Carolina Dean

That which has been called God and will herein be referred to as Spirit is neither male nor female, but rather is both androgynous and asexual, and which exist as pure love. Because we as humans find it difficult to identify with someone or something that is simultaneously male, female, and neuter we attempt to understand Spirit by associating it as one or more of many archetypes, including male, female, and even sometimes animal forms as in Ancient Egyptian and Native American belief systems.

Many individuals find it extremely difficult to accept forgiveness and unconditional love, as represented by Spirit. Therefore, rather than take responsibility for our own failings, humans have often painted their concept of God as having traits which we find undesirable within our selves resulting in mythologies that portray God as jealous, petty, and cruel, as well as loving, kind, and generous.

All living things from humans to animals, and plants, all the way down to the “lowest” forms of life carries within their self the divine spark which is that part of themselves that is Spirit and which is connected to all living things and seeks to reunite with the original source of this light (the cosmic consciousness).

Spirit experiences what it means to be alive through the divine spark within all life. Spirit shares the full range of human and non-human experience, such as falling in love, being scared, being lonely, being hungry, being happy, being healthy, etc….Through the divine spark in the plants and animals, Spirit knows what it means to be sacrificed as food in order for other life to continue, what it means to be planted in the Earth as a seed, to grow and sprout and join the natural order. Therefore, Spirit has the highest compassion for every living thing and the desire for all living things to be in harmony with one another.

Our belief that Spirit shares in the totality of all human and non-human experience is the basis for many of our religious and ritual dramas. As Wiccans, we do not worship Nature. However, we see within Nature symbols of spiritual forces and recognize them as a metaphor for our own individual spiritual journeys.

The God, or more commonly the Horned God, is that part of Spirit that is male. He is the standard by which men judge themselves and by which others judge him. As a symbol of sexuality, the Horned God represents one of the most elemental forces in Nature, and is therefore complementary to female fertility deities known collectively as the Great Mother. His strength is active and dynamic. Far removed from the image of God as jealous and vindictive, he is the provider and protector and he does not judge.

The Goddess is the female aspect of Spirit. She is the woman that all men want and all women want to be. She is held to be the summation of all other goddesses, who represent her different names and aspects across the many and varied cultures spread out over the world. She is held to be the source of all life everywhere. Her strength is subtle yet potent. She is the nurturer, the care-giver, and her love knows no bounds.

As Wiccans, we recognize that the God and Goddess are themselves aspects of a greater Prime Mover (Spirit), but also their many archetypes, or aspects, are outer reflections of our own inner masculine and feminine selves.

Before time was, there was the One, and the One drew unto itself and created the Astral World, a place of pure thoughts and high ideals where spirits dwelled in harmony.  Thought gave way to form, and the Material World manifested, but all form ran together and chaos ensued. The One brought balance and order to the material world and gave it purpose.  The spirits moved over the earth in awe and wonder.

The One drew unto itself again creating the first humans. These humans were more like the One than any other thing in creation, and the spirits feared that they would have to worship the humans. The spirits gathered together and cursed the humans, dividing them into male and female. In the confusion, each person lost the man or woman who had previously been a part of themselves. 

The One, in retribution, divided the spirits into the elementals and bound them to the very matter which they thought into creation.  So that they may one day redeem themselves, the elementals were charged to serve humankind. Out of great compassion, the One divided itself into male and female--- The God and the Goddess. So they could watch over their children, the Goddess took the body of the Moon, and the God took the Sun.

Once a month when the Moon is New, the God and Goddess lie in their marriage bed to ensure the fertility of the earth and everything upon it.  Again, once a month when the Moon is Full, the Goddess turns her attention to her children to fulfill their needs. As the humans adapted to their new existence, they grew and prospered. Spreading over the earth, the humans took with them their love of the God and Goddess, and adapting their shape and essence to suit their needs, in this way, many traditions or path arose---all leading to at-one-ment with the God and Goddess.

The Goddess

When I first began studying Wicca almost 20 years ago, the concept of the Goddess was completely new to me.  There was no concept of her in my previous belief system, at least none of which I was aware of at the time.

While I studied and performed rituals, I often though of her generically, referring to her as "Radiant Lady"  or "Gracious Goddess." To learn about her I read the mythological lore of various cultures, studied women in history, and looked to the women who have touched my  own life.  

