Native Wisdom will sometimes make relationships with animal spirit guides, or 'animal helpers'. These relationships and the help provided by animal spirits are not essential for spiritual wholeness, can this is one of the wisdom pathways to wholeness, and many people experience a helpful positive value from their animal spirit relationships.
Animal helper spirits can be invoked (inwardly requested), or they might just come to us if needed in our life. Animal spirits come from the Spirit World, or this could also be understood as the deeper unconscious of our psyche. They may appear anytime to us psychically, or they might come through dreams or visions, or they might appear in meditation or in shamanic journeying.
Animal guides can help us realize and develop our spiritual wholeness, and also help us in our earth walk. An animal spirit may come to give you a particular strength or talent, which is needed in your life or to help you deal with a certain problem or challenge. Or, the animal spirit may come to give you particular assistance, such as protection, healing, or a helpful insight. Therefore, the animal spirit can be understood as a helper or ally or guide, working in a relationship with you, to guide you, or protect you, or assist you in life or in your creative service.
An animal power can also be recognised as a potential power of yourself, or your soul. The various potential powers and qualities of our spiritual soul are represented by these animal spirits, who each have their own particular qualities, skills, talents, and their unique ways of being in the world. In this sense, the animal spirit is a symbol (a representation) of a self-potential. Though it's not merely just a symbol, because it is also a real power in our psyche.
Hence, we can understand animal spirits as either: symbolic representations of our self-potentials (like psychic metaphors), or as actual animal-spirit powers from the Spirit-World (or from Great Spirit). These two kinds of understanding could be called the psychological view and the spiritualist view. One could also acknowledge that both of these understandings are true.
As psychological representations, each animal species has unique qualities and talents, which are useful metaphors to represent our various kinds of feelings and qualities in our self. So in the psychological view, these animal helpers in one’s visions or dreams are symbols/metaphors of one's self potentials emerging from one's unconscious psyche into conscious recognition and then into self-expression. Whereas, from the spiritualist view (or traditional view), these animal spirits are real beings in the Spirit World (which permeates this physical world), and they have real powers that they can share with us.
So in the psychological view, animal spirits emerge from within our metaphoric imaginative psyche as symbolic representations of our latent human potentials or qualities. Whereas, from the spiritualist view, these animal spirits come from the greater metaphysical reality in which each of us exist. These then are different perspectives of understanding, but both can be acknowledged and understood as true.
One can also realize that animals in the physical world are manifesting expressions of various qualities and potentials of Mother Earth (or of Great Spirit). So, all kinds of animals, as we see in the physical world, can be respected as different expressions of Great Spirit, and we can begin to understand the spirit quality behind and pervading the physical expression. Each kind of animal is understood to have particular unique qualities, talents, intelligences, and powers; which we can receive from that animal spirit. This adds to our own self qualities and powers, giving us more qualities and powers to express in life, and it also adds to our self-wholeness.
The very special power inherent in human beings is that we can assimilate and self-integrate any of the animal powers (or qualities), whereas each animal can only express how Mother Earth made it to be. Human beings also have an inherent Free Spirit, which reflects the creative freedom of Great Spirit, to be whatever one wishes to be, assuming that one takes the time to develop those inner potentials.
All of the many spirits of Nature are real powers, yet they are also potentials of our own self-expression. So, one useful way to understand the animal spirits is to respect them as reflections of our own inner self potentials and powers. In fact, sometimes an animal spirit emerges into experience to remind you of your own potential strengths. The animal emerges to represent something about you or about your own potential, which is the particular power or quality that you need to accept and integrate into your self understanding and expression.
The animal power will come through into experience and share its power or its intelligence with you, if you allow it. If the animal power is accepted, it will give you its particular strength, quality, power, or intelligence; which will then feel to emerge from within you. Then, as you work with this more and integrate it into yourself, this particular power or quality will become part of your own spiritual wholeness.
