Power Animals! Who'd A Thunk It?

I have been a creature lover since... the beginning of time! I love all creatures except for mosquitoes (sorry mosquitoes!). Once, when I was very young, I was strolling down the street with my family in Provincetown, MA when suddenly they realized I was no longer walking with them. (In those days this was not quite as alarming as it would be today.) My family backtracked and found me in a biker-y bar hugging a Great Dane. I saw him and just walked right in and latched on without so much as backwards glance! Also, I have always talked to creatures. Not like an animal communicator, I just talk to them. I like to think they get the drift but, if nothing more, I suppose that they feel my respect and love. It is my wish that every creature feel these things. Anyway, as usual, I digress and digress and...

If you've followed either of my blogs you will note that eagles come up quite often. I have a whole mess of em living near me and flyin' around above me. I see them pretty much every day now. I find that I actually feel incredibly strong feelings of love, gratitude, peace and joy when I see them. I also feel power surging through my being. Not wild raw power but what I can only describe as graceful liquid power. Often times I will see them when I am doing my yoga practice on the grass and it's like drinking a power drink. Seriously. I am not certain if my words do the experience justice. Alas! I only have my words to convey my feelings!

So, the other day several eagles came flying across the lake and I stopped to gaze upon their glory. I was pondering my infatuation with these majestic creatures and it occurred to me that eagles really and truly are my power animal! My mom had a boutique for many years that sold Native American art and 'stuff' and I've read plenty of books that include references to and stories about such things, so power animals are not a new concept for me. However, until I had this experience I honestly never really understood how real they actually are. I do indeed get power from seeing them. Whether they are 30 feet away or a mile I get the same intense jolt every single time I see them. It's very difficult to take my eyes away from them. Now, as much as I love creatures, I've never had this reaction before. I mentioned my revelation to my dad and he said that this had occurred to him as well.

Lately I see eagles almost everywhere I go, so far, in about a sixty mile radius. I see them pretty much every time I drive. Two or three times I've had one pause for like five to ten seconds directly above my head. They truly are masters of the wind! Sometimes they fly through the yard only twelve feet or so off the ground which is very cool. Finally, I'm sure this is not as fascinating for y'all as for me, one time I had one land on a tree close by. Amazingly I'd remembered my camera, which I grabbed and walked as closely as I could get to him/her (there was a fence between us). I talked to the beauty and snapped photos for about ten minutes. (That's him/her to the right.) I figured that eagles must be making some kind of a massive comeback but I looked online and so far I've found no information supporting an eagle boom.

I decided to write a little something about my experience so I jumped online and googled power animals and found a lot of interesting info. My favorite site is Shamanism ~ Working With Animal Spirits Core. They have a list of animals and their particular wisdom. It's a beautiful site and quite informative as well. Here is what the site says about Bald Eagle;

Bald Eagle's Wisdom Includes:

• Swiftness

• Strength

• Courage

• Wisdom

• Keen sight

• Illumination of Spirit

• Healing

• Creation

• Knowledge of magick

• Ability to see hidden spiritual truths

• Rising above the material to see the spiritual

• Ability to see the overall pattern

• Connection to spirit guides and teachers

• Great power and balance

• Dignity with grace

• Ability to see the "big picture"

• Connection with higher truths

• Intuitive and creative spirit

• Respect for the boundaries of the regions

• Grace achieved through knowledge and hard work

It's pretty cool. I actually do have really keen sight. When I go to the eye doctor they tell me to read until I can't read anymore and then they always stop me and tell me to stop showing off! I've been told my insight ain't too bad either! And as for the rest of the list, well, I definitely have the capacity for all of them and I would certainly like to cultivate those qualities and fully realize and embrace their potential in myself! What a truly wonderful life!

Through my further research on the subject I found out that we may have several power animals looking out for us and they can change over time. When we disconnect from one we may form a new bond with a new friend! I remembered having feelings similar to my eagle 'infatuation' with Pelicans, oddly enough! And at that time a Pelican landed about a foot away from me and just sat there for about ten minutes. I felt so incredibly privileged but I did not consider the possibility that he was a messenger or helper. Duh! So, today, I clicked on Pelican and here's what it said;

Pelican's Wisdom Includes:

• Proper use of abundance
• Control of ego
• Recovery from loss
• Ability to float through emotions
• Ability to return from the edge of extinction

I was going through a very difficult time with my (now) ex-husband when Pelican came to call. We were having some money troubles and I was beginning to see that he had some very serious personality issues that I'd not realized before. It's hard to explain but when I read this list the whole Pelican experience made sense to me. I still love Pelicans and I hope that they will always be here to help me out! So there you have it, gang, power animals are very real... So if you see a creature and have a strong emotional response, check out Shamanism ~ Working With Animal Spirits Core. They might have something very interesting to convey!