Power animals in the 7 chakras & directions?

Hi Little Bat,

I cannot answer your question directly because that is not the way I work with Power animals, either as the 7 directions, or the Chakras....possibly because I don't follow ritual...the Creature teachers walk with me awhile then move on. I feel their energetic lessons flowing through my life, and they "speak" to me as they think best. I find the creatures come to me when "they" are ready...i have never thought to ask for any specifically.

Anyhow........may you enjoy your education......the animals have so much to teach us 🙂

Hi fleur,

I'm really unsure what I think of either of those systems right now, so I'm just curious to hear everyone's views even if (like you) they don't work with either of them. You've hit on something that I was thinking about myself actually, so thanks for your reply, it was helpful. 🙂

Hi Little Bat

I am just being abit curious.....why did you choose your user name Little Bat? Have you learned anything from Bat?

Hi Fleur, I've always felt drawn to bats and seem to see a lot of them when I'm with my family/loved ones, but other than that nothing's ever really happened to make me think they're a power animal of mine (sadly!). 😮

Power animals

Hi Little Bat- Power animals are very personal creatures and make themselves known in different ways depending on who you are and where you are on your life journey. As far as I've been taught the animals that work in the directions are there for everyone to access. They are part of the Medicine Wheel which is , if you like a map of existence and a way of discovering at any given moment where you sit in the Great Wheel. It is a tool of learning and the animals there are for everyone. If you seek your own personal animal it is possible to find one. If you need help try to find a Shamanic Practitioner who can take you on a journey. The animal Spirits within the chakra system are again accessible to all once you have the tools to access them. Good luck with your Quest!

Hi little Bat

I have just got a book by Hal Zina Bennett called Spirit animals and the Wheel of Life. Haven't read much yet but in it he has animals and chakras based on Zuni teachings:
Crown:Eagle
Brow:Mountain Lion
Throat: Personal Power Animal
Heart: Wolf
Solar Plexus: bear
Hara/Sacral: Badger
Base/Root: Mole

He also has a chapter on Personal power animals.

Hi, Thanks for your replies.

Butterflywings, the book you mentioned sounds interesting and is quite cheap on Amazon so I might try to pick up a copy. 🙂

Seersha, thanks, I wasn't quite sure on the 'etiquette' of approaching the Animals (at least with regards to the directions etc) and I also don't know much at all about the Medicine Wheel - something for me to look into. 🙂

There is something still kind of confusing me though (I might as well ask here instead of making a new thread): By 'personal power animal' do you mean like your 'soul animal' or inner animal spirit guide? Like the animal which is kind of a part of you in a way?

I met my inner animal guide during meditation when I was 11 or 12, but he appeared to me in a more domesticated form rather than the wild animal he is now. I rarely encounter this animal in dreams, or even see images of them or anything, but he's told me things during meditation which have turned out to be true afterwards, I also go to him if I need help with a specific problem and request that he leads me to the Animal Spirit which could help me the most. I'm usually very surprised by what he shows me, but when I do some research afterwards, I find out that he's always chosen the best one for me, even if it seemed wrong at the time - I usually then encounter the animal in one way or another in the 'real world' afterwards.

The other main Animal Spirit in my life seems different though, more like an external force than an inner one. I started off having visions of the animal (waking up and seeing it on the bed or in the room somewhere), then (months later) dreaming about them. Then I started seeing them everywhere in huge numbers (even my partner noticed that it was getting a bit weird!) and having lots of strange coincidences and synchronicities involving the animal.

I think it just confuses me that my main spirit guide is not something I seem to ever encounter in day to day life and that he's more like a spirit in animal form than the spirit of the animal itself (if that makes sense). The other animal (which I've been told is a Teacher guide and has been and will be with me for life) is like the exact opposite.

Sorry for that rambling post but it's something that's been on my mind for ages. Is the inner guide I mentioned my 'personal power animal' and the other one is more like a classic Totem or Animal Spirit? It doesn't help that every book or website I read seems to use all the same words but with entirely different meanings. Can anyone help me out? 😮

Got my copy from amazon from the Book Depository. As you say very cheap I think the postage was more than the actual book.

There is something still kind of confusing me though (I might as well ask here instead of making a new thread): By 'personal power animal' do you mean like your 'soul animal' or inner animal spirit guide? Like the animal which is kind of a part of you in a way?

