The Abbott’s
Correspondence School of New Age Studies
Tony & Robyn Abbott
Spiritual Writers & Teachers
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT IN
TEN PARTS
LEVEL ONE CLASS FOUR
TOTEM ANIMALS
PART ONE (CLASS 4) INDIAN TOTEM
ANIMALS
PREPARATION:
A piece of turquoise stone, photographs/pictures of
North American Indians, any American Indian artifacts e.g. dream catchers,
medicine pouches, pictures, carvings or statues of animals and native American
Indian Music CD/Tapes.
We recommend that you begin and end each lesson with a
short meditation of ten minutes duration, as your body and mind need to be calm
and relaxed to achieve the best spiritual/psychic results.
INDIAN TOTEM ANIMALS
of North America
The Native American Culture has many philosophies that
are similar to that of the New Age Movement. It has a deep respect for Mother
Earth and all life forms and acknowledges the powerful forces of the four
elements- earth, wind, fire and water, seasons and animal kingdoms. You can
learn to incorporate many of their belief systems into your understanding of
spiritual forces and phenomena.
CULTURE AND TOTEMS
The North American Native Indian believed that he was One with All. He felt a close association with all the kingdoms
of the Earth - other humans, the animal kingdom, the vegetation kingdom and the
crystal and gem kingdom.
The Tribes, who called themselves "Human
Beings", had a deep reverence for all life forms. When an animal was
hunted and killed for food or clothing, prayers were offered to the animal’s
clan, as a sign of respect, before and after the hunt.
The Indians believed that their personal totem animal
gave them protection, guidance and power, while hunting, in battle and on
spiritual quests.
To discover his Totem Animal or Ally, he would retreat
to a secluded place, such as a high mountain top. During a vision quest he
would fast from food and water and leave weapons behind. Seated in a circle of
sacred stones, as his only protective barrier, he would meditate for several
days.
During this meditation, he would experience much
spiritual and psychic phenomena, including visits from animal spirits, such as
the eagle, mountain lion, snake etc. Finally one animal spirit would come
forward, as his future totem animal. Often the initiate would enter spiritually
into the form of the animal and experience its emotions, needs and shape.
It was felt that the warrior absorbed the power of his
totem animal and its physical traits e.g. the swiftness of the deer, far
sightedness of the eagle, power of the bear. In time
of danger the warrior would call upon his totem animal for it’s
strength, wiliness or courage.
Additional energy was given to the warrior, if he wore
about himself a talisman of his totem animal, such as a bear tooth necklet, for
strength and protection. If he had gained this in single hand to hand combat
with his totem animal, the animal's strengths were believed to have entered
into him after the "kill".
These animal totems were often represented by
carvings, such as personal or village totem poles or artifacts such as carved
statues.
Medicine pouches also contained pieces of hides,
talons, feathers etc. for personal and medicinal use.
A tribal name would also be given to the warrior which reflected his connection with his totem animal and its
various abilities. e.g. in the movie Dances With
Wolves, the soldier earns his name, by being seen dancing and playing with the
wild wolves of the prairies.
Maidens, (not squaws- this is a derogatory term), of
the tribe were often given names which parents hoped would reflect their
feminine aspects. e.g.. White Dove- gentleness, peace.
The tribal Medicine Men and women were aware of the
energies and attributes of gems and often used them in their cleansings and
remedies. e.g. Turquoise was used widely as a bone
breakage preventative, for humans and highly prized horses.
Also herbs and medicines from native plants were
widely used for treatment of daily ills. e.g.. aspirin from the native willow tree bark.
Sand paintings were used as an
aid to locate the cause and cure of illnesses. Rattles, drums and chants were
often used to frighten the bad spirits away, to increase healing.
The tribe used sweat lodges to promote good
health and increase spiritual visions and meditation.
The shaman would often take the illness
from his patient, into his own body and later release it. His totem animals
often helped in the curing process, by giving information or strength.
Wankatanka was the name of the Great
Grandfather Spirit which guided the tribes, while on the Earth. They believed
in a Now Time and a spirit time, known as the Other Time.
The Elderly were respected for their
wisdom and white hair was honoured, as being a sign of the highest of the auric
colours- a strong connection with the Godforce.
The Bird Tribes myths which are
common to many of the Tribes of the Red Indian Nation,
refer to the interaction of the tribes with extraterrestrial visitors,
particularly those from the Seven Sisters - the Pleiadian Galaxy.
The White Buffalo is a special
symbol to the Native American Indians, as its birth signals a renewal of native
strengths and cultures.
