A Compendium of Shaman Animals
Lynne Marie Rowland
Copyright 2013 Lynne Marie Rowland
Published by Stoopville Farms, LLC.
License Notes
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited.
ISBN Number: 978-0-989644-2-2
All Photography courtesy of Dreamstime at www.dreamstime.com.
Except the cover photo, photography by Barry Mann.
Ebook cover design and formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com
Disclaimer
The persons, places, things, and otherwise animate or inanimate objects and shamans mentioned in this book are creations of the author's imagination.
Table of Contents
Preface
Ant
Bald Eagle
Bear
Bee
Cardinal
Caribou
Cheetah
Chickadee
Cobra
Cougar
Cow
Coyote
Deer
Dragonfly
Elephant
Flea
Frog
Goat
Golden Eagle
Goldfish
Grasshopper
Heron
Hummingbird
Hyena
Jaguar
Jellyfish
Kite
Koala
Ladybug
Lion
Lizard
Llama
Lynx
Manatee
Mole
Mouse
Octopus
Orca
Osprey
Ostrich
Otter
Owl
Oyster
Parrot
Peacock
Pig
Platypus
Polar Bear
Porcupine
Quail
Rabbit
Rhinoceros
Roadrunner
Robin
Rook
Sheep
Skunk
Snow Leopard
Squirrel
Starfish
Tiger
Turkey
Turtle
Wasp
Wolf
Worm
Afterword
Preface
Belief in shaman animals has existed across nearly all cultures and continents since prehistoric times. Early Neolithic man painted pictures of sacred animals imbued with magical powers to help with the hunt and promote fertility. Tribal shamans in most cultures had associations with animal spirit guides, who taught them mystical wisdom.
I started hearing the animals' wisdom when I walked through the woods here in Pennsylvania. Of course, the shamans I encountered were most often indigenous to our area, but later, I started to hear other shaman animals speak to me in my dreams. I also have two shaman cats who live with me and oblige me to listen on a daily basis. One of them actually instructs me in meditation.
All of us have this ability if we take the time to listen. In our culture today, where our constant connectivity is often preventing us from listening to the wise words of the fauna around us, or to our inner heart wisdom, there is a growing need to reconnect with our mystical shaman animals and learn from them.
In this compendium, we capture a year's worth of shaman animal wisdom. We recommend you set aside time each week to read a shaman's wisdom and think deeply on what it has to say that is meaningful to your life right now. The shamans are listed alphabetically. Scroll through to the one who catches your eye. Or to the one you crossed paths with. Or saw somehow during the week. Or dreamed about. You will know which shaman has the wisdom you need to remind your soul of right now.
Wishing you the peace and insight that only shaman animals can give us.
Lynne Marie Rowland aka Healing Farmer
Ant
"Do you know the story of the blessing of the Ants, farmer?" asked Ant.
"No, I do not. Please tell me Ant," said the farmer.
"When the world was destroyed by fire, the Ants took all of the people and animals underground and shared what they had among all. After the fire was over, the Sky God blessed the Ants and gave them the eternal task of nurturing Mother Earth. In return for this labor, Ants are given the gift of endless patience."
"Patience is not my virtue," muttered the farmer.
"No it isn't but it needs to become part of your life. Part of properly using your energy reserves so you have enough stamina to complete your soul mission, involves being patient about that mission lasting your lifetime. Scurrying about all of the time is depleting your energy and diminishing your light. You need to plan for the future and plan your energy expenditures as part of self-love and self-care. You will accomplish much more, farmer, with patience rather than rushing. You'll see."
Bald Eagle
"Come fly on my back, farmer, and see the spiritual truths which heretofore have been hidden from you," said Bald Eagle.
"Am I really flying or is this just a dream?" asked the farmer.
"Life is but a dream", farmer. "You need to rise about it to access the illumination and wisdom of the spirit. We Eagles can hep to connect you to the 'big picture' of creation and even to your personal spirit guides. These wise teachers can help you reach the next phase of your spiritual healing journey."
"What are you here to show me today?" asked the farmer.
"See the pattern below of birth and death. Teachers come into your life when they are needed and exit when you have achieved full mastery of the lesson. No need to bemoan comings and goings, farmer. No need to be so attached to this world, it is just one of many. Rise up and use your new found vision of grace."
Bear
"What do you know of our tribe's meaning, farmer?" asked Bear.
"That you are beloved of Berne, the Goddess, also known as Artemis and that in alchemy you are often a harbinger of transformation."
" You are correct, farmer. It is a time for your next transformation," intoned Bear.
"I did not realize that I needed to again transform," replied the farmer.
