Pagan Portals - Animal Magic: Working With Spirit Animal Guides
112
Pagan Portals - Animal Magic: Working With Spirit Animal Guides
112Paperback
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781785354946 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Collective Ink |
| Publication date: | 03/31/2017 |
| Pages: | 112 |
| Sales rank: | 280,117 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.40(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Animal Magic
Working with Spirit Animal Guides
By Rachel Patterson
John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
Copyright © 2016 Rachel PattersonAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-78535-494-6
CHAPTER 1
Who am I?
I am a witch ... have been for a very long time, not the green skinned warty kind obviously ... the real sort, but I am also a working wife and mother who has also been lucky enough to write and have published a book or ten. I love to learn, I love to study and have done so from books, online resources, schools and wonderful mentors over the years and still continue to learn each and every day, but have learnt the most from actually getting outside and doing it.
I am High Priestess of the Kitchen Witch Coven and an Elder at the online Kitchen Witch School of Natural Witchcraft.
My craft is a combination of old religion witchcraft, kitchen witchery, hedge witchery and folk magic. My heart is that of a Kitchen Witch. I am blessed with a wonderful husband, lovely children, a fabulous family and good friends.
I like to laugh ... and eat cake ...
Bibliography
Pagan Portals – Kitchen Witchcraft
Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch
Pagan Portals – Hoodoo Folk Magic
Pagan Portals – Moon Magic
A Kitchen Witch's World of Magical Plants & Herbs
A Kitchen Witch's World of Magical Foods
Pagan Portals – Meditation
The Art of Ritual
Arc of the Goddess (co-written with Tracey Roberts)
Pagan Portals – The Cailleach
Websites
My website: www.rachelpatterson.co.uk Facebook:
www.facebook.com/rachelpattersonbooks
My personal blog: www.tansyfiredragon.blogspot.co.uk
Email: tansyfiredragon@yahoo.com
www.kitchenwitchhearth.net
www.kitchenwitchuk.blogspot.co.uk
www.facebook.com/kitchenwitchuk
www.thekitchenwitchcauldron.blogspot.co.uk
CHAPTER 2My Animal Magic Journey
I love animals of all shapes and sizes and grew up in a house that always had a dog and various other pets along the way from rabbits and guinea pigs to budgerigars. Then at the age of 17 I left home to live on a farm, not just any farm, but a pig farm full of Hampshire saddleback pigs (the black ones with a pink stripe around the middle). I absolutely loved my time on the farm and felt a real connection to the pigs, which should have been a sign really because fast forward some years later and while working through a masculine energy meditation I met my lifelong animal guide – he is a wild boar and he has been with me ever since. Over the years I have picked up a few more lifelong guides in the form of a magpie, a seagull and a pigeon (bit of a bird theme). Also, while birthing my own wild stag skin shamanic drum, my drumming animal guide came to me in the form of a frog, so I have a bit of an animal farm going on, but each one is there for a reason and each one brings different strengths and wisdom to me.
Wild boar provides me with warrior spirit and courage and is also the animal that kicks my butt if I need it whereas seagull will appear when I am dealing with emotional issues and magpie comes in when magic is afoot. Pigeon, on the other hand, brings in a reminder that we need a bit of peace and quiet at times.
There are other animals of course, the ones that pop in and out from time to time and those that appear for a short while with particular messages or energies that are needed, but each one appears for a reason and it is only by paying attention that you learn from them; once you do that you will always have a connection to the animal world and it will be very rewarding.
My outlook on working with animal magic or any area of the Craft, actually even with life itself really, is to do what works for you. Trust your intuition and go with your instinct, if it feels right go with it but if it feels hinky then don't do it. And just because someone else does it one way or tells you how to do something – it doesn't necessarily make it right for you. We all walk very individual and personal pathways and what works for one doesn't always work for another. Trust your intuition because it will never let you down.
CHAPTER 3What's With all the Different Names?
There are many different names for animal guides and it depends on what tradition or pathway you follow and a lot of them seem to be interchangeable.
Totem appears to be one of the more commonly used terms although it is often associated with Native American and Aboriginal tribes, then there is animal spirit guide, messenger, companion, kindred animal, counsellor, fetch, medicine, ally and power animal to name but a few.
Interestingly enough when I looked up the word 'totem' in a dictionary to find the original meaning, I read: 'A totem is a spirit being, sacred object or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people such as a family, clan, lineage or tribe.' So actually it seems that in modern paganism we have completely misappropriated the term to mean 'power animal' or 'guide'.
Spirit guide seems to be the term used mostly in shamanic practices and that makes sense to me because the animal guides are met while journeying in the spirit realm/Otherworld. But a lot of cultures believe that animals have a spirit and the term has been used all over the world.
Messengers and counsellors are general terms applied to those animals that pop in and literally give messages or deliver counsel.
