Animal guides as a topic is potentially deeper than it might seem. In Taoism they say the 1000 things stem from one thing. This is said in one way or another in every tradition, and it’s reflected in many creation myths; the Native American, the Egyptian, Babylonian, Japanese. Even in the Native Australian belief, and really also in Catholic. Animals are our elders and all that came into being, came into being on an underlying order.
Most of the animal species in science show a longer record of living on this planet than humanity does. In Native American belief each of the ancient animals had a part to play in the creation of the world, so they each marked the world in a special way. Humans came into a spiritually balanced world. It had been balanced by our ancestors, and the native peoples often sought to follow the example of these beings. In their eyes, humanity either had a direct bond or a benefactor relationship to these elders. Humanity brought the chaos, not the animal spirits, and they also recognized a behavioral and thus spiritual relationship between man and the animals.
They saw in some a sort of lone belligerent strength and noted that this seemed like the behavior of a bear. They saw on others a fierce protectiveness, a strong focus on the well being of family, and also saw this fierce pack defense in wolves. There have been many such connections drawn, and some are even used in modern slang, such as to call a woman a vixen or say she’s foxy. The Japanese myths of the Hengeyokai or animal people, even their stories of the dragons had them with the ability to appear as humans.
‘Yo, whats up, dog?’ Yes, and how many men do actually act dog like? Even to indiscriminate sexual behavior?
The use of nature and animals in particular as a mirror had a purpose in spirituality. It was used both as metaphor and as a sort of naturalistic psychology.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~