"Healing journeys are a constant source of transformation farmer. Within them, you find a circle of death and rebirth of parts of your soul taking shape anew. Your shamanic wisdom is at last ready to blossom forth. You will be able to travel on your own to the astral plane for visions, without any shaman needed to guide your journey. Your dreams will be rich with portents of mystical possibilities. Come, for all things are now ready."
Bee
"I know you wish you could get advice from your beloved grandmother, farmer," said Bee.
"I wish she were still with me," said the farmer. "She loved me so much and always gave me such great advice. She died when I was just a teenager and I miss her so much."
"We forget that the dead are always with us. Their soul energy stays in the world. At some point it may reincarnate into another life form but the energy that was your loved one, is somehow always with you. The love that they felt for us is still with us, enveloping us, and helping us move forward in our lives. In some ways, your grandmother has more power to help you now. She can still communicate with you if you let your heart hear her voice. First, meditate to a place of complete stillness and think on her. Concentrate on her through your heart and ask her to guide you. I am certain that she will tell you what you need to know."
Is there someone special whose wisdom you would like to hear? Try reaching out with your heart to that loved one this week.
Cardinal
"Look to the sun
, farmer, to increase your good fortune," said Cardinal.
"I could certainly use more of that, Cardinal. Thank you," replied the farmer.
"You need to learn to accept good fortune in the same way you need to learn to accept compliments, farmer. Just as your fortune increases as you see a Cardinal flying to the sun, as you draw your soul nigh to the light, so it is with your personal light, which glows stronger as you reinforce your soul song power."
"How might I better understand how to increase that power, Cardinal?"
"Finding your soul song is a lifelong journey, as it evolves with your own evolution. Like the wind, once you think you have arrived at where your soul needed to go, you are blown ever onward. Do not think of accomplishing your soul's mission like a task, instead think of it as an ever-sounding song that grows alongside you, and as you grow your power, the music grows too."
Caribou
"Have you ever felt that you are wandering around aimlessly in the dark of your life, with no sense of direction?" asked Caribou.
"Many times, Caribou," replied the farmer, "I often feel that I do not know where I am going or what is my life's purpose?"
"Sometimes we need to wander far, far away from our homes and what is known to us, through great periods of darkness, in order to see a new dawn revealed. We are always protected while we travel, by the universal good of love energy flowing through all we meet. The herd is also universal. Wherever you go, there are like energy beings who can help you find your way, just as you may help them find theirs. Not knowing where you are going can be one of the most powerful tools the universe has, in showing you the new path you must take. Be open to it."
Cheetah
"I never have enough time," said the farmer. "Would someone teach me how to make more time?"
"The secret is the ability to focus intently on something for short bursts of time. Time moves like a flood past us with its own swiftness. You cannot make more time but you can learn to use it to advantage for the things that really matter, farmer," replied Cheetah.
"How did you learn to do this Cheetah?"
"Once upon a time, my cubs were lost. I feared that a jackal would eat them as night was falling. I cried for them, tears rolling down my fur but ran from one corner of the savannah to the other as fast as I could."
"What happened to your cubs?"
"I found them nestled on a rock near the ravine where they had been sunning themselves. My dashing about though taught me I could cover great distances incredibly fast when I was focused. I also carry to this day the mark of the tears I shed, as a reminder to focus only on what is important. What do you carry to remind you, farmer?"
Chickadee
"You need to understand the power of small things, farmer," said Chickadee.
"What power is that?" asked the farmer.
"Every little nuance of our attitude, every small gesture changes the path that is unfolding before us. You can sow and manifest deep joy and abundance if you conjure up the right framework with your attitude and actions, and even your intentions. Intentions are very powerful."
"How might I best achieve that?" asked the farmer.
"Use your voice to speak truth and to speak positively. The more truth you speak, the more your will do right action, and the more your power to manifest your positive intentions will grow alongside it."
Cobra
"I have come to help you find the memory of the soul world, farmer," said Cobra.
"Why have you come at this time?" asked the farmer.
"In seeking freedom for all for the universal light of truth, you are given the gift of an additional soul guide. I am meant to be that guide. To show you what your past lives have meant; and how the transmigration of your soul on its journey is slowing bringing you closer to the Divine Love."
"I do not know anything about my past lives. I have enough trouble in this one," said the farmer.
"We all have past lives. And often, we recreate troubles in this one that serve to play out and fix our karma from past ones. Sometimes, if we can let ourselves hear the wisdom of these deep seated soul memories, we can free ourselves up from what we are repeating. Sometimes, we just better understand and accept our karma."
"So how do I get in touch with my prior transmigrations?" asked the farmer.
"I will guide you," said Cobra. "When you meditate this week, call upon my energy, and ask me to show you your prior lives."
