Totem animals

Week 39 - the letter "T"

In general, I love animals and have always felt a deep connection to them, more so than humans.  And the idea of having one or more totem animals is very appealing to me.  But...I've never officially discovered mine.

Sure, I have my suspicions and many people have weighed in on what they think my totem animal is, but I've never been sure or gone through anything "formal" to discover the answers.  Plus, there are so many different terms:  totem animals, animal guides, power animals, animal spirit guides, and I'm sure many more.  And these different terms...are they just that, "terms", or is there substantial differences between them?

I'm not sure and I honestly haven't ever explored it.  Thinking about that now, it's strange.  Animals are one of my "things."  They generally respond well to me and I have a "way" with them.  I have a deep respect for all souls and animals are included in that category.  My personal belief in animism and the interconnectedness of all things creates a kinship with animals.  But I have never done the work to really find out what animals are my totems/guides.  Maybe I'm afraid?

A good friend of mine has an oracle deck about animals.  I never can remember the name of the deck but I plan to find out and add it here.  He had me select a set number of cards representing my animal guides.  He built an amazing document explaining the meaning of the animal and what position they held in my life.  I loved this and would share bits of it, but it is packed away somewhere and the thought of attacking any and all boxes labeled "Pagan" to find it is daunting.  Besides, I don't want to repack those boxes for my move. 

Ugh, rambling.

From these cards, he created a soul collage for me representing the various animals.  It is beautiful and I love it on so many levels.  It is one of my most cherished possessions.  It's not the greatest picture, but here it is:

One thing I really love about this photo is how my reflection is over the drawing.  I promise that I will add to this entry with the details of the drawing and my report.

Based on my thoughts and what I have discovered, I know one of my totem animals is a bear, more than likely a panda or a polar bear.  A dog or wolf is also there along with a turtle or frog.  Others agree. 

I have always been a fan of pandas.  Some of this is probably due to it being a childhood nickname because panda rhymes with Shanda.  Panda gifts were a safe fallback.  As I got older, I drifted more towards polar bears but always came back to my precious pandas.

What I know about pandas as totem animals only further confirms that a panda is definitely an animal for me.

Panda Spirit Animal:

The panda is a powerful spirit animal inspiring tranquil strength and determination. Under its soft and fuzzy appearances, this animal totem brings forth the importance of strong personal boundaries to feel safe and grounded in life. If you have the panda as spirit animal or totem, you may be inclined to be emotional and feel like you need strong material and physical comfort to feel at ease in your life. Symbolic of the ability to find a balanced and nurturing path through life, it will encourage those who have it as totem or power animal to integrate different aspects of their personality in an harmonious whole.
 
Panda Symbolism

The panda is a symbol of gentleness and strength. The general meanings associated with this animal are:

• Gentle strength
• Peace
• Good luck, positive outlook on life
• Connection with Eastern wisdom

The symbolism of the panda also encompasses personal and spiritual qualities, such as:

• Integration of polarized aspects of yourself, such as feminine and masculine energies
• Heart-centered energy, nurturing ability
• Importance of emotions
• Calm determination, ability to take time to reach your goals
• Importance of private space and personal boundaries

From the Alive Poster Series by Andreas Preis

The panda spirit animal and emotional personality

Those who have the panda as spirit animal can be very sensitive and easily prone to emotional ups and downs. This animal is characterized by its very high sensitivity to its surroundings and can quickly become stressed when there is too much movement or noise around. If you identify with the panda totem, you’re likely very aware of your environment and the energies around you. While this is a useful quality, make sure your learn how to keep your emotional balance.
 
The panda totem, a teacher about the importance of personal boundaries

The panda spirit animal reminds us of the importance of establishing healthy personal boundaries to feel at ease and safe in the world. This animal lives a solitary life during its most of its existence. By affinity with this spirit animal, you may feel you need to keep your distance in order to feel comfortable in social settings or in relationship. The message of wisdom of the panda also emphasizes the importance of feeling at ease with ourselves, whether we are alone or with other people.
 