One of the earliest books I studied, instructed the student to meet the Goddess in a meditate state. Finally, I was able to meet and speak with her. I remember that within that mediation, I found myself in a restaurant where I met and spoke with it's hostess, the waitress, and finally the Chef. Later, it dawned on me that these three woman were, in fact, the three aspects of the Goddess. I began to see her as Diana , the Moon Goddess. A Warrior. A Huntress. I saw her in my minds eye as Buffy Summers.  

As I continued my studies, I grew in the Craft as a solitary eclectic. I researched various traditions, but none appealed to me, although I briefly considered Stregheria  . Although I felt in alignment with Wiccan beliefs, my practices left me unsatisfied. I had become too rigid in my practices, and frustrated that I wasn't doing things "right." My spirit hungered for something simpler and yet still meaningful. 

This change in consciousness, lead me to the path of Kitchen Witchery. As I matured, my vision of the Goddess matured as well, and she became Hestia. I used the likeness of Caroline Ingalls as a basis to form my visualization of her.  

 
The Horned God

If the idea of a Goddess was a new concept, then the idea of a loving, compassionate God was even more of a stretch for me. For years, growing up in a Baptist household, we were taught that God was angry and jealous. We were taught to both fear and to love God at the same time, which I found confusing. I did not believe that you could fear someone, and yet love them simultaneously.

I came to Wicca with an open-mind  and so I approached the idea of God as if meeting him for the first time. As with the Goddess, I performed a mediation in order to see and speak with him.

In this mediation, I found myself at a campsite by a lake. I found the Horned God, gathering wood  for a fire (see also The Bundle of Sticks ). We had a very meaningful conversation in which he told me about his love for me and we ebraced. It was after this meditation, I came to an entirely new concept of God and began calling him Cernnunos . 

So for a time,  I referred to the God and Goddess as Diana and Cernunnos. However,  when I began what I would come to call the Hearth Tradition and thought about Wicca and Magick from an entirely new perspective, these names didn't seem correct anymore. Cernunnos seemed so impersonal to me and I found myself draw to Pan.

At the time I had no rational explanation as to why I chose these deities, or even if I made them. It could very well have been they who chose me. Years later, when I awoke to the concept that the God and Goddess to which one is drawn are "representations of one's own inner masculine and feminine selves."  It was then that these choices made much more sense to me. It wasn't so much that I chose these Gods, insomuch as I chose to accept a part of myself which I was previously unaware of.  By accepting these Gods as a part of myself I honored no only the Gods, but also myself and the path that I had chosen. 

 Hestia is the Greek goddess of the hearth fire, hence presiding over domestic life. She is the eldest sister of Zeus and the oldest daughter of Rhea and Cronus.

She was a virgin-goddess, and when wooed by Poseidon and Apollo, swore by the head of Zeus to remain a virgin. She had no throne, but tended the sacred fire in the hall on the Olympus and every hearth on Earth was her altar. She is the gentlest of all the Olympians.

Hestia also symbolized the alliance of the Metropolis ("mother-city") with the smaller settlements which were founded in the colonies. The colonists took fire from the hearth in the prytaneion and kept it burning in their new towns. The Romans called her Vesta, and build a temple for her in the Forum. 

The Greek god of shepherds and flocks, who was especially popular in Arcadia. He is a son of the god Hermes. He was depicted as a satyr with a reed pipe, a shepherd's crook and a branch of pine or crown of pine needles. He had a wrinkled face with a very prominent chin. On his forehead were two horns and his body was hairy. He was a swift runner and climbed rocks with ease. Pan belonged to the retinue of Dionysus.

Pan was also a god of fertility, unbridled male sexuality and carnal desire. He chased nymphs through the forests and mountains in the shape of a goat. Pan was not very liked by the other Greek gods.

You know me and you do not, for I can never be fully known and yet I cannot be avoided. Whether you sought me out or fled from me, you were never far from me, for I am always with you. I am inside of you and all around you. You are my son, and I am yours. You belief in me sustains me, and I am that part of you that gives you strength and courage.

I am the light that guides you, and yet I crouch in darkness to frighten you, for fear is no more than the desire to live and I am life itself. To know fear is to know me, but I am also love, freedom, and joy; and again I am sickness, pain, and oppression--- for I balance all things. I am present in the swelling of your loin, and in the ripeness of fruit. My voice can be heard in the laughter of boys at play, and the lines upon the faces of old men point to me.

