Animal Messages

I’ve been reading a lot about synchronicity lately, as I’m working on an article about how people use it to come up with signs and signals to propel their lives forward. Maybe it’s because as a child I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I’m particularly interested in animals and the belief that animals that cross your path deliver a message that can guide you in one direction or another.

A butterfly can signal that you’re about to undergo a period of transformation, while a skunk that protects itself with it’s magnificent odor can be a sign that you need to defend yourself. Rabbits are signs of fertility and new life. Today a deer crossed my path and deer can represent gentleness and unconditional love. Seeing the deer made me stop and ask myself, who am I reacting to in a harsh or judgmental manner? (I’m not sure if I’m ready to act on that information, but it was interesting to stop and think about it.)

There are a lot of sites online that give animal symbolism. Some of my favorites are http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-totems.html, http://onespiritx.tripod.com/magick18.htm and http://www.theearthangelconnection.com/Power%20%20Animals.htm.

While I love seeing what these sites have to say, I think of these meanings the same way I view dream dictionaries. They can be helpful, but if an animal conjures up a different meaning for you, always go with your personal interpretation.

Monkey See, Monkey Do...

A friend made the offhand comment that she wished she could be more like her dog Rex, in that Rex spent his days doing precisely what he wanted to do, whether it be running and jumping or puttering around the house. She was joking, but it got me to thinking about animals and how they aren’t encumbered by logic and use their instincts to not only get by, but to survive.

After the tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands in Sri Lanka and India in December of 2004, National Geographic reported of the many eyewitness accounts made by those who saw animals in those areas react and flee to higher locations moments before the tsunami struck. According to National Geographic, elephants screamed and ran for higher ground, dogs wouldn’t go outdoors, flamingos moved out of low areas and zoo animals rushed into their shelters. It was as if those animals sensed danger was coming.

Some scientists chalk it up to the fact that animals have to be more alert than humans because their worlds are more primitive and dangerous, so they recognized that something was amiss moments before disaster struck. But that’s precisely what it means to be intuitive. You’re alert to your feelings about whatever situation you find yourself in, and act based on those feelings whether that means leaving a crowded venue because you feel uneasy about being there, or confiding in someone you just met because you instinctively know you can trust them.

Intuitive Action Item: Next time you see an animal, watch how it responds to its environment. It’s alert to sounds and movement and when it senses danger it runs. That might seem like a simple notion, but how often do you simply act based on your gut urges without stopping to think about what you should do next?