Animal Totems

[Guest guest]

Some Native Americans told me we each have an Animal spirit guide.

 

I know Hindus also speak of certain animals as associated with their deities. Like Shiva and his bull, Ganesha and his mouse, Vishnu and his flying bird.

 

do we each have an animal totem?

[Guest guest]

The cow and the cobra are 2 animal guides of Hindus, no?

[Gaea]

 

The cow and the cobra are 2 animal guides of Hindus, no?

 

not in the same way.

[Guest guest]

do I have to have a shamanic experience to find out my animal spirit guide?

[Guest guest]

In shastra, we see that practicality is often the reason spiritual beings take various forms. The supreme spiritual being, Lord Visnu, even incarnates in various forms seeming to be animal, and there is reason for this.

 

The world was inundated, So the Lord takes the form of the fish to transfer Manu. A pivot was required for a massive creation performed by the suras and the asuras, thus lord Tortoise took shape. The world was plunged into an abysmal mire, so the Lord comes as a boar to retrieve. A great demon had so much power than no animal not man could kill him, and no weapon could, either, so the Lord Assumes a form of man and lion to use claws to defeat this great demon.

 

The carriers of Visnu as well as carriers of the great demigods, and demogods themselves that have various animal depictions have reasons as well. These personalities have duties that specifically fit the form they assume. We see Lord Ganesha, great personality vaisnava devotees like Jatayu, Garuda, the swan carrier of Lord Brahma, Nandi, the buffalo of Lord Yamaraja. All of these personalities are fully liberated beings, and should never be mistaken for animals. We should never consider Sri Hanumanji as a monkey, for he is the pure nitya-siddha son of the wind, brother of the Pandava Bhimasena.

 

In indigenous peoples lore, which is governed in large part by mystic shamanism (which, IMHO, is much more authoritive than the perversions of the mundane religions of so-called civilized man), the phenomena of shape shifting is quite prevalent. This mystic power is also utilitarian. The thunderbird, crow, eagle, whale, wolf and other various forms taken by the mystic shamans to teach their wards specific things are also not considered mere animals, but rather spiritual expansions (Note: even Srila Prabhupada explains that certtain mystic siddhis allow for expansion up to eight times at once..

 

Animals are not our guides. Their various opulences, such as beauty, strength, etc, are, however, worshippable. Bhagavad gita lists these forms, Krsna explaining to Arjuna that these forms can represent Krsna ("Of Aquatics, I am the shark, O Arjuna.") Such worship and honor bestowed unto these forms is a type of devotional service, known as Visnu Smaranam, rememberance of the Supreme Person. The ultimate demonstration of this Visnu samaranam is witnessed by Sri Uddhava, seeing the gopis enamored by the bumble bees, totally absorbed in madurya rasa by merely seeing these forms. The Vaisnava acepts the bumble bees of Gokula Dhama as non-different from Lord Govinda.

 

I would love to hear from authentic scholar of shamanism concerning this subject, but my own studies and associations with authentic shamans confirm the above as the case. Not just a bird, but a thunderbird. Not just a buffalo, but a white one. And not just any eyes, rather annointed eyes, can see the being behind the form.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[Guest guest]

I've heard about a group of shapeshifting odiyyas that appear in India's tribal villages at certain times. It is said they will appear on our earth-plane as crows and cobras, or other animals. These odiyyas are able to walk between the Astral world and Physical world at will, and appear in any form they choose. They can show themselves in human form too if they choose. But they will often appear as mystical animal sightings, that come and go before our sight at auspicious moments.

[Guest guest]

TOTEM ANIMALS IN THE BHAGAVAD GITA

In the Bhagavad Gita there are many nice passages about what animal forms you can meditate on to experience the Divine. The Chapter is called "The Opulence of the Absolute"; it's Chapter Ten.

 

BG 10. 16

"Please tell me in detail of Your divine opulences by which You pervade all these worlds."

 

BG 10.17

"How shall I constantly think of You...? In what various forms are You to be remembered?"

 

Then some animals are mentioned such as the lion and the shark. The examples given are those that inspire awe or aishwarya mood, which is the beginning step on the path of devotion. The animals mentioned appear to be

universally recognised by native traditions and indigenous peoples as aspects of the Divine also.

 

For example in Hawaii there is the concept of aumakua or protector guardian spirit. "Akua" means God, god, or Holy Spirit, depending on the prefix and the context in which the word is used. It's kind of amazing that the word AUM is used before "akua", as AUM is another form of the DIvine mentioned in this chapter. Then again, scholars have pointed to India as one possible ethnic source of the Polynesian peoples.

 

This chapter is just to get you started. As you progress in your sadhana then

you begin to pick up on the more subtle presence of God everywhere and in everything. Not only in the greatest but in the smallest and most delicate and

in everything in between, seen and unseen. Then you have the vision of the

mystics.

 

 

TOTEM ANIMALS IN HATHA YOGA

In Yoga Journal there was a fantastic article about the different totem animals used over time by indigenous peoples. If you assume the pose of the animals that are recorded in statuary then you can feel the embrace of the Divine. For example if you assume the Bear Pose [a type of asana] then you can feel the embrace of The Great Bear.

 

Yoga Journal April 1997, page 92-99 "Sing the Body Ecstatic!" by Kristin Barendsen shows the Bear Spirit posture and the Feathered Serpent posture among others, based on research of anthropologist Felicitas Goodman PhD. "...When these postures are held statically, and a trance state is induced with a drum or a rattle, spirit realms specific to the postures can be accessed."