Animal spirits are also known as our animal allies (or helpers). An animal helper might spontaneously appear, or appear in a dream, when you are in need of this kind of help or a strengthening of its unique quality. If this happens, then it's good to consciously meditate on this animal and the qualities it has. Think about if you need any of these qualities or special talents. If you do, then consciously ask for this animal spirit to come into your experience; then receive what is given and make good use of it. This is how we can make a helpful relationship with an animal spirit; and it becomes a spirit ally when we receive and make use of what is given.
If the same kind of animal keeps appearing, then probably you should pay more attention to what it's trying to tell you or give to you; because its probably important for you. Later on, after working more with animal spirits, there may be one or a few animal spirits which have become important helpers for you, so these also may keep reappearing in dreams or psychic vision. Gradually, through experience, you come to know which animal spirits appear more often and are most important to you. You can also come to understand your personal, most significant animal spirits by different kinds of meditations or journeys.
There are a few methods for understanding which animal spirits are most significant to you. One method is to simply recognize what animal you most feel like at this time, more than any other. Overall you might feel to be like one particular animal, or have those particular qualities, more than any of the other animals. Though our animal self-likeness might change, depending on different times and circumstances. So really, we might express many different animal powers in any one day, according to the need or circumstance at hand, or according to different parts of our personality. But we are not normally conscious of this. We don't normally recognize our animal qualities and ways of expression. So now we might become more conscious of this.
Thus, we might start to understand what animal power or quality we mostly have and express already. Or we might discover a number of these animal qualities in our self, at different times and for different needs. These are the animal powers already working through; but mostly subconsciously, until one makes an effort to be conscious of them. Then, as we become more conscious of these animal powers already in us, we can better self integrate them into a well working harmonious unity.
Often, a person has a predominate animal quality expressing through them, which can be understood as the person’s major strength and personality type. But if this is overly dominate, then this often hinders the emergence of balancing self-qualities. Therefore, self-awareness and self-understanding is important along the path to greater self-wholeness. Also, because each of us already has a predominate animal quality, or maybe a few, it will be useful for our spiritual wholeness (our self wholeness) to be open to other animal qualities, in order to be a more balanced and whole person.
Great Spirit, which is the deeper Wisdom within us, will send forth an animal helper to help balance you and further your spiritual growth. This will come to you from within and emerge into your consciousness. When this happens, this emerging animal quality needs to be allowed into self knowingness and expression.
So, a particular animal power that you need can come to you in dreams, visions, psychic experience, meditation, or inner journeying. The animal helper can come into your experience unexpectedly, or it can be consciously asked to appear. You can ask for a specific animal power, or you can ask Great Spirit to send you the animal power that you most need at this time, to help you on the Path towards knowledge, love and wholeness. Sometimes an animal Spirit will come to give you a particular strength or talent, in order to deal with a certain problem or challenge, or an animal spirit might emerge to more generally bring you a quality or power for greater self integration and wholeness. But for any of this to happen, you have to be in a receptive and allowing attitude.
So, the animal spirit can come to you as a spirit helper or guide – helping to lead you in a good direction, or giving you a particular kind of power or quality to help you grow in greater wholeness and to serve life more. As well, animal spirit helpers may come to you for a particular reason; for example, bringing you healing, protection, a helpful self-vision, a practical skill, or a particular kind of power that you need. If the animal power is accepted, it will give you its particular strength or quality.
For the student of Earth Wisdom, an animal spirit or some other nature spirit can be a spirit helper or guide. This spirit helper presents itself to you in order to share some wisdom, guidance, or a certain quality of power. If you make a relationship with this spirit helper, you can learn from this spirit guide and receive what is given. Spirit helpers do not force you to follow their guidance. Instead, their guidance is given as a suggestion, like a teaching or advice from a friend. So you can learn from the teaching, then decide if and how you are going to apply this in your life. Also, you should test any advice with your own inner knowing of the heart, to feel if this guidance resonates as true in the heart.
