Animal Totems: Your Spiritual Best Friends!

Animals are a fantastic way for spirit energy to find its way to people. Animals carry with them a special psychic sensitivity and support that many of us already experience in the form of companionship, inspiration, and joy. For those of us willing to go deeper, we can also learn from the spiritual messages carried by our furry, feathered, and finned friends. Each animal has a message, or theme, unique to them that we can learn from. Below are some basic answered questions about the world of animal spirit guides and 20 everyday animal messages explained. Enjoy:

How do we know a specific animal totem is attempting to reach out? You will see this animal repetitively popping up in a variety of forms: you might see it, hear it, watch a commercial with the animal, dream about it, or even see a symbol of that animal on buildings or cars. I would to drive to work and see a large bird, appearing to be a hawk, on a truck that seemed to travel the highway the same time I did each day. We would inevitably be near each other and I couldn't help but notice the large hawk riding right next to me. Hawks represent keen, sharp action, and self-assuredness. Hawks have the power of perception and represent the strong third eye of vision. At this stage of my life, I was needing to make a decision about life choices, so I kept seeing the hawk on telephone lines, gas stations, and then trucks almost imploring me to step-back, and take a good long "bird's eye" look at where I was currently, and where I wanted to go.

As I am writing this blog, sitting inside a café, a duck walked past the glass just a foot away and gave me a good stare down before proceeding on his way. From a quick google search, the duck totem reads: "You are being asked to take notice of your surroundings because a new opportunity is now being offered to you. She is reminding you that in order to succeed with this opportunity you will have to move forward swiftly so that your new ideas can take flight. Duck is making it very clear that in order to be successful with your goals you have to move now!" www.spirit-animals/duck.com. Ironically so, I am making decisions to grow my private practice and laboring over choices about physical space and which aspect to put my energy into for expansion. If I am to adhere to the duck's message, I should take this to mean: go for it, and sooner rather than later. If I wait, I might miss divine timing and opportunities that are ripe now.

What is it that attracts animals to us? Is it the animals themselves, or our spiritual guides? The answer is both. While the information lies in the symbolic meaning of the animal itself, I have sensed that my own spiritual teachers and guides have nudged them in my path to reinforce guidance. I certainly believe that this magical world we live in works in harmony, with purpose, and does so collaboratively. Our animal friends are less dense than us humans, and sense guidance more readily than we do. Therefore, they can respond and react to energy in the environment and be utilized as tangible spiritual messengers from beyond. We have a magnetism that attracts the energies around us all the time, and that's not just to say the friends and life experiences we manifest, but it works the same way with animal energies. We tend to attract the energies that we are, so if we are bold, brave and sharp, we might attract the tiger energy, but if we are also in a state of transformation, we might see lots of butterflies as well. If there is something on the horizon budding and creating, we might come in contact with a frog, helping us to take on the energy of adaptation. For the last 2 months, there has been a little tree frog that lives in my window sill. He comes and goes, quite like myself and my willingness to adapt to this changing whirlwind called life, but like a cat, he returns daily to the window, almost reminding me that it's time to change, be creative, and learn how to call any life experience, no matter how new or awkward, my home. I suppose he has now made our home his permanent residence because he senses that I need the extra care in practicing change.....he couldn't be more right.

What happens if we miss the signs from our animal messengers? When ignored, animal messages or the animals themselves can become more prevalent in the day to day. I had this happen in the recent past with ants. Ants are renowned for their incredible ability to work hard, be loyal, and carry up to 50 times their weight, so it was no wonder they were showing up in a work environment that felt heavy and one where I carried great responsibility. I chose not to acknowledge the message of the ant, chalked their presence up to improper food storage, and went about my business. In the days that followed, despite a spotless, food-free office, drones of ants marched all along my desk, hands, and keyboard. I couldn't get rid of them and they wouldn't let me ignore them. They became an annoyance of sorts and a symbol of my own frustration with carrying the burden of my work. They had the tenacity and relentlessness of my own stubbornness, and it was time to acknowledge my working habits by questioning my internal desire to push myself with the force of 50 times my weight.

What are common animal messages? I have found that the type of animal that shows up could be unique to the person, situation or environment. Some animals come in to offer real-time advice in situations while others linger in and out of the forefront for the duration of a person's life. Animals are also like other spirit guides in that we have access to as many or as few as we like. In channeling the Akashic Records for my clients, I notice that many clients have a strong animal presence that takes the role of a significant life guide or teacher. For example, I have seen wolves, birds, lions and bears most recently around some of my clients. Below is also a list of common animals and their meanings that you might encounter in the day to day. By further researching the animal type or breed, you will receive much more detail about the intricacies of their message and create a greater opportunity for specific information about a life situation. Therefore, this list is just a jumping off point. Take this info, and let it inspire you....

20 Everyday Animals:

1. Ladybug: good fortune, joy
2. Frog: adaptation, change
3. Butterfly: transformation
4. Squirrel: preparation
5. Cat: dependence/ independence
6. Dog: loyalty, unconditional love/friendship
7. Duck: decision-making, acting fast
8. Bird: vision, freedom, boldness
9. Ants: worker, strength, burden
10. Horse: vitality, valor, sexual energy
11. Spider: creativity, feminine energy
12. Snake: transition, significant initiation
13. Lizard: quick, trickster, regeneration
14. Turtle: easygoing, grounded, wise
15. Owl: vision/wisdom in the darkness, mysticism
16. Fly: persistence, movement
17. Shark: instinct, intuition
18. Dolphin: play, communication, harmony
19. Rabbit: fertility, rebirth
20. Dragonfly: dreamer, swift change, whimsy

How can I learn more? "Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews, is a thorough reference book that I dive into frequently on spirit animal meanings including origins across various cultures. You could also do a quick Google search on the go to get a quick meaning of something you see out and about. I would say most of the animal messages I get happen outside of my home so the internet has been very helpful indeed! Stephen Farmer also has a marvelous Animal Totem oracle deck of cards that is incredibly grounding and I use it specifically in the work setting. While there are many resources to access wisdom about our animal supporters, there is no substitute for direct communication. My partner, Brian, is fantastic at this and I often catch him bending down to say hello to reptiles at our doorstep by asking them in earnest what wisdom they are here to bring.

Animal energy is quite subtle when compared to the energy of humans or guides, in my experience. Truly receiving the message from the animal directly requires a stillness, patience and waiting that some are better at than others, which is why the resources named above can be useful to have handy. It is also always good etiquette to thank the animal for their effort, love and support of you when you come across one, even if you don't yet know what they are bringing your attention to. I  encourage you to give it a try sometime. The next time you see an animal trotting by in a rather striking way, tune in, if you can, to the messages they are echoing and receive them with gratitude. All of the living things here on planet earth are here to support your evolution and all things with vitality and life want you to actualize your fullest self. We maximize that support through awareness and gratitude.

If you are considering a session with Rasa Healing, don't forget to remember to discuss the frequent animals in your life so that you can learn more about their gifts and supportive messages. Check out Rasa Healing on Facebook and if you'd like to book a session, you can do that here: www.RasaHealingServices.com

Jai!