Animal Medicine: The Spiritual Significance of Non-Human Wisdom

Animals are among the most giving of God’s creations.

In the Native way, it is known that Great Spirit often sends
messages of awareness, guidance, and adjustment through the appearance and actions of Creature Beings in our lives.

If
you ignore the Winged Ones (birds), Creepy Crawlies (Snakes), Four-Legged Beings, Insects, etc., you fail to utilize
a most powerful spiritual tool.

If you learn to pay attention to the Creature Beings that cross your path, you will receive much. What were you
thinking of, when the Crow cawed outside the window? What action were you planning when the Ant bit your foot? The
message will be associated with what is close at hand in your mind, in your life. Learn to recognize your animal
helpers, your Totems, and their way of communicating with you. Dogs, in particular, are incredibly generous in their
willingness to take on physical illness, and even death, for their human friends. When a “pet” passes,
it always takes human imbalance with it.

The cause of death will tell you the medicine: if heart-related, the human may have been spared a heart attack;
if cancer, bitterness and resentment most likely absorbed; if violent, suppressed anger was probably released, or
a destructive act averted. These are not the only possible medicine meanings for the situations described above –
just some I have personally known.

Whatever the nature, there will always be healing and medicine involved whenever a dear creature being leaves your
life. Honor the passing of animal friends with thanksgiving and ceremony. Violent behavior, particularly in dogs,
is almost always related to personal conflict between people in the animal’s environment, or emotional imbalance
within someone close to the animal.

If formerly friendly canines suddenly erupt in a fight, moments after you have had an angry confrontation, be aware
that it is definitely event-connected and that a loyal dog will take it all the way to death. When a beloved Four-Legged,
Winged One, or other Creature Being dies, rest assured some burden has been lifted from the person closest to it.
It is wise to take the time to honor that gift and sacrifices, and to see the correlation in one’s life.

Excerpted from Moon Lodge Visions: An Acceleration Handbook