Oftentimes, messages come with animals,
either live or in spirit vision. If this happens to you, you should study the
meaning of this animal, as it may well become your personal totem or power
animal. Bear in mind, too, that your animal totem might be a real surprise. You
may be a 300-pound linebacker, and your totem might be a mouse. Remember, the
totem picks you; you don’t pick the totem.
I was surprised when my spirit animal
totem first came to me. For whatever reason, I thought I was not a nature girl.
I did a personal vision quest, and while a trip to an exotic place such as the
Amazon jungle was not in my immediate plans, I felt I could definitely journey
to the shore and make it a spiritual trek. Between Santa Cruz and San
Francisco, there is a wonderful national park by the Pacific Ocean called Big
Basin. Big Basin features a waterfall with a very large creek that flows down a
mountain directly into the ocean. For sheer physical beauty and drama, Big
Basin is nearly unmatched. The waterfall is a “word of mouth” phenomenon that
only occurs after the rainy season. If you go at any other time, the waterfall
is dry and, for all intents and purposes, simply does not exist. I decided
that, for my purposes, I could experience a little of the magic Terrence wrote
about.
So I set off on the seven-mile journey
up the mountain to find Berry Creek Falls. Because I was hit by a drunk driver
some years back and suffered physical trauma, I am not a hiker. But I was
extremely motivated to try, and the beauty of the spring day I had selected for
my vision quest was sheer joy to behold. Through flowering spring trees, the
singing brook, and a lush green landscape, I felt like I had rediscovered Eden
all by myself. After about five miles, my ankle, which had been smashed in the
accident, was begging me for a respite. I moved down the bank of the big creek
and dipped my throbbing leg into the cool water. It felt so good, and I was so
hot and hungry, that it seemed absolutely essential that I plunge into the
creek. I think I lay in the water for at least two hours, and I felt an enormous
sense of release there. I wept, letting go of deep emotions as the water flowed
around me. Lichen, moss, leaves, and some small sticks caught in my hair, but
these only added to my sense that I was getting closer to nature. I was in my
element and very glad of it.
Eventually, I became aware of the world
outside my mossy mermaid creek bed. It was getting late and, lacking flashlight
or fire, I could either wash out to sea or return to the world and my life.
Refreshed, a little more lucid, and a lot hungrier, but with no distinct
vision, it seemed that it was going to take another trip for me to get any real
enlightenment.
I started the journey of several miles
down the incline, deep in thought. After a few minutes I noticed that I was not
the only one walking in the woods. I stopped, and the other footsteps stopped,
too. I started and the other footsteps started again. The steps were very
close. It seemed that someone or something was walking just off to my left,
practically beside me. I started to get frightened; being followed was not in
my vision quest plans!
Carefully and quietly, I turned to look
in the dimming light. To my utter amazement, there was a young female deer
walking beside me. We looked at each other, and I am not sure who was more frightened.
We walked together and soon grew fairly comfortable with each other’s presence.
I touched her and she didn’t flinch or run away. This was miraculous. I
marveled that she remained at my side. I grew up in West Virginia, where deer
simply don’t “hang out” with humans. I came to realize that this doe was my
animal totem. She picked me, and definitely let me know that she was there for
me, escorting me down the mountain from my vision quest. At the end of the
grassy hill, before it became sand and beach, she turned, and with a long gaze
gave me her goodbye. I was practically shaking with excitement and an
indescribable bursting feeling inside.
All those Native American teachings I
had heard were completely real and true. Never again did I doubt the veracity
of vision and spirit from the elders.
The realm of the spirit is there. It’s
just waiting for you to walk in.
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