Here are a few of Ken's Power Animal Retrievals, some with customer comments to follow.
INTRODUCTION: Power Animal is actually a Native American term which, because it's so clear and elegant a term, has been adopted by many other spiritual practices. Spirits, and therefore spirit helpers. can "shape-shift" into any form they like. When dealing with a human being they are assigned to, these helper spirits will often take the form of an animal, bird, insect, etc. in order to make it clear to the person being helped what powers these spirits are bringing to them. This means that where one is weak or lacking in certain qualitues, the power animal will "make one whole", or "fill the gap". The phrase, "you complete me" is quite apt here.
POWER ANIMAL FOR A FRIEND'S FRIEND
8/23/05: (NOTE: This journey is interesting, occurring only a year or so after I begam my journey work. Much of the explanation at the end concerning totems and other meanings derives from Ted Andrew's Works, Animal-Speak and/or Animal-Wise).
This journey began with another random attack on me by a dark being. This is an occurrence that while fairly rare is also somewhat regular, for as shamans head into the Spirit World at first, they are considered vulnerable. In my case, I came to a wooded area with a stone wall. This was next to a driveway with a lamppost, around which was entwined a fairly large snake, and which stood off to my left. Atop the stone wall was a mature rabbit, who let me stroke his head and back a few times before slowly turning off, white tail disappearing into the brush.
As I was watching the rabbit go, I suddenly sensed the snake had uncoiled and was now attacking me from my left rear. Whatever the weapon was, I was being slashed into several times. I felt myself falling out of the scene, and at this point my Upper World guide, Eagle Claw, and my guardian, Two Feathers, arrived to my left and right, respectively. They lifted me back up and returned me to face my attacker. I was now considerably larger, and took my staff and touched the dark being before me, who was more the size and shape of a bulldog than a snake. Immediately upon sensing my staff, the being turned into a little boy spirit, an "imp", who was running around just causing mischief. I watched as he ran off... :)
So now it was down to business. I looked across the street and saw a large cornfield. I went over to it. I was met there by my Lower World guides, Crosses in Front, who takes the form of a snake (probably the reason I paid no attention to the snake on the lamppost). The two of us went maneuvering through the cornstalks, right at their bases, having shape-shifted down to quite the small size. We came to a small clearing where a small family of rats was living.
There was an opening in the ground near where they lived, and we knew this was the tunnel to the Lower World, where we would see my client's Power Animal. We went in, and found ourselves sailing downward on a strong flow of ater, very much like a water slide. When we exited the tunnel, we landed in the top of a large fir tree. As I looked over the surroundings, I saw that the Lower World lake, ordinarily quite visible, was enshrouded in a heavy fog. Out of the fog came a pelican, who began circling in toward us. I found myself wondering if this was my Cient's PA (Power Animal)...if so, it would be a first for me. A pelican!
Suddenly, an IMMENSE eagle came roaring up from below, snatching me and Crosses in Front and bringing us way up the side of a cliff and into its nest, sitting on a branch sticking out of the cliff side. While we sat there, both a cardinal and a yellow finch visited us. Then, just as quickly, the pelican was back in front of us. The pelican took us both in its mouth and brought us gently back down to the tree top. The scene then shifted to a very well-appointed house nestled into the side of the bank of a fairly large river basin.
I saw my client walking around inside this house, and then heading out one of the glass doors. There was a tall, rather jovial, stocky man standing off to the side, and he didn't seem unhappy she was leaving....took it in stride. I sensed this was not a husband, though. The Client walked down a series of stone steps onto a private beach on the inlet's side. She then began to practice an advanced form of yoga. As she did, the pelican arrived, splashed down into the water in front of her, and waited. There was no doubt at this point that pelican is the Client's Power Animal. Crosses and I then left the Lower World, returning back the way we came from. As we passed the rats, they were in a circle, symbolic of good Medicine from this journey.
