Power Animals | Brumby & Rabbit

Images by Ravenari on Deviant Art

Introduction

During the Opening Gathering of my Four Seasons Journey we went on a Drum Journey to find our guides from the Upper, Middle and Lower realms (more on this later).
We were instructed to all lay on our backs comfortably and to cover our eyes without touching anyone beside us. Our teachers and the apprentices then drummed loudly all to the same beat.

This post is about my journey to the Lower Realm to find my Power Animal.

The Journey

At first I went down into a creek but I came up somewhere I wasn’t meant to be.

Then I went down a wombat or fox hole. When I came out, I was in the wild Australian Bush but it was dark – kind of like the sun was just about to set or it was a really overcast day.

I met a giant wombat who didn’t speak. I asked if it was my power animal and I knew it wasn’t the moment I asked the question. So I asked if it could take me to my power animal – it allowed me to ride on it’s back. We walked for ages and saw lots of different things but I don’t remember what they were, I was content. We passed by snakes who hissed at me and bared their fangs. There was also birds like owls and kookaburras all flying around (but not with me).

We then came to a clearing where a white male brumby was waiting. I knew it was my power animal but he confirmed it with words. He bowed to allow me to ride on him bare backed. We joined his heard and rode with them around the realm. We did nothing in particular except enjoy each others company and the company of the others under his care (I’m certain he was their leader/caretaker).

We then came across a family of rabbits who allowed me to curl up with them in their burrow for a nap.
That was when my ovaries/uterus twinged somewhat painfully.

The drum beat changed and I saw an image of a walking stick or knife or something of that kind.

The Brumby/Horse

Keywords: Cooperation. Companionship. Trust. Journeying. Loyalty. Spiritual journeys. Guiding and guardianship. Overcoming obstacles. Endurance. Stamina. Energy. Healing and guiding others. A powerful ally. Possible danger. Wildness. The wild spirit.

“When the horse came into native peoples lives and was domesticated the distance of journeys was shortened, travel and hunting was made easier. People were able to discover places further afield, and not just stay close to home. Also, visiting far away clans strengthened communication and relationships.”

In Australia, brumbies (derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘wild’) are the descendants of escaped or lost horses, dating back to the early European settlers in the late 1700’s. The long journey by sea from England, Europe, and Asia meant that only the strongest horses survived the trip, making for a particularly healthy and strong Australian stock, which aided in their ability to flourish. The brumby is an herbivorous, social animal, without a fixed territory. Stallions will fight for dominance over a group of mares.

Therefore, horse is connected to sincere, meaningful relationships and valuing what our spiritual paths hold for us. This influences Native Americans customs to view Horse as the symbol of True Power, which comes when opening up to others with compassion and love, sharing their gifts with their communities.

If Horse enters your life, you will probably feel a power within you that is sometimes hard to control, a bit wild and fiery! You probably love to travel. People with Horse as power animal are fiercely independent and have little tolerance for anything or anyone that limits their free expression. They give us the safety of speed and the promise of adventure.

If Horse is your power animal, you are a teacher to your family, partner and friends demonstrating how to be strong within themselves.

Horse is there to teach us how to ride into new directions, to awaken and discover our own freedom and power. He is also your warrior spirit, giving safety in your physical and metaphysical journeys.

Rabbit

Keywords: Increase and decrease. Land degradation. Taking the land for granted. Growth. Fertility. Personal growth for a price. A fighting spirit. Power. Surviving despite adversity. Adaptability. Facing fear. Walking the underworlds. Anxiety.

“Rabbits are herbivorous, social creatures that dig extensive warrens that can house a great community. They are generally nocturnal. Rabbits can breed at any time of the year and are prolific breeders. It is not certain when rabbits were introduced into Australia, though they were probably introduced for the purposes of food and hunting.”

Metaphysically, rabbit can indicate a need to journey, particularly in the Underworlds. Calling up your fears or shadow self during this time, or triggering initiatory experiences, can all be beneficial.

Rabbits are well known as timid, shy and afraid creatures. We can learn from the rabbit that if we are always afraid of something then we may draw/create the very experience we are afraid of in to our lives. Rabbit energy can sometimes feel like a trap, that you are ‘caught in the headlights’, or cannot stop looking at the problem approaching. The good news is that rabbit teaches power, and how to survive despite adversity. Believe it or not, many rabbits are capable of fighting back, and not just freezing during a time of crisis.

Rabbits are guides into the shadow world, where our personal fears lie. When the rabbit shows up it is time to examine those deep reflexive fears that hold you back from growing. The rabbit asks you to face your fears with compassion for yourself. You must accept that it is part of human nature to feel fear at times, but also believe that our fears need not paralyze our growth and movement.

Rabbit always indicates a need to re-evaluate the process you are undergoing, to rid yourself of any negative feelings or barriers, and to be more humble.

All rabbits indicate an energy of increase and decrease. There are times when your life is filled with abundance and fecundity, and times when there will be nothing at all, and no resources to pull from. This natural ebb and flow of life and death, energy and lack there of, cannot be fought against and is something that needs to be accepted as a natural cycle.

