Power animal
Power animal (also spirit animal or totem animal ) is a term for a spirit being in animal form, which is used in esotericism and neo-shamanism . It is described as a spiritual companion or as a soul mate.
Origin of the idea
The idea of power animals was taken from totemistic and animistic concepts of very different ethnic religions in which protective spirits appear in the form of other living beings. Especially in the mythology of the hunter-gatherers , animals play an important role and are mostly seen as animated. This idea is described by many North American Indians and the shamanistic cultures of Siberia and the Arctic. In other cultures where shamanism occurs - for example in South America - as in the Arctic and Siberia, people believe in helper spirits, which are seen as souls of deceased ancestors, plant or animal spirits. In Australia and North America, the guardian spirits are predominantly animal-shaped.
The animals that appear as spirits to the vision seeker or shaman in his trance are regarded as helper spirits and guardian spirits . Such spirits (spiritus familiaris) differ from the divine or semi-divine beings that the shaman invokes in his sessions.
According to the teachings of various forms of shamanism, animal spirits have great power in the upper and lower worlds beyond . They should help the shaman to find his way in these worlds and to understand these worlds. These beings are also called upon to accompany, protect, heal and guide the human soul on journeys in these worlds.
The shaman usually has several helping spirits in animal form who support him in his tasks, visiting spiritual worlds and healing illness, misery and misfortune (see soul journey ). The shaman falls into a trance and visits imaginative spiritual worlds, where he z. B. asks for the return of human souls who have been captured by evil spirits.
Some shamans have only one auxiliary spirit in animal form, others several or many. Shamans of the northern Ostyaks only have one animal spirit, the bear, while in northern Greenland a shaman has up to fifteen auxiliary spirits. With some peoples the shaman is the more powerful the more helper spirits he has. In Inuit mythology , the animal spirits come of their own free will when the shaman proves worthy.
Importance of different animal spirits in shamanism
The shamans of Siberia and the North American Arctic associate with spirits from nature in the form of wolves, elks, bears, ravens, fish, horses, snakes and birds.
With the Nenets , Chukchi and Evenki , reindeer, foxes, bears and wolves traditionally play an important role in myths and stories.
The relationship of the shaman to the animal spirits can vary depending on the people, but there is always a close relationship, ranging from the relationship of a benefactor to his protégé to the relationship of a servant to his master.
The role that animals play in the shamanic session is shown in the introduction of the session and the preparation of journeys into heaven or underworld, while the shaman, among other things, imitates the behavior of animals and imitates animal cries.
In the various tribes of the Arctic and Siberia, certain animal spirits are traditionally handed down, which also have different roles and meanings depending on the tribe. B. can travel in the form of the animal in trance experiences in the otherworldly spirit worlds, fight hostile beings, or the animals accompany him in his magical tasks. An important task of the shaman of arctic peoples with regard to animals is e.g. B. to meet the master of the animals on a soul journey and to negotiate hunting booty. With the Evenks, this lord of the animals is the bear, who is also regarded as the highest being. For the peoples of Northeast Siberia and for Inuit groups in Alaska, Canada and Greenland, the raven has an important role as ancestor of humans, creator of the earth and bringer of culture.
Power animals in esotericism
In esoteric contexts in western culture, power animals play a similar role as the animal spirits in their original cultures. The animal is here mostly understood mythically and symbolically and there are a number of different methods of coming into contact with these animals. The so-called power animals are recognized or imagined in dreams, imitated in dance and sound and serve as companions and advisors in connection with imaginative ideas.
Animal spirits can be divided into two groups:
- The power animals have a personal relationship with the person they accompany and stay with them. Some people assume that everyone has a power animal, not just shamans, even if they don't know it.
- In contrast to this, helper animals either only accompany a person for a while or only in certain situations (e.g. illness), otherwise they are not with the person, but they can help several people (one after the other). They have no personal bond with the people who accompany and support them.
The symbol of the respective animal is usually understood to mean that the connection to the animal transfers the respective symbolic properties to the 'shaman' or personifies his properties. A wolf living in a pack would also be endowed with empathy, or the fox should bring about a high level of intelligence. In esotericism, the symbolic properties of animals are mostly not only related to tribal religions and shamanism, but are also based on European traditions such as B. Mythology , Fables and Fairy Tales .
criticism
Some esoteric providers and neo-shamans tear different ideas without a common cultural origin out of their context and mix or change them in part arbitrarily. Many of them refer to indigenous cultures as the origin of the power animals, but are not interested in reproducing the original content. The main reason is often just better marketing. This can be seen in the enormous number of relevant books on the market. According to this inconsistent concept of the power animal, which varies depending on the provider, there are different forms of power animals that are tailored to the needs of modern humans. The original cultural context in which these ideas arose and were effective is ignored.
In contrast, supporters of neo-pagan beliefs point out that the authors of such criticisms are usually shaped by monotheistic ideas and therefore have no actual spiritual connection to the topic, but rather would be driven by the intention to use shamanism in general or the concept of power animals in particular as to expose occult humbug. In doing so, they refer to the concept of interculturality and the fact that orally transmitted spirituality, in contrast to monotheism - such as Christianity - neither possesses a strict, fixed doctrine nor does it distinguish between religion and everyday life.
literature
- Hans Blazejewski : ZEN - but animal. With your power animals to mastery . Blickweise-Verlag, Lehrte 2004, ISBN 978-3-9809377-3-3 .
- Arthur Cotterell (Ed.): Mythology. Gods, heroes, myths. Parragon, 2004
- Mircea Eliade : The Encyclopedia of Religion. New York 1987
- Mircea Eliade: Shamanism and archaic ecstasy technique. Frankfurt am Main 1980
Individual evidence
- ^ Waldemar Stöhr: Lexicon of peoples and cultures. Westermann, Braunschweig 1972, ISBN 3-499-16160-5 . P. 116.
- ^ Gabriele Lademann-Priemer (formerly representative for sects and ideological issues): Syncretism . In: Glaub-und-irrglaube.de, Hamburg, accessed on January 22, 2015.