Panda lifestyle and material comfort

The panda had to adapt its food intake to its particularly short digestive system by eating during most of the day large amount of bamboo. It is known for its high consumption of bamboo, up to 40 pounds per day. By affinity with this animal, you may be inclined to rely on the accumulation of material sources for comfort.

If the panda is your spirit animal, you may find that you put a lot of importance on your material comfort, whether by making sure you have enough to meet your immediate needs or by ensuring your long term sustenance. Be mindful of the tendency to accumulate for the sake of accumulating.
 
The spirit of the Panda and the art of nurturing

When the panda shows up in your life, it may be time to nurture yourself or others more carefully. What are the sources of nourishment and nurturance in your everyday life? Do you cultivate what makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside? Do you give or receive enough nurturing?

The panda is symbolic of heart-centered energy and its spirit attends to the aspects of our life associated with cherishing and cultivating gentleness and loving care.
 
The Panda, a symbol of gentle strength

The totem of the panda has affinities with bear energy. Despite its gentle appearances, it is a strong animal with an unstoppable determination. Like the bear, it provides powerful support for those who need courage and steadiness in their endeavors. Those with the panda totem tend to be able to be firm and gentle at the same time and demonstrate a gentle strength in any circumstance.
 
Wisdom of the Panda: Be calm and steady

The wisdom of the panda teaches us to move through life calmly and with determination. You can call this spirit animal to help you maintain a steady pace and direction. In the Eastern culture, this animal is symbol of peace and harmonious resolution of conflict. The panda is of great support to get out of tricky situations peacefully.

Those who know me will definitely see why I'm rather certain of my panda-ness.

I want to explore the roles of the animals in my life - the real ones, those that tend to appear as signs often, those of my dreams, my pets, etc. and delve further into the ideas behind totem animals, animal spirits, animal guides.  And I know that this education needs to be a priority in my process of defining my spirituality.

And I have this shirt...

Not alone

Solitary Witch
I have the Sun to wake me and light my way, (I am never alone).
As I walk the Earth as my path (I am never alone).
The tree spirits greet me as I pass (I am never alone).
The wind whispers in my ear (I am never alone).
The rain washes away my tears (I am never alone).
The moon wishes me a good night (I am never alone).

Solitary beauty

Solitary and the Moon

Never alone

Solitary

Week 38 - the letter "S" again

While I am an active part of a decent-sized Pagan community - in which we socialize, participate in classes led by our peers, celebrate with group rituals, and join together in fellowship - I still classify myself as a solitary practitioner.  I still practice and learn with my family and I have been a part of smaller, intimate groups as well but, at my core, I am solitary.
My "Shanda-ism" is uniquely mine.  It is based upon trail and error and experimenting with ideologies that vibe with me.  As I grow and change, so does it. I pour my heart, soul, mind, and energy into cultivating it.  It is as much a part of me as I am a part of it.

Because of this deep connection, it would be virtually impossible to share my practice with another person.  I can include others in aspects but I could not imagine any one person deciding to follow my path - fully and completely - as I have designed it.  I'm not creating a tradition for others.  This is is for me, by me.

I am solitary in my practice...but I am not alone.

I utilize my Pagan community to gather new ideas, learn, and explore.  I give and share as much as I can with others and do my best to lead with positivity and compassion.  And I do these things because it is a part of my practice and it is also who I am at the deepest level.

Solitary practice is what works the best for me.  I do find a certain amount of peace in doing my own thing as it suits me and when it suits me.  My biggest issue with being solitary is that the only person that holds me accountable for my actions is me.  There are times a push from someone else would be helpful, especially when I find myself stuck in my own head.  Having another person, or several people, relying on me to plan a ritual or present information on the latest facet that adds to my practice as a whole is a driving force but it isn't nearly as satisfying.

My biggest issue is also one of my greatest joys.  If I cannot be accountable to myself, what am I doing?   Why am I doing it?  Being passionate about my spirituality keeps me grounded and curious.  It motivates me to improve myself on all levels.  It reflects who I am but also keeps me on the path to becoming the person I hope to be.  The person I want to be is simply the very best version of myself.