There are a few possible approaches towards experiencing an animal spirit, or working with animal powers in meditation. One kind of approach is to choose what kind of animal power or quality you think is needed. Choose an animal power to work with and be empowered by. Then visualize this and work with it in meditation. In this way, you use your own self-understanding, reasoning, and choice. Choose according to your needs, or by what animal you are now interested in working with.
The other kind of approach is to ask for a helpful animal guide to emerge into your meditation. Then just allow the right animal to appear, not choosing what animal you think is needed, but rather trusting that the right helpful animal spirit will appear. Thus, one is trusting in the wisdom of Spirit and also in one's own psyche.
In either approach, the choosing or allowing approach, experiencing animal powers or spirit guides can be interactional – between the animal spirit and oneself. You can have an interactional dialogue with the animal guide. You can ask questions, or ask for particular kinds of help. The animal-guide can show you a useful path to take, or a way of being. Then it is up to you, in your self-freedom, to try out that path or not. You can allow the animal to speak or give you something, and then you can think about this or work at self understanding what is given.
Allow the animal spirit to teach you its particular wisdom and power. Learn from the spirit-guide by allowing it to speak, teach, or show you certain visions. This spirit may teach you something about yourself, or about one of your self-potentials. Or the spirit may teach you something about what you need to do, in order to be more creative or in order to protect your integrity in the world. You can learn from this, like you would learn from any teacher.
Here are a few more specific meditations to try.
Review in your mind the animal kingdom, and then recognize an animal that you especially appreciate. If you study this animal you will find that a particular quality is appreciated. This may be a quality needed in your life, or it may be a quality that you already realize as your own.
A simple meditation practice one can do is to reflect upon and recognize what animal you most feel like. First ask yourself, what kind of animal do I mostly feel like?
Then let your feeling be your guide, and just allow a particular animal to emerge into your imagination and inner vision. Whatever animal comes into mind, or into feeling, just accept this. Don't try to willfully conjure up a certain animal that you think is right. This meditation isn't about thinking; it's about feeling and imagination. Let your imagination and feelings be free. What animal do you feel like?
Or try this: in your imagination, feel like an animal. First just feel how this is. What's the feeling? Because the feeling reveals the quality. So then, let your mind recognize the kind of animal you feel. Then see yourself as being this animal, at least just for now, (you won't always be this animal). How do you see yourself in this imagination? And how do you feel?
For a few minutes or so, allow yourself the freedom to see and feel yourself as this animal. For in this, you will gain more self-understanding and also assimilate more of that quality.
So in this meditation, a certain animal will come into your imagination, with a corresponding feeling, which is its quality of being. Realize that this is one of your animal powers. Spend some time in this feeling and vision of yourself, and get to know it better. Accept this animal quality and power as part of your own self-potential.
Here is another useful meditation. Begin to feel what kind of self-quality is spontaneously trying to emerge from within you. Let this begin as a feeling, emerging from within. Now, what kind of animal does this feel like? Let your mind freely associate, in order to reveal the kind of animal quality this is.
Next, imagine being this animal. What does this feel like? Spend some time in this animal vision of yourself and in this feeling, and get to know it better. Accept this as part of your own self-potential, and be grateful for this quality or this strength. Identify with it, accept it, and allow it to be expressed.
Also remember that you can go on journeys (or meditations) to make contact with plant or tree spirits, or with mineral, crystal, mountain or water spirits. Each kind of nature holds particular energies and qualities – which you can contact, receive, and assimilate into your own beingness, and use later for special needed purposes. All that we understand and self-integrate from the natural world adds to our spiritual and personal wholeness. So there is a lot to possibly explore in the natural world or in the spirit world of nature.
Vision journeys and self-discovery meditations are not just about animal-spirits. In meditation we can learn from any part of nature; and in a vision journey, we can learn from any part of the journey –from any being or image that appears in it. Everything that appears has some relationship with who we are. Either it is a part of who we are, or it is guiding us in some direction. So, whatever appears in our meditation is important, as is every part of any inner journey.
