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Feathers as a Shaman’s Tool

Perhaps the most omnipresent animal symbol of all has been the eagle—adopted by both ancient and modern cultures around the world. This magnificent bird has been associated with the Greeks, Egyptians, Sumerians, Hittites, and Romans, all of whom used it as an emblem for their formidable empires.

The eagle is a powerful spirit animal that symbolizes foresight, clarity, and vision. The shaman understands that eagle energy helps us perceive the entire panorama of life without becoming bogged down in its myriad tiny details. Eagle energy can assist us in finding the guiding vision of our lives by looking into the past and the future, helping us understand both where we came from and who we’re becoming.

However, eagles and condors are protected and due to poaching and exploitation may not be available, so what do we do?  We can enlist the help of nature by summoning a spirit animal that you are attracted to and asking its permission to use its feathers. Perhaps you have already found feathers that you are attracted to and then summon the spirit animal they come from and ask permission to use its feathers. Establish a connection with this spirit animal by holding the feathers in your hand and imagine the bird looking into your eyes. Ask it to help you in your healing practice.

Your relationship to the feathered power animal is essential as it connects you to nature.  Power animals are the soul of the mother, Pachamama. The word animal comes from anima, the word for soul, meaning that animals are sacred. Our power animals are guides to help us understand ourselves and the world around us. Call on this power animal and ask what qualities it is bringing to you, what does it symbolize, and how it will work with you. The power animal is a spirit of nature found in every culture and tradition and helps us to find what is buried in our unconscious and understand when and why trauma has occurred, so healing happens.

When we call for a power animal, Spirit provides us with whatever we need – we do not get to choose. In fact, we may retrieve one that is entirely unforeseen, or actively disliked. The animal that comes to us represents an instinctual part of ourselves that we may have become disconnected from – or even find distasteful. Working with a power animal is an instinctual process about who we are becoming, not about who we would prefer to be. It is up to us to learn its attributes as it reveals its wisdom.

Once you have connected with your power animal, bring it into you, claws and feathers and beak, to help you. You can use these feathers like a sword or a knife to cut cords or to help the chakras release heavy energies during an illumination. By gently tapping the feathers on the chakra and moving them back and forth over the chakra, heavy energies are dissipated.

Are you ready to summon a feathered power animal?