Thoughts

I do very much relate to the energies of the Horse/Brumby and Rabbit. I believe that the Brumby is trying to teach me leadership and strength whilst also encouraging me to expand my horizons. I felt safe and content being in his presence.
When I was with the Rabbit, I was a part of it’s family and sleeping in it’s burrow. I believe it’s trying to teach me trust in my path and the need to let go of my fears – specifically in regards to starting a family or being relied upon with in the community.

References

http://www.shamanicjourney.com

http://www.wildspeak.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org

My Animal Totem

Yesterday I watched Lupa’s video on Animal Totemism (you can watch it here) and whilst I kind of already knew a lot of the ‘basics’ already through my own practice with animals I found there were still little bits and pieces that I found very useful – it’s now conscious.

When I say that ‘it’s now conscious’ I’m referring to Jung’s concept of the shadow and the ego. I’ve not read this guy’s books but I have read a thing or two about his theories (more through other authors who expand on his ideas). Basically, I work in two ways – my subconcious and my conscious. My animal totems were more of a subconscious or ‘shadow’ part of my practice meaning that I’ve never really used them for any particular purpose, I mostly just felt comforted when I saw them. Sure I have ‘rituals’ dedicated to them but they’re mostly on the I’ll-wear-a-kookaburra-feather-in-my-hair side as opposed to the let’s-meditate-and-talk side. I’m aware that this is probably a really poor way of explaining it because some people would argue that meditation is a subconscious thing – but hey, that’s where I’m at right now and that’s what I’m doing here so for now that’s what I’m going with.

Anyway, Lupa’s video has inspired me to get more in touch with my Totem which is the Kookaburra. I’ve been observing Kookaburra’s since I was quite young and have always felt comforted and safe whenever they were around. I’ve never actually done any meditations to find out that they were my totem – one day in high school they started appearing during times of great stress and anxiety. I hated high school and I felt like they were always there protecting me because they would always turn up when I was making a big decision or thinking about something important.

Today, I started sketching a Kookaburra from a photo I took of one not that long ago – during that time I went into a bit of a meditation. Kookaburra’s have been seen as a symbol for healing and I’ve never really understood that until I was drawing this picture. The thing is, art used to be my life – I remember saying to a friend in high school that “I don’t know what I would do without art” but since graduating I’ve hardly even done a thing. I’ve attempted a few works but never finished. I was lazy with my photography and always thought too much about what it was I was doing. During this sketch I realised that the thing I loved most about art was that I could disappear into it – I meditated and my whole world was consumed with whatever it was I was painting/creating. It’s probably the first time I’ve done that (sober) since I graduated high school and I definitely think I’m on the right track.

Basically: Kookaburra = Healing Through Art

I’ll continue to blog about this part of my life – I need to paint, draw and create more.

4/1/13 – The Kookaburra’s have Returned

I live in a place that’s perfect for Kookaburra’s to thrive – I found this fact truly exciting when I first moved in as Kookaburra’s are a part of me. I’ve always seen their seemingly coincidental appearances during important life events as a sign of guidance and protection. That’s why I noticed when one day they seemed to just disappear.

They can be stealthy when they want to be, but I was sure they weren’t around. I couldn’t feel them, I couldn’t hear their unmistakable laughing and I stopped being visited by them which, in itself is unusual. At first I feared that maybe they had left me because they weren’t happy with how I’d been acting (after a tarot card reading I realised that I had a pretty shitty attitude – my cards don’t beat around the bush and they’re not afraid to hurt people’s feelings), then I thought maybe I wasn’t in need of their guidance anymore because two big black crows/ravens showed up in their place (I have an inkling they’re Ravens but ever since childhood everyone I know have called them Crows). I must admit, I was sad and a bit nostalgic – they’d been there for me for as long as I can remember and it just seemed my whole life, including my guardians, were changing.

About a week ago however, I woke up to the beautiful sound of their cackling laughter and I smiled. A day or two later I was visited by a beautiful Kookaburra (I still haven’t figured out if it’s the same one that visits me) with a giant worm hanging out of it’s mouth and again this morning another one visited. After some reflection I realise that maybe there was another reason entirely for their departure – Magpies.

I’m not sure how many of you know about Magpies but let me put it this way – they’re extremely protective of their young. The Kookaburra’s had disappeared around about the time when Magpies were laying their eggs and I had witnessed a few tiffs between the two. It actually kind of surprised me at the time because Kookaburra’s had always seemed fairly intimidating – however, I’m not a bird and I suppose anything with a sharp beak and claws would be intimidating to me. Looking at them now, especially at the one that visited me this morning, I realise they’re more of the class clown of the Australian wildlife. Always laughing and doing whatever they please – you should see a group of them together.

During the absence of the Kookaburra’s, I got closer to the Magpies. My fiance and I were sitting on the back balcony one day, talking and enjoying the view, when a very large Magpie landed on the railing about a meter away from us. If I thought Kookaburra’s were intimidating then Magpie’s were just downright scary – I was in awe though so I just sat there while Brian got scared and went inside. Magpies are reasonably easy to deal with though – I just complimented the shit out of it’s scary looking beak and claws and told it how lustrous it’s plumage was (I wasn’t lying!). Looking back now I realise that maybe this Magpie, which I believe to be a male, was deciding whether or not we were a threat to his soon to be babies. After that experience I left regular offerings for the parents and then their young when they were old enough to fly – this seemed to put me on their good side and they haven’t seemed all that interested in us since (a part from when I try to stick a big black camera in their face).