You can choose to meditate on (or journey to) any particular part of nature. For example, you could imagine (or inwardly journey to) a beautiful calm lake. Notice the special qualities of this lake, such as calm and peace, and enjoy being here. These feelings of calm and peace are the spirit-qualities of the lake.
Meditate on being this lake, and feel that you are this lake. Allow this lake into your being, until you are the lake. Say to yourself, 'I am this beautiful, calm lake.' Enjoy the feelings of calm and peace, in being this calm lake. By meditating in the qualities of this lake, you are absorbing and accumulating these qualities of nature.
We can learn from any part of nature – animal, plant, crystal, etc. And we can also receive and assimilate spiritual qualities from any part of nature. Here's another example.
Imagine a beautiful flower. See the special beauty of this flower. Feel the spiritual being of this flower and its spiritual quality of beauty. Then, enter into the flower, into being the flower, and into the feeling of the flower. Feel the feeling of this flower. Feel how it is to be this flower. Next, allow this flower and its beauty into your feeling. Let you mind and feelings be absorbed in this flower, so you can fully feel the quality of being this flower. Then absorb this quality of flower beauty into your own being. Now you are this flower. You are this beauty of flowerness. You are this beauty of life. Feel this and realize this.
A spirit-guide or animal teacher will have certain qualities or powers, which it can empower you with. Yet this depends on if you freely choose to accept this. You might also be given a power object (to be used by the mind).
To understand the animal spirit and what it has to give, a psychological understanding can be applied, which is to regard the spirit helper or guide as a reflection of a part of yourself, or what you can be. In order to actually acquire this power, or be empowered by this spirit power, you can use the technique of self-identifying with the animal spirit, or identifying with its quality or power.
To help assimilate this potential of oneself, use your imagination to see yourself as being this teacher, guide, or animal power. Be open-minded to seeing this image as a part of yourself or as a self-potential. Also, begin to feel an identification, or self-recognition, with this animal spirit. Thought and visualisation can help as well, but the feeling-of-being is most important. Envision and feel yourself as this being and having this quality of power.
Identify with this spirit-power, then feel what it's like to be this. It's like, yes, I can feel this way, and I can be this way. This self-identification is known as 'taking on the animal' or 'taking on the power'; which involves a self-recognition and assimilation of this kind of power or quality into your self-acknowledgment and self-beingness. It's already within your potential, but right now it may not yet be recognised. So now, recognize this in your own potential, that you too are capable of this.
So in this psychological way, if an image emerges of an animal spirit or guide, then try to recognize this as a reflection of yourself and then become the image. The image is something about you; it's about something you could be or do. It's either a potential for being or doing.
This spirit guide, or this vision, has come to give you guidance, or knowledge, or a kind of power. Listen to this and try it out. Make some use of what's given, because whatever comes to you in vision must have some significance for you. There's a reason for whatever comes; so you need to figure out what this reason is. You need to understand what is given and make use of what's given. And often, what's given is a vision of who you can be, or how you can be. So the next step is becoming this. If a wisdom is given, then become this wisdom. If a power is given, then become this power.
Over the course of one's spiritual path and earth walk, many of these animal qualities and powers can be self-accepted and allowed into expression; for one to become more integrated and whole. But we should not become completely identified with any one particular animal quality, because as human beings we can self-integrate more of the circle of life, rather than merely being identified or attached to just one kind of quality or power. We have the potential to integrate and express many qualities, in useful and harmonious ways; not just one or a few. We are not meant to just be a certain kind of animal, nor self-identified as just an animal. Rather, the goal in developing these animal-spirit relationships and in self-acquiring their qualities and powers, is to realize more of who we are and can be, and to become more diverse and whole in our own being.
Shamanic journeying is a phrase referring to meditations or journeys in the mind, whereby new visions and guidances are allowed into awareness. Traditional shamans will often go into deep trance-like states and enter into the Spirit World. We are not expecting to be shamans; but we can, nonetheless, enter into the Spirit World, to be guided, to learn, and to be empowered by spirit helpers and teachers. Also in these journeys we can learn more about our self and acquire new powers of being. These are journeys through the Spirit World, but also journeys in our own self and explorations of our own spiritual potentials.
