To: MagicEcho Users From: Anne Newkirk Niven Re: This Article
 
     This article will be appearing soon in SageWoman Magazine, 
and  I wanted  to  share it with y'all on the MagicEcho.  Hope 
that  you enjoy  it and that Metaphysical was the correct place
to  put  it.    
                                        Blessed Insect, Anne  
 
                      Power from the Earth:  
                 My Experience with Animal Allies  
 
     The  first  animal ally to make himself known to me  was 
the  unicorn. As it happened, I was a child when Galadrial
arrived, and  had   no  experience which could give me an 
understanding  of  the  being who  kept me company on my long, 
lonely walks back and forth  to  school. Especially since my
companion wasn't visible.  But  I  knew,  even then  
(I must have been about 10 or 11) several things:  that 
Galadrial  was  real,  that he was my  friend,  and  that  my 
relationship  with him was a special one that not a lot of 
people  would understand. I was an archetypal bookworm in those
days, from  a very stress-filled home,  and an incurable
romantic.  And I  was  horse-crazy.  (Like a great many  
girls my age.) As I look back, it  seems little wonder that the
being  who took a friendly interest in  me, gave me encouragement
and love, and a sense of personal worth,  chose to show himself
as a unicorn.   
 
     It was not until many years later, in my mid-twenties, that
I first  heard  about totems or power-animals or animal  allies. 
By  then I was in my first year of a Master's program at a  Bay 
Area  Christian  seminary,  taking  a  class  from  a  wonderful 
United  Methodist shaman. (I don't think "shaman" is title she
uses in her  professional life as a lay minister in the church. 
But, as far as  I'm concerned,  the title fits.) Somehow, my
class project came to  be that of finding my animal totems.
Somehow, I never doubted that  I  had  animal allies -  
I just didn't consciously  know  who  they  were.  
 
     The process of discovering my animal allies took many 
weeks. During  the process of meeting each ally,  I spent a good
deal  of  time  getting to know them. In each case, I had a
plaster life cast  of my face made while comming with my ally.  I
listened to  music,  used incense  and scented oils,  and
generally tried  to  immerse myself  in  the essence of the ally. 
Once the mask  was  done,  I  further molded, painted and formed
the mask into a likeness of the  animal  - so that I now have
masks which I can wear which  fit  my  face on the inside, and  
reflect my allies on the outside. 
     One  good example of an initial meeting with an ally was 
the  time I recognized the Hawk of the East. (Certain of my
allies  are  more  private  than  others,  and  do  not  wish 
their  personal  names  published.  As with  any  valued friend
who  might  make  such  a  request,  I am honoring this one.)  He
came to me as I was waiting  for a streetcar in San Francisco, 
out by Ocean Beach. One moment,  I  was searching the  East for
my guardian there;  the next I  felt  his wings overshadow my  
soul, and his name was ringing in my ears.  The Hawk's power is
awesome,  fierce, and directed. It is the power  of thought; 
undisturbed by emotion,  will, or physical concerns -  like  the 
light of a laser or the blade of a  sharp  knife.  Hawk  rules
the East,  the realm of the mind, the element of Air and the 
dawning glory of morning. When I cannot think clearly, I call
upon  him, and his advice is always right to the point. He is
also a bit  cynical and predatory - but nobody can see farther or
fly higher.  
 
     Firecat  was the next ally to make herself known to  me, 
and she remains one of my strongest allies.  Her power can rip
through  my life  in  unpredictable ways,  yet she  is  my  most 
powerful  physical  protector. Her form is that of a leopard,
with fiery eyes  and  razor sharp claws.  Hers is the power of
the  will,  of  the  inborn desire to  survive, to master any
circumstance. When I lived  in Berkeley and had to walk at night
in neighborhoods where I  did  not feel safe, I called on all my
allies - but Firecat was the one  whose  prowling presence  
most strengthened my courage.  She  rules  the South, the realm
of  passion and will, the element of Fire, and  the burning heat
of  noontime.  
 
