Inside: Power animals and children. On power animals / spirit guides / spirit animals / higher guidance / shamanic journeying / shapeshifting. Learn how we meet them, why the connection with one’s power animal is important, and about power animals and children – spiritually aware children and teens. Can children meet their power animal? What one needs to pay attention to in the process.
Ashley was deeply surprised by the animal that showed up when we journeyed to retrieve our power animal. She hated the water. She did not like spending time at the beach, lakes, or even by the small stream that crossed the neighborhood park. And her animal was a dolphin. She opened her eyes. Said it was impossible, that it was all nonsense, and was unwilling to continue the journey.
I let it be.
We can’t, and we should not force anyone to work and be connected to their guidance.
Taking the children and teens with whom I work on a journey to retrieve their power animal is not something I often do. Mainly because there is no need.
They are connected to their guidance—in the shape of an animal, higher beings, and other forms. Usually, it is more about giving them words, guiding them about boundaries, and developing a healthy relationship with their Spirit Allies.
Ashley is nearly fourteen. She felt disconnected from her guidance and asked her mom for help. Her request was very specific—to get reacquainted with her power animal.
True high guidance will always support and guide us in delicate, positive ways. Helping us to walk our best selves, our essence, becoming whole, and in joyful ways.
What are power animals?
Power animals are Spirit Allies. Energetic beings. Differently from what is described in some shamanic traditions, in my experience, we cannot claim that power animals come from our reality, the underworld, the middle or upper world, or from specific dimensions. Often, very high guidance takes the form of an animal to make it easier for us to connect with it.
They always come to support us. This is an essential understanding. True to any type of guidance, whether human or coming from other dimensions, true high guidance will never push us to do anything negative, harmful, destructive, or dangerous.
True high guidance will always support and guide us in delicate, positive ways. Helping us to walk our best selves, our essence, becoming whole, and in joyful ways.
The frequency of true guidance is high!
At times, it might nudge us, especially if we are resistant and lose our way. However, even when encouraging us, it will not guide us to take any negative actions that may hurt us or others.
I can’t stress how important this understanding of love, positivity, and respect in our relationship with our higher guidance is. I’ve worked with many adult and teen clients who are listening to negative guidance, thinking it wants what is best for them, becoming attached to guidance coming from low frequencies, while it is filling its needs only. This happens only because no one ever told them that true high guidance will never guide them toward anything harmful.
Like any type of true high guidance, power animals are positive, loving guides with unique qualities.
We all benefit from the connection to our Spirit Allies. When we walk connected to our guidance, in the form of a power animal or other high guidance, we are never alone. We always have someone supporting us, and guiding us to become our best selves, fulfilling the promise of our walk here.
The qualities of power animals
Each animal carries specific qualities. For example, when we think of lions or bears, we think of strength. Large-winged birds symbolize flight, and the perspective that their flight, high above everything, opens. Serpents symbolize the shedding of old stories in the form of skin. Butterflies represent transformation. Evolving from an egg to a caterpillar, then a chrysalis into a cocoon, emerging as the beauty they are. Turtles symbolize wisdom, the earth, and patience.
Would you relate to all the above descriptions given as examples? Possibly not to all.
Each animal has many qualities. Each culture has had its way of attributing characteristics and seeing specific symbolism in each animal.
When working with children and guiding their parents, I avoid sharing any commonly known attributes of power animals. If they are connected to their electronic devices, I clearly ask them to do their best to avoid looking up what others have written about the animal they met.
I explain to them and give examples of why not to look for descriptions written by others. Using a different type of power animal and showing how each of us may need a specific quality of that animal, Spirit Ally, to come to our awareness.
For example, two children may have a turtle appear as a power animal in their journey. For one, the attribute may be that of patience. Willing to walk slower in their current days. For the other, it may be the safety of the turtle’s home. Both are attributes of the turtle. They both saw a turtle in their journey, yet each child needs to bring their attention to the energy of a different quality offered to them.
When working with children and guiding their parents, I avoid sharing any commonly known attributes of power animals.
If we are unfamiliar with the animals, how will we know the quality they bring?
Often, all we need is a friend walking with us.
For young children, the meaning and qualities carry nothing. It is about the care and friendship that strengthens them and makes them feel good about themselves. Someone to converse with, in words or without words, and receive guidance from.
Somewhere between 9 and 11, they start asking for more information. That’s when a shamanic journey can take place in which we shapeshift into their power animal.
Shapeshifting means we imagine that we are the animal.