I surrendered my life for you and yet I live for I am boundless and eternal. My love and compassion for you knows no end, for I share in your greatest pleasures as well as your deepest sorrows. No pain is too great for you to bear, but should your strength abandon you, I will bear the weight of your burden. Even as you fear me, do not cower before me, but love and embrace me, even as I love and embrace you. Be not ashamed and I will shower my blessings upon you.

There are those people who blame Spirit for the circumstances in which they find themselves and who turn away from anything remotely religious or spiritual. It is not the will of Spirit to force its presence on anyone and for this reason Spirit has appointed for each human soul a guide. All spirit guides have had at least one incarnation on Earth and are able to relate to the human condition.   Humans have called them Guardian Angels, Spirit Guides, or Totems, but they all have the same purpose, to assist you along your spiritual journey and intervene on your behalf when necessary.

It is the ultimate destiny of each individual to discover Spirit through the choices that they make, however, each individual incarnates on the earth plane with a specific purpose which is designed to nurture their spiritual growth to a point where they reunite with Spirit. In terms of your own spiritual growth, every personal relationship that you have has the potential to be of assistance to you. All relationships, including the relationship to self and to Spirit, are destined to repeat until they are healed, and over many lifetimes if necessary.

The Modern Pagan
Spirit Tree (YouTube Channel)

Links:

How to Make a Quick and Easy No Sew Doll for Magic
Pattern for a Poppet 1
Pattern for a Poppet 2

See Also: Sympathetic Magick in the Major Magicks Chapter

Many spiritual traditions recognize and accept that inherent in the Animal Kingdom is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that humans can access through interaction with the earth's creatures.  This interaction can occur on the physical plane with pets, random encounters with various animals, etc...; on the mental plane by studying about animals, and on the astral plane by meeting the animal essence. 

By studying the Animal Kingdom the witch will discover an affinity, or relationship, with a specific animal or a particular species of animal.  This can either be a flesh and blood animal, called a Familiar; or a spirit essence, called a Totem, or both.  Once an affinity is recognized it becomes the responsibility of the witch to develop and nurture the relationship with his familiar.

Familiars are naturally attuned to Nature and it's cycles and can teach you a great deal about the world in which you live. It is very important to always treat your familiar with respect, to say please and thank you and to acknowledge and fulfill their needs.  