     Deepwave  and Greatsong are whales.  What more can I  say? 
A  mated  pair,  deeply in love with each other and with  the 
entire planet, their watery passion swirls through my life like
the tides  of the ocean in which they make their home.  Presiding 
over  the  West, the  realm of emotion,  the element of water and 
the  long  hours  of afternoon and sunset,  their presence helps
me  to  live  with  my emotions  rather than be overcome  by 
them.  I  have  a  tendency  to ride my feelings like a
rollercoaster - but  Deepwave  and Greatsong help  me to
experience a sense of  joy  and  peace  underlying the waves  
of emotion. 
 
     She  Who Roars rules the North,  the element  of  Earth, 
the  realm  of  the  physical,  and the time  of  midnight.  In 
a  way  unlike any of  the others,  She is the Goddess in my
life. The best  way for me to  describe my reaction to Her is
awe.  It is rare  for  me to call upon  her, perhaps because I am
still afraid of her, for  her presence makes  clear to me that I
will someday  die.  Yet,  at  certain times, it is  only She who
can comfort me. Her form is that  of a great She-Bear;  and  
while I hesitate to approach her immense  body, powerful claws
and  threatening teeth, I find when I lay down  in  her embrace
that she is  the most tender and loving of  all  my  guardians. 
I devoutly hope that  when I approach Her for the  last  time  in 
this  life,   I  will  be   granted  the  opportunity  to 
consciously give myself into her care.   
 
     Always  the  outsider,   Shadowsinger  the  Wolf  prowls 
the perimeter of my being.  She dwells primarily in the
underworld  of   dream,  fantasy  and  nightmare,  where  she
roams  as  a  sentry,   offering  early  warnings when there is
danger to me  or  those  I love.  She is of no one element,
direction, or time - but her dark  and  beautiful presence is a
part of all of them.  
 
     The  center  of my circle of allies is held by  the 
Unicorn,   whose name has changed since I first met him.  Filled
with a clear light  that includes the darkness and colors of the
other  allies,  he   stands  at the center of my psyche  like  a 
large,  brilliant  crystal,  concentrating and balancing their
energies, helping me to  maintain  my   balance  and 
centeredness  among  all  the  varying  influences on my  
life.  
 
    My most recently discovered ally is very timid.  This one
(who   changes  gender from time to time) is a small animal, 
whose  only   defense against predators is to run away and hide. 
I was  unaware  of   this  deeply  hidden ally until a vision
journey  in  which  I  prepared  to face that part of myself
which most deeply  terrified  me.  I sat  calmly,  waiting for
some terrible beast,  an  enormous  monster  - and  out into the
middle of the sacred circle  hopped  a  tiny baby rabbit.   
I was very surprised.  I couldn't believe  that  this little, 
nameless  one was my shadow ally, the one whom I most  greatly
feared.   
 
     But then the depth of its fear struck me. Having called on
my  other  allies  to  protect me,  I was at the center  of  a 
circle   surrounded  by  fierce beasts  - a sharp-taloned  hawk, 
a  hungry leopard,  enormous whales,  a great she-bear, a
prowling, circling   wolf.  No wonder my rabbit ally was
terrified!  It struck me then,  how  very frightened I was of
being small,  helpless,  and alone  -  just  like a tiny baby
rabbit.  
 
     The   unicorn  was  nowhere  in  sight  -   having  
abruptly disappeared when the rabbit arrived.  This struck me as
odd at the time,  but I didn't understand the significance of
this fact until writing  this  account.  The Unicorn is the
center  of  power and energy in my center - but hidden beneath
that gleaming light is my deepest,  smallest  self,  the one who
fears being  abandoned  and helpless  and powerless.   The two
are intrinsicly the  same,  two faces of the one Being at my
center.  
 
     As I cradled my shadow self, still quivering with fear in
the   center  of the circle,  I had an idea.  Carefully,  I
carried  the rabbit over to the East,  where the Hawk sat, 
watching intensely. Then,  drawing my hands over her body,  I
cast a glamour upon  the  tiny rabbit so that, to the hawk, it
appeared that a baby hawk lay  before   him.  Immedietely,  his 
eyes lit up and  he  covered  the  fledgling with his wings, 
welcoming her to the circle. Around the  circle I went,  letting
each of my allies welcome and nurture  the  tiny,  frightened one
as their own child.  When I was finished,  I  held her in her own
form as I dissolved the circle and bid each of  my allies
farewell. Finally, the tiny rabbit hopped back into the  shadows
from which she  had appeared, and the vision was ended.          
  