Fetch is an Irish folklore term that means a spirit guide that can be in the form of a person or an animal. There are varying beliefs about the fetch. Some say that it is the true spirit of a person and appears in three forms; the fetch beast, which equates to our ideas of a totem animal; the fetch wyf, a contra-sexual spirit of the person whom it guides; and the fetch god, which is the divine face of our own fetch. The fetch in this case would be your true or lifelong familiar/totem.
Fetch can also mean a spirit doppelganger that takes on the appearance of someone who has just died or is about to die. It isn't actually the ghost of a person, but an imitation of someone who is still alive, although folklore states that seeing a fetch is a sign that the person it portrays is about to die.
Similarly the word fylgja is from the Norse tradition and means the same as a fetch – a spirit (person or animal) who accompanies a person in connection to their fate or fortune. A Norse vitki (sorcerer) would not only draw power from his fylgja, but could also project his conscious will into it in order for it to carry out magical workings. The fylgja brought huge responsibilities and power, but could also throw hardships and challenges into the mix too. The fylgja would mould itself to the personality of the person it was attached to and the wellbeing of the human would depend on the wellbeing of the animal fylgja. Many Norse believed that the fylgja was in fact part of the hugr, or soul, and that it was capable of leaving the body and projecting itself elsewhere.
Animal medicine is another Native American term that describes the power and spirit the animal carries within. Just as you would work with plant medicine for magical purposes, animal medicine is the same; it is the essence and characteristics of the animal that can be tapped into.
Power animal is another shamanic term that refers to the idea that the spirit of animals can physically and psychologically empower us, hence the term 'power'.
Totemism
Totemism is a system of belief in which people have a mystical relationship with a spirit being such as an animal (or a plant). The spirit interacts with the group or individual and serves as their symbol. The term 'totem' derives from the Ojibwa word 'ototeman', which translates as 'one's brother-sister kin'. The Ojibwa clans traditionally emulated their animal spirits by wearing animal skins and often named their clans after animals that lived in their immediate area. Apparently the Great Spirit gifted the toodaims (totems) to the Ojibwa clan as a reminder that clan members are all related to one another.
Group totems are often based on myth or ritual and a particular animal would often become the group totem because of an event or particular moment in the past of the tribe.
Individual totemism is the relationship between a person and a particular animal they believe can grant them special power. This type of totemism is often connected with group leaders, chiefs, medicine men or shamans.
Animism
Animism is 'the attribution of a living soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena'. The word animism is derived from the Latin word 'anima', which means 'breath' or 'soul'. It is the belief that a soul or spirit exists in every object whether it is an animal, plant or rock.
So What Term Do I Use?
When I first started working with animals and their magic I used the name totem purely because it was the most common term, but I have to admit it never really sat quite right with me. I am a witch, one that works with the old ways, so actually fetch seems to suit me much more but ... this is your journey not mine so I would say go with whatever term you find more comfortable and in fact your animal may even be able to guide you with the right name for you to use. Trust your intuition, trust your animal advice. For the purpose of this book and to use a 'general' term I will work with the phrase 'animal spirit guide'.
CHAPTER 4
What is Animal Magic?
Animal magic is the art of recognising and working with familiars and animal spirit guides. Animal magic shows you how to work with animals for your spiritual growth and increased magical power. Not only will an animal spirit guide give you support, wisdom and guidance, you can also draw on the power of animals to use in spell working. Mother Nature has so much to share with us through her many guises whether it is through plants, trees and herbs, the weather or via her animal kingdom – all we have to do is watch and listen. Each animal will have its own very unique characteristics, personalities and traits, but it will also have particular habitats, how it feeds, what it eats and how it raises its young, all of these things are important and can tell us something. By looking into an animal in all aspects and understanding how it fits into the scale of things – and by that I mean into the world and the eco system as a whole – we can begin to understand more about the magic that an animal spirit guide can provide us with. They can also be a reflection of our own selves or the events that are happening within our lives.
Our ancestors were far more connected with nature than we seem to be today and they understood the importance of working together with the plant and animal kingdoms; they worked in harmony with the cycles of the seasons and the ebb and flow of nature's rhythms. Priests, shamans and medicine men would wear the skins of animals and animal masks to invoke their energy and bring the power and magic of nature into being. Not that I am suggesting you throw on your leopard skin rug when you pop out to the shops, but by just being more aware of the animals and birds around you can bring about such an incredible connection.
Working with animal magic can help you find your life-long spirit guide and all that they have to offer in the form of wisdom, insight, guidance and support. Your guide can also help you understand your own true nature. Often the spirit guide that finds you is a reflection of your inner soul. Animal magic can also help you deal with the big ole outside world if you fancy a bit of shape-shifting to take on the traits of a particular animal. And it can help add extra energy and power to your spell working.
Never dismiss an animal guide if it comes to you. Not everyone will have tigers, lions or wolves, some will work very happily with an ant or a sparrow – each one has energies and messages that are right for you. Hey ... I have a pigeon for goodness sake! Don't forget that the animal chooses the person ... not the other way round.