There is nothing to fear in these journeys. Whatever happens within your inner experience should be acknowledged as a needed insight or lesson, yet one should not get stuck in any one place along the journey. You always have the power to move on from whatever presents itself just by deciding to move on.
A useful way of understanding these journeys is to see reality as three interrelated layers, or 'worlds'. The middle world is this Earth World we walk upon. The Sky World is the vast universal realm of Spirit Mind. The Lower World is the underlying realm of primordial powers and intelligences, animal and plant spirits.
In the Sky World are multitudes of Spirit Helpers, Guides, and many levels of Spirit Wisdom. The Sky World is where creative possibilities and new visions come from. New insights, visions, revelations and guidances come to us in Sky Journeys. Also through the Sky World one can come ever closer to the higher Wisdom of Great Spirit. Many spirits and powers may guide you, but always seek for the highest truth.
One can journey into the lower world to communicate with animal or plant powers, then assimilate these powers and intelligences into one's own being. Lower world journeys can also discover your own lost or forgotten self-potentials. Often hiding in the 'world below' are lost parts of our self, which have been suppressed, ignored, or unacknowledged. So, we can make a journey into the 'underworld' of our self, discovering our lost or hidden treasures, creative potentials and unactualized powers.
The drum is a traditional tool for spirit journeys, though other instruments can help as well. The drumbeat helps carry the journeyer into the Sky World or into the lower world. The drumbeat also maintains a connection to the heart-beat of Earth Mother, to insure that the journeyer does not get lost in these spirit worlds and can always return to the earth body by way of the drumbeat.
The best attitude in a spirit journey or meditation is to allow the spirit guide to lead your Vision Journey, or allow the great Spirit Wisdom, or your Spiritual Intuition. Then, be receptive to whatever comes or appears, but also have the will to understand.
Let your imagination be free, and go fully into the vision and feeling that presents itself. Listen and see with your inner dream senses. You might at times have certain dialogues and interactions within the journey, and you may also need to make choices along the way. But mostly just remain awake and receptive, and learn from what is given. Be inquisitive in mind, as well as free from the constraints of ordinary thinking.
Shamanic journeying can actually be in any of the three 'worlds' – the Sky, Earth, or Lower world. Sky journeys are usually made to receive higher spiritual guidance, wisdom or visions, which can come to us from the wisdom teachers of the Spirit Lodge or from Great Spirit. Earth journeys are when we open our awareness and senses to the natural world present in front of us, to develop a psychic communication and closer relationship with any part of nature or with nature spirits. Lower world journeys take us into our primordial energies and our forgotten qualities, or to communicate with and receive help from spirit powers of the animal, plant, land or elemental kingdoms. We can receive helpful or healing energies from any aspect of nature – animal, plant, tree, mountains, waters, minerals and crystals.
In any of these spirit journeys, it's alright to be interactive, to ask questions, or to ask for what you need. Our inner journey can involve both: 'letting it freely happen' and 'self-guiding the journey'–with intentions or questions. Both can be useful aspects in any journey. So it's ok to have intentions or wishes in the journey, and to ask questions during the journey. Thus, you could start off in the journey with an intention or wish, or think of an intention or question at any time in it. For example, 'I wish to have an animal-spirit guide appear and show me a wisdom path, or give me a power or quality that I need in my life.' Or, you could pose a question, such as: 'What path shall I follow, or what self-quality shall I work on?
Then, after setting forth an intention, wish or question; you need to just allow the journey and inner vision unfold, and see what happens. See what comes to you.
In these vision journeys, you have to allow your mind to be taken on the journey, and then you have to trust in the journey. Allowing your mind to go on this journey by a spirit guide, an animal or bird guide, or perhaps by the Great Spirit, will open up the possibility for acquiring a new understanding of yourself and acquiring a new kind of self-power. So, first there has to be an allowing, a letting it happen. Then we need to self-assimilate the experience by way of self-recognition.