I met my inner animal guide during meditation when I was 11 or 12, but he appeared to me in a more domesticated form rather than the wild animal he is now. I rarely encounter this animal in dreams, or even see images of them or anything, but he's told me things during meditation which have turned out to be true afterwards, I also go to him if I need help with a specific problem and request that he leads me to the Animal Spirit which could help me the most. I'm usually very surprised by what he shows me, but when I do some research afterwards, I find out that he's always chosen the best one for me, even if it seemed wrong at the time - I usually then encounter the animal in one way or another in the 'real world' afterwards.

The other main Animal Spirit in my life seems different though, more like an external force than an inner one. I started off having visions of the animal (waking up and seeing it on the bed or in the room somewhere), then (months later) dreaming about them. Then I started seeing them everywhere in huge numbers (even my partner noticed that it was getting a bit weird!) and having lots of strange coincidences and synchronicities involving the animal.

I think it just confuses me that my main spirit guide is not something I seem to ever encounter in day to day life and that he's more like a spirit in animal form than the spirit of the animal itself (if that makes sense). The other animal (which I've been told is a Teacher guide and has been and will be with me for life) is like the exact opposite.

Sorry for that rambling post but it's something that's been on my mind for ages. Is the inner guide I mentioned my 'personal power animal' and the other one is more like a classic Totem or Animal Spirit? It doesn't help that every book or website I read seems to use all the same words but with entirely different meanings. Can anyone help me out? 😮

I think you are right and this is confusing. it depends on what you read, which background it is from etc etc. The terms get transposed frequently. I have some information which I'll look out and post later but I'm too tired now. It may well be after the weekend so hope that's ok. I'm sure someoen else will come to your rescue before then though.

Got my copy from amazon from the Book Depository. As you say very cheap I think the postage was more than the actual book.

Yeah, the Book Depository are good, I just got Ted Andrew's Animal-Wise Tarot from them for a great price.

I think you are right and this is confusing. it depends on what you read, which background it is from etc etc. The terms get transposed frequently. I have some information which I'll look out and post later but I'm too tired now. It may well be after the weekend so hope that's ok. I'm sure someoen else will come to your rescue before then though.

Thanks, I appreciate it. 🙂

Sorry this has taken so long Little bat......

In the way of the Shaman, Michael Harner speaks about guardian spirits which are often power animals but he also refers to them as guardian animal spirits. i think it depends on which tribe he is refering to and they are one and the same.

Ted Andrews talks about totems as being any animal or object which we feel closely associated to and which has significance for us it could also be a plant or a tree though and he transposes the terms totem animal and spirit animal.

I also have some info from a course I di which has the following:
Life Long totem animal - you have a primary one there for all life. Can also be called your spirit animal.

Journey animal totem - reflects a period of time - weeks, months, years. Will slip in and out of life over a long period.

Message animal totem - only there for brief time to bring a message

Shadow animal totem - those which test us ie one we fear

Hope maybe this helps.

Thanks very much for your help Butterflywings - that all makes sense 🙂 The bit about Harner is interesting too as my main/inner spirit always tells me he's my 'Guardian Spirit' when I ask who he is and if he's a totem.

I've just won Animal Speak on ebay, so I'll hopefully learn more from that too.

Thanks again for your reply, I appreciate it! 🙂

Little Bat

There is a companion book to Animal Speak called Animal Wise. If you can get hold of a copy it is worth having both. Some animals are in one others in the other. Annoying if you only have one of the pair. There is a workbook too but I haven't really looked at this in depth.

This may or may not be what you are looking for, but I can offer the following in case it might be helpful.

In many Lakota traditions, certain spirits are recognized for having characteristics associated with a direction.

For example, in the way I was taught to pray,

West is associated with the color black, the direction of the spirits of the Thunderbeings and the Horse Nation.

North is associated with the color red, the direction of the spirits of the Buffalo Nation.

East is associated with the color yellow, the direction of the spirits of the Deer and Elk Nations.

South is associated with the color white, the direction of the spirits of the Swan and Crane Nations.

Above is associated with the color blue, the direction of the spirit Grandfather Great Sacred Mystery.

Below is associated with the color green, the direction of the spirit of Grandmother Earth.

Center is associated with the color golden, the direction of the Sacred Spotted Eagle Spirit within.