In my personal practice, I am solitary but I could not imagine doing it all on my own, all the time.  I need to have a community of like-minded individuals.  The ability to ask questions of others and share in experiences is a priority for me and necessary for personal growth and for my "Shanda-ism" to evolve.

Sabbats

(better late than never...)

Week 37 - the letter "S"

My celebration of the 8 Sabbats has changed over the past 20-some years.  I used to focus on the story of the Goddess and the God and the cycle of birth, life/growing, and death experienced by the God.  And it worked for me.  It also had a familiar ring to it and mirrored aspects of my Catholic upbringing, making me feel a certain sense of comfort and ease.  The story was always a bit odd to me - the whole the Goddess gives birth to the God and then he impregnates her, dies, and is reborn from their union.  I understood the symbolism but, much like aspects of Catholicism, I had more questions than answers. 

As I've grown and customized my personal belief system, deity has become less and less of a focus.  My honoring of the Sabbats is grounded in the cycles of Nature, in the seasons, and in the everyday world around me.  It is an observance of the never-ending cycle of birth to death to rebirth of all things - people, animals, trees, plants, even relationships and life-roles.  There is a sacred balance in those observations and a reassurance that life does move on and always will.

Mabon (the Autumn Equinox) is my favorite of the holidays with Yule (the Winter Solstice) running a very close second.  It may be because Autumn and Winter are my favorite seasons and the air turns cool and crisp but it is more so that those Sabbats are steeped in family, gratitude, and hope. 

At Mabon, we celebrate and give thanks for the abundance in our lives.  Appreciation for home, family, and hearth is expressed.  It's a glorious time of balance and we gather what we need to survive (people, food, etc.) and hold it close and sacred. 

Yule embraces hope and silence.  The hope comes from the Sun becoming stronger, indicating we have made it through the tougher months and difficult times, coming out on the other side with renewed strength and purpose.  It is the longest night and a time spent with family and friends. 

Celebrating the Sabbats is sensible and natural to me.  It is my way to give thanks to the Universe and all of Nature for providing for me and keeping me safe and secure.  I show my appreciation for the sacrifices made and the energy given and received. 

The 35 steps

I stumbled upon this page fairly recently but before I wrote my blog post on Reincarnation.  I bookmarked it to read at a later date.  But, I haven't...at least not fully.  I'm having concentration issues lately so I cannot vouch for the info on this page or say if it corresponds with my personal beliefs or not.  That being said, I did want to share it at this time since it is about Reincarnation. 

Reincarnation: the 35 steps of soul evolution: 

 According to many spiritual teachers, all human beings are, in reality, spiritual beings on a human journey. We reincarnate as human beings in order to evolve as souls.

Our ultimate aim is to become fully conscious and capable as unique individual expressions of All That Is.

It is a long journey, but that’s okay because the soul is eternal.

The article goes on to talk about why there are 35 steps, what the 5 stages are within these steps, the lessons of each stage, and the 7 steps within each stage.  It also provides links to more information. 

Reincarnation giggles

Reincarnation

Week 36 - the letter "R" again

 The idea of reincarnation has always made sense to me.  I believe that our souls are forever learning and growing through the experiences and lessons we encounter over the course of our lifetimes.  We are on a journey.  To what?  That is what I have yet to determine.

Some believe your soul is reincarnated until you "get it right."  What does that mean?  What does that look like?  And then what happens after that?

I don't know.

Is there a purpose to reincarnation?  Is there some ultimate goal or achievement?  If so, when you meet that goal or achievement, what's next?

Reincarnation makes sense to me.  And it is rational to think that there is a reasoning for the soul being born again.  I just don't know if it an infinite loop or if there is an end goal. 

This is something I think about often and try on the different ideas to see if one or the other really strikes a chord with me.  So far, nothing has clicked, at least not enough that I can use it to define my views on reincarnation. 

Do I need to have that clarity on reincarnation?  Again, I'm unsure.  Maybe my soul is still trying to learn or "get it right" and will only know once that actually happens.

The Rede in purple

The Wiccan Rede