The qualities of the pelican: KEYNOTE: renewed buoyancy and unselfishness. CYCLE OF POWER: Year-round.
Pelicans use their pouch to scoop fish, not to store them. Reflection on this may reveal insights on your own behavior: are you trying to store something that should not be? Are you not digesting what you have?
An old story tells of how pelican wounded its own breast and fed its young on the blood. This explains the image of self-sacrifice often associated with it, and has come to be a very Christian correspondence. The brown pelican often nests in mangrove thickets. By avoiding nesting competition with their neighbors, pelicans make room for more of their kind. Again this reflects a kind of unselfishness. This is further reinforced by the fact that they will often employ teamwork when fishing (especially the white pelican). The groups descend and drive the fish into the shallower areas.
Despite their size they are very light and buoyant. They can float like a schooner. The brown pelican flies solo and suddenly plummets into the water. It the pops back up to the surface. A system of air sacs under the skin make it unsinkable. Symbolically, this hints at being able to be buoyant and to rest on top in spite of the heaviness of life's circumstances. The pelican teaches that no matter how difficult life becomes, no matter how much you plunge...you can pop back up to the surface. The pelican holds the knowledge of how to rise above life's trials. This same idea is hinted at in regard to an old belief that pelicans once lived on the desert, in which they fed upon serpents.
Pelicans, in spite of their lightness, sometimes have trouble talking off from the water. Still, they do manage, and we again see the correspondence to freeing oneself from that which would weight you down. The Water is a symbol of emotions, and emotions often weigh us down. Pelican teaches us how not to be overcome by them.
Other symbology from the journey:
Corn: It is time to merge the sacred with the mundane; new life and abundance. Corn reminds us to be practical and pragmatic while still holding onto our dreams. It also reminds us to be grateful for what we are and have.
Rat played a big role as guardian of the tunnel, and as circle-maker at the end. Rat's KEYNOTES: Success, restlessness and shrewdness. CYCLE OF POWER: Year-round. Rats from Norway are considered the most harmful because it easily destroys great quantities of stored food. Rat in this Journey is no doubt telling my client to consider the harmfulness of where she is living (right near Norway). Also, Rat asks: Are you being more shrewd in your dealings? Are you mishandling the pests of your life? Do you need to become more adaptable? Is it time to more aggressively pursue endeavors for success?
The water slide downward and the fog over the Lower World lake imply a very emotional state is present. Yet water is also the element of the feminine, and so there is a lot of feminine power available to my client. Very important is that both the pelican and eagle came out of the fog. This means the key to healing lies within this emotional state, and within her own femininty. The water inlet where the Friend was doing yoga also reinforces the emotions state...and her Power Animal came to rest floating on top of the water...telling her to get above her state as well. The client should no doubt consider taking yoga to find balance.
Eagle's KEYNOTES: Illumination of spirit, healing and creation. Eagle asks you to take on the responsibility and the power of becoming so much more than you now appear to be. It reflects that events will now fly faster, and everything you think, do and say (or fail to) will be stronger and quicker.
Cardinal's KEYNOTES: Renewed vitality through recognizing self-importance. CYCLE OF POWER: Year round, with a rhythm of 12 (hours, days, months, etc). Cardinal says: Add color to your life, and remember everything you do is of importance.
Yellow Finch: KEYNOTES: Energy of variety and multiplicity. A general increase and variety of potentials are about to unfold within your life. Life is about to become more active. Cardinal is a member of the finch Family. In this case, the Yellow color of the Finch also matters. Yellow stimulates the mental faculties. It can be used for depression. It helps awaken an enthusiasm for life. It awakens greater confidence and optimism. It also is effective treating digestive disorders. Too much can create anxiety and tension, and should then be balanced with blue.
NEXT JOURNEY
8/20/07: A journey to retrieve a sister's Power Animal from the Lower World, and to do a general spirit check on her as well.
