"[W]hen the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men [it would signal] the end of living and the beginning of survival" -Chief Seattle, 1855. Those settlers who were warned came to America forgetting their native tradition in favor of a religion that taught man "[he must] be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth" -Gen.I.26.
Chief Seattle's words are even greater an urgency now. We need to fight to preserve the forests and the wildlife, and at same time connect to our spiritual roots so we no longer feel alienated from Mother Earth. As the wilderness is eradicated, some wilderness disappears in us too. As an animal becomes extinct, something dies in us as well. As we abuse the environment, we abuse ourselves. Nowhere is this clearly demonstrated than in our destruction of the rainforest, the extinction of thousands of species each year, to produce more meat whose over-consumption medical science has proved to be directly related to heart disease and some cancers. We destroy the inner world of our bodies as we destroy the outer world that sustains and supports all life.
The ghosts of the animals that roam this plane long to return. Their call is from the future, not the past. It is the call that urges us to unite again with all of creation. There is hope. They call us to cease the madness of our alienation and destruction, and ally ourselves once more with all our relations(the stones, trees, birds, insects, fish, and animals). Maybe then we can begin to live again and not just surviving to suffer the consequences of our delusion that we are masters of all Nature.
When we let go believing we are superior, we open ourselves to experience living in the community of Nature(being a part of it, not separate from it). We are welcomed back into the circle we never left, except in our delusion. As we look up into the night sky, we sense the animal spirits looking down on us, and we understand why the ancient Greeks named the circle of the constellations the zodiac, "the circle of living animals."
The old ways(such as Druidic, Wicca, and so on) have not been lost, but neglected and forgotten. With virtually every aspect of these old ways taught and practiced, we have been lead to believe that hardly any vestige remains. And yet, simply put to one side rather than buried deep, there are the myths and stories, the folk customs and sayings, the stone circles and sacred sites, the Bardic remains and historical references that, pieced together and united with commonsense and intuition, reveals practices and teachings that can and is being revived all over the world. We will be looking at the Druidic aspect with relations to Wicca, Celtic, Shamanism, and all the old ways.
History
Our ancestors revered every aspect of the natural world and considered each part capable of being an ally, guide, and teacher. The Druid of today is able to draw inspiration, direction, and assistance from each realm of the natural world(just like Wicca, Shamanism, etc), but in the old days it was easier and less unusual(fewer "things" between us and world of Nature). Animals especially were revered for qualities and seen as sacred to the Goddess and Gods.
A number of tribes or clans reported to be descended from animals such as the "cat-people" in Scotland and the "wolf tribes" in Ireland(just to name a few). Families too had totem animals carried either in name, crest, or family tradition. We are familiar with English names that clearly are those of animals such as Fox. Most of us know the animal that is related to those names of classical origin such as Philip from the Greek meaning "lover of horses." Names such as Son of Fox or Little Wolf were quite common in the British native tradition, which makes us feel even closer to our brothers and sisters of Native American tradition:)
Our ancestors loved and respected animals so much they chose to be buried with them, to have as guides and companions in the Otherworld. They made use of every part of the animal(bones and teeth for charms, skins as clothing, etc). When they hunted, they asked the Goddess for permission first before they dared taking the life of any creature. The bond between our ancestors and animals was so rich that they found themselves in relationships not simply with lowly beasts but with guardians, guides in this and next world, healers, friends, and teachers. It is no wonder that they considered them sacred and companions of the Gods. It is only we, recent and two-dimensional humanity, that see in animals merely "lesser" creatures of inferior intelligence and little value(beyond that of a foodstuff).
A reverence for animals and an awareness of them as teachers and guides is as old as humanity itself. The Drachenloch caves in Switzerland reveal an altar dedicated to the Bear that are 70,000 yrs old. In Lascaux caves in France, extraordinary animal paintings and ceremonial bear's body statue are over 19,000 yrs old. Clearly animals were at the center of religious practice from the very earliest of times.
Wearing animal skins, heads, and feathers was a way of indentifying with them, of becoming them for a while, to partake of their powers and receive divine inspiration. As well as dressing as animals, our ancestors sacrificed and buried them ritualistically(though this does not happen now). Any initial distaste at this behavior should be tempered though with an awareness that millions of factory-farmed animals are now sacrificed daily with no accompanying spiritual context, whereas the sacrifices and rituals of our ancestors involved small numbers of creatures and an intense awareness of the gift the animal was giving by being sacrificed.