Familiars
Let us start with animals that are not generally from the spirit world, but usually real flesh and blood ...
Familiars are not simply the stereotypical witch's cat, although they can be cats ... and they can be black. Familiars make excellent companions; they can warn you of danger, provide healing energy (physically and emotionally), and love you unconditionally. If you work magic, familiars can aid in augmenting your results with their magical and mystical powers. A familiar is a magical working companion, a creature that lends its energies to your for protection, meditational guidance, inspiration and spell casting and can provide you with a better understanding and communication with a particular species.
You can use familiars in meditations and magic; uncover superstitions about them, and draw associations with ancient deities. Learn to identify familiars with the descriptions of physical characteristics and magical attributes. Use chants to invoke an animal's greatest natural attribute. You can discover a new source of strength, wisdom and friendship in your familiar. Your familiar is your faithful friend who supports you in your magical workings. It may be a cat, dog, snake, bird or in fact anything that helps you.
Determining who or what is going to be your familiar can be one of the most difficult tasks we can face as the fur/fin/scale/feathered ones aren't always forthcoming or eager to help. Cats in particular do have a tendency to knock everything off an altar as soon as you have set it up ... Remember that every animal has free will and not every animal is destined or may want to be your familiar. Just like any living being, you must ask permission and honour the answer. It is never good to rush into the decision and your familiar may end up being something you never expected. A familiar is often your pet, but can be any animal that hangs around when you are doing your magical workings.
It is best to just be patient and to just wait and watch carefully. When you are doing your workings, if your pet or a certain animal seems to have a habit of hanging around at the same place at the same time almost every time, you most probably have a little familiar.
Also remember that it is OK not to have a familiar too. I have been a witch for many, many years and although I have a whole menagerie of spirit animal guides, I don't have a familiar.
Mundane and Magical Communication
Animals communicate by body language and by voice tones. Humans have a hard time understanding what animals mean when they don't understand what the inflection of a raised tail or an ear twitch is. Mundane communication does not mean understanding words, but rather the inflections of the sounds. For example, if you come home and have had a bad day and your dog has had an accident on the floor, you may think he's acting guilty, but animals apparently do not feel guilt although to be fair some of them do look really guilty! Your dog is reacting to your body language and voice. It scares him so he tries to make you feel better – his actions and mannerisms have nothing to do with the accident. However, I am not an animal behaviour expert so maybe they do understand to a certain extent but ... remember that they aren't necessarily on the same wavelength as us.
Learning the body languages of the different species will tell you volumes. You have to separate your human side and not think like a human. Dogs are not humans, nor are cats or fish (although some of them act like it). Each creature has its own mundane language.
Magical communication will go beyond the boundaries of the mundane and can even seem like a psychic connection. For example, if you think of your pet by name and your pet comes trotting up to you, they can feel your loving energy and want to be near you. Your pet will be naturally drawn to your particular energy especially if it is positive and loving.
I have given some information about the two main animals that are usually found as familiars; the cat and the dog. Many other animals make great familiars as well such as snakes, spiders, rabbits and birds.
These are general ideas and descriptions. Remember that all animals have free will and each individual animal will have different actions they perform in order to communicate with us.
Cat
In general, purring is a sign of happiness and contentment, but it can also be an indication of pain or fear, so listen carefully to the tone of the purr and keep your eyes open for any signs of illness or injury. As we stroke our cats we are unconsciously imitating the action of a mother cat licking her kittens. As a result, the cat will often respond with kitten behaviour, such as kneading with his front paws (ouchy) as he used to knead his mother's tummy to stimulate the milk flow.
A nose-to-nose greeting from your cat is a sign that he trusts you completely. It is also a way for him to detect where you have been since he was last in contact with you (they can tell, there is no hiding it). Another sign of trust is turning on his back and allowing you to tickle his tummy.
The movement of a cat's tail is a good way of detecting his mood. Gentle swaying or flicking the end of the tail indicates a happy, sociable cat. However, if the whole of the tail flicks rapidly from side to side, your cat is not happy and may wish to be left alone. Holding the tail up stiffly in the air and fluffing it out is a sign of aggression and sometimes fear, while a tail tucked out of sight as the cat crouches to the floor and flattens his ears is an unquestionable sign of fear.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Animal Magic by Rachel Patterson. Copyright © 2016 Rachel Patterson. Excerpted by permission of John Hunt Publishing Ltd..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Who am I? 1
My Animal Magic Journey 3
What's With all the Different Names? 5
What is Animal Magic? 8
Meditations and Spells to Find Familiars and Animal Spirit Guides 18
What Does it Mean? 30
Shape-Shifting 39
Shadow Animals 48
Animal Spell Working 50
Animal Divination, Omens and Superstitions 52
Animal Parts in Magic 58
Animal Magic in Ritual 61
Animal Deities 65
Animal Magic from Air, Water and Earth 67
Animal Meanings 71
Animal Endings 99