is Rabbit dashing through your dreams?  This could be telling you that there is an issue or circumstance that needs to be handled with haste or on the flip side, you might be acting in haste and should take caution.

A woman's cycle follows the moon, a 28-day cycle just as the moon circles the earth in 28 days.  Because women's menstruation is a sign of her fertility, it isn't a far stretch to see how the Rabbit (a symbol of fertility) became associated with the moon as well.  Rabbit would be a powerful ally to call upon during the new or waxing moon for intentions and manifestation magick. 

Are you looking to start over? A new home, a new career, a new relationship or getting out of one and on your own, or possibly your spiritual path?  As a symbol of spring which is all about renewal and new beginnings, call on Rabbit to help assist you with the transition. 

While Rabbit may seem like a small and shy creature, we should not take their magick for granted.  Rabbit's energy will work side by side with you for fertility, luck and prosperity, and new beginnings. 

Shamanism: Myth and Fact

The beating of drums as chants are sung and danced out around the fire echoes through the night. Maidens and warriors alike join in the celebration of the hunt. The blind crone shakes her rattle in time with the pounding of the feet that surround her as she offers up her thanks to Mother Earth and Father Sky. The howl of the wolf in the distance is an answering tune, hauntingly beautiful. These may be some of the images that are conjured when the word “Shaman” comes up.

Shamanism has long been associated with the Native American people however, many indigenous cultures have a shamanic healer amongst their tribe. "The word shaman originates from the Tungus tribe in Siberia. Anthropologists coined this term and have used it to refer to the spiritual and ceremonial leaders among indigenous cultures worldwide. The word shamanism can be used to describe the ancient spiritual practices of these indigenous cultures. Clearly, the countless similarities between various ancient traditions played a role in the continual generalization of the word." -from Dance of the Deer Foundation. The Shaman or "Medicine Man or Woman" is typically revered and holds a high place with the elders of the tribe. Shamanism is shrouded in mysticism so let’s look at the myths and facts related to this practice and learn what it is to feel the Call of the Shaman.  

Myth: Shamanism is akin to witchcraft and Paganism.

Fact: Shamanism is a healing tradition that holds no religious ties to specific deities and no spells are performed.  Shamans do work closely with Spirit and spiritual energies such as animal spirit medicine. Shamans direct these spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world, for healing or other purposes.  

Myth: Shamans use drugs like peyote to have their visions.

Fact: “Shamanism is a practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with what they believe to be a spirit world and channel these transcendental energies into this world.” from Wikipedia. Most journey work is done through simple meditation techniques and not the use of mind-altering substances. Shamans are people that have the natural ability to “walk between worlds”.

Myth: Only indigenous people can be shamans.

Fact: Being a shaman is a calling. It is an awakening to the other orders of reality and an opening up to the visionary realms that form the essence of Shamanic vision. If a Caucasian American female feels The Call to learn and practice the shamanic path, then so be it. This is a contract between the soul and Spirit. 

Myth:  The tribe chooses the shaman.

Fact: In some cultures, the shaman is chosen through lineage. In other cultures, it is through specific external signs and proclamations of what those signs mean. Shamanistic cultures are incredibly diverse and there is no single way a shaman is identified. Shamans are also awakening outside of the indigenous tribes and showing up in modern-day suburbia. They are seeking out teachers and mentors to help them answer The Call and walk the Medicine Wheel. 

Myth: Shamans shouldn’t charge a fee.

Fact: Shamans are performing a service to another, so exchanging money, goods, or a trade of services is entirely acceptable.

Myth: Modern shamanism is a career choice.

Fact: Shamanism, “as expressed through a universal archetypal soul expression”, is not a career choice; it is a calling from Spirit. Shamans are defined by specific experiences and through specific signs. These signs can be culturally defined or through personal investigation, but they are essential for defining a shaman as a specific type of healer who works in specific ways.  

Through the ages, the practice of Shamanism has remained vital.  Shamans not only work to heal individuals but also the community and the land.  Do you feel The Call of the Shaman?