signs
Messages From My Totems
Do you have a specific animal, bird, reptile, or insect that keeps catching your attention? I am not speaking of your dog or cat or pet bird, but of those that you repeatedly cross paths with in nature, or even in your dreams.
Each one of us has at least one totem or spirit animal, and sometimes more, that show up in some way throughout our lifetime. The term totem comes from the Ojibwa word ototeman and was introduced in English in the 18th century to refer to a ‘designated guardian spirit animal.’
When our totems show up, the most important thing is to recognize what is currently happening in your life, or what thoughts are going through your mind at the time you see it. You may also notice that whenever you are in turmoil you tend to see this specific creature (or creatures) more than when life is going smoothly.
Each totem is a symbolic representation with a specific message. They warn us of danger, or help us make important life decisions, or comfort us when we are struggling, or just bring a confirmation or a sense of peace.
They bring to us whatever we most need at the time they cross our paths. It is up to you to just trust the energy you are in when you come across one of these beautiful creatures.
Three totems that have been present in my life at specific times are the Eagle, the Owl and the Wolf. Each offered me specific support I needed at that time, and they brought me reassuring messages. At times they have also inspired me with confidence, power and strength when I most needed it. Below are a few examples of what these totems have represented to me. Maybe it will help you identify, understand, and trust your animal totems.
Communicating With Your Pets In The Spirit Realm
It is known among my friends and clients that have had certain very challenging life experiences, including former struggles with addiction and sobriety. But I can honestly say, the most painful was a traumatic event just a few years ago, when on a walk along a familiar path two of my dogs chased a hare and were never seen again.
My husband and I did everything in our power to locate them and used every possible way to get the message out that they had gone missing. We even offered a substantial reward for whoever could help us find them. We put up posters in a 50-mile radius and walked day in and day out talking to everyone who cared to listen. My husband even purchased an electric mountain bike to get to areas we might not otherwise have been able to access.
The kindness we found in our community was overwhelming and there were endless phone calls and concerned friends and neighbors doing searches because they wanted to help. Nobody seemed to care much about the potential reward; everyone just wanted to help. Out of all of the leads we received, there were only two scam calls from individuals who were only after the reward, but I was quickly able to suss them out on the phone.
Our dogs’ names were Amber and Brutus. Two days after their disappearance, and still having hope of them coming home, I felt Amber communicate with me. “This was meant to happen,” she said. The telepathic message was vivid but didn’t help in terms of knowing if they were still alive.
Last week, I asked for a sign from the dogs. Looking at their pet booklets, there would be a good chance that, even if Amber had survived, she may have passed in the meantime due to old age.
Seeing Spirit Signs In Ordinary Things
Seeing see spirit signs and meaningful symbols in ordinary things is a common phenomenon among the spiritually aware. One way that many of us see such signs is by observing meaningful shapes or patterns in ordinary things.
As a child, while having breakfast, I would often see faces or animals in my eggs or oatmeal. I never gave it a second thought that other kids might not see what I did. It even became a game for me to count how many things I could see. And to this day, my morning cup of coffee or tea with cream often produces all sorts of wonderful shapes for my amusement.
In the fourth grade, while eating lunch at school one day, I asked the kids around me if anyone else also saw faces in their food. Two kids said yes, but most said they did not. The three of us who did see faces agreed to see how many more things we could see in this way, and report back our discoveries to each other. It created a special bond between us that lasted throughout our school years. To this day we still sometimes compare notes.
My sister and I also created a game of face counting while taking long car rides with our parents. We were only allowed to count the faces and animals we spotted on our side of the car. Once we reached our destination, the one with the highest count received a prize, which was usually a small trinket from the local department store.
Even my older sister, who does not believe in much that cannot be scientifically verified, sees chariots in the sky. To this day, at age 78, she will say, “Look! Do you see the chariots and horses in the clouds?’ Much to my chagrin, I have never been able to see it myself.
Unconditional Love From The Rainbow Bridge
Sometimes pet owners connect with the souls of their animals on a very deep level. We love them so much that when they finally depart from this life the grief and sadness can be just as agonizing as losing a human loved one. This was the case recently for me when we lost our beloved family cat.
I had to finally make the difficult decision to release him from his pain and suffering. And thus our ‘little black panther,’ as we call him, departed this world to cross the Rainbow Bridge.
He had been suffering with a malignant tumor under his tongue. Bone cancer we were told. Earlier this year, I knew there was something more going on after a dental appointment to have an infected tooth removed. His little chin continued to swell up and the antibiotics were not working.
We did all we could. We made sure he had the best, soft food, and lots of love. The faucet in the tub was left slightly open to drip, so he could have water from his favorite place to get it fresh and cold.
On the day he was to be euthanized, the Moon was in Capricorn. A Capricorn Moon is a time of seriousness, when duty calls. It is a lunar influence that requires us to make difficult, yet responsible decisions, and to remain steadfast and determined in doing what we know is best and necessary.