The importance of animals in religious life of our ancestors can also be seen in the fact that of the eight Druid Festivals of the year, four of them known as the Fire Festivals, are particularly related to the pastoral life of animal rearing and agriculture Imbolc, Febuary 1st, time of lambing and calving and first sowing. Beltane, May 1st, signals beginning of summer when herbs are led up to the high pastures. Lughnasadh, August 1st, marks beginning of harvest. Samhuinn, November 1st, beginning of winter when animals are led down into the valleys.
Druidic Tradition
Working with animal powers is a central feature of Shamanism. We can find many Shamanic elements woven into the philosophy and practice of Druidry. The Shamanic way can be defined as a method to open a door and enter a different reality. The word "Druid" is related to the meaning of both "oak" and "door" (the symbol of a door or gateway being central in Druidic teaching), and much in Druid ceremonies and meditations has as its goal to journey into other realities.
The key features in Shamanic arts includes ritual dance, possession of a wand or staff, ecstatic trance, wearing of animal costume, identification with bird or stag or bull, becoming master of game animals and initiations, and control of magickal animal or "familiar." Traces of possible ritual dances exist in old folk dances and numerous references to Druid wands and staffs and ecstatic or altered states is in the literature of Druidry. Druids are often identified as animals such as adders or piglets and said to possess "crane, raven, or bird knowledge". Stags and bulls are important in Druidry(stag is the messenger from the Otherworld ridden by the sage Merlin and the bull is sacred to the god Taranis, the sky god of thunder and lightning and the oak tree).
The image of the master of game animals in Celtic iconography and literature can be found. The control of a magickal animal or familiar is commonly related to an attribute of the "witch" in British folklore with the hare, the toad, and the cat(being the most common familiars). There are many historical connections between Druidry and Wicca.
Bridging the Gap
Animals are revered for their ability to bridge the gap between this plane of existence and the Otherworld(the world of powers and potencies, of spirits and forces which guide and help us). They can bring messages to us from the Otherworld and they can act as our guides in that realm when we have died. Having a spirit-form as well as a physical form, they can be our guardians and protectors even when they are not present physically. Although each animal has their own paths in the Otherworld, they form certain groups that are particularly suited for certain functions; some are suitable as guardians and protectors, and others as healers, guides, teachers, shape-shifters, or familiars.
There are four different types of animals. One can open us to the beauty of the animal in this physical world leading us to discover more about its life and ways. The second can put us in touch with our own "inner animals." Animals act as ideal symbols or images of our deepest fears and urges, or of those parts of our psyche which we repress or deny or simply neglect. By welcoming and loving the animals which enter our awarness through the Oracle, in dreams and meditation and reveried, we enrich our inner world and discover a way of personal growth that is completely in tune with the natural world. The third are power animals. In the Druidic tradition, the belief that animals exist in spirit-form in the Otherworld they can visit us, give us energy or healing, inspiration or advice. Each of them carries a particular power, gift or "medicine" and thus they are known as "power animals." The fourth is known as a "totem." If we choose to work with power animals, we may find ourselves developing a special bond with one or more of them. We will sense their presence often in our consciousness; guiding, teaching, and healing us. We can then say that these power animals have become our "totems" or "familiars."
Conclusion
When we were taught to "subdue the earth" we subdued our own instinctual selves. With this division between spirit and matter, mind and body, or inner animals were caged, frightened and forgotten. They appeared in our dreams, they became the beasts that lurked at the fringes of our civilized world. As long as we reject the animals within us, we can never truly be human. To regain our humanity we must embrace them, love and come to know each of them that exists in our hearts and souls. Working with these sacred animals can help us to do this; at the same time introducing us to a treasure-house of traditional wisdom which we can now reclaim and use for our own benefit and for the benefit of all living beings.
Oracles
Life is like that of a river, whose flowing water represents the flowing of our lives towards an ocean of Oneness and Bliss. By using an oracle we attempt to look beneath the surface of the water(the surface of our lives) to observe its undercurrents, its depths, its hidden secrets.
Oracles help us gain access to these "hidden secrets". Through an oracle we may get glimpses, insights, images to the events in our past, present, and future(an oracle cannot predict the future). Oracles can only point to possibilities and pitfalls, not to predict. Oracles are not used for divination or fortune-telling. They are a tool for assisting us to guide our lives in the present, for it is only in the present that our power can be exercised. We should use it to discover not what will happen in the future, but what influences or tendencies might be needed in our lives such as encouragement, understanding, or changing. Think about sailing a boat, the more we know about the tides and weather, the better we are able to sail. Like life, the more information we have on its influences and dynamics, the more we are able to act responsible and effectively.
The Sacred Animals
~*The animals are presented in a sequence starting with the Blackbird who stands at the Gateway all the way to the conclusion of the Seal who represents love*~