Animal Guides

I saw more wildlife than I had any reason to expect last night. Seeing a fox would normally be a highlight but it was well and truly trumped by seeing a badger...

I have a book called the Beasts of Albion that looks at the properties of some of the British Animal Guides. It doesn't include the birds I saw at the beginning. The closest it gets is Raven but this isn't right so my animal guide journey begins with...

Butterfly
The Butterfly is all about transformation of the spirit and the Celts also saw it as a sign of rebirth and renewal. It represents freedom to move on the winds of change and beauty and purity.

Mouse
It may not have been a mouse, it could have been a vole or a shrew but I suspect there would be similarities... The Mouse is about strength and growth and seeking the path. Mice are manifestations of the human soul and can travel between the world of men and the underworld. They symbolise hidden solutions, wealth and abundance as well as a tnedency to worry.

Badger
The wise and empowering holder of tradition. It is a stead fast, courageous animal that is a home loving animal and very sociable with it's own. The Badger is a guide which offers the support of the ancestors int he growth of awarenss and wisdom.

Bat
The Bat is a guide through the darkness towards awakening and wisdom through fear. It is a traditional sign of witchcraft and devil, which suits me fine, I have always liked bats. I even picked one up once. (I spent a lot of time in churches as a child as my folks were bell ringers. One time I picked up a piece of mould left in a vase in the corner of a church. It shook itself and sat and looked at me before flying off a little earlier than planned into the twilight.) So a guide through the dark, direction, inner strength, psychich powers... I would say the hidden side of woman...

Swan
The Swan is a sign of purity and inspiration and love. An association with Brigid and Apollo as well as with shape changing. This bird is all about true love and the abandonment of self to it as well as inspiration and transformation.

Fox
The Fox is a strong and intelligent mirror of the mind. Again the fox was a shape changing form favoured by witches. It is clever and adaptable and knows how to take advantage of the world without taking itself too seriously. It often laughs at itself.

Quite an interesting journey here I think although I am not sure how to put it all together in my head.