Bi-Weekly Tarot Reading: 8-10-14 through 8-23-14
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Blog #23: What Is Your Spirit Animal?
LEGACY OF THE DIVINE TAROT
STRENGTH: During this bi-weekly you are feeling strong and self-confident. You are trusting your intuition more, which allows you to take risks and to feel comfortable with the outcome. Your inner strength is prominent as you look for the truth, trust your inner guidance, and give moral support to those around you.
4 OF COINS: It is time to be frugal with your finances and other material belongings. Do not buy unnecessary things that will only result in clutter, and pay attention to what you are spending and for what. Just being aware of your financial situation will go a long way towards helping you feel more secure and stable.
THE SUN: This period will be blessed with periods of joy, happiness, success, and abundance. Be grateful for all the good that you encounter and the rewards you receive so that the energy you send outward will come back to you multiplied.
BI-WEEKLY THEME: A time to rely on yourself and your inner knowing, which will boost your self-confidence. Feeling more sure of yourself will allow you to take risks you ordinarily would shun, so take a chance and grow. The unknown may be scary, but the results could be extraordinary. Watch your finances, and spend only for true necessities. Delay buying luxuries or things you can do without for the moment. As you enjoy a period of success and happiness, remember that gratitude goes a long way towards keeping the blessings flowing.
Blog #23: What Is Your Spirit
Animal?
Have you ever heard of a spirit animal or animal totem? This
concept has been around for a long time; the totem idea was prominent in the
cultures of Native Americans and other indigenous peoples throughout the world.
According to Steven Farmer, who has written extensively on
this topic, there is only a slight difference between a spirit animal or animal
totem:
“Those spirits that are in animal
form that teach us, guide us, empower us, and help us heal are call animal
spirit guides or spirit animals. In
shamanic and indigenous cultures, they’re usually called totem animals or power
animals. Often these terms are used interchangeably, although there are subtle
differences in meaning.” (Farmer, 2013)
Another author says that Webster’s dictionary defines a
totem as “A natural object, usually an animal, that serves as a distinctive,
often venerated emblem or symbol. A
means of personal or spiritual identity.” (http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-totems.html)
By noticing the animals and insects that are around us or
those we see pictured in various ways, we can get profound insights into what
they may be trying to tell us about our lives.
For example, animals can:
Ø
Represent aspects of ourselves that needs to be
more developed or explored.
Ø
Symbolize a situation or emotions that have
recently surfaced.
Ø
Provide guidance and intuitive insights.
Ø
Help us see a life direction we might want to
pursue.
When thinking of and trying to identify our spirit animals,
it is important to rely on our imagination and intuition more than on our
left-brain logical, rational mind. (http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-totems.html)
There is a lot we can learn from observing and learning
about animals. They trust that they will
find proper sustenance, they live simply and naturally, and have no egos like
we do. That is one reason why they can
help us learn about our own spiritual side.
It is possible that animal guides may come and go during our
lives, depending on our life journey and the lessons we need to learn along the
way.
How do I find out
what my spirit animal is?
Here is an excellent list of questions to ask yourself if
you want to identify what your animal guide or totem is: (courtesy of http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-totems.html):
- “Have you ever felt drawn to
one animal or another without being able to explain why? This could be
animal, including birds and insects.
- Does a certain kind of
animal consistently appear in your life? This doesn’t necessarily have to
be a physical appearance, it could be represented in other ways such as
receiving card and letters with the same animal pictured over and over,
unexplainable dreams of a particular animal, watching television and
seeing the same animal featured time and time again, or, actually having
the animal show up.
- When you go to the
zoo, a park, wildlife area, or forest, what are you most interested in
seeing?
- Are there any animals
that you find to be extremely frightening or intriguing?
- Is there a particular
animal that you see frequently when you’re out in nature?
- Have you ever been
bitten or attacked by an animal?
- Have you ever had a
recurring dream about a certain animal, or a dream from childhood that you
have never been able to forget?
- Are you drawn to
figurines or paintings of a specific animal?”
There are many books and articles about what is the meaning
or symbolism for a variety of animals. An easy-to-read reference book is Steven
Farmer’s book, as given in the source list below. As you will see, the symbols are mostly
related to specific characteristics that the animals have. For example:
Ø
A dove could represent love or spiritual renewal
Ø
An eagle’s message could be that it is time to
get a broader perspective and vision related to your life
Ø
A raccoon could be saying that you have all the
resources you need despite your doubts
Ø
Even the little ant reminds us that it is time
to be industrious and complete that project that we started.
So if you are wondering what your spirit or totem animal is,
start today to keep your eyes open and begin noticing the animals and insects
around you. You may be delightfully
surprised at the messages you start receiving!
Sources
Farmer, Dr. Steven (2013). Pocket Guide to Spirit Animals:
Understanding Messages from Your Animal Spirit Guides. New York, NY:
Hay House, Inc.
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-totems.html
http://www.animal-symbols.com
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