Our little black panther seemed carefree and at peace. He had been lying next to me all night on a nearby bookshelf. It was a very sunny day and the breeze felt nice to him as he sat up and looked out the open window. He was free of pain, as we had been giving him medication to make him more comfortable.
Two of his brothers took turns sitting next to him. We took our time to say our final goodbyes. We also prayed and even put some holy water on him. Did everything we could. Cried lots of tears. It was very difficult. So awfully hard.
Then the time came for us to take our boy in to the clinic. He sensed it was time and seemed relieved. Even his brother, who was born in the same batch of kittens a minute before him, seemed to understand it was time, as snuck out the door hoping to come with us. We had to unlock the door and put him back inside. I telepathically explained to him that this brother loves him and so do we, but he could not go with us…we would be back shortly.
How To Make Gratitude A Way Of Life
Life has certainly not been easy for me recently. First and foremost, my iPhone, email account, bank account and credit card had all been hacked by some very clever cyber-criminal. Soon after, my brother went into hospital for the second time. I was feeling rather sorry for myself until one day, after visiting my brother in the hospital, I was delayed while driving home. I had to stop at a junction to allow oncoming traffic to pass. A hearse was passing by on the other side of the road.
“God bless the deceased and their loved ones,” I softly prayed.
As the funeral procession moved closer, I noticed that the flower wreath beside the coffin had a ribbon with the words: Beloved Daughter. In a flash, all my own problems seemed to evaporate, as I thought of the bereaved parents of the deceased. Here I was, complaining that I could not access my email account, while other people were grieving the passing of a loved one. Although it was a brief, random experience, it made me take a step back and take an honest look at my life. It caused me to reflect upon the many blessings in my life and, apart from my brother’s current health condition, the ongoing well-being of the rest of my family.
The hearse experience was highly synchronistic and definitely a sign from spirit. The Universe no doubt had an uncanny hand in ochestrating this occurence, as it mimicked an similar experience I had almost 20 years ago! Back then, my son had been born three months prematurely and suffered a minor brain hemorrhage as a result. Statistically, the doctors told me, the odds were fortunately in favor of him surviving such a premature birth. Still, the four months that he was in hospital were probably the most harrowing of my life!
Universal Psychic Symbols Versus Personal Symbology
Meaningful symbolism is everywhere, including in our dreams and subconscious minds. The earliest symbols known to modern man can be traced back to paleolithic caves of the early Stone Age. Spontaneous artwork done by both adults and children in a psychotherapy session often includes many archetypal symbols. Symbols are not only present in mythology, art, religion, and occult practices, but also in chemistry, road signs and even on the product packaging in supermarkets.
Symbols can convey a powerful, instant message and this is why people, often the young and vulnerable individuals, can be easily influenced by the media and the subliminal messages contained in the cleverly encoded symbols in political campaigns and advertising, for example. The everyday subliminal influence of symbolism in our lives is profound. Symbols speak to our mind, body and spirit.
Specific symbols make up a universal language and people with speech disabilities, or those with difficulty in communicating, use symbols and symbolic languages as an alternative method of communication. When doing animal telepathy our pets pick up the images and symbols we project to them, as opposed to words we might try to send them. Hence the need, for example, to send our animals happy images of being reunited with us if they are lost, rather than fearful images of them being lost and alone.
Symbols are the foundation of divination. Every Tarot, Rune or I Ching symbol, for example, has a documented, universal meaning, as well as a personal interpretation for the individual diviner. This is why it is important for a psychic reader to relay any symbol she receives during a reading to the client, because it may just be of great personal significance.
Combining Cartomancy With Pendulum Dowsing
Every psychic is different on how they do readings using divination tools. I like to challenge myself and push the envelope. I have developed my own divination method by combining the use of a regular deck of playing cards and a pendulum to do psychic readings.
A pendulum is a weighted object at the end of a string or chain and it can be used for both dowsing and divination. The ‘bob’ of the pendulum is usually a crystal, piece of metal or some other gemstone. Pendulums have different sizes and shapes and they come in many colors. I use a quartz crystal pendulum with a 12 inch chain. Divination with a pendulum can be done in many different ways, including using charts. You can even use a simple chart you draw on a normal sheet of paper.
The idea to use a pendulum and deck of cards at the same time came to me many years back, when I felt the need for a new psychic challenge. When I do psychic readings with playing cards, I find it helps to open up my psychic abilities even more.
You may wonder how anyone can use an ordinary deck of playing cards, instead of the Tarot or oracle cards, to do readings. Well, I can feel the energy or ‘vibes’ better by using ordinary playing cards when I do a reading.
When I was younger I used to give readings to friends, and I discovered the cards give off a very strong energy for me. I am guided by spirit when I read, and when my psychic abilities kick in I feel a ‘heat’ or I feel my hand drawn to certain cards. I get an even more accurate result when I use a pendulum, instead of my hands.