Whatever quality or power that presents itself in the journey is usually an aspect of who you are, now or in potential. It's a part of who you are that is now being seen. Now you need to accept this as a quality and power of your own self, and then understand how to make some good use of this. It's the choice of your own conscious will –to determine if and when to express these qualities or use these powers.
In any of these meditations or vision-journeys, only accept what you feel is positive, good and right. Never accept what does not feel right. Negative energies are any energies that do not feel to be good or right for you. If you get a bad feeling (or feel negative energy) from any animal spirit, or image, or from any part of the journey, then know that you don't have to accept this nor be vulnerable to it. Yet, it's useful to take some time to understand what this feeling is, and what you can learn from this. Then, you can either reject this energy or see if you can turn this into a positive energy or positive quality.
Most often, these negative feeling energies are reflections coming from a part of yourself – something that is really in you which needs some attention and transformation. So the first approach to any negative feeling or energy is to honestly consider if this is something in you that needs attention and positive transformation. And even if this is an energy that isn't really from you, then nonetheless you still have to deal with what's here. These are the possible challenges in an inner journey.
Sometimes negative energies, or objects representing negative issues, will appear in your journey or dream, because these are energies or things now present in your life, which you need to deal with. In other words, there might be negative issues or people in your life, which then appear in your journey, or appear as symbols; in which you are now being given an opportunity to transform or see a new way to deal with them.
So, not all energies and things in your inner dream journey are simply reflections of yourself, because some things are representative symbols for issues or circumstances that you are presently dealing with in life. However, it is certainly true that whatever appears in your journey has some kind of relation with you, or it's something you have allowed into your space; so whatever appears, don't just ignore it, nor run away from it. First seek to understand what it is, and secondly use your self-power to either work with it or get rid of it.
Thus, not all the negative energies we experience are just from our own self. Negative energies can also come from other people, and they are also in the collective energy of the world.
Negative energies are floating all through the world, emanating from people with self-centered reactive emotions, so these energies are all around in the air. But we can avoid and be free from these negative energies by just simply not tuning into them or by just choosing not to allow them into our inner space. This is the power of our choice, which is our personal power.
So if an energy shows up that feels to be negative, then simply use your power of choice to blow it away with spirit-wind or perhaps obliterate it with spirit-fire. Use your power of choice (decision) and power of mind (visualizing). Trust in yourself and in your own powers. Also, it's good to begin any journey or meditation with an asking for the Great Spirit to guide and protect you, which can be re-requested at any time, or you can ask for a spirit guide/protector for continual guidance and protection.
Most of the time, a journey will be an enjoyable exploration of the inner spiritual world. But sometimes along the way, there may be temporary encounters with negative or upsetting energies. Don't worry about this. It's part of your spiritual aim is to develop your power and self-confidence to deal with any kind of energy, and to transform all energies into positive energies.
So whatever inner challenges appear, this is your learning opportunity to practice the skill of consciously solving and transforming challenges. Don't run away from anything! Instead of running away, understand what this is, and then you might understand how to deal with this and transform any negative energy, image, or feeling. Whatever does not feel positive and good needs to be understood and transformed, because the goals in any of these journeys and meditations are positive energy, positive qualities, positive spiritual insight and positive love.
Ask to be helped towards these goals.
Ask your Guide, or ask Great Spirit.
Here is a guided inner journey. In this journey, you will need to trust yourself, your mind, your feelings, and the powers of Spirit within you.
Lay down or sit; either way is alright. Begin by relaxing your body, mind and emotions. Then go inside yourself. Leave this outer world, leave your outer senses, and go into your inner world. But stay awake through every part of this. Let your breath flow naturally, but stay conscious in your breath.
Now, imagine a free flying bird in the space of your mind. See it circle around in the sky. This is your bird spirit guide. This could be any kind of bird; whatever you see is how the guide is appearing for you, though this appearance might change at any point, and it could even turn into another kind of animal spirit.
