Panda Medicine

The panda teaches gentle strength. Although they have the power to attack a human, they rarely do unless they are provoked. You can be strong without flaunting or proving your abilities to the world. If a panda has presented itself before you now is the time to combine your gentleness with strength. Focus on the project with your full attention to avoid problems.

If the panda is bringing you a message about a particular event then know that the early stages will be difficult. When a panda cub is first born it is only three to four ounces, making it's mother nearly a thousand times larger. Initially the mother must help the newborn eat, stay warm and defecate. Life is not easy for a panda in the beginning. This message reflects the beginning of an event or task you have ahead of you. Know though that you can prevail. The panda, although often birthing twins will reject one, leaving it to die. The ability to focus will help you in this event. You too must focus on one path and not get distracted by another less important one.

For those whom panda is a totem, so too is bamboo. Like the panda, bamboo resembles strength but is extremely flexible. It is valued in many Asian countries where it is used for all sorts of things, from being a delicacy to scaffolding. Strength does not have to mean stubbornness. Show flexibility while not breaking from your core principles.

If a panda has appeared to you recently, it may be trying to pass on a message related to the above information. It may appear in reality, dreams, pictures, conversations or any other form.

Spider Medicine

female Redback spider

Spiders are the weavers of the web of life. One myth involves deer one day asking spider why all the lines in her web looked like symbols. Spider replied that she was creating the first alphabet for humans so they could record and pass on knowledge. Deer rebutted and said humans already have pictures that they draw of their experiences. “Earth’s children are growing more complex and future generations will need to know more,” explained spider. Thus, spider has the ability to see the future and create your destiny.

Spider teaches us to do the same. Set up your life and weave your web to attract what you need. Spider also heeds a warning. Do not get distracted or caught up in the web, otherwise you may become the victim of another’s plan or simply the tangle of the web of life.

The spider’s body is the shape of the infinity (∞) symbol, being made up of a prosoma (head part) and an abdomen. Thus spider also reminds us life offers us an infinite number of choices. Their eight legs also represent the four winds of change and the four directions in the medicine wheel OR the quarters and cross quarters of a magical circle.

Click here to read the story of Arachne, The Greek Goddess who became the first spider.

If a spider has appeared to you recently, it may be trying to pass on a message related to the above information. It may appear in reality, dreams, pictures, conversations or any other form.

Connecting with animals via the chakras

The chakras are energy points identified within the human body originally recognised in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The word “chakra" comes from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning". Humans have seven major chakras located along the centre of the body from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. These subtle energy points regulate and represent our balance in different aspects of life. For an interesting test to see how balanced each chakra is click here. Chakras that are out of balance indicate an unbalanced life and there are varying techniques to obtain realignment. To find out more about balancing chakras, click here.

As humans have chakras, so do animals. They have the seven major chakras as humans which are located in similar positions. However it is also identified that they have an eighth chakra called the brachial chakra. This is located between the shoulders. This chakra governs the animal’s connection with humans. If an animal has a reluctance to be touched or is unwilling to “connect” these are signs that the chakra is unbalanced. Of course, if the animal is unwell due to medical reasons and refuses to interact or a wild animal isn’t willing to run up to you and be patted this is something other than an unbalanced brachial chakra.

If you are working with healing with animals or simply want to bond with a pet you can more visualise balancing this chakra. The colour associated with this chakra is black, or occasionally turquoise. Simply see a wheel of light spinning peacefully and growing in size in the area. When possible touch or hold your hand over the place in the body. Using black tourmaline, diamond, smoky quartz or clear quartz can strengthen the healing. 

Do humans have a similar chakra that assists with connection to animals? There doesn’t seem to be much evidence of the existence of one however there are two chakras that may be relevant. They are:

1) Ta Chui or Big Vertebra Centre in the Chinese system - is located just below the seventh cervical vertebra, where the neck joins the shoulders. This is associated with your ability to embrace others with warmth and love and when unbalanced causes stubbornness, denial and low self esteem.

2) Gai Pe is located between the fifth and sixth thoracic vertebrae, between the shoulder-blades and opposite the heart chakra. When balanced you have a feeling of freedom and a deep sense of the meaning of life and the universe and feel your will to be in harmony with the Divine Will. When unbalanced you will have hostile feelings towards the world.

Whether you tune in to an animal using one of these two chakras or the better know heart or throat chakra this technique can be an extra tool in your tool kit of working and connection with animals in your home or out in the natural world.