EXERCISE TO FIND YOUR PERSONAL TOTEM
ANIMAL
Play
Indian music or drum tape in background
Pre-record this exercise and replay:
1. Relax for a few minutes, holding your quartz
crystal. Ask your Guides to help you with this exercise to see, hear, smell and
feel your totem animal. Protect yourself with a white light or golden auric
egg.
2. Visualise yourself on a mountain top, looking down
at your village below.
3. You are on a vision quest. You have left your
weapons behind. You have built a sacred circle of stones around you for psychic
protection.
4. You state to Wankatanka, the Grandfather Spirit,
that you wish to locate and bond with your totem animal.
5. Now visualise your astral body (inner being)
travelling out of your body, still connected to your body by a long silver
chord. In your astral body you can travel anywhere safely and quickly.
6. Mentally send yourself down to the seaside and into
the sea. You easily sink below the waves and come to sit on the ocean bottom.
Now call all the nearby creatures of the sea and
rivers to you - fishes, whales, dolphins, sharks, crabs, eels, seals etc Most
will come close and then swim away, but if your totem animal is located in the
water, one will stay with you. If so, sit and connect mentally with this
creature. Feel its skin or scales and continue to play with it. Look at its
positive and negative qualities Is it a happy, fun
loving creature, one of a pack or pod? Or is it an insular, loner? Does this
relate to your life and feelings?
7. For those whose totem
animal is not in the water, leave the seaside and be intuitively directed to
the jungle, grasslands, prairies etc. Sit quietly here and allow your totem
animal to come close to you. This could be a bear, horse, rabbit, lion,
elephant or any other land animal. Connect and bond with it. Play with it. Look
at its positive and negative qualities. Is it a friendly, fun loving creature,
one of a pack or group? Or is it an insular, loner? Does this relate to your
life and feelings?
8. For those whose totem animal is not on the land, leave this
region and be intuitively directed to the mountains, hills and skies. Sit or
float quietly here and allow your totem animal to come close to you. This could
be an eagle, falcon, bat, butterfly, pigeon or any other air creature. Connect
and bond with it. Play with it. Look at its positive and negative qualities. Is
it a friendly, funloving creature, one of a flock or group? Or is it an
insular, loner? Does this relate to your life and feelings?
9.
Think of how you can use this animals qualities in
your daily life. Will it help to give you strength, bravery, softness, communal
feeling, fun etc? See how it can be integrated with you, to help you develop
spiritually.
10. Now
thank your totem animal for presenting itself to you. Ask for it, to be near
you when needed. Leave that place and find yourself back in the circle of rocks
on top of the mountain.
11.
Thank Wankatanka for helping you with this vision quest.
12.
Return to the room, take a deep breath and relax.
Write
down your experiences and findings. How are you like your totem animal? Are you
reclusive like the eagle or sociable and enjoy the interaction of the clan or
wolf pack?
Think
of ways to integrate the totem animals into
your daily life. How can it give you comfort, strength or protection in certain
situations?
You may
like to collect a statue or painting of this
totem animal, to remind you of its presence around you.
NATIVE AMERICAN
ASTROLOGICAL CHART
BIRTH DATES TOTEM ANIMAL GEMSTONE COLOUR
DEC. 21-19 JAN
SNOW GOOSE GREEN PERIDOT
WHITE
JAN. 20 -18 FEB
GREY OTTER TURQUOISE
SILVER
FEB 19 - 20 MAR
TIMBER WOLF GREEN JADE
AQUA
MAR 21 - 20 APRIL
FALCON/EAGLE OPAL
YELLOW/GREEN
APR 21 - 20 MAY
BROWN BEAVER YELLOW JASPER
YELLOW
MAY 21 - 20 JUNE
RED DEER
ORANGE AGATE ORANGE
JUNE 21- 21 JULY
RED WOODPECKER ROSE QUARTZ
ROSE
JULY 22- 21 AUG
PINK SALMON
RED CARNELIAN RED/BROWN
AUG 22 - 22 SEPT. KODIAK BEAR BROWN TOPAZ BROWN
SEPT. 23 - 22 OC T BLACK CROW
BLUE AZURITE BLUE
OCT 23 - 21 NOV
BLACK SNAKE PURPLE AMETHYST VIOLET
NOV 22 - 20 DEC
TAWNY OWL
BLACK OBSIDIAN GOLD
______________________________________________________
SUMMARY:
The Native American culture has much to teach us
concerning respect for Mother Earth and the animal kingdoms. You can learn to
locate and contact your Totem animal when needed
for strength, support, guidance and comfort.
Blessings with your spiritual journey,
Love
and Light
The
Abbotts
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