Each of us is born under the protection of a specific animal.
Under Native American beliefs we take on some of the characteristics and lessons of that animal. Imagine it a bit like a big animal horoscope wheel except instead of being a Libra, I am a Raven. My spirit animal connects me to the fundemental forces of nature. I did not choose her, she chose me.
Raven has huge significance for me in my life. She is considered to be the messenger between worlds. Raven medicine is magic, diplomacy and healing. It is the bird of birth and death. The influence of Raven is the ability to go into the dark and bring forth the light. This comes from the story that Raven stole the sun from one who would keep the world in darkness. The Plains tribes believe that Raven is able to see beyond the illusion of the material world which is the spiritual journey I have chosen.
Native Americans also believe that beyond your totem or birth animal, we also have Spirit Guides or messengers that either travel with us a lifetime to help us learn, or bring us wisdom from Nature in a time of need. In a guided meditation with a Shaman I went on an Animal Spirit Guide Journey and learned that my animal is a beautiful Blue Heron.
The Blue Heron was a surprise to me. I didn't think I was much of a bird person, funny to end up with two birds! The message however, I couldn't ignore. Heron's message is that of self-determination, and self reliance, as well as attaining balance in life. The length of a herons legs determine how deep it can wade to fish and sustain it's own life, the spiritual significance of this being how deep will you wade into your own experience to nourish your own spirituality. Learning the medicine of the blue heron helped me to understand my own nature better. To embrace my own learning.
You might wonder why I am posting this in a blog about Autism and ADD. The answer is that this process grabbed my children's attention like nothing I have ever seen . From the moment I came home and told them about my experience, all they could talk about was when they were going to meet their spirit animals. Maybe for the same reason people are drawn to horoscopes, except these don't tell you you will meet a tall dark stranger. They tell you about your strengths, and they talk about the lessons we are here to learn in life. All the boys could ask about was when they were going to see Rae Ann to find out who their animals were.
We are busy and with all that we have been doing with the diets I kind of forgot until just before Christmas.
And then as I was trying to come up with gift ideas, I remembered. This year in their stockings my boys got a gift certificate from their mom for an animal spirit guide journey. They were exstatic!! They could hardly wait!.
We booked the appointments and as always, I started worrying about the process. They have never meditated before. Would they be able to? Would the Asperger's and ADD turn this into a frustrating melt down rather than the gift I was hoping? Well, surrender was inevitable once we were there in the midst of the process and as usual all my worry was for nothing.
Those of you who know me, know that I am a person who runs pretty much on instinct and intuition. Those two traits are like the blood that flows through my veins. Did this seem like a pretty flakey thing to do?
Sort of, but I have to tell you my instinct and intuition were driving me there like a freight train. I have learned to trust them over the years. The fact the kids were so attracted to it added to my certainty. Learning about my animals and their strengths has added a great deal to my life. Expanded my understanding of my place in the world. Everyone needs an identity. Some way to belong, and for our kidsespecially, to feel safe, accepted. To understand what makes them tick. I think this is why my kids locked on to this idea so strongly. It would be there to support them in their journey. What was the harm?
In order to keep this short and readable I will post our experience and the gifts it brought in Part Two of this blog.
In love and light,
Kathryn
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