To the
initiated, these subjects can be less than clear, to
the novice, they are fraught with misconceptions and
myths. Many times, I hear a person describe a
veritable menagerie of animal guides and an army of
spirit guides, kind of like on Facebook! It is
not about numbers, it is about connections.
Ego driven pretenders and foul practitioners will
boast about their 'companions'. Most shaman
rarely even discusses their form unless required by
circumstance, and almost NEVER by name!
Power Animals - Let's start with the Power
Animal concept. In your journey, you may be in
a specific state of mind, questing into a specific
arena etc. which resonates strongly with a specific
animal/s spirit. For instance, during soul
retrievals, I often have the assistance of a dingo,
wedge tail eagle or fox when searching for a
client's soul piece. Whilst the concepts might
sound 'out there', what animal could you think of
better suited to finding that which is hidden (those
who know dingoes and foxes will be nodding by now,
they can get in anywhere and find anything!).
Power
animals may come for a single journey, or stay for a
while, but almost always cycle in and out of a
practitioner's life as required. They often
fulfil a natural function or task whilst aiding that
journey's intent-full purpose.
Power
animals almost always are found in the lower world
of energy.
Animal Guides are much longer term guests and
companions, rather than transitory assistants.
Animal guides are animal spirits with whom you
resonate well, and who resonate with you and your
intent and purpose. Animal guides require
acknowledgement through singing / dancing to remain
happy and helpful. I have an animal guide
which is a [thought to be extinct] creature of
Australia. Every now and then, I journey for
this spirit and walk through the bush, seeing with
the eyes, hearing with the ears of this animal
guide. Animal guides will teach through the
heart, contrasting a human's reason with the
animal's instinct.
In
almost every function during a journey, it is my
animal guides that accompany and protect my journey.
They help my comprehension and understanding of the
landscape to which I am exposed. In many cases
one animal guide may not get along with another and
only show up when the other is absent or in times of
clear need.
Animal
guides are found the lower and middle worlds
(typically) and have little bother in exploring the
upper world also.
Spirit Guides - I don't think I've heard of a
concept so thoroughly perverted by 'Nuevo-lore'.
Some folks seem to try to collect spirit guides like
Facebook friends, and they will be about as much use
too!
A
spirit guide is a companion spirit, one who is
experienced in the shamanic realms and is a teacher,
protector and companion. It is rare for one
practitioner to have many, and the name of the guide
is never revealed outside of the personal
relationship,.. ever! It is up to the guide to
reveal their name to another.
Journeys into the upper world will present many
spirits for consultation, not all of whom are
motivated by the shaman's best interests, or their
patients'. Once a spirit guide has selected a
shaman, and their intent and trustworthiness have
been affirmed, a marriage of sorts occurs. The
shaman must prove themselves worthy of such a
spirit, not being dominated by it, not being scared
of it, not being disrespectful of it. The
spirit guide then becomes familiar to that
practitioner, essentially joined, even if not always
present.
Spirit
Guides are often passed shaman (not only of earth)
and their techniques and information must be
accepted with discernment. Once a strong and
reliable spirit guide has been found, they will help
teach, discern and protect a shaman for as long as
the relationship remains bound by respect and free
of foul practice.
Foul spirit guides are also out there,.. and
they are seductive, often offering thoughts of
power, prestige, sex and money in exchange for
compromise of ideals. Practitioners working
beyond their calling are most vulnerable to these
foul entities and the price demanded in the exchange
always ends up deeply harming the foul practitioner
if not killing them. The motivations of these
tricksters and deceivers is always selfish, always
egotistical and always falsely presented.
One of
the worst examples of a failed dispossession I've
heard of involved a practitioner who made a bargain
with such an entity, thinking it was a shortcut to
being a powerful shaman. (He failed to realise that
there is no such thing, only a strong shaman who
understands that all power is illusory.)
The
story, as related to me, involved the practitioner
becoming sicker, weaker and more pain filled daily,
finally seeking the help of a shaman. The
dispossession was unsuccessful as the entity had a
bargain which the practitioner who was unwilling to
let go of his perceive personal benefit, holding
himself in the grip of that entity. The end
result, the fellow went mad and died about six
months after the failed ceremony which he, himself,
called an end to.
The
upshot of this all - it is a big wide world out
there with predators and prey, benevolent and
malignant intents, and many shades in between; and
it is the same in the non-physical too! Remain
on guard, cautious and circumspect until you know
the entity well enough to make a judgement call
(just like in the physical again!).
Once
you have found (or been found by) a reliable guide,
they will help you discern the motives of others.
It is advised that if you're doing unsupervised
journeys and have found a potential ally in the form
of a guide, have them 'checked out' by a trusted
shaman before accepting them outright. If they
are of true motivation, they will understand
totally, if not, they will object, cajole, threaten
and avoid another strong guide - a sure sign of a
foul entity.
