Read an Excerpt
ANIMAL TOTEM GUIDES: MESSAGES FOR THE WORLD
Communicating with Your Power Animal Guides
By Franki Storlie
iUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2011 Franki Storlie
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-2069-0
Chapter One
The Power Animals as Our Partners
It is my belief that each person on this earth is not only special but spiritual. Each person has a spiritual soul that is connected to God (Mother/Father Creator), Mother Earth, and all of creation on the earth. For you see, everything and everyone is related and connected. All of creation includes the humans, the animals, the earth, the environment, the plants, the trees, the mountains, the elements, the rocks, and so forth. Through your spiritual soul and heart, you can become a partner with your power animal guides and Mother Earth and assist in healing the earth and, more importantly, in healing yourself.
Every person has at least nine power animal totem guides that surround his or her body and spirit: east, south, west, north, upper, lower, within, right side, and left side. They walk beside you to protect, guide, teach, and communicate wisdom to you through your soul and heart. They are like guardian angels, from either the domestic or wild animal kingdoms, and include birds, fish, reptiles, and insects.
• Your east power animal guide assists you with your spiritual growth and leads you on your path to illumination. • Your south power animal guide protects your pathway and assists you with physical healing. • Your west power animal guide assists you with searching deep within through meditation to find inner answers and truth. It assists you with balancing your emotions and being true to yourself. • Your north power animal guide teaches you wisdom and the importance of being silent, being balanced and sharp mentally, and knowing when to speak and when to listen. • Your upper power animal guide gives you access to the upper dimensions and realms of the upper world and assists with connecting you to your guides, angels, and Mother/Father Creator. • Your lower power animal guide connects you directly with Mother Earth and the other inner and lower world dimensions and realms. This totem keeps you grounded to Mother Earth. • Your within power animal guide is usually your guardian power animal guide from birth. It guides you to find your true spiritual pathway, to find joy and truth in your life. It assists you with developing your intuitive abilities. • Your right power animal guide is your male side and is your protector, your warrior spirit. He assists you with balancing your male energy. • Your left power animal guide is your female side and is your nurturer. She assists you with balancing your female energy.
Come with me now, and I will share with you wonderful and adventuresome power animal stories. Each story will have a lesson from the power animal that is portrayed in the story. Each story will assist you with finding your own power animal(s) and to find your own sacred pathway.
Interspersed between the animal stories will be teachings that I will share with you regarding how to connect with your own power animal(s), the elements, and Mother Earth. More importantly, I will assist you with connecting with your inner self, your soul, and finding your sacred spiritual pathway with your power animal(s). By finding your spiritual pathway with your power animal(s), you will begin the process of healing yourself and the earth. You may find yourself transformed as you work through the process.
I know that each of you has special animal stories to share as well. I hope that after reading this book, each of you will reflect on them and share your special animal stories with others.
The Animals as Our Partners
When I talk about animals being our partners, I include all animals, domestic and wild, as well as insects, reptiles, fish, whales, dolphins, and so forth. An example of a wonderful animal partner is the loyalty displayed by our domestic family dogs. They protect our family members, and no matter what we do to them, they unconditionally forgive us and are loyal to the family.
If you take the time to observe your domestic pets, they can teach you a lot about survival on earth, and moreover, they can teach you how to interact with each other, for again they emulate the qualities of unconditional loyalty, forgiveness, and love.
Animals out in the wild, if you observe them, are powerful examples of survival and clear communication, both silent and verbal, and through their actions, they teach us useful interpersonal skills.
I believe that all of the animals desire us to be good stewards and guardians of the earth and the environment. If we, as humans, are ready to communicate with them and show them we truly care about them and the earth, the result could be that the earth and all of humanity will be healed.
Messages from the Power Animals
I am eagle and I wish to say, "We, the animals, are here now for all of humanity and Mother Earth. We are ready to connect with each and every person on earth and become his or her power animal guide. We can lighten hearts and communicate with each person."
I am bear and I wish to say, "We are all related: the humans, the earth, the animals, the rocks and minerals, the elements, the trees and plants, and so forth. It is time for all of us to come together and communicate in order to be good guardians of the earth."