Cougar
"You need to use your new found power wisely, Farmer," said the Cougar. "It is easy to be too tough or too lenient when forging a new team."
"I feel as if I never get it right," said the farmer. "I get caught up in either pushing too hard or not pushing hard enough. I never feel like I am doing enough for everyone or doing what they need."
"First rely on your intention. It will help you to balance the power you need while obliging you to let go of the largest blockage we all have, the ego. When balancing power, center yourself on your own confidence. No one expects you truly to know everything about everything. If you are not afraid to learn from your team, you open up a door to be able to teach them the lessons you are given the gift to teach. Work on letting go of perfection and the guilt of not being enough, not doing enough, and instead open yourself up to loving them. All good leadership stems from genuine love of helping others; anything less is false ego talk."
Cow
"Have you reaffirmed your connection, farmer, with the Great Goddess?"
"I guess I need to do that," said the farmer.
"Often when we are content, we forget to affirm our love and our faith, just as we forget to be always alert to danger. We Cows teach that love needs to be expressed daily, as one of the herd, our community."
"How did you learn all of this, Cow?"
"The three original Cows were brought to the Celtic Isles by Mermaids. A red, a black and a white, the three colors of the Goddess. She blessed us and gave us the knowledge of the importance of community, which we are chartered to share. We share community not only with other cows, but with the air and the grasses. "As is above, so as below". We teach also to keep watch for one another. To have a strong community, it is imperative to affirm your daily love for all, and the all, the great universal community that binds us all together."
Coyote
"You need to learn to laugh at your mistakes, farmer," cackled Coyote.
"Aren't you a trickster shaman?" asked the farmer.
"Indeed, and the biggest joke of all is on you when you fool yourself, farmer."
"How am I doing that?" asked the farmer.
"Only when you have dropped away all of your masks and false sense of security will you finally connect with the All. Only when you understand the nothing is really sacred will you see how all things are sacred. The truth is only illuminated to those who are fools."
"I am still not sure I understand."
"When you are unknowingly caught in what seems like a dangerous situation, know that there is always a trap door hidden that leads directly to the universe's plan. When you're trying to control everything, you are fooling yourself and perhaps acting against what the universe wants to give you. Open yourself to receive. Trust like a child and let it unfold."
Deer
"Understand that there are many paths to the goal of full healing, just as there are many paths through the woods," said Deer.
"Sometimes I get frustrated by setbacks," said the farmer. "There are days where I am just surviving, and I don't always feel like I am making any progress."
"Those are the days to be gentle with yourself the most. Pause, and just for a moment appreciate and give thanks for the good things around you. Nurture yourself with some special ritual that makes you feel at peace - a walk in the woods, a prayer with a candle, a hot cup of tea sipped slowly, a warm bath. It does not matter which ritual you choose, but let it envelope you with gentleness in thought and touch. Don't worry about the path ahead. Just appreciate where you are."
Drago
nfly
"It is time for you to master life on a wing, farmer," said Dragonfly.
"What will that teach me, Dragonfly?" asked the farmer.
"The power of flight not only helps you to swiftly change, escaping what is below, but more importantly connects you more closely to the power of light."
"How will that help me?" asked the farmer.
"You can more quickly break through the illusions that others are trying to spin to you, and see the truth in all situations. As you progress in seeking truth beyond illusions, you can access the full power of the dragon."
"What will that teach me?"
"That is a more advanced lesson. When you are ready for Dragon, he will manifest."
Elephant
"When you need to find the strength to plow through and remove obstacles in your life, call on me," said Elephant.
"I often feel stuck or that there are too many barriers standing in the way of my happiness," said the farmer, "how can you help me?"
"We are bearers of ancient wisdom, passed down as we care for our young to the next generation. Wisdom often takes an outward form of patience. Many problems are already solved, if we allow the universe to let the resolution unfold. At the same time, we need to take personal responsibility for our part in the cosmos. We, elephants, commit fully to our journey, from teaching our young, to traveling to meet the appointed hour and place of our death. In return, we receive the deep gift of eternal patience which helps us to meet with confidence any challenge which crosses our path. Practicing eternal patience with your obstacles is sometimes the best way to master them. Try it."
Flea
"It is time for you Farmer, to fully birth into the world the energy you are meant to manifest," said Flea.
"Why now, Flea?" asked the Farmer. "I am not sure I am ready."
"We are never ready for metamorphosis. We become ready as we journey through manifestation. Have you ever noticed during stages of your life times when time stands still? We all face those times where movement is slow and almost latent with building energy, and then comes a rush of manifestation all at once of new growth. When you are ready, you can move the energy forward faster."