• Alligator: Maternal power, revenge, quickness, aggression, basic survival instincts
• Ant: Determination, industrious nature, hard-working, following a group mentality, action, patience, being a team player
• Anteater: Lethargy, curiosity, nosiness
• Antelope: Action, agility, sacrifice, jumpiness
• Armadillo: Safety, boundaries, medicine shield, being grounded
• Badger: Courage, aggression, healer, energy conduit, earth knowledge, having problems relating to others
• Bat: Rebirth, longevity, secrecy & initiation, good listener, viewing past lives, letting go of our fears of or misinformation that no longer serves us
• Bear: Watcher, world-guardian, giver of strength, courage/willpower, self-preservation, introspection, going inside yourself for answers, studying the importance of dreams, instinct, healing
• Beaver: Overseer, strong will, determination, builder, protector
• Bee: Organizer, productivity, wisdom, fertility, defensiveness, having an obsessive nature
• Boar: Exemplary of the life-giving energy of the sun
• Buffalo: Abundance, gratitude, strength, prayer
• Bull: Insight into the past, fertility, rushing into things without proper preparation
• Butterfly: Balance, transformation/metamorphosis, successful project, grace, ability to accept change
• Caribou: Traveler, mobility, preference to be nomadic, adaptability to adversity
• Cat: Hunter, meditation, independence, quick recovery, freedom of thought, seeing that the physical and spiritual realms are one
• Cheetah: Swiftness, insight, focus
• Cougar: Leadership, loyalty, courage, taking responsibility for your life, foresight
• Cow: Moveable wealth, value, providing for daily needs, the power of community sharing
• Coyote: Stealth, mischief, recognizing your mistakes, ability to laugh at yourself, bedevilment, clowning around, enforcer of karmic laws
• Crane: Solitude, justice, longevity, vigilance, intelligence
• Crocodile: Ensuring your emotions are displayed accurately/appropriately
• Crow: Justice, balance, releasing past beliefs, greed, resourcefulness
• Deer: Compassion, peace, gentleness, sensitivity, kindness, unconditional love
• Dog: Loyalty, friendship, nobility
• Dolphin: Wisdom/happiness, depth of emotions, playfulness, harmony, intelligence, communication, helper with dream interpretations, childlike, sexual
• Dove: Cross-world communication, spirit messenger, peace, gentleness, love
• Dragon: Riches/Prosperity (can be intuitive/spiritual rather than material), knows the answer to riddles, ancient wisdom, longevity, infinity
• Dragonfly: Instruction on breaking through illusions (especially those that are self-created), gaining power through dreams, imagination, higher aspirations, carefree nature
• Duck: Water energy, helper of seers, can clearly see/deal with emotions
• Eagle: Rising, sun-circling, potency, freedom, illumination, connection to the soul/creator
• Elephant: Importance of discernment, affection, loyalty, caring for young/old/sick, peaceful strength, wisdom, royalty, regality
• Elk: Power, majesty, pride, agility, honoring your gender
• Falcon: New beginnings, adventure, leadership, healing the soul
• Fish: Gracefulness, slyness, open-minded, quick to change one's mind
• Fox: Cleverness, discretion, cunning, quick wit, camouflage
• Frog: Emotional healing, cleansing, peace, change, adaptability, jumping from the material to the spiritual, water energy, poor character judgment
• Gazelle: The soul, aggressiveness
• Giraffe: Communication, intuition, attaining the unreachable, seeing the future
• Goat: Surefooted-ness, stubbornness, independence, diligence, lack of foresight
• Goose: Demanding of ones self, reliable, rigid, love of home, safe return, ever-searching nature
• Gorilla: Family-oriented, intelligence, strength, environmental protector, keeps peace through aggression
• Grouse: Personal power, self-teaching, intuition, enlightenment
• Hawk: All-seeing, observation, truth, awareness, perceptiveness, representative of primal life force
• Hedgehog: Defensiveness, self-preservation, abrasive personality, possessing a solitary nature
• Horse: Freedom, beauty through strength, movement, mobility, stamina, mobility, message-carrier, astral travel, sharing power with others
• Hummingbird: Fierce warrior, pleasure, feathers bear love magic, job, ability to see beauty, easily distracted
• Iguana: Patience, understanding
• Jaguar: Chaos, shape-shifting, psychic empowerment
• Lion: Royalty, sun-symbol, courageous guardian, protector, pride, leadership, wisdom, power, family, the power of feminine energy
• Lizard: Vision, letting go, self-protection, brings forth subconscious hopes and fears, conservation, letting go of the ego, dream recall, hidden defenses, knowing when to back off
• Llama: Comforting others
• Loon: Serenity, good orator, judgmental, can come across as uncaring or unsympathetic
• Lynx: Secret-keeper, guardian, guide, listener, manifestation of spiritual force and controlled power
• Manatee: Gentleness, loving, childlike
• Monkey: Ability to change the environment, health, success
• Moose: Headstrong, longevity, steadfastness, wisdom, self-esteem
• Moth: Transformation, movement into shadows, finding the light
• Mouse: Eye for detail, noticing the little things, scrutiny, organizer
• Nightingale: Soft-tempered, easy demeanor, soothing speaker, graceful movements, keeper of the night
• Octopus: Protection through distraction, intelligence, getting past negative barriers, multifaceted, skilled in many areas
• Opossum: Diversion, deceit, strategy, sensibility
• Otter: Joy, laughter, Lightness, dynamic energy, playfulness and the importance of playtime, freedom from jealousy or suspicion, feminine power and nurturing
• Owl: Wise, watcher, fate-seer, riddler, silence, vision, insight, seeing hidden motives in others, clairvoyance
• Ox: Sacrifice, self-denial, chastity
• Panda: Importance of slow, determined pace, adaptability
• Panther: Protection, hidden emotions, introspection, caution, careful decisions
• Parrot: Communication, beauty, guide for wisdom, mockery, thinking before speaking
• Peacock: Immortality, dignity, self-confidence
• Penguin: Father-nurturing, patience, astral projection, sexes working together, family orientation
• Polar Bear: Solitude, overcoming adversity, rebirth, patience, spirit communication, strength, breaking through emotional barriers
• Porcupine: Innocence, trust, companionship, humility
• Prairie Dog: Swiftness, industrious, constructive, preparedness
• Puma: Companion on journeys to other worlds, grace, silent power
• Quail: Group-work, team play, creator of harmony and group tolerance, protectiveness (especially toward children)
• Rabbit: Fertility, fear, timidity, humility, hidden skills, borrower
• Raccoon: Curiosity, cleanliness
• Rat: Fertility, stealth, scavenging, intelligence, enjoys luxury
• Raven: Trickster, introspection, self-knowledge, wise in oracles/omens, messenger, mystery, otherworldly travel, watcher for the gods, need to make changes in the way you perceive things
• Rooster: Vanity, likes to be showered with gifts and attention, early riser, settling for nothing less than the best
• Salamander: Hidden things or traits, camouflage in the face of adversity
• Salmon: Determination, persistence, pride, intensity, trusting but not trustworthy
• Seagull: Versatility, loud, easy-going nature, creativity, laziness
• Seahorse: Confidence, grace, male energy, good at dealing with emotions, courtship posturing, beauty of the ocean
• Seal: Contentment, lucid dreaming, protection from danger, creativity, listening to our inner voice, gentleness, adaptability, talkative, playfulness
• Shark: Survival, hunter, adaptability, power, danger, senses injury, ever-moving
• Sheep: Group comfort, warmth, patience, fertility, rebirth
• Skunk: Presence, reputation, self-respect, expression of the self without ego
• Snail: Perseverance, tender nature (sometimes despite a cold façade)
• Snake: Transformation, sexual potency, prophecy, life-force, letting go the things that no longer serve you, impulsiveness
• Sow: Earth magic, intelligence, things sacred, ancestral knowledge
• Spider: Fate, creativity, seeing how things you do in the present affect your future, balance between past and future
• Squirrel: Anticipation of future, planning ahead, being prepared, swiftness
• Stag: Forest-lord, masculine regeneration, giver of bounty and beauty, mystical signs
• Stork: Messenger of rebirth
• Swan: Guide into dreams, handling change with grace and dignity, dream interpretation, divination, spiritual growth
• Tiger: Passion/sensuality, silent solitary power, heightened sense of touch, valor
• Toad: Altered state of consciousness, changing luck, adversity, longevity, courtship via the use of sound
• Tortoise: Feeling at home anywhere, grounding, patience, peaceful nature, ancient wisdom, feminine energy and healing, psychic protection
• Turkey: Generosity, sharing, patience, attentiveness, following the group, challenge
• Turtle: Shyness, nurturing, mother energy, protection, healing, knowledge, grounded, earth magic
• Unicorn: Making dreams come true, virtue, beauty, weather patterns, connection with the woodland and the beings within
• Walrus: Trickster, solitude, appreciates individuality and creativity, can be disrespectful of others
• Weasel: Seeing beneath the surface for intent/meaning, developing clairaudience, ingenuity, paying attention to inner voice, keen, tricky, revenge, cunning, playful, observant
• Whale: Wisdom of the ages, provider, intelligence, kindness, gentle nature, highly psychic and intuitive, telepathic, clairaudient, record-keeping
• Wolf: Pathfinder for the human spirit, knowledge, teaching skill, helping in finding the life-path, loyalty, cooperation, free spirited, mating for life, facing death with dignity, perseverance, fighting only when necessary, taking advantage of change
• Woodpecker: Sensitivity, protection, devotion
• Yak: Ancient wisdom, understanding of higher purpose, self-doubt, lack of control over emotions