I am coyote and I ask that "everyone respect the animal kingdom and the plant nations, for they feed us when we are hungry. Bless them and express appreciation for all that we receive from them."
I am owl and I wish to say, "The earth is shifting, and with this shift will come a great ray of light and divine love that will lift the earth and all of creation on the earth to a level of peace, love, joy, wisdom, and truth."
Chapter Two
Coyote Medicine: The Beginning of My Spiritual Awakening
I swerved and was startled as a large and very light colored coyote just barely brushed the side of my car for the third consecutive morning as I left for work at 7:44 a.m. Why was the coyote acting as if my car hit it, yet it was not hurt, because it would then stop in the roadway and look back at me? It would then run across the pasture as if nothing had happened! The coyote was a large male, and his coat was almost white. He seemed to be full of wisdom, and a feeling of love and warmth came over me as I watched him.
After the third morning of this same experience, I realized that this was an unusual encounter with the coyote. I loved coyotes and would always look for them on my trips to the mountains. I had read a lot about coyotes, and other animals, and how they can come into your life to offer guidance and assistance as your power animal guide or guardian angel.
When I arrived at work on the third morning after my encounter with the coyote, I tripped on a book in the hallway. I worked in the business office for the school district, and it was unusual for a book to be in the hallway. When I picked up the book, I saw that it was about coyotes. The book contained not only information about the physical habits of the coyote, but information about the spiritual significance of the coyote as well. Because I thought I did not have time to read the book, I asked my office assistant to return the book to the library, which was housed in another building of the school district.
On the fourth morning, interestingly, I did not have an encounter with the coyote and my car; however, the coyote book was on my desk when I arrived at work. I had no idea how the book ended up on my desk. I asked my office assistant if he had in fact returned the book to the library. He confirmed that he had. No one else seemed to know how or why the book was on my desk, so I decided to read it. The book was very fascinating and informative about the spiritual significance of coyotes.
That evening, I had a dream and saw the coyote in my dream. The coyote led me to where I could see a person writing down notes at a desk. The person seemed to be angry and was writing in a scheming and deceptive manner about another person. I recognized the person as someone I worked with every day. The information that was being written down was negative and could potentially be harmful to the other employee. After waking up and reflecting on the information shown to me in the dream, I shared with my supervisor that I believed there was a communication problem between the two employees. The information received in the dream was invaluable in solving a very serious problem at work.
Needless to say, this catapulted me into searching and learning more about animals and how, as our power animal totem guides, they assist us and communicate to us valuable learning experiences and information. This was an amazing occurrence to have a dream and to be able to then go to my actual job and solve a problem because of the information given to me by my power animal guide, who was talking to me in my dreamtime through the spiritual realms. This experience with coyote was the beginning of my quest to find my spiritual pathway.
Characteristics/Messages
The coyote is often called the trickster, as he/she will trick you into seeing what is truth, rather than what you want to believe. The coyote is a clever shape-shifter and can change his/her form and messages in order to show you the truth. Coyote will show you what you need to pay attention to and what is going on in your life so that you can change your pathway. Coyote can warn you about others trying to deceive or trick you, and is a protector of your pathway in life. He/she is a strong ally to have and call upon for discerning the truth about situations and people. Coyotes are able to survive in big cities right alongside humans, even though many humans try to diminish the coyote population.
Meditation with Coyote
Call upon coyote to assist you when you want your pathway cleared of deception and when you want to see the truth.
Sit facing the direction of south outside in nature or indoors. Close your eyes and visualize a pathway in front of you facing south. Through your heart chakra, feel coyote, smell coyote, stroke coyote's hair. With a drum or rattle, or even using your hands on your knee, beat a rhythm that feels like the heartbeat of coyote. See or feel coyote coming toward you and merging with you at your heart chakra center. Look into coyote's eyes. State your prayers and intentions. Sit this way as long as you wish and communicate with coyote. Be ready to see truth. Always thank coyote when you are finished.
Chapter Three
A Message from White Elk
On my family's beautiful ranch in the mountains of Washington State, a magnificent white bull elk grazed on the ranch in the spring for several years. He was beautiful, and as I observed him, I could feel his spiritual essence, wisdom, and peacefulness. The elk was completely white, with only a few brown markings.