Now, let the bird spirit take you for a journey in the freedom of Mind Sky. In this journey, let your imagination be completely free, and trust in this. Follow this bird guide, letting it take you on a spirit journey. This bird spirit can be understood as the free spirit of your own imagination, able to freely fly in the open Sky of Spirit-mind; so at any point in the journey, you could also realize this bird spirit as your own free spirit, and become this.
But at first in the beginning, imagine yourself on the wings of this bird and let it take you for a ride. This is how the bird spirit teaches you to trust in your inner wisdom-mind. So, let the bird spirit take you on a flying journey in freedom mind, and experience this spirit freedom.
Next, the bird guide will lead you to a special place in the nature of mind. See where you are and what's here. Something in this place will especially stand out or attract your attention. See what this is. It could be a part of nature, or a special object, or it could be an animal or some other being. Whatever or whoever this is, see and listen to what it is sharing with you.
The following journey can be added to the previous journey, or done on its own. In this journey, be open to having an animal guide appear for you. This animal spirit will take you on a learning journey, teaching you some important truths – about yourself or about life in general. The spirit guide might tell you these truths directly, or these truths will be shown to you in images or in a kind of dream story. As well, the animal spirit can give you a power object – a 'spirit tool' to be used for applying this kind of animal power. We can then use this power object whenever we need to.
Each animal spirit has its own kind of power or quality of being, which can be added to our own diversity of self-qualities, talents, and powers. We don't have to limit ourselves to just a few personal powers and qualities; rather, we can be and express a whole diversity of self qualities and powers. So each animal spirit offers to share its own particular special qualities of being, and we are welcome to have these qualities as well, which then gives us a greater wholeness in our being. Each of these qualities are qualities within the One Great Spirit, and they are qualities within our own potential self.
Each animal spirit or guide, which appears for you, is a part of Great Spirit's teaching and guidance, yet also part of your own wisdom mind and spiritual intuition. Each animal quality and power is a quality and power of Great Spirit; and all of these are meant to be integrated into our spiritual wholeness.
This inner journey is happening through your own mind and spiritual imagination, but the wisdom and guidance ultimately comes from Great Spirit. So, these spirit helpers are part of the larger Wisdom; though this Wisdom is also in you. Therefore, trust the journey. Let it freely flow and unfold. And be open to learning from where the journey goes and from what it reveals.
Here is a meditation shamanic journey into the Underneath World, where you will re-discover parts of your lost self, those parts of your whole being which were forgotten, suppressed or aborted. Those powers and abilities of your being which once began to grow in the womb of your soul but were never allowed to be born. This is the underneath of your own being, deep in the womb of your soul.
DRUM (can be used, or not)
So with focused awareness, go now deep down into yourself. Go deep into your belly, which is the gateway to the underneath. Focus awareness into the belly and go deep down into your body, sinking deeper and deeper into the cave of the belly. At the bottom of your belly, you will find a secret tunnel. Go now into this dark tunnel, and travel down and down into the deep underneath of the Earth.
Continue to go down and down, deeper into the darkness. There is nothing to fear, for you are going deep into the soil of your being, where you will discover the lost buried treasures of your soul potential. Continue to go deeper, and eventually a particular animal will appear. Keep going deeper until the animal appears.
PAUSE – take time
This animal represents a power or quality, which is a potential for self-expression. Look at the animal closely, and watch what it does and how it is. Allow the animal to become larger in your consciousness, until it merges into you. And then feel how it is to be this animal. Become this animal and observe what you do, and how it feels to be this. Imagine walking about as this animal. Feel the particular power and quality of expression. This is your own potential power and quality of being. Recognize what is positive in this, and accept this as a part of yourself. Return now to just being attention or just being the light of exploration.
Now, you will go deeper into the Earth, in search of lost treasures, or the forgotten nature of yourself. First you must find your lost natural intelligence, your instinctual intelligence, which naturally knows what you need in life and how to get it. This natural intelligence is within you, at the very core of your being.