      It may be obvious by now that I experience my animal 
allies as actual beings.  I also understand  them to be the
embodiment or  personification  of  different  aspects  of  my 
Self.  These  two different  understandings of their nature are 
not  contradictory,  but  complementary,  similar to my
understanding of the Goddess and  God. They are part of us - and
we are part of them. So, too, with  animal  allies.  Whether I
view them as aspects of my psyche or  as  beings  whose  reality
is different than mine,  I  treat  them  as  respected elders.  
 
     There  are  several  ways in which I  experience  my 
allies. First,  at times, they act as if they were physically
present. For  example,  when I'm walking alone (perhaps in an
unfamiliar  place)  and feel in need of protection,  I call my
allies to my aid.  They   appear, each from their own direction, 
consult with me, and then  fan out as  scouts or guardians to
protect me from whatever  danger  may be lurking  in their
direction.  Although I never see them with  my  five  senses,
their  presence is very apparent  to  me  as  a  physical  one, 
if  not entirely  on  this  plane  of  existence;  surrounded by
the Hawk, Firecat,  the Whales, and Bear, with Wolf  prowling the
perimeter and the Unicorn (and Rabbit) at my  center,  I  feel
much more protected and able to move ahead.  (I might  add  that 
my  five  senses seem somewhat  heightened  with  my  allies 
present,  and I have never yet been  harmed in any way while 
under  their protection.) 
 
     The  second way I experience my allies is when  one  of 
them  inhabits my physical body for a short period of time.  This
occurs  with  my  consent,  in  a kind of exhilerated  or 
altered  state,  usually  brought on by drumming and dancing. 
Occasionally,  it can  have  unexpected results.  I remember one
time at a reggae dance in  a  club, when  I  allowed  Firecat  to 
take  over  during   one  particularly powerful song.  When the
song ended,  She didn't want  to leave - she  wanted to dance
some more!  My body,  however,  was  exhausted,  and  I had quite
an internal struggle.  When my  lover  intervened,  and  took me
outside for some air,  I bit  him.  (Not  hard,  fortunately!)
That was the last straw,  and I rather firmly  banished Firecat
for the  remainder of the evening.  These sorts of  experiences
are rare,  but  powerful;  I still remember that  dance  with 
excitment,  even  if  I feel a  bit  chargrined  about  the 
aftermath!  
 
     I  also experience the presence of my allies when I am  on 
a vision  journey  or  dream quest.  At times  they  act  simply 
as  guardians,  as I described in my account of my first meeting 
with  my rabbit ally.  At other times, they allow me to take
their shape  while  on  a  vision journey;  as the time when I 
flew  over  San  Francisco in the Hawk's form.   
 
     Finally,  there are times when my allies seem to be 
internal beings,  reflecting  different  aspects  of my Self 
with  whom  I  consult when making decisions or am in need of
advice. Whom I call  upon depends on the circumstances and my
moods - for example, when overwhelmed  with emotions I often ask
Greatwave and Deepsong  for  help  -  but if I am trying to make
a rational decision  and  feel  panicked,  the Hawk of the East
usually comes to my aid. And so it  goes  -  different allies
filling different functions,  but each  a  respected   and 
honored companion - even friend.   
 
     I feel closer to some allies than others at different 
times; and  there are times when some of them even go away for a
while  -  but,  like  true friends,  we always seem to get 
together  again.  I've   read  in some books on Shamanism that
it's not  possible  to  have  more  than one ally at a time,  or
that one  must  constantly  guard  against   losing  one's
allies;  but  this  hasn't  been  my  experience.  I  feel  
very  fortunate to have  met  these  special  beings,  who have
taught  me so much about myself and this  planet,  and I hope
that my introduction of them to a wider group of people  will 
help  spread  the  blessings they have brought  to  my  life.