Because a white elk is rare, I worried that someone would shoot him for a trophy. I was troubled that this could happen, so I went on a shamanic journey to visit and connect spiritually with the white bull elk. The shamanic journey started with my drumming and feeling the heartbeat of the white elk.
As soon as I started drumming into the journey, the white elk appeared to me in my dream. He was even more magnificent in the journey, and he was in a pasture with lush grass and many colorful wildflowers of all types. He had a spiritual glow around his body. He came very close to me so that I could look into his eyes. He had tears in them and stated that he would be shot by a hunter sometime in the near future. He asked me to not grieve and to forgive the hunter. He said that he was on the earth so that people could enjoy him, even if for a short time, and to assist people in accepting animals (and people) who are different from them. He said that in the physical world, people would say he was just an albino elk, but that the spiritual people would recognize that the color white is sacred. He said that the people who are spiritually ready will connect with him and will also connect spiritually with all the elk on earth.
His message was that it is time for people of all cultures and colors to come together as a team to promote peace and healing for the entire earth and all creation on earth. He said that the elk, deer, cattle, and many other animals "go-give" to the humans by providing them with meat, fur, and other resources. The white elk stated that it is a wonderful display of appreciation to the animals when we bless our meat and food prior to eating our meals.
Characteristics/Messages
The elk represents magnificence and self-confidence! They are such wonderful communicators and family members. They promote being a close family member and openly communicating with each other. They can teach you how to be successful at teamwork. They also represent strength and endurance. They travel long distances and are able to pace themselves for endurance. They can assist you with staying on track for the long journeys in life.
Meditation with Elk
Call upon elk to assist you when you want to know how to communicate well in a difficult situation for a successful outcome and you wish to acquire endurance and strength in your life. Sit facing north and imagine that you are sitting by a huge fir or pine tree in a mountain forest. Close your eyes and visualize a pathway in front of you facing north. Through your heart chakra, feel the presence of one elk or a herd of elk. See or feel elk coming toward you. Observe the elk and merge with the energy of the elk. State your prayers and intentions. Ask any questions you wish or ask for a special message of wisdom from elk. Sit this way as long as you wish and communicate with elk. Be prepared to feel strength from this journey and a different way of looking at life. Always thank elk when you are finished.
Chapter Four
The Tanagers
In the spring of 2000, my sister and I were fixing range fences on our family's ranch in the Umptanum/Wenas area southwest of Ellensburg, Washington. My sister was excited about all of the songbirds in the area. She shared the names of all the types of birds that we encountered throughout the day. At one point, she suggested that I stop working in order to look more closely at the beautiful yellow and red tanagers. I said that I was more interested in the bigger birds, such as owls, hawks, and eagles; I did not go over and look at the tanagers. My sister was dismayed at my response and reiterated to me that all birds are important, not just the larger bird species.
Later that afternoon, we were taking a short break. I sat down by a mountain spring and closed my eyes for a short respite. In a few seconds, I heard a beautiful song from little songbirds close to my left ear. I slowly opened my eyes, and right by my head, sitting on the branch of the tree that I was resting against, were two gorgeous tanagers. They were so close to me that I could look into their eyes. They telepathically gave me a message. The message was that they were just as important as the bigger birds. I silently responded that I was sorry for ignoring them earlier and that I would listen to them and observe them in the future.
The tanagers sat by me on the tree branch and sang to me for about an hour. It was amazing! Even though I physically moved around, got a drink of water, and ate a snack, they stayed on the tree, talking to me. This was amazing, as they were only a few feet from my face.
A few nights after this encounter with the tanagers, I was visited by a spiritual guide at around one o'clock in the morning. I was sleeping and was awakened by a white flash that filled up my bedroom with intense and blinding bright light. The light was so vivid that I could not clearly see the spiritual guide. The guide appeared to be an angel. I was not afraid and felt that an important message was going to be shared with me. The spiritual guide told me that all birds and animals, especially the tiny ones, are very important to the balance of the earth. He said that all the birds and animals are very wise and that humans can learn much wisdom from them by observing their actions in nature. He stated that each animal has special strengths, attributes, and characteristics.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from ANIMAL TOTEM GUIDES: MESSAGES FOR THE WORLD by Franki Storlie Copyright © 2011 by Franki Storlie. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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