Power animal

Power animal is a term for a spirit in animal form, which is imagined in esoteric and in Neoschamanismus. It is described as a spiritual companion in animal form or as a soul mate.

Power animals are called in esoteric and totem animals or spirit animals.

Origin of Power Animals

The idea of ​​power animals was taken from North American tribal religions, and from the shamanistic cultures of Siberia and the Arctic in which there are guardian spirits in animal form. In the mythology of these peoples animals play an important role and are usually regarded as having a soul. In other cultures where shamanism occurs, for example, in South America, it is believed, as well as in the Arctic and Siberia to helping spirits that are seen as souls of deceased ancestors, plant or animal spirits. In Australia and North America, the guardian spirits are mostly animal diverse.

The animals that appear to the shaman in his trance as spirits, are considered auxiliary spirits and guardian spirits. Such spirits ( spiritus familiaris) are different from the divine or semi-divine beings, like the shaman at its meetings.

Have power animals according to the teachings of various forms of shamanism great power in the far upper and lower worlds. You are the shaman to help navigate these worlds and to understand these worlds. These beings are called to the soul of man to accompany you on trips in these worlds to protect, heal and lead.

The shaman has mostly several auxiliary spirits in animal form, to assist him in his duties, visiting spiritual worlds and the healing of disease, misery and unhappiness (see soul's journey ). The shaman falls into a trance and visited this imaginative spiritual worlds, where he eg asks for the return of human souls that have been trapped by evil spirits.

Some shamans have only an auxiliary spirit in animal form, others an entire army. So shamans of the northern Ostyaks have only one animal spirit, the bear, while in northern Greenland a shaman has up to fifteen helping spirits. In some nations, the shaman is more powerful, the more benign spirits he has. In the mythology of the Inuit, the animal spirits will come forth out of free will, if the shaman proves to be worthy.

Importance of different animal spirits

The shamans of Siberia and the Arctic, the various peoples belong to a common mythological culture, communicate with spirits from nature such as wolves, moose, bears, ravens, fish, horses, snakes and birds.

In the Nenets, Chukchi and Evenki reindeer, foxes, bears and wolves have traditionally played an important role in myths and stories.

The ratio of the shaman to the animal spirits can vary depending on the people, but there is always a close relationship, which extends from the ratio of a benefactor to his protégé to the relationship of a servant to his master.

The role played by animals in the shamanic session, evident in the introduction to the session and the preparation of heaven or the underworld journeys, during which the shaman imitates among other things, the behavior of animals and animal cries imitated.

In the various tribes of the Arctic and Siberia certain animal spirits are traditionally handed down, which also have different roles depending on the strain and meanings: The shaman is eg in the form of the animal itself can travel in a trance experiences in the otherworldly spirit worlds, fight hostile beings or animals accompany him on his magical tasks. An important task of the shaman Arctic peoples in relation to animals, it is, for example, to meet the Lord of the animals on a journey of the soul and negotiate hunting. The Evenki this Lord of the animals of the bear, which is also regarded as the Supreme Being is. Among the peoples of northeastern Siberia and Inuit groups of Alaska, Canada and Greenland, the raven has an important role as the ancestor of people, creator of the earth and bearer of culture.

Power animals in the esoteric

In the esoteric context in Western culture power animals play a role similar to the animal spirits in their cultures of origin. The animal is usually understood symbolically and there are a variety of different methods to get in contact with these animals. The so-called Krafftiere be recognized in a dream or imagined, imitated dance and phonetically and serve as a companion and advisor in connection with imaginative ideas.

Animal spirits can be divided into two groups:

• The power animals have a personal relationship with the people whom they are accompanying, and stay with him. Some people assume that everyone has a power animal, not only shamans, even if he does not know it.
• In contrast, helper animals accompany a person either for a time or only in certain situations (eg diseases), otherwise they are not with the people, but they can help more people (one by one ). You have no personal connection to the people they accompany and support.

The symbol of the animal is generally understood that the connection to the animal the respective symbolic properties on the ' shaman ' transfers or personalize its properties. A wolf lives in a pack would be equipped with empathy or the fox will cause high intelligence. The symbolic characteristics of animals are mostly related not only to tribal religions and shamanism in the esoteric, but also dine from European traditions such as Mythology, fables and fairy tales.