Find Your Spirit Animal

Shamanic Journey

It has been quite an exciting week here at Following Dharma and with that, I have decided to expand upon what most readers are looking for: What is My Spirit Animal? Thousands have come this week to find out, therefore the only thing I can do is to show you how. Through my love of books, I have come across countless pages of priceless information that has led me on many journeys. Some of them have opened my eyes in a spiritual manner and some have been extremely specific, namely a Shamanic Journey to find my Power or Spirit Animal.

Again, I will always recommend you to a higher teacher or to books first. My success hails from a book titled “The Shamanic Witch” by Gail Wood. In it, I was taught the lessons on Shamanic Journeying and the importance of Spirit Animals. Throughout our life, we come into contact with different animals that each hold significant energies that help us in one way or another, and through this builds our animal totem. If you should choose the way of Shamanic Journeying to find your spirit animal you will most likely have success, I did. It is also important to point out that if you are practicing this type of meditation or trance, you are not necessarily a Shaman or practicing Shamanism. In fact, many traditional Shamans would prefer that you did not attach yourself with that title. It is my understanding that the P.C. term is “Neo-Shamanism”. Does this mean that no one can be a Shaman in this day in age? No, but it is something one should look into and another topic all in itself.

To go on a Shamanic Journey means that you will use a guided, meditative or trance-like state to specifically travel to the spiritual realm and seek out your spirit animal. Another way to find your spirit animal is to become incredibly aware of your surroundings. That is, start to notice actual animals around you. Not only your pets, but insects, and critters that roam around your house; even ally cats. Are you a spider person? Do rats or cockroaches seem to follow you no matter how clean you are? Each of these animals have qualities, even though we might not know what they are just yet. Your spirit animal can be one that comes to you in this realm or you can use a Shamanic Journey (a type of guided meditation) to seek your own.

I will tell you how I found my Power Animal because it is what you want to know. However, before you try any sort of guided meditations, Shamanic journeying, or any mind-altering practices, one should read a bit, gain some knowledge or perhaps talk to someone with experience. There are doors to other realms that you can open that you shouldn’t always open if you don’t know how to safely close them.….That’s my disclaimer and all I’m sayin’

Journey to the Lower World to Find Your Power Animal:

Step One Cleanse Your Space: Light a grounding incense, Patchouli is my personal favorite. Any earthy incense will do. Cleanse all four corners of your space equally. Call in all four corners and elements, asking for blessings, guidance, and love.

*Note: If you are going the Shaman route, you will be using drums. You can find a Shamanic Drum track on Youtube or I-Tunes. This is the point where you would turn it on and begin to allow the drums to allow you to fall into trance.

Step Two State Your Purpose Out Loud 3 Times: “I am Journeying to the Lower World to Seek my Power Animal”

I am familiar with my Spirit Guide, so I always include that I would like for her to accompany me. I never, ever go to the Lower world without her. I am not ready for that yet. As you grow in your spiritual path, it is important to be a bit humble! Accept help from your guides.

Step Three Light A Candle, Close Your Eyes & A Few Rounds of Pranayama (Deep Breathing): Breathe with purpose close your eyes and find your self in trance.

Step Four Guided Meditation: A Shamanic Journey is not necessarily a guided meditation. Though, you are certainly going somewhere with a purpose. Once you are in a trance state, you are going to imagine yourself getting up from where you are seated and walking through your house until you are outdoors. Of course, you are not moving — you’re doing this with your minds eye. Make sure that you are actually visualizing your real home, your real furniture, the real door, actually twist the knob. It may take a few tries. Once you make it outside, go to your nearest tree and kneel at the roots. Kindly tell the tree that you have plans to go to the lower world and and that you would like to use her roots to get there. Trees have spirit too, no need to be rude! At this point, you can start to dig downward until you find yourself in a tunnel. Once you get in the tunnel and through the tunnel you are in the lower world.

Step Five Check out the Scenery: When you are down there! What do you see? What kinds of animals, creatures, plants? Be sure that after every journey you take the time to write down your experiences. They are each amazing and wonderful in their own way. And remember, not everything down there is nice! Be on your guard.

Your spirit or power animal may or may not come right up to you, so feel free to walk around. It is important to mention that power animals are not pets. They do not want to be hugged or petted. Be respectful and keep your distance. It may take you a couple of journey’s as you  may not be able to keep your focus or you may not be ready yet. However, each person has a spirit or power animal and one will come to you. So please keep trying.

When you do meet your spirit animal, it will most likely say something to you. Listen to them, try to remember what they say and make sure you write it down as soon as you are finished with your meditation.

Step Six Journey Home: When you are ready to leave the lower world, come back the way you came in, and be sure to thank the tree!

Friends, I am really excited to hear about some of your experiences. I would like to know what power animals you have found, and especially what creatures you found when you were in the lower world. I would like to share a few of my experiences with you now. I tend to be a bit comical when I write about spirituality, I recognize that I am so small and so young and so new in the whole of things, it’s all very silly if you think about it. I simply love to learn. And it is important that as you learn you are not too hard on yourself! Accept that you are a student, love yourself, allow yourself to make mistakes, journal your experiences, grow from them and become a little more wise everyday!

My Power Animal:

– I think originally I was supposed to be joined with the Tiger. She was beautiful and she was waiting for me my very first try as soon as I got through the tunnel. But, being inexperienced and with little knowledge, I tried to squeeze her like a kitten and she growled like Tigers do, my spirit guide intervened and I was removed from the lower world……..

He looks similar to this image.

– My second journey down, I got extremely impatient and got a little scared because I felt like I was being followed. I finally turned around to see a huge Red Stag with many antlers staring at me. He said, “I will be your Power Animal. And you need to learn Patience”……..

These are just a few of my favorite out of hundreds of experiences I have had. I would love to hear some of yours. Please share & Have a great week~

Namaste`