We can all learn from animal’s power and to be more like the traits in the animals as they are in their pure form. It brings out good things in us as we have similar power in ourselves. Thus we were able to domesticate previously wild animals.

When you sought the guidance of a Shaman, he would often speak in the context of your totem, both good and bad. If you were distressed, and many modern thinkers view it in this way, you are out of harmony with yourself, your inner nature. So the Shaman would speak of the way of your totem, either encouraging you to embrace its strength, or showing how you are out of harmony with that strength, though not out of touch with your totem. The relationship was much like family, even if you aren’t paying attention family is still family. They also at the time dreamed mostly of naturalistic imagery, as we do to a degree even as modern people.

So they were in a sense the first to practice Jungian and gestalt techniques.   To treat the dream as an environment and an actual encounter though with spiritual forces, which if you must be rationalistic are personified as characters in our heads. We do still love our symbolism very much.

We must all realize our oneness, even with the animal kingdom? Yes. Often times something is described as inhuman or unreasoning, and beneath us as human beings. We are described as behaving like an animal in a negative light, but honestly, when don’t we? If anything rather than declaring so much of our nature profane, perhaps we can learn from it? Be honest and admit “I am that I am”?  For all the seeking and war making, for all the very passionate both positive and negative in ways of behaving, where are we? I would say we are still here on earth and the earth’s ways are still the ways we are living in.

Is any animal potentially a guide? Potentially yes, but not a literal example of the animal. You don’t need to go to a zoo looking for advice. It’s achieved by intuitive recognition. All behavior is behavior and what really is the difference between human behavior and animal behavior? Even conflict exists on both sides, but yes, war, terror, it’s the extreme. The ignorance of balance.

Shame is definitely a human construct? Shame comes from human thought. If you own a dog, it’s very focused usually. Busily being a dog. No thought about being a better dog. No thoughts about being a supreme world wide power. It’s just a dog. Sees what it sees, behaves as it knows how. Humans are the ones who have the ability to define how they relate to the world and is this often even in our best interests?

We are in an awkward sense the most adaptable beings on the planet. We live in a world of life, and we hold ourselves above life. Thus we freely abuse destroy or derange life because in the name of reason we supposedly can do this and not suffer from it. Yet we suffer from it, and keep banging our heads against the natural law, the harmony that exists despite us not because of us. Mans ways are mans ways, and in modern mans ways he acknowledges no kinship. Now even animals are reacting to mans ways. Bears are inhabiting slums in American cities. Animals are acquiring new predation habits due to the scarcity of old foods. Is this not fact?

The animals do adapt, just slowly? They can adapt more quickly. They resist because like us they prefer a balance. A sort of natural stasis in the environment, if not literal stasis, that tells you everything is ok and you will be able to survive.

Survival? Yes, survival. Human beings don’t seem very concerned with it.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~