The Lares, or Spirits of the House, are the soul of your home, or the personification of your home’s energy. In the past, they have been associated with the Ancestors, Pagan deities, and the elementals that inhabited the area of your home before it was settled by humans.

The House Spirits, or Lares, are said to protect the home, and all those who share their space. In addition, they are said to aid the home-maker in keeping the home clean, organized, and running smoothly. As a kitchen witch, your home is a reflection of you, as are the spirits that dwell within it. Therefore, if the home is clean and well kept, then its sprits will be happy; if you are apt to keep slatternly habits, the spirits may become angry and play tricks on you, such as hiding your car keys, or disabling your alarm clock. The purpose of these tricks is not to harm you, but inconvenience you enough so that you pay attention to them and hopefully get your house in order.

Household deities are not honored in temples but rather in one’s home, where they have been represented by small idols, amulets, paintings, or reliefs. They have also been found on domestic objects, such as spoons, dishes, and cosmetic containers. The modern practice of keeping a Kitchen-Witch figurine in one’s kitchen could date back to the practice of honoring the Lares. In ancient times, prosperous houses might have a small shrine to the household spirits, where they would be treated as members of the family and invited to join in meals, or be given offerings of food and drink. Many European cultures, including England, Scandinavia, Scotland, & Finland have retained house-spirits into the modern period.

