Power Animal Attributes

Whether you realize it or not, you have always had helping spirits. Helping spirits are like family and friends, and each has a unique personality. Basically, a spirit helper is a coherent energy pattern that may take form as an animal, plant, ancestor, deity or element. All helping spirits are extensions of the “one spirit” that pervades all existence, whom we could call God, the Tao, or Great Mystery. Spirits are a natural manifestation of human consciousness. The majority of helping spirits take animal forms called power animals. Power animals are also called guardian spirits, spirit allies, totem animals, and tutelary animals. A power animal is the archetypal oversoul that represents the entire species of that animal. Below you will find a brief dictionary of power animal symbolism. Power animal traits reflect human characteristics. By learning the nature of an animal, you can also look at what part of your nature is most like that of the animal.  

Liner notes from the album Power Animal Drumming

Turtle is nurturing, grounding, receptive, protective, patient, enduring, adaptable, and the personification of goddess energy and the Earth Mother herself. The turtle rattle heard on "Turtle Shaker" is an ancient cross-cultural symbol of the world on the turtle's back, Turtle Island. According to the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy), "Mother Earth stops to listen when the turtle rattle is shaken." The heartbeat rhythm and ocean waves are both archetypes of the sacred mother. The conch shell heard at the beginning signals the start of a ceremony and draws the attention of the Creator.

Mourning Dove is maternal, gentle, serene, and embodies peace, love, and harmony. It is linked with dawn and dusk when the veil between the seen and unseen worlds is at its thinnest. Dove can help us connect with the spirit world at these times. The mourning dove's song speaks to our heart and stirs our emotions. Its mournful coo soothes our soul and calms our troubled thoughts, allowing us to find renewal in the silence of mind.

Eagle medicine is the ability to soar above the hurdles of life's dilemmas, keeping one's attention focused on more distant horizons of self-realization. Eagle reminds us to pay attention to what really matters in life. The eagle and the drum carry our prayers to the Creator.

Crow is sociable, curious, adaptable, resourceful, skillful, playful, and a mythological trickster or heyoka. The heyoka or sacred clown uses satire, folly and misadventure to awaken society to innovative and better ways of doing things. Crow's lesson is to stop acting out of habit.

Osprey is a messenger, guide, fearless protector of its young, and guardian of both the Air (Consciousness) and the Water (the Unconscious) it dives into for fish. Like the shaman, osprey moves between the seen and unseen realms joining both worlds together. Osprey is a master shapeshifter who merges light and darkness, seeing both inner and outer reality. When we align our energies with Osprey, we are able to access our inner truth or sense of what is correct. Inner truth reflects, like a mirror, the higher, universal truth that exists in every situation. We should allow this higher truth to guide our actions and transform our life.

Flicker is a master drummer that can link you to the rhythms of life. Its drumming is a reminder to align ourselves with the natural rhythms of the universe. Rhythm and resonance order the natural world. Dissonance and disharmony arise only when we limit our capacity to resonate totally and completely with the rhythms of life.

Badger medicine includes courage, cunning, endurance, grounding, perseverance, root and herbal remedies, and the magic of storytelling. From her den below the ground, Badger connects us to the Earth mother, her stories, and the healing properties of medicinal roots. Badger helps us see below the surface of things and boldly express ourselves with the clarity of inner knowing. Flutes, like the one heard on "Badger Medicine," are instruments connecting the seen and unseen worlds.

Grouse is a vibrant symbol of sacred dancing and drumming. Rhythmic movement generates life. Grouse signals a time of new rhythms and movement by drumming the air with rapidly beating wings, releasing the energy to the four directions. Working with new rhythms and movements will open the flow of chi or life force into your life.

Salmon is a symbol of wisdom, sustenance, regeneration, continuity, fluidity, insight, and resolve. Salmon teaches us how to overcome obstacles and flow with the shifting waters of change. The didgeridoo, like the one heard on "Salmon Run," is one of the world's oldest musical instruments, originating in Australia tens of thousands of years ago. According to Aboriginal mythology, the Great Spirit Byame created man and woman and gave them the didgeridoo to sound the animals into form.

Elk medicine includes stamina, strength, cadence, confidence, empowerment, sensual passion, and the inspirational power and influence of sound energy. As the days shorten and the temperature drops in autumn, bull elk, like the crickets heard on "Elk Autumn," use sound to attract mates. Sound is regarded as one of the most powerful ways of establishing connections. It moves through space, penetrates visual and physical barriers, and imparts information from the web of the collective mind. Sound provides a means of "relationship" as well as a "transformation" of energy. Elk power helps us use sound to inspire others, stirring them into action. We gain the confidence to fully express our ideas and intentions in an inspirational manner. Elk teaches us how to reclaim our power and how to pace ourselves to reach our goals.

Polar Bear medicine includes introspection, healing, purity, strength, solitude, spirit flight, dreams, death and rebirth, transformation, mystics and visionaries. Inuit peoples regard polar bears as shamans and holy beings. View the Music Video Polar Bear Prayer.

Polar Bear Prayer

Polar Bear

We call upon you

From the core of our being flow

Words, songs, and rhythms

Brother Bear

We speak words of love

We sing you into existence

We drum your heartbeat

Spirit Bear

Listen to our Prayers

Bless us with your Healing Power

Teach us Higher Truth

Polar Bear

May you always dance

Between being and nonbeing

Forever Reborn

Jaguar is the gatekeeper to the unknowable. Jaguar medicine includes comprehending the patterns of chaos, walking without fear in the darkness, moving in unknown places, shapeshifting, psychic vision, soul work, and reclaiming power.

Frog sings the songs that call the rain to Mother Earth. Its medicine includes cleansing, transformation, rebirth, and understanding emotions. It teaches us to know when it is time to purify, refresh and replenish the soul. The Frog Rain Chant speaks of new life and harmony.

Red Deer is a magical creature that represents spirit flight, shapeshifting, and the qualities of swiftness, grace, and keen scent. The Red Deer's call is a deep bellowing roar-like-sound similar to a lion's roar. Mongolian shamans revere Red Deer as their distant ancestors and spirit helpers. Among Iroquois medicine societies, deer hoof rattles, like the one heard on "Red Deer Shaman," are associated with thunderbird imagery and attract the attention of the Thunder Beings who control the weather and sustain all life on Mother Earth.

Owl medicine includes prophecy, wisdom, stealth, silence, intuition, clairvoyance, clairaudience, shapeshifting, and keen vision that pierces all illusion. Night Eagle, as Owl is called, is the bird of magic and darkness, of prophecy and wisdom. Great Horned Owls, like the one heard on "Owl Vision," have a large repertoire of haunting calls. Some calls are ventriloquial. The males "hoo-wah-hooo-hoo-hoo" can be heard over several miles on a still night. Owl is a messenger of omens who will call out to let all share in its vision.

Elephant medicine includes dignity, grace, strength, wisdom, confidence, patience, commitment, gentleness, discernment, intelligence, compassion, and removal of obstacles. The elephant's head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents OM, the primal sound from which the universe constantly emanates. Tribal peoples invoke elephant for health, good luck, longevity, memory, and unity with the oneness of everything. By connecting to elephant in Dreamtime, one's sense of being a separate individual gives way to an experience of union with the totality of a dynamic, interrelated universe. The benefits of attaining planetary collective consciousness include relaxation, healing, more energy, better memory, greater mental clarity, enhanced creativity, and communion with the resonant web of information that is the universe.

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