When the shapeshifting takes place within a journey, we go to the meadow, meet our animal, and if she agrees that it would be beneficial for us to turn into her, we go ahead and do that.
If our animal is a deer, we turn into a deer. We run with our power animal across the meadow, nibble and graze roots and grass, and prick up our ears at strange, surprising noises we can’t even hear as humans. We may feel the antlers, or maybe we are a fawn.
We shapeshift for 3-4 minutes at most, and then, within our meadow, we return to our human form.
Five children who each may have deer as a power animal will each have a different experience. One will run with ease. Another will graze and relax. The third might feel the strength of the antlers.
The only way for us to know what our animal represents to us and which of its many powers and qualities it comes to offer us is by self-experience. Shapeshifting allows that self-experience.
How do we retrieve our power animal?
Traditionally, one would go on a vision quest to find and meet their power animal. Yet, power animals show up in many ways. For example:
- In a shamanic journey where we call for it.
- In a shamanic journey where we did not call for it, but it showed up and introduced itself: It may show up as part of our meadow quite a few times, giving us time to familiarize ourselves with her before any contact is actually made.
- An animal can also show itself physically. Seeing a specific animal when we are walking with a specific question. If it’s a one-time encounter, it is only a symbol and guidance sent our way. When we physically see the same animal a few times, I would recommend going on a journey to meet that power animal in the energetic dimensions and explore its gifts and messages.
- Power animals can also show up in our dreams, imagination, and as a brief image or thought.
Shamanic journeying is not the only way to meet our power animal.
In my perspective, one must find one’s power animal on one’s own. I choose not to tell clients, or anyone, who their power animal is, even if I see it within my work with them. There is always room for mistakes. Self-referencing is key.
Explore the Shamanic Journeying with Children & Teens Online Course: Deepen and Learn How to Share Shamanic Journeying with the Children & Teens in Your Life.
The Shamanic Journeying With Children & Teens Course includes a section introducing Power Animals and journeys to meet one’s power animal and explore shapeshifting.
Types of animals?
Any animal can show up as a power animal, Spirit Ally, including insects, small animals, and domestic animals.
Some animals stay with us forever. Others come to support us for a while and may then remain in the background, while other animals—other guidance, carrying qualities that we need at that time—show up.
Power animals and the spiritually aware.
Remember Ashley from the beginning of this post? A few days later, we met again and talked about it. She knew about the shapeshifting, and apparently, what scared her was becoming a dolphin and having to imagine herself within the water.
Ashley shared that since our journey, her dolphin had been calling her. She keeps seeing her, imagines her, and even received a book about dolphins from a friend, who know nothing about her experience, saying she has to read it.
I suggested she ask her dolphin about a way to meet, without nearing any water. Her dolphin offered to become a sky dolphin. Ashley agreed to shapeshift into a dolphin, swimming in the sky. Soon after, she was also in the water.
Ashley’s dolphin power animal accompanied her for a long time. She is still around when Ashley needs her. Ashley did not become fond of the beach or other places with water. But she is confident there. Knowing that she is never alone, and always watched by her wise friend.
We all benefit from the connection to our Spirit Allies. When we walk connected to our guidance, in the form of a power animal or other high guidance, we are never alone. We always have someone supporting us, and guiding us to become our best selves, fulfilling the promise of our walk here.
Children relate to animals. Thus, many see their guidance as power animals.
Some recall their animals from childhood.
Do you recall yours? Are you connected to your power animal now? Is your child?
What is your experience with power animals? What is the experience of your children? Please share in the comments below.
Further reading
Five Reasons Why You Want Your Children To Know How To Go On A Shamanic Journey
On our bookshelf: The Hidden Worlds by Sandra Ingerman and Katherine Wood: A powerful book for teens, about teens who meet their power animals and the effect it has on their lives and the environment.
A short blog post by Eva Goulette, Founder of Dancing Jaguar Spirit Camp, about introducing power animals to children participating in her camps: Power Spirit Allies Greet Children at Dancing Jaguar’s Spirit Camp.
A Journey to the Underworld to Retrieve One’s Power Animal by Alberto Villoldo: This journey is for adults. If you want to share it with your child(ren), you should make the necessary adjustments.
Explore the Shamanic Journeying with Children & Teens Online Course: Deepen and Learn How to Share Shamanic Journeying with the Children & Teens in Your Life.
This course includes a section introducing Power Animals and journeys to meet one’s power animal and explore shapeshifting.
2 Responses
Loved reading and learning from you.
Thank you, Zeenat.
In blessings of light.
Efrat