 

 

 

TOTEM ANIMALS IN EXPRESSIVE ARTS THERAPY

In expressive arts therapy there is a method to discover who your totem animals are. They can change over the course of a lifetime. They are there to help you integrate your self, to help you move up the chakras to more and more refined states of consciousness.

 

To do this exercise first you just think about what two animals attract you the most. Then you draw a picture of them. Next you write a story about them. Finally you do a play about the story you wrote, i.e. you act out what you wrote with a friend or a classmate in expressive arts therapy class.

 

Then you learn what qualities or strengths and challenges you have. Whatever strengths and challenges you have are the same ones your animal has. As we have a mammalian brain and a reptilian brain this alludes to those brain centers and how we operate in the world. All humans are somewhat similar except for how the chakras are activated and are vibrating.

 

So each animal is vibrating and responding and operating according to different sensitivities. Each animal has a different developmental task according to evolution and soul development. So we learn to not just ourselves and have unconditional love for ourselves, the way in which we

love and admire whatever animals we are most found of.

 

Some animals are currently used as therapy animals for their qualities of unconditional love, so totem animals in the context of expressive arts therapy is a way to see the love and beauty in another and then be that loving with ourselves. It speaks to the concept of archetypes.

 

 

 

TOTEM ANIMALS AS VAHANA

Lord Ganesha has a vahana or a mount, an animal that He rides. His vahana is a mouse. The mouse can crawl into even the smallest spaces. That is one reason why Ganesha is so great: He can access the hidden secret places of our minds and our subconscious that even we are not consciously aware of.

 

That is why Hindus pray to Ganesha before starting anything, because He can access all of your akashic records and note what will be the very best thing for you. He can also go into the innermost workings of your mind via his vahana the mouse and note what obstacles and obscurations you have in your thinking.

 

Then He will work with you to harmonize the two: to use his Goad to propel you forward, but only if you ask for His intercession and help. Since there is free will the Gods do not intervene unless we ask for Their assistance. To learn more about the vahana of Ganesha I recommend reading the book "Loving Ganesha".

 

Lord Kartikkeya has a vahana also the peacock. Kartikkeya rules another aspect of our development and mind, so his vahana has to do more with the

nature of the chakra that he governs, the manipura chakra. He strengthens our will to lift our consciousness up through sadhana and yoga. To learn more about Ganesha and Kartikkeya and their vahana animals I recommend the book "Dancing with Shiva."

 

 

CONCLUSION

We are all surrounded by so many aspects of the Divine even in this world and there do exist loving Beings and helpers, some in the form of animals in the outer world of Bhuloka as well as transcendentally situated on the inner planes, to guide us closer and closer to all of our Divine Guardians. Aum Tat Sat.

[Guest guest]

From my readings in Shaivite, Tibetan, and Japanese cultural indigenous practices there appears to be a consensus that crows are thought to be variously: human ancestors watching our every move, completely psychic with humans, able to understand human language.

 

I had a wonderful experience with crows in Japan. They appear to understand Sanskrit and love to sing along to hymns glorifying the Supreme. Especially notable was one time I was in public park in Japan and singing devotional songs like Radha-krpa-kataksha-stava and when I came to the part about how Radhika is like a swan her movements then any reference at all to birds the crows got really really super excited and it was fun scary how the crows got so agitated they started singing along realy really super loudly to that part of the song.

 

And in subsequent visits to that park whenever I would go there you could even hear the crows calling to each other, "Here s/he comes again. The singer is here." The way they call out to each other is very similar to human

cadence.

 

In the autobiography of Tenzing Norgay's son [TN = the first sherpa to ascend Mount Everest or Chomolungma] he describes the significance of the appearance of crows as a forewarning to danger in climbing Everest. Even though the lamas would do pujas still the sherpas looked for signs to see if

Miyolangsangma, the Goddess of Everest was displeased.

 

During the 1996 ascent [documented by Jon Krakauer "Into Thin Air"] Tenzing

Norgay Sherpa's son describes how the Tibetan sherpas were really freaked out because the Westerners were doing so many bad things like stealing at the Base Camp and having unclean sex at the Base Camp. In Bhagavad Gita it says that of Mountains I am the Himalayas; Everest is a sacred mountain.

 

So Tenzing Sherpa's son has described how the crows were gathering in huge numbers before that ill-fated ascent in which so many people died in 1996. This really freaked out the Tibetans who were sensitive to these animals who

work in harmony with the three worlds to send messages to humans who are sensitive enough to pick up on them.

 

Lots of instances of this stuff in Tibet, India, and Japan about crows and how

they are psychic with humans and the realm of the gods and goddesses. On a lighter note, a friend who raises exotic birds showed me how when she plays a recording "Let's All Sing How the Birdies Sing" her birds go wild and they all sing along with it really really loudly. Any song that mentions birds they like alot, but especially that one. It's funny.

[Guest guest]

There have been some very interesting posts in this thread. Good reading. Thanks all!

[Guest guest]

Translation: "You're welcome!"

 

Caw, caw, caw, caw!

 

Translation: "Thanks for appreciating it!"

 

Caw, caw, caw, caw!

 

Translation: "See you later!"

 

Caw caw caw caw caw...[wings flapping, fade out]