Performing the Mongolian 5-Coin Divination on my client for her general check-up, I received this reading: H 2T H T. The meaning: "All affairs at home go well. Profits are great. Business is good. Wins any lawsuit currently ongoing. Traveler comes home. Some finds and/or returns a lost/stolen item." So as far as she is concerned, she has no major issues with her own spiritual health. This of course does not speak to anyone else around her.
As I entered the Spirit World for her Power Animal, I found myself standing in front of a huge number of tightly-spaced, plastic, orange streamers, flapping in the wind. I could not see through them, they were so numerous and closely spaced. I then turned left and saw a small clear passageway, along which were strung party lights of various colors, suspended from wires and poles. I walked down this passageway and came to a beach party. Many people were dancing around a large fire next to the shore of an ocean. My Lower World guide, Crosses in Front (snake) emerged from a nearby rock wall. The two of us made our way carefully among the dancing feet and went into a small tunnel that was waiting just in front of one of the burning logs. As we entered the tunnel to the Lower World, it was smoky at first.
Then, we were moving down the passageway of dirt and stone...and then there was blackness. Then, without warning, we found ourselves in the Lower World, but very small. Blades of grass towered over us. We waited, and shortly a chipmunk scampered by, followed by a rabbit. Neither stopped, so neither were the sister's PA. We then saw an ant, and then a beetle. Again, neither showed enough interest in us to be the choice. Then, a butterfly arrived. It was changing colors before us as it hovered with wings outstretched. It then shrank down and landed on my right hand. I then held it up against the sky, which suddenly turned from the sunny day we had arrived at into night. As I held the butterfly up against the dark sky, a butterfly-shaped cloud formed above it, lit by the moon.
As the cloud drifted off and began to dissipate, I realized it was in the shape of a pair of angel's wings: almost identical to the Sister's name! Then, the sky returned to daylight. We then took the butterfly with us back up through the tunnel. As we passed by the fire, its wings caught on fire as well. We moved over to near the stone wall, and the butterfly, wings open, remained whole as the flames went out....there was no damage. We then took the butterfly and placed it within my client. I thanked Crosses and the Journey was done.
NOTES:
BUTTERFLY MEDICINE: Butterfly signifies transformation (it goes through several stages on the way to becoming a butterfly) and joy (the joy of free flight and living for the now). Butterflies dance as they land on flowers, and taste them as they walk along them. This teaches us not to take life so seriously. It should be a dance of joy. Butterfly also suggests that what will work for you will not work for others, and vice versa. You must do things YOUR way. (Added bonus is the way time slows way down when in butterfly mode....this means if you are feeling a prisoner of time, it is time to get out of that mind-set). Live life (butterflies live 3 days on average) as it comes, and every minute if it, darting to new adventures, changing directions as needed to get where you need to be. If the medicine of the butterfly has been used in its opposite, it is a perversion of its natural tendency to dance in joy. Hence, the message here is: as much as possible, butterfly medicine must be restored. You must break out of the "cocoon of the curse" as much as possible and dance in Joy.
THE ORANGE STREAMERS: Orange is the color of the second chakra, which is responsible mainly for emotions. This tells me the sister is in a lot of emotional turmoil, so thick it is hard to see through it. The passageway out to a beach party is significant in that it implies both a more relaxed outlook on life is needed, AND a tighter connection with the Spirit World (the beach is a point where several elements meet, and therefore has a higher spiritual presence).
THE ANGEL CLOUDS: Seem to imply that both the moon (symbol of the female reproductive cycle) and the night are more powerful for the sister. This would seem to say that her dreams are more important than conscious thinking/planning. She should listen to her dreams more closely. The moon also hints that she may want children.
THE BUTTERFLY ON FIRE: This implies a major transformation in her life is coming, one in which fire, the great destroyer and renew-er, changes things around her but does not change her. She passes through the change unscathed. Fire on a butterfly (which is already a symbol of transformation) is all the more a powerful sign of changes to come.
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