Spirit animal retrieval is a common shamanic technique to restore a person's power by connecting the person to a helper spirit to guide and protect them. I did several spirit animal retrievals and I enjoy the adventures. They are fun and a great way to share adventure with my spirit animals. The following account is one of the more exciting journeys. It also illustrates that the unexpected is always to be expected. I feel it is an example of the Way of the Adventurer which isn't necessarily better than the Way of the Warrior, just more suited to me.
I start by rattling to the 4 directions and singing my power song (adapted from the song in Harner's book.) I do my invocation inviting all of the guides and spirit helpers in. I fill the room with Reiki. I dance to the rattle. I can feel the energy flowing through me. I'm starting to feel a little dizzy. Time to quit the dance before I fall over.
I start the drumming CD and lie next to Cindy (Bear). I cover my eyes with my arm and listen to the CD pounding out it's monotonous beat... I begin to sing my journey... This helps me maintain focus and remember better even if I don't sing well.
I'm on the river in the white canoe with the old beaver-tail paddle, paddling slowly toward my hole. This always relaxes me. I always start my journeys to the upper or lower world the same way, paddling down the river in my canoe. The paddling feels good. I can hear the happy gurgle of the canoe as it goes through the water. Means it's trimmed and balanced right and being paddled right. I'm wearing my felt hat with the tap-top hat band and my blaze orange camouflage shirt. Strange I should be wearing that shirt... It's a nice day, calm and clear with a little nip in the air. It feels like early fall.
I nose the canoe into the shore and carefully walk the length of the canoe balancing it on the water. I step into the water and stow the paddle in the bow. The water is cold. I pull the canoe up on the shore and secure it. It's funny how these old habits stay with me, even in a journey.
I start along the trail through the swamp to my hole. Quickly I come to the overturned balsam with the large hole where the roots were in the swampy ground before it fell. Around me are cedars and balsams and a little brush.
I look at the upturned roots and see parts of the clayey soil still hanging on them. I look into the acid stained water, dark like tea with a few dead leaves floating on it. I say aloud, "I'm looking for a spirit animal who wants to help Cindy. Help me find this animal."
I step into the hole. I feel myself sink into the soil; ankles, knees, hips, waist, chest, shoulders, neck, chin, over the top of my head and over my upward extended hands. It feels warm and soft and secure. I'm going down through the swampy soil .... down ... down .... down. I've never gone down this far before. Has something gone wrong? I keep going down for a very long way. I didn't know the swamp was so deep. Suddenly I leave the soil and enter the glacial till, rocks and pebbles in a clay matrix. It offers no more resistance than the peat above. Still down and down I go. I've never gone this far before. This is a long way. Down ... down ... down.... Now I'm into the bedrock. Down ... down ... down. I'm beginning to wonder what's happening. I've never been out of the swamp soil before. Down .... down .... down ....
I do things differently, apparently. Where most shamanic journeyers go through the different levels after they leave their tunnel, I descend vertically until I reach the level of the tunnel for the world I'm journeying to. I don't see anything of significance here other than it's an interesting difference.
I hit a tunnel and land crouched, my knees taking up the shock. Looking ahead, I see white light marking the exit of the tunnel.
I walk toward the light and shout, "Is my animal there?" As I walk, I'm look for inconsistencies or obstacles in the tunnel that might be of some significance. I don't find any.
I hear the reply, "Yes," and know it's Mule.
"Is there an animal here for Cindy?" I shout. I’m rather anxious because the trip down seemed so long, and now the tunnel itself seems long.
"Yes."
I'm relieved to hear this. The long journey down the entry hole has shaken my confidence.
I step out of the tunnel and Mule meets me. I have my walking stick in my hand. We're in an open field; a place I've never been before. I start down the path across the field, Mule walking on my right. In the distance I see a forest. We follow the path across the field for a long time until I reach the edge of the forest. This forest looks dark and foreboding with large old misshapen trees. A very unfriendly looking place. The sunlight barely penetrates the gloom and darkness. The path leads into the forest. I tighten my grip on my walking stick as we step into the shadows of the trees.
Deeper and deeper into the forest we trek. It gets darker and darker, the shadows becoming more eerie with each step. I've never walked this far before looking for a spirit animal. This is a long journey.
Suddenly the large black form of an owl flies from a limb above my head and hoots. I can feel the wind from his wings on my head and shoulders as he passes over head. I go on.
A large hawk flies at me screeching, talons set to strike. I stand firmly and, at the last minute. the veers away almost touching my face. I go on.
The forest grows darker and denser. The dim trail is harder to see. Thorny underbrush overgrowing the faint trail catches at my shirt and jeans. All around us eyes watch from the shadows, bright and sinister eyes, yellow and slanting eyes. Scurrying and scampering sounds are all around us now. I don't like the eyes, but I'm not afraid ..... I just don't like them... I don't like being watched from dark places. The eyes move closer.
I push on. Suddenly, I turn and face the eyes. Holding the stick firmly and pointing it at the eyes, I shout, "You have no power over me! Go away!" The eyes disappear. This is some of Serge King's Huna influence I think. Not attacking the eyes but declaring my power and the lack of their power. I wonder if earlier in my journeying experience I might have done needless battle with them or called on Dragon to dispose of them. Adventurer instead of Warrior?
I reach a clearing, small and dark, but the light is a little better than in the forest. In the dim light I see a shadowy Black Panther cross the clearing on a limb overhead. I wait. Next I see a flash of the face of Black Panther, just yellow eyes and flared nostrils. Black Panther quickly crosses the clearing on the ground in front of me now. The third view!!!! Suddenly Black Panther screams and springs from a tree limb above and lands crouched in front of me; yellow eyes glaring, ears back, fangs bared in a snarl. As Black Panther takes a swipe at me, I sidestep the sharp claws and gather him in and pull him against my chest. My heart is pounding. I have Cindy's animal!
I turn and start retracing the dim way, trotting as fast as I can. Next to me trots Mule. Still clutching the spirit energy of Black Panther to my chest with one hand and the walking stick in the other, I reach over and pull myself astride Mule. I must remember to take the crystal the next time I journey to hold the spirit or whatever I'm bringing back and make this kind of stuff easier. That way I can keep both hands free. Mule starts off at a gallop as I hold Black Panther close and cling to Mule's heaving chest with my legs. We gallop out of the forest and across the field to the opening of the tunnel. I leap from Mule's back and give a quick pat of thanks.
I thank Mule for his help.
I run into the tunnel and quickly ascend to the surface. When I reach the surface, I ask, "Is there a message for Cindy to go with Black Panther?"
The answer comes back, "Cindy will know."
I turn and blow Black Panther into Cindy's heart center twice. Then I blow twice into her fontanel. Picking up Rattle, I rattle around Cindy four times sealing the spirit in her.
I rattle to the four directions and sing the power song again, thanking the spirits.