Link

Shrine to the House Spirits

EXERCISES

1. In a meditative state, mentally go to a place where you feel safe and secure. Without forming any pre-conceived notions, allow the Goddess to come before you and introduce herself to you. Ask her about herself, her symbols, and associations. Allow her to tell you anything about herself that she feels is important to you at this time. When you are done, record this experience in your journal.
2. If you are artistically talented, draw your concept of the Goddess in your journal. If not, then look through the newspaper or magazines and find a picture that closely resembles your concept of the Goddess. Glue this picture in your journal as well. Explain your choices such as hair style, hair color, clothing (if any) and describe the personality that you associate with this picture.
3. In a meditative state, mentally go to a place where you feel safe and secure. Without forming any pre-conceived notions, allow the God to come before you and introduce himself to you. Ask him about himself, his symbols, and associations. Allow him to tell you anything about himself that he feels is important to you at this time. When you are done, record this experience in your journal.
4. If you are artistically talented, draw your concept of the God in your journal. If not, then look through the newspaper or magazines and find a picture that closely resembles your concept of the God. Glue this picture in your journal as well. Explain your choices such as hair style, hair color, clothing (if any) and describe the personality that you associate with this picture.
5. At least once a week, return to your happy place and meet with the God and/or Goddess again. As you continue to commune with the God and Goddess and learn more about them, note how your concept of them changes over time and write this in your journal as well.
6. As you begin to build a relationship with the God and Goddess, begin to speak with them outside of meditation. Such times may include while driving to work, while shaving, while cooking a meal, while sewing, painting, drawing, etc...Tell them about your hopes and dreams, as well as your fears and anxieties. If you have any insights into these issues, write them in your journal.
7. Research the deities associated with your genetic ancestors. What this means is, if you are Jewish, research the deities associated with ancient Jews; if you are Irish, research the deities associated with the ancient Celts, etc...Record what you have learned in your journal. If you are bi-racial, or a mixture of many races, choose one culture with which you have a genetic connection and research that connection.
8. Choose at least one culture, other than you own, that you are interested in and research the pantheon associated with that culture.  Record what you have learned in your journal, leave room for future entries.
9. Now that you have had some time to begin to build a personal relationship with deity and learn the deities of various cultures, are there certain deities to whom you feel drawn? If so, then continue your research while focusing on those deities and continue your meditations and conversations with them. If not, continue your studies while focusing on generic versions of the God and Goddess.
10. It has been observed that the God and Goddess to which a person is drawn can be seen as outward expressions of their own inner feminine and masculine selves. If you feel drawn to a specific God and Goddess, write their names in your journal and explain what you believe these choices say about your own inner masculine and feminine selves.
11. Just like you did with the God and Goddess, you will now attempt to discover your Totem, or power animal. While it is better than you embark on this journey with no preconceived notions, below you will find a few questions designed to get you thinking about what animal resonates with you on a spiritual level. Before performing the meditation, take some time to answer these following questions and record your answers in your journal.

·        Are you a loner or a people person?

·        Are you an early bird or a night owl?

·        Do you prefer to stay in one place, or move around a great deal?

·        What types of food do you prefer?

·        What do you consider as your natural environment?

·        Do you resemble any animal in particular?

·        When you were a child, what did you consider your favorite animal?

·        Have you ever had a profound experience with an animal? If so, explain.

12. Go into a meditative state in which both your mind and body are completely relaxed. Mentally go to a place where you feel safe and secure. For the purposes of this meditation, it is not necessary that this place be a reflection of nature. It can be a campsite, or the city dump; it can be a desert, or an island; it can be your childhood bedroom, or a completely white room. Send out the mental call that you have come to this place to meet with your power animal. Again, without any preconceived notion wait for the animal to make itself know to you. This may not occur the first time you perform the meditation. If the animal comes to you, then speak to it as you would a human. Ask it whatever you’d like, or allow the animal to convey a personal message to you. When you are done, thank the animal and return to everyday reality. Write your experience in your journal.
13. Once you have determined your power animal, find a picture of the animal and include it in your journal. Write a five page essay on the animal, include such information as its scientific classification, habitat, lifespan, diet, anatomy, evolutionary history, etc….and record this in your journal.
14. Research the spiritual beliefs, myths, and or stories associated with the animal. Include the culture that the belief, myth, or story came from.  Cite your sources and leave room for further entries.