Animal Ways

"One of Nature's greatest gifts is her endless willingness to teach us about our possibilities and ourselves. Every sojourn into Nature, every animal encounter, offers an epiphany for the heart and soul."*

Contemporary society separates us from Nature, an unhealthy state of affairs, especially when Nature's messengers can teach so much. How do animals communicate lessons to us? When an animal catches our attention, in that we are struck by its behaviour, or when an animal repeatedly appears to us in a short space of time, we can study it and learn from it. Maybe it represents a message, a solution to a problem, a course of action, a quality to be developed. Accepting the animal's apparition as a metaphorically significant phenomenon and learning from it is another way to reconnect with Nature, another way to encounter the spirit of the Earth.

Ted Andrews* suggests studying four aspects of the animal that has entered our life: its life cycle (pattern of activity), the way in which it adapts to its environment, its skills and abilities, and its relationships with other beasts. These will all provide pointers to a better understanding of the comparable areas of our own life. Naturally, each species is unique and offers specific guidance. An in-depth study of different species is, however, beyond the scope of this site. The four broad categories of animal below will provide a starting point.

• Mammals

Most mammals give birth to live young, nurture them and feed them milk. They are usually warm blooded, land-based creatures with a strong territorial sense. Mammals' sense of smell is often well developed. They are in their element on the Earth. As such, mammals teach lessons about care giving and sustenance. They offer guidance about being grounded, about coping with the world, dealing with practical and material issues as well as boundary issues (where to draw the line). They point towards notions of discernment and being discriminating. Above all, they signify working with form, shape and substance, with what is actually physical and tangible.

• Aquatic Life

Fish have adapted to all aquatic environments. They are streamlined, have fins for guidance and are usually protected by a layer of scales. Fish breathe through gills, taking in oxygen from the water that surrounds them. They are in their element in water, which is fluid, shifting and flowing. So, aquatic life teaches us to go with the flow, to be adaptable and to give consideration to what guides and protects us. Fish show that we can function well in apparently inhospitable surroundings, that inspiration may be found in stifling circumstances. Fish ask about how deep and clear the waters we exist in are, how strong the currents are, how we should swim with them.

• Birds

Most birds are light and free to fly in the sky above the Earth. They have very good vision and their instincts allow them to respond automatically and quickly to whatever data are present before them. They are in their element in the air. As such, birds offer lessons about looking ahead, about lifting ourselves up and rising above struggles and conflicts. They ask us to consider possibilities far away, on distant horizons (literally or intellectually), but to do so by carefully considering all of the information available to us, by using our brains. Birds can teach us to raise our sights and to fly to new heights in our personal endeavours. In many ways, they symbolise intellectual freedom.

• Reptiles and Amphibians

Most reptiles are cold blooded so they have to seek out the sun, to bask in the heat. Most lay eggs and leave their young to survive alone. Many reptiles periodically shed their skin while amphibians metamorphose into different forms. Their need for external heat sources means that they are in their element in fire. As such, reptiles and amphibians provide guidance on seeking out the right environment, on responding to the (physical and emotional) temperature around us. They teach lessons about sensitivity, reactions and intuition. They also offer instruction on survival, on independence, self-reliance and self-sufficiency, while their propensity to alter their form asks questions about the very nature of birth, the dynamics of creativity, the fire of transformation and the drama of life itself.

*Andrews (1999). See the resources page for full details of all sources.

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