Go deeper into yourself, deeper and deeper, until you hear the Voice of natural intelligence. Go deeper and listen, until a soft voice is heard, which will assure you that wisdom is always present within. This Inner Voice you will recognize and you will know it can be trusted. The natural intelligence lives within you. Listen. And remember the sound of this Voice and the feeling of its assurance. Listen now to what it says.
PAUSE – take time
Then, go further down into the underneath, deeper into your own buried treasure. As you go deeper, you will come upon a deep power at the very base of your being. This is your base power of being, your power to be anything you want to be. It is your power of freedom and the power of Life within you. Merge with this power and let it grow strong from within you.
Now you must look about the underneath for your lost child. Search around the darkness until you see the lost child, lonely and scarred, and wanting to come out of the darkness, but frightened and shy. This is your inner child, which got left behind, which got suppressed and was pushed back into the darkness. Now you must come to the child, and give comfort and love to the child. Hug the child and assure the child of being loved. And feel the release of fear and loneliness in the child.
Now, feel being the child. Feel being cared for and loved, and feel that you can now be free to express yourself with spontaneity, knowing that you are loved. Feel the child sense of playful innocence, and that you are free to explore the paradise of life, and can express yourself with playful innocence. Now you the child is free - free in love. And let yourself grow in this freedom.
You are now free and loved. So now go deeper into yourself and discover the fullness of love blossoming from within. Discover the love within you, which seeks to express and be shared. Let this love radiate out into the world, and feel the joy of loving and letting love expand into the world.
So you have now retrieved some of your lost self. You have made a deeper connection with the inner treasures of the underneath and have retrieved more of your natural intelligence, your inner power, your inner child, and your expanding love.
You are now ready to come out of the underneath and carry these treasures into the lighted world. But first you will allow a song from the soul to emerge. Through a Vision Quest or deep meditation, the Native Earth Person would often receive a special song or chant from Great Spirit or from an animal Helper. This was known as a self-healing chant or a power chant. It is one of the ways in which the inner Spirit comes forth to express a greater wholeness of being, expressing a unique and beautiful rhythm and sound coming from deep within the heart of Spirit.
So now you will bring forth and give birth to one of your soul songs or soul chants. This chant, this expression of the inner sound and rhythm of being, will emerge naturally and spontaneously, and whatever comes forth is for your healing and wholeness of being.
Begin now by attuning with the natural rhythm or vibration of your inner power, which you feel as the deepest you. Feel this deep rhythm vibrating from within. This is the core of your soul, the deepest sense of yourself, the true and unique You. Listen and feel for this deep vibration and sound emerging from within. Hear it grow stronger, as you listen receptively to the inner sound. Feel yourself flow and sway with this subtle vibration and rhythm. Let it move you, and let it grow louder and stronger. And within this emerging sound, you begin to hear a distant chanting, coming from deep within the sound. And this chanting begins to come closer and become louder.
Now, open your throat centre, or your voice, and begin to express a sound, the central sound of the chant. And from this expressing sound, allow the inner chanting to come forth, in rhythm to the inner beat. The chanting becomes more and more free and expressive. And allow it to spontaneously come forth and change as it will. Flow with the rhythm, and allow the chanting to be free and spontaneous. Sway with it and lose yourself in it. Enjoy the flow and the rhythm.
Now sit in the Silence and Joy of just Being.
Become conscious of the breath and collected in the body. Fully sense the feeling of embodiment and groundedness to the Earth. On the out-breath, feel your energy go deep into the Earth and feel the sense of being firmly rooted. Feel deeply connected with Mother Earth. Keep doing this on each out-breath until you feel it is complete. Then, on the in-breath, feel yourself as a child of Mother Earth. Feel loved and cared for. Do this on each in-breath until you feel complete in this. Then lastly, on the out-breath, Breathe-out your love and care into Mother Earth. Keep doing this on each out-breath, until you feel your love relationship with Mother Earth is absolutely true.